So let’s take a mental stroll, shall we?
MAGICAL Edgewater Beach (yup, that’s me!) is where both Lincoln Park and Lake Shore Drive begin and a good place for us to being too. Within 2 blocks of my place you'll find (my choice in parenthesis but there are plenty of options): pub grub (Burke’s Public House), nuevo-French Vietnamese (Pasteur), sushi (Blow Fish), Thai (Ben’s Noodle), Italian (Francesca’s), Chinese (Mei Shung; try the Spicy Shredded Pork Noodle Soup), Vietnamese (Little Vietnam), American comfort food, a sandwich shop with awesome sweets, Mexican upscale (Little Mexican Cafe), Mexican storefront (Taqueria Uptown, but in Edgewater Beach), Cajun/Creole (Pearl’s), thin crust (Pizzeria Aroma), mom & pop coffee shops (Kitchen Sink), gyros (Grill & Garden). Even though it is 3 blocks away I have to mention Moody’s Pub for burgers on the patio (otherwise go to Burke’s).
Amazingly, there is not a great Chicago hot dog joint in Edgewater. I head to Byron’s Hot Dogs on W Lawrence Ave. in Ravenswood. And for a great Jewish deli, Andersonvill has it again with JB’s Deli on N Clark St..
Just minutes east of my door is the City's best beach, "Kathy Osterman Beach". Nobody in the neighborhood would be able to tell you how to get there though because we all still call it "Hollywood Beach”. I don't think anybody wants to offend Kathy’s memory by saying ‘Hollywood’ - I’m confident Kathy was a good person. The new name just doesn’t sound right when spoken. Try it ... Hollywood Beach ... Kathy Osterman Beach ... see what I mean?
Glad you agree. But I digress... Hollywood Beach is bigger than those down south and less crowded. But let's keep this to ourselves, OK? No sense making the North Avenue Beach folk jealous. The beach is popular with the LGBT folks and has a newer beach house that is just as dirty as the old one, but I live 5 minutes away and walk home if need be. Please don’t pop-in to the Edgewater Beach Apartments from day at the beach (“the well-groomed and respectful”, remember?).
Every Independence Day the Cycle and Saddle Club has a wonderful fireworks display. The club is for members only, but they haven’t figured out how to block out the night sky yet, so people from the neighborhood hoof it to the surrounding parks. I’ve made it almost every year with neighbors to watch from Bryn Mawr Park. Bryn Mawr Park feels like my private garden. It is beautifully nestled between the Club on the south, the highrises on the west, LSD on the east and Bryn Mawr on the north, so it doesn’t get much attention from everyone on the Lakeshore Path in Lincoln Park.