Growing up in flyover country, my mental idea of "the beach" never quite matched my experience of the beach. The beaches I saw on television were filled with hawt, well-endowed, ladies in barely there bikinis playing volleyball and hanging out with a boyfriend who looked like a Ken doll. The real beaches I had around me were filled with overweight neighborhood busybodies with four little kids in tow wearing (thankfully) one pieces with skirts on them accompanied by dude swimming in ripped jean shorts whose teeth had seen better days. Sure there was a MILF of two (though when I was growing up, the term had yet to be coined) but my prepubescent mind wondered where these mythical "beaches" were. I'm pleased to report this is one of those beaches out of a fantasized television reality! In fact, this beach is straight out of a beer commercial. And it's right at the end of the 72 bus route (this offer applies only to the summer)! This is the beach that Chicago's younger set spend all year dieting and working out to impress on. Now there is a slight downside to this. It's not going to be a quiet place for reflection or breaking out Tolstoy (unless one's concentration is amazing). It's going to almost always be a white noise of conversations where as much time can be spent dodging errant footballs as swimming in a cold Lake Michigan (though this beach seems to be more about tanning than swimming anyway). And it's incredibly crowded a lot of the time as "the place to be" on a hot summer's day so don't bring the big beach towel. And in my experience, if you're over 30 you're pretty much invisible here which is nice. I've sat on the sand in shorts (there's no changing room here, be warned), I've walked barefoot on the bike path (I don't own flip-flops), and I've peed in the water. Just kidding on the last one. Or am I? Anyway, a jaunt here always makes me want to go to the gym and redouble my efforts to work on my (pretty much non-existant) pecs. And that's not a bad thing so stars for that alone. Sure, someone once asked if their Twitter account ended every post with the word, "brah," and I laughed at how true it was. But, I'm not going to hate on @NorthAveBeach (or as I like to call it, 'Da NAB). After all, few places provide better views (of the city skyline and of the citizens) to waste a few hours with friends or alone on a summer's day. I just don't view too long. That would be creepy. read more

North Avenue Beach - The beach and the people are both beautiful. If that's your thing. - Beaches Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

One of our major beaches in Chicago, along with Oak Street Beach. Always packed, and there are many activities from volleyball, stand-up paddle boarding, jet skiing, etc. For my friends that are unsure if we have beaches in Chicago, this has always been the beach I'd show them pictures of. When riding along the Lakefront trail next to this beach, I tend to forget I'm in Chi-Town, until I look up and see John Hancock Building. Such a beautiful sight! If you're a beach goer this is your spot; if you want a break from touring. North Avenue Beach has been known to get a little too crazy in the past, so be safe if you choose to make this your hangout spot. Enjoy! read more

North Avenue Beach - Beaches Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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It's got sand, water, and drunk people (and apparently, now, "flash mobs" or "wilding"). Chicago beach in the summertime? Check. While on any given weekend afternoon, North Ave Beach will turn into a sh$tshow, it is possible to love this beach and avoid the headache caused by Jersey Shore wannabes. Specifically, get there early and stake out a spot. North Ave Beach at 8 or 9am on a Sunday? Calm, quiet, and absolutely beautiful. Get as far away from Castaways as you can. The drunk masses won't roll in until noon-ish given that they are still sleeping off their hangovers. But let's be honest--what really makes this beach great is the volleyball. Get there early and snag a court on the outer edges (again, away from the drunken masses), and you have yourself a picture perfect summer weekend day. Just watch out for glass, and do your part by picking it up if you do come across it. Responsible beachgoers to the rescue. read more

North Avenue Beach - Beaches Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I've swam in the Mediterranean sea, Atlantic ocean, gulf of Mexico, and pacific ocean...and NONE of these bodies of water plain in comparison to MY north ave. beach!! how i look foward to jumping into these waters every summer! ALSO soooooooooo many many hot YOUNG bodies!!! lol always good times read more

So before coming to Chicago I was told I have to visit the beach. First off I didn't even realize Chicago had beaches, but then I had to open up a map, well google maps, and noticed that yes Chicago does reside next to a body of water, thus a beach next to a lake. Being from Texas I only thought their would only be beaches along the west, east, and THIRD coast, but forgot about all of the possibilities around the great lakes. So once I put the beaches on the itinerary, it was which beach to visit? My debate was between North Avenue Beach and Oak Street Beach. Luckily after visiting the Hancock Center, I realized they were connected and within walking distance of one another. However, the first day was a visit to North Avenue Beach. I had read that this was the crazier and dirtier beach. I was going in the middle of the week during summer, I figured crazier would mean SOME people. When we showed up it was quite tame, only a few high schoolers, some college/young professionals, and very few families. It was a nice relaxing beach, and much cleaner than I'm used to. The water was great and fresh! Funny story...when we were walking towards the beach one of my friends was like why are we even going here no one ever says you have to go to the beach, and a local taps him on the shoulder and seriously tells him, "You have to go to beach" He shut up immediately and when he arrived he agreed, you must visit the beach. Why? It's just a cool concept to be in the sand and look in one direction and see the beautiful blue sky and clear water, turn around and see amazing architecture with the same blue sky. read more

I'm still fascinated by the fact, that such a huge city with skyscrapers has a beach. Or more like the fact that you can spend a day at the beach and when you turn around you see the strength and omnipotence of the city. Very unusual when you're on a beach and expecting palm trees and nature waiting behind you. And guess what else is awesome about this beach? It's fresh water. Remember? It's a huge lake not the ocean. So no salt and burning eyes. I only went at night to take some nice photos from the skyline so no one was around and was very very relaxing to be out in the dark on an empty beach. I just hope this beach doesn't have too many people coming during the day read more

This beach was quite a surprise! I enjoyed the beach more than i expected. It provided a beautiful view of downtown Chicago and the skyscrapers. I didn't have to pay a fee to enter the beach. I enjoyed watching the volleyball tournament that took place on the beach. The beach is relatively small and doesn't have a boardwalk, but it does have a restaurant designed as a ship located on the beach. read more

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I love this place at sunrise, but that's about it. In the summer it's too crowded to enjoy, and I don't think I would ever swim here due to the random objects that I've found in the sand and the fact that it has an e. coli reporting scale. But there is no better place for a sunrise in Chicago. read more

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Great beach. Soft sand. Easy to park on a weekday. Lots of action between the water sports, beach volleyball, kite flying, and restaurant. This beach does NOT allow boogie boards. I wouldn't say this is a great beach for families (there weren't many) but great for singles and couples. If I didn't have kids, I'd go to this beach more often. read more

When I come I usually head towards the volleyball nets on the south end. Close to the boardwalk (yay, feet!) and restrooms. Overall a pretty great beach, it holds a special place in my heart In my opinion this beach is one of the signature reasons why Chicago is the best city in the world. Pack a cooler and bring an umbrella and you're in business! 5 stars for FREE WI-FI read more

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I LOVE THIS BEACH! The water is really clear, nice and gentle (I'm from socal, and our waves are a lot bigger and murkier). You can walk out super far and only be a feet or two in the water :) Also, everybody was complaining about how dirty the beach was, but I thought it was generally clean. The only downside is that you can't really swim in this beach. You can't pass the wooden pillars, so you can only wade or swim a short distance. There's also paddle boarding, kayaking, and jet skiing available nearby. read more

North Avenue Beach - Beaches Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Great beach! Very clean and wonderful views of the city. There's a bar / cafe built into an old boat near by that's good to go to. Ice cream vendors that walk along the beach and chairs that you can rent for the day. read more

I love it Summer or winter is beautiful Clean beach compare to Wilson or Montrose beach All kind ppl here The paleta guys is around In summer the north av bus take you back & fore to the beach You van also rent bikes $$$ Boy bike read more

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Okay, yes, it's a city beach. It can get crowded, and busy. But I love it for a number of reasons: how accessible it is from public transportation, the air & water show each year, and yes-- the fact that it's a city beach! Not every city has a beach by any means. It has unbeatable views of the skyline, and I love the fact that you can (as I have!) go swimming in the lake then head into the city for some deep dish dinner. Great spot for engagement photos... Although I think most everyone knows that already, so maybe not the most original... read more

Beach volleyball, bike and running lanes, lots of people watching, lots of people swimming in the clear water and a lot of sand. What more could a person want at a beach? This place is super cool and seems like a very active beach with lots going on. It's much larger, slightly dirtier and more full than it's sister beach down the pathway. This beach could be considered much younger than the beach down the pathway as well. I'd definitely come back and it's a fun place to watch the planes and boats. read more

Great place to go for runners/joggers! Easy terrain, mostly flat with some slight hills. There are stops along the way for public water fountain stops if you dare or need it, as well as bathrooms by the beach areas and by the marina. I usually bring $3.00 which is the typical cost of water at the beach/marina vendors. Start from Lincoln Park Zoo and run along the water through and to the Bean - and back - should be about 9 miles. read more

I went here at night with a friend recently and it was very peaceful and quiet. We were able to walk out onto a pier and just sit and relax. We then took a swim and there was nobody around us at all. This place gets pretty crowded during the day, but at night it's amazing. read more

This beach is always a great place to come. There is always something going on here. Plenty of water activities to do. Wether it be jumping on a wave runner and hitting the waters. Or jumping on a paddle board and cruising the waters. Just come and enjoy!, before summer is over. read more

North Avenue Beach - Is that a dolphin. No just one of the awesome activities to do. - Beaches Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Well its like 2 miles hardly from my place . Sometime me and my friends not in to fitness feel like should shed some weight and suddenly decide to run/walk to this place . We end up playing volley ball some times with out a net.There was a time when one of the news channel was covering some news and the cameraman started capturing us playing but our game was so bad that day i think she just acted like capturing us but she never did. Well nice place for run and relax read more

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Grew up playing volleyball here. Food, paddle boarding, biking and jet skiing available for people to rent for a reasonable price. Castaways restaurant located at the top of the boat house. Volleyball players here have always been friendly and more than happy to let you join them on their net. Down side is when it gets busy like during the air show. People get crabby and fights break out but it happens. read more

North Avenue Beach - Bathrooms and beach shop still open today. Oct 26 2014. Fences and trenches up. No volleyball poles. - Beaches Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I am not a snob about many things, I assure you.... However, there are a FEW things I am particular about. 1. Diet Coke (quality and peak carbonation levels). 2. Coffee (strength, ceramic mug, mixings). 3. The beach. (If I could drink REALLY great coffee and Diet Coke, WHILE on a really fantastic beach...I think I could possibly achieve a state of euphoria, and I may never come back. But...alas...) So, seeing as the only non-beverage snobbiness I possess has to do with beaches, I'll elaborate. I don't go to the beach in Chicago. Ever. I've lived here for almost 9 years, and I've been maybe....4 times. And, you may ask...why!? It's beautiful, it's hot, it's sandy, there is water...tons of good looking (up for debate) people all greased up with coconut lotion, and...well, it's the BEACH! Eh, no. (see, I told you this was snobby). I grew up in Traverse City, Michigan. Free flowing water in not only the big "lake" (MIchigan), but also copious beach plots and stretches on Grand Traverse Bay. Water is everywhere. Fresh, fabulous, non-crowded water minus e.coli, and without throngs of crazy, loud, urban people that sit way too damn close to one another. (yes, I'm aware I fit into that demographic since I live here, bear with me). It's just...really, nice. There's a reason people vacation there. I was lucky enough to spend my formative years frolicking through the shallow waters, dragging my self through sand-covered bottoms, turning a brilliant shade of "tan child" and freckling to my heart's content. My dad always says he knows EXACTLY who the tourists from Chicago are on the beaches in Michigan...as they always plop down 10 feet from him, even with hundreds of yards of beach before them...and, Dad. On this one, you are probably right. The beach here is....insane. This is NOT relaxing, this is like...warfare: Beach edition. Now, granted...I was there yesterday (the hottest day thus far of "Cold Summer 2009," a Sunday with humidity around 90 percent), but seriously...WOW. The water is FREEZING, but I don't blame Chicago for that. It actually felt pretty great after sitting shoulder to shoulder with muggy, sweaty people. Witnessed: smoke-out! (yep, contact high up in here, yo), someone getting "concussed" by a runaway umbrella, way too many horrid tattoos, one cute tattoo, lots of shaved chests (men), lots of fake chests (women), and one plot of sand for my gal pal and I to sit with our little sisters. The good news? The kids loved the beach, I got to hang out with one of my best girls ever, and it was fun. Despite myself ;) *Bonus for the bathrooms, even though they get pretty grotesque after about 2pm...it's still nice to have them. Can you imagine if they didn't? eeeek. read more

Not exactly a kid friendly spot a lot of the time, but that won't stop me from bringing my child here. Plus, the groups of chicks for some reason do not find me as threatening when I have a small child. Pro's: Hot chicks of all ages, races & backgrounds. So many people drinking that the narcs dont notice me guzzling booze buried in the sand. A paleta man every 4 feet. You can buy hotdogs and other food at Castaways. Close to Xsport so you can jack your muscles before you get shut down by the hot chicks. Pretty big open areas to toss the B or whatever. Con's: Tons of stupid, drunk, loud, annoying, neo-hipster, frat types looking to bag said hot chicks. Garbage everywhere, I just sit in the garbage cans, way less garbage in there. You can go out until your ankles are submerged before you get harpooned by a lifeguard in a stupid rowboat. Castaways is a magnet for the worst types of meathead morons who are drunk and will knock into you. Buuuuut overall, I like it a lot. The volleyball courts are ample. Awesome views of the skyline. Sexy people abound. Just watch out for the morons, and keep your dad voice handy to quell any dumbass trying to flex his beer muscles. read more

32 years old and last Sunday was my first day at a Chicago beach. Here it is, Friday night and I am peeling off the worst sunburned skin that I can ever recall having. And, I'm loving it!!! My buddy has a condo on Lincoln Park West and he said that the beach is a block from his place. From the 17th floor, this seems possible. But, when walking to the beach in crummy flip flops, I learn the truth. It's a wee bit further than a block. I'm going to hop right into my advice for beach goers... DO wear comfortable shoes when walking to and from the beach. DO protect your feet from the scalding hot sand that awaits you. DO apply plenty of sunscreen or you too will be peeling away layers of your skin five days later. DO stay away from the crowded end of the beach. Don't worry, you'll know what I mean. To get the most out of your day, avoid the 'I want to be seen scene'. DON'T go out too far into the Lake. The lifeguard will hunt you down and embarrass you like the suburbanite that you probably are. DON'T wear your gas permeable contact lenses. These things are expensive and when the wind blows a little, you will get sand in your eyes and it will bother you for the second half of your day of fun. Instead... DO leave your contact lenses at home, wear your glasses and have less worries. Finally, DO pack snacks and plenty of water. Alcohol appears to be a no-no on the beach, so stay hydrated with water. Also, a cooler makes a great 'chair' when you don't feel like sitting on the ground. We had a blast and are looking forward to our next North Avenue Beach adventure! We will be more prepared this time around. Hopefully, so will you. read more

North Avenue Beach has a few fabulous characteristics: 1) It is convenient! It's super easy to get to from downtown Chicago. The CTA 72 bus goes there on the weekends (and drops passengers a few blocks away during the week). There's a paid parking lot for folks who want to drive. 2) It has beach volleyball. They don't provide the balls or anything, but I've spent many evenings playing on my work league at North Avenue Beach. I've seen folks start games on their own. 3) The water is clear and shallow. I have to walk out nearly to the buoys before the level reaches my waist! It's not great for swimming but it is good for people worried about kids or adults who are interested in splashing around. 4) There is a building that has bathrooms, food, and free wifi. There are also equipment rentals for people who want to go kayaking or stand up paddle boarding. Near the building are some areas with fresh water for cleaning sand off your feet. Besides those characteristics, I cannot stand the North Avenue Beach. I think that those very traits have made the North Avenue Beach uncomfortably crowded. I don't know of a more crowded beach in Chicago. The crowds are only good for one thing (in my opinion) and that's people watching. Perhaps because of the crowds there are a lot of vendors and cops. Ice cream vendors wheeled their carts through all of the beach towels jingling their bells. Cops drove four-wheelers and gave tickets to underage budding alcoholics. I don't know if the crowds or my next complaint is more noteworthy. The North Avenue Beach isn't clean. You'd think it'd be clean considering the clarity of the water; however, there is litter all over the sand and we found large amounts of broken glass. There are cleaner, more peaceful beaches in Chicago. In fact, I'll go out on a limb and say that all of the other beaches are cleaner and more peaceful. read more

What can I say about North Avenue Beach that hasn't been said? Pluses: - HOT. MEN! (And women, but I don't swing that way.) Sure, they're the generic shaved-chest douchebags with their baseball caps worn sideways and oversized Hollister board shorts (I'm pro-Speedos), but ... they are -nice- to look at. (If you see me here, say hello. *wink wink*) (The lifeguards aren't bad either. Rawr.) - Easily accessible by 72 Bus. 10 minutes tops from Sedgewick. I strongly recommend taking public transportation over driving. Good luck trying to find a spot in the lot. Seriously. - Clean water. I love being able to see the bottom of the lake when I'm yards out. - FABULOUS view of Gold Coast's skyscrapers! Minuses: - South side is littered with trash. Bottles (plastic and glass), ice cream wrappers, and more. Lots of algae too. Avoid that area. - Space. It is RIDICULOUSLY crowded on weekends. I mean, if Tokyo was a beach, North Avenue would be it. Families should go elsewhere if they want room for their children to play. Finally, North Avenue Beach is great for people-watching. I can't help but chuckle at people's behaviors though. It's like a huge social experiment/unsuccessful singles mixer. Put half-naked young men and women into an area and what do they do? They'll contract their abs and throw balls around to show off their bodies, but the sexes don't really interact with each other. No one makes a "first move". Pretty lame and awkward, if you ask me. read more

North Ave. Beach's one hund-o review! Holla! In the city of...hm. Well not squalor, per se... North Ave. Beach is fantastic for many reasons: -The 1980's spring break B movie always playing at the north volleyball courts, complete with world's largest number of volleyball courts on a beach title - Actually playing volleyball on an actual beach on the edge of a paramount city - Castaways - Running/biking path along the beach - Convenient location And a few negatives: -Kinda dirty, where's streets and sans when you need them? -The hoodlums read more

***Oak Street Beach seems nicer and cleaner than this beach; Oak Street Beach is also closer to downtown; this beach though is a great spot for residents--paths for walking, jogging and cycling as well as lots of beach volleyball courts (it is a real scene here)*** I am not sure what the parking situation is at this beach. read more

Summer is officially here. Yes, this beach is crowded, but for good reason. For one, it's one of the easiest beaches to access from public transportation. There's a bridge connecting the beach to the park just to the west and several pedestrian underpasses to ensure you don't have to brave the traffic along Lake Shore Drive. An entire swath of sand is covered with volleyball nets. While I'm not-so-sporty, I do enjoy watching. There is also some decent people-watching along the bike path as half of Chicago is out riding bikes, rollerblading, and walking their dogs. The boathouse has decent food and drinks and an incredible view of both the lake and the city. There are also public restrooms available (and relatively clean ones at that!). The southside (along the breaker) is one of the top photo-op spots in Chicago. Stop to take in the glistening view of the Hancock and then mosey along helping tourists get pictures of their entire group (I always offer to take pictures for tourists - I'm like the official photo-ambassador of Chicago). read more

Oh how I love Chicago in the summer time. And boy do I love for the first time in my llfe living in a city that isn't just close to a beach, but has a beach, regardless of how nasty they say the water is. Guide to a good beach experience- especially on the weekends: #1 & 2- Do NOT DRIVE HERE! DO NOT! I did this once, I think I could have walked faster by the time we found parking. Options if you aren't in walking distance: -On the lakefront bike path, bike it if you're alone or with other bikers. - CTA friendly, red line it to North/ Clybourne & hop the North Ave. Bus, it takes you all the way rigth up to the beach. Sheridan 151 bus is another good North/ South CTA option. #3- Bring a cooler. If you want to make a day of it then at least pack some cold beverages (don't have to be alcoholic) so you can save a few bucks/ save yourself from dehydration. #4- Especially if your female, use the bathroom before you leave, you'll probably have to use the bathroom here atleast once if you stay awhile, but the female line tends to be pretty long at crowded times, and its also not the nicest place to pop a squat. I've heard some say they get in the lake to use the bathroom, I guess thats a nice alternative. #5- Bring accessories- football to throw, volleyball to bump or hit up the courts with, perhaps just an ipod or a book. Also if you want to hit up the boat for refreshments, they take credit card, which makes me feel better than carrying cash in a crowded area. Grab your sunscreen, big towel, sunglasses and go! read more

Hot volleyball players, teens who drove in from the suburbs to tan (that was me twenty+ years ago) a beer garden/deck, swimming and sometimes the occasional thong bikini wearing girl in heels walking through the sand. One of Chicago's best spots in the summer. read more

I picked up my first lifeguard at this beach. It was incredible - he said he admired my Irish-Scandinavian alabaster skin juxtaposed among so many future skin cancer patients. I suppose I was prettier than the dead fish sprinkling the urban sand. We dated a few times but he wasn't putting out so I moved on. Terrible, the things that happen to a young woman's attitute towards men when she dates based on looks alone. It's a good beach though. Volleyball, little kids, big kids, college kids, lots of fun. Uncomfortably crowded on land and in water on the sweltering days. I love to swim in real beaches - quite the workout! Bring your sunscreen cause that skin cancer shit really happens. read more

Since moving to the city from the burbs, I have been to the beach more in the past month than I had previously been in the past 5 years. I don't know what that says about me, or the suburbs, but I adoooooore the beach. I will probably end up with skin cancer, but even that will probably not be enough to keep me out of the sun. That said, North Ave. Beach is full of eye-candy. I don't care who you are or what your personal taste is - there will be someone here that you will spend an exorbitant amount of time staring at in a lustful fashion. Which is awesome. There are the orange-tanned types, hardbodies, soft bodies, jiggly boddies, real boobs, fake boobs, young people, old leathery people, strange men in thongs - the works. If you like frat guys in aviators? No problem! Orange trixies with two-tone hair? Easy! And then there's the food. I am entirely too poor and lazy and unwilling to NOT be tanning to venture up to Castaways, but the option is certainly there. Sometimes there's a guy with an ice cream cart. But if you head "inside" the giant boat-looking structure, a large swirl cone is roughly the size of my forearm, and only $3.50 - a damn steal if you ask me. And the kids that works the concessions will more than likely remember you (especially if they think you and your roommate are twins) and will load you up on the greatest and greasiest cheese fries you've ever seen. However - the children who think it is an awesome idea to bury themselves in sand and then run all over my towel while I am laying on it and getting sand in my EYES? WHERE ARE THEIR PARENTS WHO SHOULD BE BEATING THEIR ASSES? Hell, if I had done that as a child, my mother would have hit me in the head - no question. And the individuals who fancy themselves to be house/trance/euro DJ's? Go home. I did not come to the beach so I could hear the "nntss nntss" sound of club music over my every waking thought. read more

While I like that there are other things to do at this beach to bide the time while you let the swimsuit dry before heading home (chess, a restaurant that looks like a giant boat, volleyball), my visits to this beach have mostly ended with me not even getting into the water. Out of several visits here, I think I've gone into the water once. For one, there's no CTA stop nearby, and parking is rotten. Once I tried coming here, circled for a while, and decided to drive up to a beach in Evanston instead because walking that far in my beach sandals seemed like a pretty uncomfortable idea. There have been other times I walked from the train, arrived at the beach, and found it too crowded for anything I would want to do at a beach. There was nowhere to put down a towel and read outside of stray volleyball striking range, since there was barely room to walk on the sand. The water was so packed with bodies that actually swimming looked impossible. People were just walking around in the water, trying to keep their faces out of each other's armpits and their ribs away from each other's elbows. I was glad this is a free beach, because I turned around and left within five minutes of arriving. On another occasion, I wised up and cabbed it from a friend's place to avoid a parking debacle and because they were doing rail work on the CTA at the time (slow zones blow, FYI). I get down to the water and see a nice open spot right away--jackpot! Er, no. Somebody had a bit too much to drink and threw up, and this spot was clear of people because nobody wanted to be around the vomit. Needless to say, I didn't do much swimming that day either. The best time I've had here was when I came for Flugtag, although the crowd was completely insane, because I had no expectation of swimming. I expected to see people jump into the lake while attempting to maneuver large gliders through the air and make a big silly mess. I got exactly that. In short: North Avenue Beach is good for volleyball, good for events, and good for ogling people, because with all those people, there's bound to be somebody attractive in a revealing swimsuit somewhere. It is not, however, good for traditional beach activities. If you want to practice your backstroke in the lake, keep heading north and try a different beach. read more

I had a lot of time off during the first half of summer and I spent most of that time at North Avenue beach. I'm a hot weather beach freak and if the sun is shining and it's warm enough to wear a bikini, I want my toes in the sand and my butt on a beach blanket. When I was able to go to the beach mid-week early in the day, the beach was nice. There were mostly mom's with their kids and college students on the beach and it wasn't too crowded. Now that I've lost all my free time I have to go on the weekends it's a lot more crowded, but I still love it. read more

Nice, large beach. Gets super crowded, so if that's not your bag, I'd head elsewhere. We arrived on a beautiful Saturday around 1230, and there was a fair amount of people but we got a good spot for 4 where we wanted. It did get more crowded as the day went on, so we did feel like there was close quarters with our neighbors. There is ample life guards on duty, and they definitely will yell at you if you don't stay in line! I found most people here very respectful- no one was walking through our beach set up, no one was obnoxious, people seemed to be cleaning up after themselves. You're allowed to bring food, but no alcohol (unless you know how to disguise it! haha). There is paid parking onsite, but was only a $8 uber ride from union station as well! read more

I'm a night owl and this part of my life can never be taken away from me.I enjoy the cool summer air and the quietness of the city afterhours..With this being said i decided to leave out for a few and head over to North Avenue Beach.. I got there and saw that i wasn't the only night owl, and I'm not talking about the homeless either.Im talking about couples, people on bikes and single people walking around.They also had the Air show people working so it was hardly peaceful as i had hoped. This beach is nice at night and it seemed the people weren't that afraid of anyone either.They had a couple in the water in their bathing suits and they waved at me when i walked to the end of the platform where they were.Various people riding their bikes rode by saying hi like it was 8am in the morning, and the single people walking either said hi or just didn't bother me which is all i ask for in the first place.Either be polite with good intentions, or leave me the hell alone ! It looks like this is a pretty clean beach.They had garbage cans all over the place and i didn't encounter any problems.I think the real problems would occur later on in the day when all of the shitty Chicagoans wake up and decide to ruin this beach for all of the rest of us..Thats usually what happens when too many people are in an area at once..ie(fighting,taking up too much space, littering,loud music..etc) Fortunately i don't think ill be visiting this beach when they get up.My family will only be staying in this hotel we're in for another few days(Marriot Hotel). One thing i find funny i want to share is that almost all of the people i saw on the beach this morning were white(not all but most)..Apperently white people aren't as scared as you think they are.. If they can be out at 2am with nothing to do but hang out at the beach in a city with a extremely high crime rate,and manage to chill then i can honestly say they have taken the token Phrase "NO FEAR" all to another level.. and now i know who to call on to help me when it's time to get in a fight or at least who to run away from if they get mad..lol.Just kidding(NOT!) Fools run in packs like wolves..I think ill start a meet up group and ill call it "Fearless Fools Of The Night".Everyone i seen tonight is definitely invited in the group without any questioning! This might shed some light on why we do what we do.This will give a full explanation for all of those that just cant seem to understand the minds of us nocturnal people! There are more of us than what you think out there, just start leaving your house after 2 am and you're sure to find us everywhere! read more

Came here in the daytime to put my feet in Lake Michigan, just to say I did- It was cold. Came back in the evening with pizza, wine, and some dessert for a picnic. It was sweet... especially when the police drove by and we had to duck in the shadows of the trees. read more

Meh. Give me Oak Street Beach any day over North Ave, please. Too many rowdy, drunk teens for my taste here. Also, the water looks a lot dirtier with bird poop and feathers floating around in the shallow parts close to shore as opposed to Oak St where the water is less stagnant. Pluses: +Several volleyball courts available to use and nets/balls are available to rent. +Lots of bathrooms +Nearby parking if you arrive early in the day +The water is warmer close to shore I just don't love this beach. I will stick to Oak Street. read more

Is it just me, or does walking barefoot into a public restroom still disgusting, even if you are at the beach? Yea, that's the kind of people you find. Castaways was way crowded, so I don't even know why they bothered to let us up there considering there were no tables and the front and back of the "ship" was "reserved for private party" AKA two people drinking beer. On to the beach, there's a lot of teenage girls yelling "Oh my God!" because well, the sand is hot...on a hot summer day. The water isn't exactly clean, and I never go more than waist deep. Either way, there's a lifeguard probably 100 feet out from the shore on a rowboat making sure you can't go past your chest anyways. A lot of police are present now, on foot, horse, and ATV's checking people's coolers, but not really bothersome unless you're obviously drinking underage. A lot of babies with their mommies and daddies and teenagers, but overall a decent place to just sunbathe and people watch. Parking is hard to get by, and we've luckily found parking on La Salle for free once, otherwise there's some private meters to feed. read more

We had a great time. All sorts of people there all getting along. Water was clear as a bell. Only negative was the nasty rest rooms. Will still go back. read more

North Avenue Beach - Nice views - Beaches Near Me - Chicago, Illinois