Join me for a leisurely Saturday morning walk and drive through an area that may change your perception of Chicago’s southwest side. If I hadn’t told you where we were, you might have guessed Winnetka, or an equally affluent patch of Chicago’s north shore.
North Beverly is bounded by the Dan Ryan Woods Forest Preserve to the north, 95th St on the south, and ranges east from the country clubs along Western Ave to the forest preserve and Beverly Ave. Hop on the Metra’s Rock Island line at the 91st St station, and two stops and 24 minutes later you’ll be downtown at the LaSalle St station.
The Encyclopedia of Chicago reports that there are only 3 entrances for automobiles to the neighborhood. It’s a short walk from almost any point in North Beverly to the Kate Kellogg or Christ the King elementary schools, each of which hosts about 300 children.
According to the US Census Bureau, in 2005 the area was nearly all owner-occupied, two-thirds white and one-third African-American, and had a median family income of $105K. The median household income ($91K) was significantly higher than Lincoln Park’s ($77K). Nearly two-thirds of the adults aged 25+ had a college or graduate degree.
Tune in for more drive time in North Beverly, and more of Beverly and Morgan Park on our playlist at YouTube.