Forest Glen is one of the 77 official city community areas of Chicago, Illinois, located on the city's Northwest Side. It comprises the neighborhoods of Forest Glen, Edgebrook and Sauganash, with sub-neighborhoods of Sauganash Park, Wildwood, North Edgebrook and Old Edgebrook.
Neighborhoods
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Edgebrook
Edgebrook borders the neighborhood of Sauganash to the west and Forest Glen to the south. Edgebrook was once part of the Sauganash land tract known as Caldwell's Reserve, and was annexed by the city of Chicago in 1889. To the north of Edgebrook sits Wildwood and then North Edgebrook. Frequently the three communities together are referred to as Edgebrook.
Edgebrook is roughly bordered by I-94 (the Edens Expressway) and the city limits to the east, the forest preserve and Niles to the west, the North Branch of the Chicago River to the south, and the Chicago city limits to the north.
Edgebrook is home to the Billy Caldwell Golf Course and the Edgebrook Golf Course, both operated by the Cook County Forest Preserves, and Edgebrook Elementary School, which has consistently ranked highly among the many Chicago Public Schools in terms of standardized test performance. Edgebrook School's mascot is the Eagle.
The 84 Peterson and 85A North Central CTA bus routes serve the Edgebrook neighborhood. The Milwaukee District/North Line also has a stop in Edgebrook.
Additionally, the Edgebrook Branch of the Chicago Public Library system is located on Devon Avenue, in the heart of the Edgebrook neighborhood.
Old Edgebrook
Old Edgebrook is a small area located between Central and Devon Avenues and the Edgebrook Golf Course, consisting of several blocks of large, stately homes originally built for railroad executives. The first homes here were built in the 1890s. Today, Old Edgebrook is an historical landmark district, surrounded on all sides by Cook County Forest Preserve land.
Indian Woods
Sitting across the river and Central Avenue from Old Edgebrook, Indian Woods (South Edgebrook) is defined by Central Avenue to the west, the Edgebrook Woods Forest Preserve to the north and east, and Elston Avenue to the south. Indian Woods is originally part of the Forest Glen community area, but also located in the northern portion of Jefferson Park. It shares the 60646 (Edgebrook) ZIP Code. There are multiple unique wooden signs marking the Indian Woods community that have been in place for many decades.
Wildwood
Part of Edgebrook, the Wildwood community is triangular in shape and is bordered by Lehigh Avenue, Caldwell Avenue (Route 14), Mendota Avenue, and Lightfoot Avenue. Wildwood Elementary School (CPS) serves parts of Edgebrook (west of Lehigh), Wildwood and North Edgebrook, and is highly rated. The Edgebrook Metra train station is located a little south of Wildwood near the intersection of Devon, Lehigh, and Caldwell Avenues.
North Edgebrook
North Edgebrook is the section of Edgebrook sitting north of Wildwood. Its northern border is Touhy Avenue, except for a small area consisting of a couple of blocks that extends north of Touhy Avenue, and is surrounded by the suburb of Niles.
Sauganash
Sauganash was once part of the Sauganash land tract (Caldwell's Reserve) and was annexed by the city of Chicago in 1889. This neighborhood is named after Billy Caldwell, also known as Sauganash (meaning "English speaking"). Born to a Mohawk mother and an Irish father, William Caldwell, Sr., a Captain of the British Butler Rangers, he became a leader of the Potawotomi. The “Treaty Elm" which stood until the 1930s was originally used in the first and second government surveys of the reserve. Sauganash negotiated with the United States on behalf of the United Nations of the Chippewa, Ottawa and Potawotomi. In return for his services, the US gave him 1600 acres on the Chicago River.
Today the neighborhood is home to three churches: Sauganash Community Church, a non-denominational Protestant church; Bride of Christ Church; and Queen of All Saints, a Roman Catholic Basilica. The Sauganash residential neighborhood has many distinctive homes. It also had large tracts of prairie land until the mid-1950s.
The Sauganash neighborhood is bordered by Devon Avenue to the north, Bryn Mawr Avenue to the south, the Edens Expressway (Interstate 94) to the west, and the Valley Line bike trail to the east. Devon Avenue marks the northern boundary of the city limits of Chicago at this point. The suburb of Lincolnwood begins north of Devon Avenue.
The neighborhood of Sauganash Park lies east of the Valley Line trail.
LaBagh Woods forest preserve is directly south of Sauganash.
Forest Glen
A community of about 550 residences on the far Northwest side of the city of Chicago is often referred to as "Chicago's Finest Community". It is one of the oldest neighborhoods on the Northwest side, and is at the southern part of the official Chicago neighborhood's area of Forest Glen, which also contains Edgebrook and Sauganash. The first European American to settle Forest Glen was Civil War hero Captain William Hazelton of the 1st Cavalry Division. Captain Hazelton built a home in Forest Glen which still stands, and started a Sunday School that evolved into the First Congregational Church of Forest Glen. Hazelton also built the Glen's first barn at what is now Lawler and Elston.
The Forest Glen neighborhood is bordered by the Chicago River to the north, Foster Avenue to the south, Cicero Avenue to the east and Metra Milwaukee District North line to the west. Forest Glen shares its ZIP Code (60630) with Jefferson Park.
South Edgebrook
The area commonly known as South Edgebrook is originally in the Forest Glen community area; but it now straddles the official Chicago neighborhoods of Jefferson Park and Norwood Park. South Edgebrook's borders are considered to be Devon Avenue to the north, Metra tracks and the Edgebrook Golf Course / Forest Preserve to the east, and Elston Avenue and Milwaukee Avenue to the south and west. It is served by the 60646 (Edgebrook) ZIP Code. Internet and atlas maps of Chicago's neighborhoods in recent years indicate a "South Edgebrook" located south of Caldwell Avenue and west of the Edens (I-94) Expressway by the Billy Caldwell Golf Course. This area however, is part of Edgebrook itself, and never had any additional designation.
Transportation
Metra provides service to Union Station from two stops in Forest Glen on the Milwaukee District/North Line. Forest Glen station lies between Forest Glen and Elston Avenues, while Edgebrook station lies just to the north of the intersection of Caldwell, Devon, and Central Avenues. The southern part of Forest Glen is also accessible from the Union Pacific / Northwest Line's stops in Jefferson Park and Gladstone Park. The Blue Line also serves Jefferson Park, providing service to downtown and O'Hare International Airport.
The Edens Expressway (I-94) has a number of interchanges in Forest Glen: in Edgebrook at Caldwell Avenue; at Touhy Avenue just outside Edgebrook/Forest Glen's boundaries in Lincolnwood; just outside Forest Glen north to the North Shore suburbs and Milwaukee via the Foster Avenue on-ramp; and again just outside Forest Glen south to down town via the Elston Avenue on-ramp, just one city block south of Foster Avenue.
Education
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The local Chicago Public Schools primary schools include Edgebrook Elementary School, Wildwood School, Sauganash Elementary School and Beaubien Elementary (In Jefferson Park). The local Catholic schools are at Queen of All Saints Basilica in Sauganash, St. Cornelius on Foster Avenue, and St. Mary of the Woods Catholic Church in North Edgebrook/Wildwood. Catholic children living in Edgebrook choose between St. Mary's and Queen of All Saints. Catholic children in Forest Glen choose between Queen of All Saints and St. Cornelius.
The Chicago Public Schools secondary school is William Howard Taft High School in Norwood Park, Chicago, although many residents of the neighborhood elect to attend either private schools or one of the City of Chicago-run selective schools. Private schools typically attended are Saint Ignatius College Prep, Loyola Academy, Notre Dame College Prep, or Regina Dominican High School. College preparatory, non-private schools include CICS Northtown Academy, a charter school that opened in 2002. Selective enrollment schools typically attended include Northside College Prep and Whitney Young Magnet High School.
References
External links
- Official City of Chicago Forest Glen Community Map
- The Northwest Chicago Historical Society's History of Forest Glen
- Old Edgebrook District
- Edgebrook Community Association
- Forest Glen Community Club
- Sauganash Community Association
- Queen of All Saints Basilica; see also Wikipedia entry
- ForgottenChicago.com's article on Old Edgebrook
