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Frequently Asked Questions
Chicago's far North Side lakefront runs a different rhythm than the Loop, and the neighborhoods strung along it each trade on their own mix of beach access, transit, and street life. Four of them are worth comparing:
Edgewater
Known for its lakefront setting, Edgewater runs from Foster Avenue north to Devon Avenue, bounded by Lake Michigan on the east and Ravenswood Avenue on the west. Niche graded it A+ overall and ranked it number 25 among Best Places for Young Professionals in the Chicago Area for 2026, with a population near 49,600. Beachside Apartments sits at the eastern edge of the neighborhood, at Sheridan Road and Ardmore Avenue, where Lincoln Park and the Lakefront Trail both reach their northern end.
Andersonville
Technically inside Edgewater's western boundary, Andersonville keeps its own identity along Clark Street, built on Swedish heritage and a dense run of independent shops, bakeries, and restaurants. The Swedish American Museum anchors the district on North Clark Street, and Midsommarfest fills the street each June.
Rogers Park
Stretching north of Devon Avenue to the Evanston line, Rogers Park carries the shoreline along the city's northern edge. Loyola University Chicago's Lake Shore Campus sits at its center, the Red Line runs its length, and several public beaches line the shore. As the city's northernmost neighborhood, Rogers Park puts the Evanston line and Northwestern's campus within easy reach.
Uptown
South of Foster Avenue, Uptown carries a long entertainment history along its Broadway corridor and holds one of the busiest stretches of lakefront parkland in the city. Montrose Beach is the largest beach on the Chicago shoreline, with a dog beach and a kayak launch. Uptown sits on the same Red Line and the same lakefront path as Edgewater, which makes it an easy extension of the same commute.
Chicago protected 1,188.62 acres of its lakefront as a single public park and paved a continuous trail the length of the shoreline. For renters on the far North Side, that shapes daily life more than any skyline photograph does. Four things set the experience apart:
The Ardmore Avenue Trailhead
Lincoln Park now spans 1,188.62 acres along the lakefront, from Ohio Street Beach in Streeterville north to Ardmore Avenue in Edgewater, making it the Chicago Park District's largest park. The Lakefront Trail begins at that same Ardmore trailhead and runs eighteen miles south to 71st Street in South Shore. Beachside Apartments sits at the corner where both end.
Beaches Without the Drive
Kathy Osterman Beach, known locally as Hollywood Beach, opens immediately southeast of the building and carries a LEED certified beach house the Chicago Park District opened in 2010. Foster Beach is under a mile south, and Montrose Beach, the largest on the lakefront, is under two miles. From Beachside Apartments, none of that requires a car.
A Commute with Three Options
The Thorndale Red Line station sits about a quarter mile northwest on a line that runs 24 hours a day. Route 147, the Outer DuSable Lake Shore Express, stops at Sheridan and Ardmore and runs to Michigan Avenue and State Street downtown. DuSable Lake Shore Drive ends a block south at Hollywood Avenue, so drivers reach the express route almost immediately.
Twenty Theatres and a Swedish Main Street
Choose Chicago counts more than twenty theatre companies in Edgewater's storefront theatre district, among them Raven Theatre, founded in 1983 and based in a converted grocery store at Clark and Granville since 2002. A mile southwest, Andersonville's Clark Street corridor carries the Swedish American Museum and one of the densest runs of independent retail in the city. Niche ranked Edgewater number 17 among the Most Diverse Places to Live in the Chicago Area for 2026 and number 57 among Best Places to Live in the Chicago Area.
Living at Beachside Apartments puts the northern end of Chicago's lakefront park system at the property line and the Red Line a quarter mile west. Residents regularly head to:
- Kathy Osterman Beach
- Foster Beach
- Montrose Beach
- Chicago Lakefront Trail
- Lincoln Park
- Berger Park Cultural Center
- Broadway Armory Park
- Raven Theatre
- Swedish American Museum
- Andersonville Clark Street shopping district
- Broadway Antique Market
- Robert A. Black Golf Course
Most of that list sits within two miles, and the first several stops are reachable on foot.
Beachside Apartments sits between two employment centers: the Loop, reachable on a single Red Line ride or the 147 express bus that stops at the corner, and Evanston, about five miles north up Sheridan Road. Healthcare, higher education, and finance are heavily represented, alongside aviation, government, and professional services. Major employers within reach include:
- Loyola University Chicago (Lake Shore Campus in Rogers Park)
- Endeavor Health Swedish Hospital (Chicago)
- Thorek Memorial Hospital (Uptown, Chicago)
- Northwestern Memorial HealthCare (Streeterville, Chicago)
- Northwestern University (Evanston)
- Endeavor Health Evanston Hospital (Evanston)
- Saint Francis Hospital (Evanston, operated by Prime Healthcare Foundation)
- Rotary International World Headquarters (Evanston)
- United Airlines (headquarters at Willis Tower, downtown Chicago)
- Northern Trust (headquarters in downtown Chicago)
- JPMorganChase (downtown Chicago)
- McDonald's (headquarters in Chicago)
- Accenture (downtown Chicago)
- City of Chicago
- Chicago Public Schools
From Beachside Apartments, the Red Line reaches downtown without a transfer, and Sheridan Road runs straight into Evanston without touching a highway.
At Beachside Apartments, the amenity list starts with the shoreline the building sits on and works inward:
Private Beach and a Redesigned Sun Terrace
Residents have exclusive access to a private beach on Lake Michigan, with Kathy Osterman Beach and the start of the Lakefront Trail immediately southeast. The redesigned sun terrace above carries a natural gas fire pit, grilling stations, community garden plots, and open views of the water. It is the kind of setup that turns a July evening into a reason to stay home.
A 24/7 Fitness Center Over the Water
The fitness center was renovated recently and looks out over Lake Michigan, and it stays open around the clock. Early risers can be on the floor before the beach fills, and late shifts are not shut out. For anyone who would rather train outside, the Lakefront Trail begins at the corner.
Community Room, Demonstration Kitchen, and Co-Working
The resident community room combines a fireplace lounge, a demonstration kitchen, and dedicated co-working spaces, which gives residents somewhere to host a dinner or take a call away from the apartment. The renovated lobby carries Wi-Fi for shorter stints. Both spaces get used differently by season, which matters in a building where winter runs long.
Heated Garage Parking, Storage, and the Bark Park
Assigned parking in the controlled access heated garage keeps cars out of Chicago weather, and valet service is available. Free bicycle storage and metal resident storage lockers in several sizes cover the overflow. Dogs get an off-leash Bark Park with agility equipment, reserved for residents, and up to two pets are welcome per home with breed and weight restrictions in place.
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