Edgewater sits at the top of Chicago's North Side lakefront, where Lake Shore Drive ends. In a few blocks it goes from beaches and Sheridan Road high-rises to 1920s apartment hotels, then to quiet streets of early-1900s houses west of Broadway. If you're getting to know Edgewater, this guide covers where it is, how it grew, the kinds of homes you'll find, and how to get around, with the details I walk buyers and sellers through.
In this guide:
- Where is Edgewater in Chicago?
- A short history
- Edgewater homes and architecture
- Broadway, Clark Street and everyday errands
- Getting around
- Beaches, parks and the lakefront
- Buying or selling in Edgewater
- FAQ
Where Is Edgewater in Chicago?
Edgewater is one of Chicago's 77 community areas, about seven miles north of the Loop. It runs from Foster Avenue on the south to Devon Avenue on the north, and from Lake Michigan west to Ravenswood Avenue. Uptown is to the south, Rogers Park to the north, Lincoln Square to the west and West Ridge to the northwest. Most addresses use ZIP codes 60660 and 60640.
Inside those lines are a few distinct pockets:
- Andersonville: the southwest corner, built around Clark Street. Its business district continues south into Uptown. I compare the two sides in detail in my Edgewater vs. Andersonville post.
- Edgewater Glen: a residential pocket north of Andersonville, west of Broadway.
For current listings and an overview of the market, see my page on Edgewater, Chicago real estate.
A Short History of Edgewater, Chicago
In the 1880s, developers began buying up the truck farms of Lake View Township. In 1885, developer John Lewis Cochran gave the lakefront section the name Edgewater and laid out his first subdivision. Cochran came from Philadelphia, and he named many streets after stations on the Pennsylvania Railroad's Main Line: Berwyn, Bryn Mawr, Ardmore, Rosemont, Devon and Wayne. The city annexed Lake View Township in 1889.
Early on, mansions lined the lakefront, and larger houses spread inland. In 1916, the Edgewater Beach Hotel opened on the lake, and in 1928 the pink Edgewater Beach Apartments went up just north of it. The hotel was torn down in 1968 and 1969. The apartment building is still there, now a co-op, and it's listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
In the early 1950s, Lake Shore Drive was extended north of Foster Avenue. After World War II, a long string of high-rises went up along the lakeshore. In 1980, Edgewater was separated from Uptown and became its own community area, the most recent of the city's 77.
Edgewater Homes and Architecture
Edgewater has two very different halves. East of the Red Line, it's towers and apartment hotels. West of Broadway, it's houses, flats and courtyard buildings.
Sheridan Road high-rises and surviving mansions
North of the end of Lake Shore Drive at Hollywood Avenue, Sheridan Road is lined with high-rise condo and apartment buildings on both sides, many built after World War II. Units on the east side of the road can have direct lake views.
A handful of the old mansions survived between the towers. The two mansions at Berger Park and the Colvin House at Thorndale Avenue are reminders of what Sheridan Road looked like before the high-rises. So is the 1916 Schmidt Mansion, a Prairie-style house designed by George W. Maher.
Buying in a tower means buying into the building. I always review the association's budget, reserves, special assessments and rules before a client makes an offer.
The Bryn Mawr Historic District
Bryn Mawr Avenue, from Broadway east to Sheridan Road, has some of Edgewater's most decorative buildings. The Bryn Mawr Apartment Hotel, 12 stories in white terra cotta, faces the 8-story Belle Shore Apartment Hotel, clad in green and cream terra cotta. Both went up in the late 1920s, and the city designated them Chicago Landmarks on November 6, 2002.
The district also takes in the Edgewater Beach Apartments and the Manor House, a 1908 Tudor Revival courtyard building by John Edmund Oldaker Pridmore with rounded corner towers.
Edgewater Glen and Lakewood Balmoral
West of Broadway, two National Register districts hold most of Edgewater's single-family homes.
Edgewater Glen runs from Norwood Street north to Hood Avenue, between Clark Street and Broadway. It was listed on the National Register in 2024 and has more than 400 contributing buildings, mostly single-family homes built between 1900 and 1928. American Foursquares are the most common style, with Queen Anne and Prairie touches. Uniform lots, consistent setbacks and mature parkway trees give the streets an even look.
The Lakewood Balmoral Historic District sits to the south, between Foster and Bryn Mawr avenues, from Magnolia Avenue west to Wayne Avenue. It was Cochran's Third Addition to Edgewater, bought in 1890, and it still holds many of his early houses. It was listed on the National Register in 1999. Catalpa and Lakewood avenues run through it, and the Berwyn Red Line station is close by.
Courtyard buildings and 2- to 4-flats
Between the houses and the high-rises are the interior blocks: vintage brick courtyard buildings, greystones, and 2-, 3- and 4-flats. Some courtyard buildings have been converted to condos. Smaller multi-unit buildings let an owner live in one unit and rent the others, which is why I run the numbers on rental income with clients before they write an offer.
Curious what your Edgewater home is worth, or what you could buy here? Call or text me at 312-219-5921, or request a home valuation.
Broadway, Clark Street and Everyday Errands
Broadway is Edgewater's main north-south commercial street, with shops, restaurants, the Broadway Antique Market and the Edgewater Branch of the Chicago Public Library. Broadway also marks the line between the lakefront high-rises to the east and the house blocks to the west.
Clark Street is Andersonville's main street. The Andersonville Commercial Historic District, listed on the National Register in 2010, runs along the 4900 to 5800 blocks of Clark Street, with independent shops and restaurants and the Swedish American Museum at 5211 N Clark St. For places to eat there, see my list of the top 10 restaurants in Andersonville.
Sheridan Road is mostly residential. It's the main route for traffic coming off the north end of Lake Shore Drive, so expect a busy road with quieter side streets just off it.
Getting Around Edgewater, Chicago
CTA Red Line. Edgewater has four elevated stations, all just east of Broadway:
- Berwyn: 1119 W Berwyn Ave. CTA lists connections to the #36, #92 and #146.
- Bryn Mawr: 1116 W Bryn Mawr Ave, with connections to the #36 and #84.
- Thorndale: 1118 W Thorndale Ave, with a connection to the #36.
- Granville: 1119 W Granville Ave, with a connection to the #36.
#36 Broadway: Runs the length of Broadway through Edgewater, with stops from Foster to Devon.
#151 Sheridan: Stops along Sheridan Road through Edgewater, including Foster, Berwyn, Bryn Mawr, Hollywood, Ardmore, Thorndale, Granville and Devon.
#147 Outer DuSable Lake Shore Express: Stops along Sheridan Road in Edgewater, then runs nonstop between Foster and Marine Drive and Michigan Avenue at Delaware.
#136 Sheridan/LaSalle Express: Also stops along Sheridan Road in Edgewater on its way downtown.
#146 Inner Lake Shore/Michigan Express: Starts at the Berwyn Red Line station, with stops on Berwyn Avenue, Broadway, Foster Avenue and Sheridan Road before heading downtown.
#22 Clark, #92 Foster and #84 Peterson: Clark Street on the west side, plus crosstown routes that connect at the Berwyn and Bryn Mawr stations.
Metra: The Union Pacific North Line runs along Edgewater's western edge, and the Peterson/Ridge station opened in 2024.
Driving: Lake Shore Drive has an interchange at Foster Avenue, serves Bryn Mawr Avenue, and ends at Hollywood Avenue and Sheridan Road.
Routes and stops can change, so check transitchicago.com before you plan a commute around a specific stop.
Beaches, Parks and the Lakefront
Edgewater holds the north end of Lincoln Park, and the lakefront here comes in small pieces between the towers.
Foster Beach: At the south edge of the neighborhood, at the foot of Foster Avenue.
Kathy Osterman Beach: Also called Hollywood Beach, near the end of Lake Shore Drive at Hollywood and Ardmore avenues.
George Lane Park and Berger Park: Two smaller lakefront parks north of Ardmore. Berger Park, at 6205 N Sheridan Rd, keeps historic Sheridan Road mansions on its grounds.
Lakefront Trail: The trail's north end is in Edgewater, near Ardmore Avenue. From there it runs south along the lake toward downtown.
Broadway Armory Park: At Broadway and Thorndale, a Chicago Park District indoor recreation center.
Buying or Selling in Edgewater, Chicago
Because Edgewater ranges from lakefront co-ops to Foursquare houses, the right plan depends on the property.
If you're buying a condo, I start with the association: budget, reserve study, special assessments, and leasing and pet rules. I also check whether the building is lendable. My post on what makes a Chicago condo lendable explains why that matters.
If you're buying a co-op, such as the Edgewater Beach Apartments, plan for a board application and interview. Fewer lenders make share loans, so line up financing early.
If you're buying a house or a 2- to 4-flat, plan time for inspections of older systems, and check whether any landmark rules apply before you plan exterior work. On a multi-unit building, I'll help you review leases and rental income. Learn how my buyer representation works.
If you're selling, pricing depends on close comparisons: the same tower, floor range and view line for a condo, or the same blocks for a house in Edgewater Glen. I pull current MLS sales for your property instead of relying on neighborhood averages. Read about my seller representation.
FAQ
Where is Edgewater in Chicago?
Edgewater is a community area on Chicago's far North Side, about seven miles north of the Loop. It runs from Foster Avenue north to Devon Avenue and from Lake Michigan west to Ravenswood Avenue. Uptown is to the south and Rogers Park is to the north.
How did Edgewater get its name?
Developer John Lewis Cochran named the area Edgewater in 1885, when he laid out his first subdivision near the lake. He also named streets such as Berwyn, Bryn Mawr and Ardmore after railroad stations near Philadelphia.
What are Edgewater's historic districts?
The Bryn Mawr Historic District covers Bryn Mawr Avenue from Broadway to Sheridan Road, including two terra-cotta apartment hotels that are Chicago Landmarks. Edgewater Glen and Lakewood Balmoral are National Register districts of mostly single-family homes west of Broadway. The Andersonville Commercial Historic District runs along Clark Street.
Which beaches are in Edgewater?
Foster Beach and Kathy Osterman Beach, also called Hollywood Beach, are the main ones. George Lane Park and Berger Park add smaller lakefront spaces farther north. The north end of the Lakefront Trail is near Ardmore Avenue.
How do I get downtown from Edgewater?
The Red Line stops at Berwyn, Bryn Mawr, Thorndale and Granville. Express buses such as the #147 run along Sheridan Road and then nonstop to Michigan Avenue, and the #146 starts at the Berwyn station. Drivers can take Lake Shore Drive, which begins at Hollywood Avenue. Check current routes on transitchicago.com.
Thinking about buying or selling in Edgewater? Call or text Daniel at 312-219-5921 or send Daniel a message. You can also find Daniel on Google.
About Daniel Ledo: Daniel Ledo is a Broker with The ZIP Group team at RE/MAX Premier, with 10 years serving Chicago clients. He works in English and Spanish and helps buyers and sellers across Chicago's North Side, including Edgewater, Andersonville, Uptown, Buena Park and the Gold Coast, from vintage condos and co-ops to lakefront high-rises, 2-flats and single-family homes. Call or text 312-219-5921, visit ledorealestate.com, or stop by 1207 N Dearborn St, Chicago, IL 60610.
Equal Housing Opportunity. Brokerage: RE/MAX Premier.