GETTING TO KNOW EDGEWATER

What’s the Appeal?  Blessed with a beautiful lakefront location, a rich architectural heritage, and an amazing mix of residential options, from soaring high-rise buildings and grand single-family homes, to more low-key houses and multi-unit buildings, Edgewater has long been one of Chicago’s most attractive neighborhoods. It’s location along the CTA Red Line and at the north end of Lake Shore Drive, provides outstanding access to downtown Chicago, and Edgewater also offers its own vibrant commercial corridors along Clark Street and Broadway.

Where Is It?  Edgewater is bounded by Lake Michigan, Foster, Ravenswood and Devon avenues. Within that area are several distinct neighborhoods: Andersonville, Lakewood-Balmoral, Edgewater Glen and Edgewater Beach.

What’s in the Name?  In 1885, John Lewis Cochran began developing a subdivision that he named Edgewater located east of what is now Broadway between Foster and Bryn Mawr avenues. It is reportedly the first planned development to have paved streets, electric lighting, a drainage system and street cleaning. Prior to Cochran’s subdivision, the Edgewater area was known as Andersonville and was essentially a farming community. By the 1890s, the area had been annexed to Chicago and began to grow rapidly as public transit lines were extended into the area. In 1916 the luxurious Edgewater Beach Hotel opened, cementing the name Edgewater into the city’s consciousness. However, the city officially considered Edgewater to be part of its Uptown neighborhood for decades, and it was only in 1980 that Edgewater was established as Chicago’s 77^th and newest community area.

Who Were the Earliest Residents? What is now Edgewater was originally the northern portion of the town of Lake View, and like the rest of that community, was first settled by farmers from Germany, Luxembourg and Scandinavia who operated truck farms and orchards that served the Chicago market. In the 1880s, the area began to be developed as a wealthy residential community, but that trend was soon overwhelmed by the need for denser housing stemming from Chicago’s rapid growth. The period between 1910 and 1930 saw significant increase in population and the construction of many multi-unit buildings. The Swedish character of the Andersonville area endured for many decades, but the post-World War II years, especially the 1970s and 1980s, saw an influx of new residents, many of them immigrants from Asian nations, including Thailand, Vietnam, Korea, India and Pakistan, along with a strong contingent from Greece, Turkey and elsewhere in the Mediterranean/Middle East.

What Are Its Claims to Fame? Edgewater contains three nationally recognized historic districts – Bryn Mawr, Andersonville and Lakewood Balmoral -- that draw visitors from around the Chicago area and the world. Plus, there are more than 20 individual buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Andersonville is perhaps the area’s major attraction for visitors, with its intriguing mix of shops and restaurants augmented by the Swedish American Museum. For fans of vintage TV shows, Edgewater is distinguished as the home of Bob and Emily Hartley, the leading characters of The Bob Newhart Show, who theoretically lived at 5901 N. Sheridan Road. However, Edgewater can claim to be the home of  numerous celebrities, many of whom graduated from Senn High School, including film director William Friedkin, funnymen Harold Ramis, Shecky Green and Harvey Korman, actresses Barbara Harris and Lois Nettleton, Olympic champions Fritz Pollard, Jr., and Annette Rodgers, playwright Sidney Sheldon, architect Stanley Tigerman and TV legend Burr Tillstrom, the creator of Kulka, Fran and Ollie.