This secluded, family-oriented neighborhood on Chicago's far northwest side is nestled among beautiful forest preserves, sprawling golf courses, and scenic public parks. The Edgebrook neighborhood is a lovely picture of wealth and desirability that is visible in both its up market homes and its strong sense of community pride. Boasting a landmark status historic district, known as Old Edgebrook, and several civic organizations that work to maintain and promote the area's well-to-do appeal, you'll likely catch walking tours, street festivals and holiday-themed parades taking place throughout the year. Businesses and restaurants are concentrated in Edgebrook's main intersection, but the rest of the neighborhood is reserved for winding residential streets and spacious properties.
The Edgebrook neighborhood stands on land once inhabited by the Miami, and later the Potawatomi, Native American tribes. In 1828, the U.S. government granted the 1600-acre tract of land (including what are now the Chicago neighborhoods Edgebrook, South Edgebrook, Forest Glen, and Sauganash) to Billy Caldwell, a Potawatomi chief of Mohawk Indian and Irish ancestry.
Caldwell had mediated several treaties between the United States and the Potawatomi, and the land was his reward for a job well done. When Caldwell moved to Iowa, he sold the property to farmers, and the area was annexed to the city of Chicago in 1889. A new railroad station at Edgebrook roused residential development, but due to the region’s seclusion, home building didn’t really take off until the 1920s.
Today, Edgebrook is still overwhelmingly residential, with just a bit of industry. Among Chicago’s wealthier neighborhoods, Edgebrook attracts city workers and their families—and others who want to be closer to nature yet still within the city’s boundaries.
Edgebrook’s Native American heritage lives on in street names like Hiawatha, Sioux, Dowagiac (Potawatomi for "foraging ground"), Nokomis (Ojibwe for "my grandmother"), and many more. Two streets in the area are named in honor of Billy Caldwell: Caldwell Avenue and Sauganash Avenue, as Sauganash ("the Englishman") was Caldwell’s Native American name.
Architectural Art
In 1998, the Chicago Commission on Landmarks designated Old Edgebrook (bounded by Central and Devon avenues, the Chicago River, and the Edgebrook Golf Course) as a landmark district. Take a walk through this northwest side sanctuary surrounded by forest preserves, and you’ll forget you’re in a major metropolitan area. Back in 1894, the region was platted as a railroad suburb and attracted many railroad company workers, some of whom built beautiful mansions for their families. These Old Edgebrook homes are still around today. The manors sit on giant lots and embrace a variety of architectural styles, including Colonial Revival and Queen Anne. The Edgebrook Historical Society (6173 N McClellan Ave, 773-774-4651) offers a walking tour of the neighborhood that features fascinating histories of some of the time-honored residences.
Edgebrook facts
Location: About 12 miles northwest of the Loop Bordering Neighborhoods: Wildwood, Sauganash, South Edgebrook, Niles, Skokie Boundaries: Lunt and Ionia avenues to the north, Cicero Avenue to the east, Caldwell Avenue to the south, Lehigh and Dowagiac avenues to the west Crime Statistics: Go to CLEARMap for crime stats on specific Chicago neighborhood, intersection, address or police beat.
Edgebrook transportation
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Edgebrook Real Estate
Well-kept single-family homes make up most of Edgebrook’s housing. Here you’ll find classic Victorians, charming bungalows, some new single-family developments, and just a smattering of apartment buildings and condominiums. Towering oaks and other trees line many of the neighborhood streets, and many homes sit on large, wooded sites. Driveways and private garages are common in Edgebrook, and many residences have their own yards—the kind you need a lawnmower for—and nicely trimmed shrubs that frame the front façade.
The majority of Edgebrook condos and townhomes are situated along Cicero Avenue. A one-bedroom runs between $150,000 and $330,000. Another bedroom raises the price to $350,000 on the low end and $550,000 on the high end. The rest of Edgebrook is fairly residential offering many one- and two-story single-family brick homes with an average sales price around $520,000. On the higher end, the Edgebrook neighborhood has quite a few grand homes and stately mini-mansions that sit on plush, green properties with enough yard to need a professional gardener. These houses are typically valued between a million and $1.4 million.
The average sale price of a home in Edgebrook is represented by the chart to the right. The red line indicates the average price based on the total time frame selected in the drop-down window. The blue line indicates the average sale price for the particular month within that time frame. For more detailed information on Edgebrook sign up for the trends report below or contact your Dream Town broker.
The average number of days a home in Edgebrook spends listed for sale is represented by the chart to the right. The red line indicates the average number of days based on the total time frame selected in the drop-down window. The blue line indicates the average number of days a home spent on market during the particular month within that time frame. For more detailed information on average market listing times in Edgebrook sign up for the trends report below or contact your Dream Town broker.
The average sale price of a home compared to its listing price in Edgebrook is represented by the chart to the right. The black line indicates the baseline listing price for homes during the time frame selected in the drop-down. The red line indicates the difference between the average listing price and the average sale price during the particular month within that time frame. For more detailed information on Edgebrook sign up for the trends report below or contact your Dream Town broker.
The total number of listings in Edgebrook is represented in the chart to the right. The red line represents average number of days based on the total time frame selected in the drop-down window The blue bar represents the current number of listings during the particular month of that time frame. For more detailed information on Edgebrook sign up for the trends report below or contact your Dream Town broker.
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