Edgewater, Chicago

Edgewater is a Chicago community area in the far North Side of the City of Chicago, Illinois seven miles north of downtown Chicago. It is bordered by the neighborhoods of Rogers Park to the north, Uptown to the south, Lincoln Square to the west and south and West Ridge to the west and north. As one of Chicago’s 77 official community areas, Edgewater is bounded by Foster Avenue on the south, Devon Avenue on the north, Ravenswood Avenue on the west, and Lake Michigan on the east. Edgewater contains several beaches that residents enjoy in the warm months. Historically, Edgewater was once part of Lake View Township, an independent suburb which was annexed by the city of Chicago in 1889.

Edgewater has the second highest population density of any of the neighborhoods in Chicago [cite news|url=http://www.demographia.com/db-chi-nhd2000dens80.htm|title=Chicago Neighborhoods ranked by density 1980-2000|date=2001-06-19|publisher=Wendell Cox - Demographia|accessdate=2008-07-30]

Edgewater was first developed around the 1890s as a summer home for Chicago's elite. With the exception of pockets acknowledged as historic districts (like the Bryn Mawr Historic District), Edgewater (actually, Edgewater Beach) boasts a skyline of apartment buildings, condominium complexes, and mid-rise homes.

History

Early settlers

Developers began cutting down the dense woods in the area in the late 1880s to make way for future development. In 1885, Edgewater was given its name by its builder, John Lewis Cochran. He built the first residential subdivision in the area. After a few years, Edgewater was celebrated as a wonder as it became "the only electric lighted suburb adjacent to Chicago". Edgewater also gained fame as the celery-growing capital of America's Midwest.

The turn of the century

In the early 1900s, Edgewater was regarded as one of Chicago's most prestigious communities. A prominent symbol of Edgewater's affluence was the Edgewater Beach Hotel, which opened in 1916 at 5349 N. Sheridan. The famed pink hotel was demolished in 1968, though the remaining pink Edgewater Beach Apartments building is still a landmark at the north tip of Lake Shore Drive. The Edgewater building boom peaked in 1926 and property values reached their height in 1928. The burgeoning affluent population grew so much that developers expanded Edgewater and renamed a portion of the neighborhood community Uptown (which still exists today).

Revival

Uptown's population declined in the 1950s as Chicago's suburbs were developed and opened, absorbing Chicago's middle and upper classes. With the flight of residents came disrepair and high crime rates for what once was one of the most affluent districts of Chicago.

In the 1980s, the Chicago Board of Aldermen and local business owners orchestrated a revival for the Edgewater community. Edgewater seceded from the Uptown community and once again called itself its own community. New businesses were brought into the community, old buildings were refurbished and homes touched up to harken back to Edgewater's past.

Gay and lesbian community

At the time of the 2000 United States Census the proportion of single-sex couples in Edgewater was 6.6% in the 60660 zip code and 8.0% in the 60640 zip code. [cite web |url=http://www.gaydemographics.org/USA/states/illinois/2000Census_state_il_zipcode.htm |title=Gayest zip codes in Illinois |accessdate=2007-09-30 |work=gaydemographics.org ] This compares with the US national average of 1.1%. [cite web |url=http://www.gaydemographics.org/USA/2000Census_Gay_zipcode.htm |title=2000 Census information on Gay and Lesbian Couples, by zip code |accessdate=2007-09-30 |work=gaydemographics.org ] Edgewater is home to the Gerber/Hart Library, the largest gay and lesbian library and archives in the Midwestern United States. [cite news|url=http://www.state.il.us/dhr/news_rel/GLBT_06.doc|title=The Illinois Department of Human Rights commemorates LGBT Pride Month|date=2006-06-19|publisher=Illinois Department of Human Rights|accessdate=2006-08-09]

Kathy Osterman Beach (named after a former alderman but more commonly referred to as Hollywood Beach, referencing Hollywood Ave. where it is situated) is a hugely popular hangout for gay men and lesbians during the summer months.

International community

The highrise condominiums that line Sheridan Rd. and the Lake were known to have large numbers of retired and elderly persons, many living on fixed incomes. The prices have been more affordable than Lake Shore Drive addresses farther south. Meanwhile, Kenmore and Winthrop streets a couple blocks west suffered in mixed conditions of poverty and crime that were a far cry from their prior prestige. Recognizing the value of lakefront living and access to the Red Line elevated train, an influx of new residents arrived. Many of Edgewater's new residents are from Africa and the former Yugoslavia. The area has a great density of Bosnian, Serb and Croat residents. These people, troubled by civil war and tough conditions in their homeland, have been encouraged to settle in the area. The city is known for accepting new, thriving enclaves of ethnicities in centuries past. This new settlement of Europeans is a modern revival of that tradition.

Meanwhile, Edgewater is also home to a large African community. Ethnic Ethiopians, newly independent Eritreans, and Nigerians live and socialize in Edgewater. Due to increased restrictions on the industry, taxis must park on main (non-residential) streets or spots with meters. Consequently, Broadway is often full of taxis parked there by their African immigrant operators. (The African community also extends farther north into the Rogers Park and Loyola University areas.) Walk the streets of Edgewater and one will mix with women in traditional African dress and Serbian grandmothers strolling with their grandchildren while the middle generation is out making a living in the new world of Chicago.

Native Americans, former Yugoslavians, Africans of every part, young hipsters, new parents, first-time homeowners, students and many more make their home in Edgewater.

Devon Avenue marks the northern boundary of Edgewater. Devon reflects the ethnic diversity of the Rogers Park community.

Neighborhoods

Andersonville

Andersonville is a neighborhood (located in the Edgewater community area) on the North Side of Chicago, about five miles (8 km) north-northwest of the city's downtown. Once a sleepy little village made up primarily of Swedish immigrants, Andersonville is now one of Chicago's most popular neighborhoods. The community is particularly known for its diversity, including a continued Swedish cultural presence led by the [http://www.samac.org Swedish American Museum] , the Swedish Bakery and other Swedish delicatessens. [http://www.falconliving.com/andersonville-real-estate.php] A significant number of Middle-Eastern businesses, a new influx of families with children, and a large LGBT population also makes this a very diverse population (showcased in the 1994 lesbian themed movie Go Fish). It is also known for its unique commercial district, made up almost entirely of locally owned, independent shops, restaurants, cafes, taverns, a chocolatier, and service providers.

The approximate street boundaries of Andersonville are Broadway to the east, Ravenswood Avenue to the west, Winnemac Avenue to the south, and Elmdale Avenue to the north. The heart of the Andersonville commercial district is the corner of Clark Street and Foster Avenue (5200 N. Clark Street).

The main shopping street is North Clark Street, which runs roughly north-south. The stretch of Clark Street south of Foster Avenue (where Andersonville has expanded across community boundaries into northern Uptown) is sometimes called South Foster, or SoFo. Some maps show the entire stretch between Foster and Lawrence as Andersonville Terrace; although this name is seldom used by residents, realtors have recently started using it again for the area as far south as Argyle Street, in an attempt to capitalize on Andersonville's popularity. The stretch north of Bryn Mawr still retains a good number of Hispanic-owned business as well as some restaurants and cafes serving Andersonville's more recent transplants.

As reported in the Chicago Reader, in 2006 merchants along North Clark Street have seen significant increases in commercial property taxes, causing these independent shops to struggle. Though the residential property taxes have risen in the area, they have not skyrocketed like the commercial district in downtown Andersonville.

heridan Road

Sheridan Road, which follows the lakefront in Edgewater is the main thoroughfare for traffic to/from Lake Shore Drive. Lake Shore Drive ends at Hollywood Avenue where all traffic is routed onto either Hollywood or Sheridan Road.

North of Ardmore Avenue (5800 N) to Devon Avenue (6400 N) there are 4 lake front parks, Osterman Beach, George Lane park, Berger Park, and a newly unnamed park just south of Granville (6200 N). There is also a new park on the South West corner of Thorndale and Sheridan. This portion of Sheridan Road is a beautiful section of high-rise residential buildings lining both sides of the street including Hollywood Towers, The Malibu, Malibu East, Eastpoint Tower, The Tiara, El Lago, Granville Beach, Granville Tower, Shoreline Towers and Sheridan Point. Most of these towers were built in the late 1950s to early 1970s. TV's Bob and Emily Hartley of The Bob Newhart Show called this area home, residing in the Thorndale Beach Apartments, 5901 N. Sheridan Road.

There are a handful of mansions still remaining on Sheridan Road, remnants of the 1880s to 1920s north Chicago wealth. Many of the original mansions that once lined Sheridan Road were razed to make way for the high-rise buildings that exist today. A few notable exceptions are in Berger Park and Sacred Heart School at Sheridan and Granville Avenue, as well as two belonging to Loyola University on the southern-most portion of their campus along Sheridan Road between Rosemont and West Sheridan Road, a short westerly bound extension of Sheridan Road between Lake Michigan and North Broadway Avenue.

ee also

*Edgewater Presbyterian Church

References

External links

* [http://egov.cityofchicago.org/webportal/COCWebPortal/COC_ATTACH/Community_Areas_EDGEWATER.pdf Official City of Chicago Edgewater Community Map]
* [http://www.andersonville.org/ Andersonville Chamber of Commerce]
* [http://www.edgewater.org/ Edgewater Chamber of Commerce]
* [http://www.edgewatercommunitycouncil.org/ Edgewater Community Council]
* [http://www.edgewaterdev.org/ Edgewater Development Corporation]
* [http://www.edgewaterhistory.org/ Edgewater Historical Society]

Geographic Location
Center = Edgewater, Chicago
North = Rogers Park, Chicago
East = Lake Michigan
South = Uptown, Chicago
West = Lincoln Square, Chicago
Northwest = West Ridge, Chicago