The Edgewater Beach Hotel was a popular gathering place and getaway for Chicago's social elite since the day it opened in 1916. It was built far enough on the outskirts of town to be a nice weekend retreat from the mansions and luxury apartments on Gold Coast, yet it was close enough to downtown to serve as a perfect spot for visiting celebrities and other dignitaries.
The hotel was Chicago's only beachfront resort. Back then, a wide promenade called "The Beach Walk" and a small sliver of beach was all that separated the hotel from Lake Michigan. Later, after the city filled a portion of the lake to the south of the hotel, a large sandy beach established itself (mostly naturally) providing the rich and famous more space to sun themselves. Guests could even hire a seaplane to shuttle them to and from downtown Chicago. Celebrities like Shirley Temple, Babe Ruth, and Marilyn Monroe slept behind its pale pink walls. When they weren't sleeping, they very likely could have been enjoying the music of Tommy Dorsey or Xavier Cugat or Nat King Cole. In 1963, The National Conference on Religion and Race met at the hotel and Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. gave a speech and held a major press conference on racial equality.
In June of 1949, a 29 year old baseball player named Eddie Waitkus was in town for a game against his former team, The Chicago Cubs. A young woman, 19 year old Ruth Ann Steinhagen, had become infatuated with Eddie in 1948, prior to his being traded to the Phillies. She checked into the hotel using a name of a high school classmate of Eddie's and left a note for him stating that the friend needed to see him on a matter of some urgency. When Eddie came to the room, she shot him with a .22 caliber revolver. He was seriously injured, but recovered and after returning to baseball, was awarded the Comeback Player of the Year. This story became the basis for the novel and movie "The Natural".
Twelve years after it opened, the resort completed construction of its third building (the second building being an annex to the main hotel). This new building, the Edgewater Beach Apartments, completed the resort complex and provided year-around residents the feeling of being on vacation every day
The resort complex served as a landmark to me as a kid when we'd drive from our north side apartment to visit my grandparents on the south side. I knew we were on our way when I'd see it on the right side and I knew we'd be home soon when I'd see it on the left.
In 1951, Lake Shore Drive was extended from Foster Ave. to Hollywood Ave. cutting the resort off from Lake Michigan. I feel this was a flaw in the road planning, but unlike the flaw of the S Curve, this one would not be corrected and I believe it strangled the life from this wonderful property.
The apartment is the only building of the three that remains today, the other two being torn down in 1971. It still serves to remind me of a great trip to come or a great trip that was just had...
Now, our gang of six would ride along Sheridan Rd. through what remained of the city and proceed to travel through some of the wealthiest communities in our country...the REAL 1%ers live here. This leg would also give my new friends a chance to ride on "My Road", the 1/2 mile or so stretch of Sheridan Road called "The Ravines".