Thinking of
Chicago brings to mind images of skyscrapers, bustling traffic and windy
blustery cold. People don’t tend to think of building sandcastles and beach volleyball.
But spending a day at North Avenue Beach, the beach I went to growing up in
Chicago, will give you a real taste of summertime in Chicago.
The first City of Chicago Public
Beach opened in Lincoln Park in 1895. Today, the entire 28
miles Chicago lakefront shoreline is man-made, and primarily used as parkland.
There are thirty-three beaches in Chicago along the shores of freshwater Lake Michigan.
Typically, Chicago beaches take the name of the east-west street that runs
perpendicular to the lake at each beach's location.
The North
Avenue Beach is located at 1600 North Avenue and is considered to be Chicago's
premier beach. It has the largest lifeguard staff and is home to the most
developed beach house. The beach house resembles an ocean liner and contains
bike and sports equipment rental, Castaways, a bar and restaurant, concession
stand, a lifeguard station, and restrooms.
North Avenue
Beach runs to Diversey Harbor in the Lincoln Park neighborhood, and is
characterized by its piers which hold the sand in place and create a scalloped
shoreline, terminating in a Cape Cod-like hook. The beach hosts international volleyball
tournaments as well as millions of sun worshippers every year. Chicago Park
District lines the beach with poles for individuals and leagues to hang
volleyball nets. These nets and this portion of the lakefront bike/running/rollerblading
path attract large numbers of people on weekends and weeknights. North Avenue
is also center stage for the Chicago Air & Water Show, which draws
over a million people a day.
So if you come
to Chicago in summertime don’t forget to plan a day at the beach and bring some
good reading material...
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