Edgewater resident Rhonda Tullis will play the tenor saxophone in her neighborhood at one of the city's newest summer neighborhood festivals, Edgewater Days. Edgewater Days are July 22 and 23. Tullis is a member of the Lakeside Pride Freedom Band Jazz Ensemble, one of many musical acts scheduled to appear at the festival. The Lakeside Pride Freedom Band Jazz Ensemble is one of the few jazz groups formed by gay and lesbian musicians. Edgewater Days is a two-day event co-produced by the Edgewater Chamber of Commerce and the Gerber Hart Library.
In its second year, Edgewater Days signals the rebirth of the North Side community that stretches along Lake Michigan from Foster to Devon. The Edgewater Chamber of Commerce is one of the groups that have pushed for the rebirth of Edgewater, a community that sits between Rogers Park to the north and Uptown to the south.
Sheli Lulkin, executive director of the Edgewater Chamber of Commerce, said auto shops once dominated Edgewater but over the last few years that has changed as the Edgewater Chamber has worked to attract other types of businesses yo the area.
Along Bryn Mawr Avenue, one of Edgewater's business districts, the improved but not yet completed streetscape sports a Starbucks, an indicator that Edgewater has transformed. Lulkin says the gay Gerber/Hart Library has helped to alter the character of Granville Avenue, another Edgewater business district. Gerber/Hart Library, the Midwest's largest LBGT library, has a collection of 14,000 books. The 15-year-old institution in Chicago's gay community also houses archives, videos, tapes, and CDs that speak to the experiences of the LBGT community.
Gerber/Hart also serves as a community center with its meeting space available for free to community groups. Special events and performances also happen at Gerber/Hart. During the festival, Gerber/Hart Library will be hosting a book sale. When Edgewater Days Festival visitors buy ice cream at the Ben and Jerry's booth, the proceeds will be split between Gerber/Hart and the Edgewater Chamber to fund youth scholarship programs at each organization.
Lulkin says that Edgewater Days will also be a chance to experience the diveristy of the community. Lulkin said she almost had a Bosnia band booked but the musicians had to return to their country.
Rev. Gordon Butcher of Edgewater Presbyterian Church is a member of a coalition of Edgewater religious groups that he explains is "ecumenical by intent and design." Muslims and Buddhist religious leaders participate in the group. Lulkin says no ethnic or racial group dominates the Edgewater's census tracts. Asian, Eastern European, Middle Eastern, and sub-Saharan African people make up Edgewater's roll call of diversity.
Diveristy isn't the sole asset of Edgewater. Edgewater's location makes the community attractive as well. The northern terminus of Lake Shore Drive is in Edgewater and brings over 65,000 vehicles daily through the area. Sheridan Road, Ridge Avenue, Peterson Avenue, Clark Street, and Ashland Avenue are also heavy traffic corridors in Edgewater. For those who rely on public transportation, there are five stations along the Red Line El and multiple bus routes that serve Edgewater.
A reason people are attracted to Edgewater, aside from the quick access to Lake Shore Drive, is that it is the only North Side community other than Rogers Park where it's possible to live right along the lake. Mark Zak, who lives in one of Edgewater's lakeside high rises, explains the community's attractiveness this way: "It's all in the water—my location, my view and the cost. It [ Edgewater ] also has wonderful connections to the Loop and Evanston."
On the west side of Broadway that cuts through the center of the community is a mixture of two- and three-flats along with single-family homes. This is the area where Jeanne Johnson has lived for more than a year. Johnson related that neighbors have actually introduced themselves to her thereby creating a sense of community. Johnson also explained that she feels safe in Edgewater and lives close to fun.
Rhonda Tullis and her partner have been homeowners for six years in Edgewater. Tullis believes the economic mix of the residents creates a more balanced community than is seen in Edgewater's sister community to the south, Uptown. Tullis said there aren't the polar extremes of rich and poor in Uptown, where she lived before. Recalling that the army wanted to tear down the nearby Broadway Armory ( the community petitioned for the city to buy and keep it available to the community ) , Tullis says she participates in the Women's Sports Association fall volleyball league at the Armory. Best of all, Tullis said she is able to walk to many of the places she wants to frequent.
Edgewater Chamber of Commerce's Lulkin would appreciate hearing Tullis' remark as it's a goal to make Edgewater pedestrian friendly. Edgewater's location, convenience of services, and its changing character have created a heated up housing market.
The latest information from the Apartment People is that rents for studios in the area start at $400 and 3-bedroom rentals on the top end go for $1800. According to the Chicago Association of Realtors, the median price of detached stand-alone single-family homes has increased by 25 percent. The median price for such homes in Edgewater is $300,000. The Chicago Association of Realtors, Multiple Listing Services of Illinois reports that the median price for condos and townhouses has risen 65 percent since 1993. The most current reported median is $114,000.
There are signs that Edgewater's diversity is reflected in its restaurants. Edgewater is one of the few areas in Chicago where one can find African restaurants. Asian and European culinary traditions are well represented. However, restaurants would clamor for the recommendation Mark Zak gives the Willow Cafe on Thorndale Avenue. Says Zak of the Willow Cafe: "I take all of my new dates there."
[ Editor's Note: Robert Schultz plays Afro-Latin percussion and piano with the Lakeside Pride Freedom Band Jazz Ensemble. ]
