Edgewater Heritage

Originally planned as an exclusive Family Development on the shores of Lake Michigan, the community of Edgewater has seen several periods of progressive change in its history. In the beginning, Edgewater was a part of the City of Lakeview, until it was annexed by the City of Chicago in 1889. The arrival of a steam train station at Ravenswood and Bryn Mawr, which now allowed for quick transit to jobs downtown, signaled the beginning of brisk development in the area. Many of the Single Family homes you see today, and that give the neighborhood its’ distinctive feel, were built during this time.

In the 1920’s, many of the grand homes on Kenmore and Winthrop were replaced by the apartment buildings and hotels that stand today, as the elevated train, and the general prosperity of the times, brought workers from downtown looking for more idyllic surrounds. Around this same time, the mansions of Sheridan Road were being built, to house many of Chicago’s luminaries including Oscar Mayer among others.

The cost of upkeep, and rapidly rising value of lakefront property in the 1950’s and 1960’s led to the destruction of most of these mansions, and the building of many of the high rises on Sheridan Road. A few examples of these glorious homes still exist, with the Berger Park mansions, at Granville and Sheridan, being perhaps the best known. The survival of these buildings and their conversion to park space was a direct result of community action on behalf of the residents.

This spirit of civic participation runs through much of the history of Edgewater. As urban areas around the country struggled to remain vibrant in the 1960’s and 1970’s, the residents of Edgewater faced many of the same issues. The commercial areas were rundown and becoming magnets for crime. Longtime residents were considering a move to the suburbs, to areas considered safer for raising a family.

To address these problems, the residents formed community councils to deal with quality of life issues like safety and education, while others focused their efforts on reviving our local businesses. Organizations like the Edgewater Community Council, which still operates today, began during this time to systematically address the issues of crime and community involvement. Meanwhile, local residents began opening businesses along our commercial stretches, a tradition that continues today, and has become one of our neighborhood’s proudest accomplishments. Andersonville's commmitment to locally-owned businesses became a template for the revitalization of other lakefront neighborhoods like Lincoln Square and Roscoe Village. That same spirit has helped Edgewater to continue its' focus on areas like Bryn Mawr, Granville, and stretches of Clark Street north of Bryn Mawr. Great businesses like Gethsemane Gardens, M Henry, M Henrietta, Metropolis Coffee, Little Mexican Cafe, Flourish Bakery, Bananas Foster, Piato Pronto Italian Grocery, UnCommon Ground, and many others have flourished in areas of Edgewater off the main Andersonville retail corridor.

After weathering those stormy times, Edgewater emerged stronger, and became an example to the rest of the City of how to revive a neighborhood through community involvement. New families continue to flock to Edgewater today, looking for that sense of community that no longer exists in many of the lakefront areas. Residents still identify themselves with the differently named pockets of the neighborhood, suggesting a closeness absent in much of the city these days. This local commitment has also led to a renaissance of Edgewater's schools including Rickover Naval Academy, Peirce Elementary, Northside Catholic Academy, Rogers Park Montessori, Waldorf School, Sacred Heart Schools, and many others.

But whether you live in Edgewater Glen, Lakewood Balmoral, Magnolia Glen, Andersonville, Edgewater Beach, or any other nook, you are still proud to call yourself a resident of Edgewater, and happy you made the decision to make this your home.