North Avenue Beach: Chicago's Urban Paradise

Getting There

• Public Transit

  From Oak Lawn, head to the nearest Metra train station, Oak Lawn Station. Take the Metra Rock Island Line towards Chicago. Ride the train for about 30 minutes and get off at the LaSalle Street Station in downtown Chicago. Once you exit the station, walk towards the southwest to catch the CTA 'L' train at the Clark/Lake station. Take the Brown Line or Purple Line towards Kimball or the Red Line towards Howard. If you take the Brown Line, transfer at the Washington/Wells station to the Green Line towards Ashland. Get off at the Kedzie stop and transfer to the #52 Kedzie bus heading north. After approximately 20 minutes, get off at the North Avenue Beach stop.

• Bike Rental

  In Oak Lawn, find a bike rental shop such as 'Bike Oak Lawn' to rent a bicycle. Once you have your bike, head north towards 95th Street, then take a left to head west until you reach Cicero Avenue. From there, follow Cicero Avenue north until you hit the 47th Street intersection. Turn left onto 47th Street and continue straight until you reach Lake Shore Drive. Turn right on Lake Shore Drive and follow the bike path along the lake until you reach North Avenue Beach. This route is approximately 12 miles long.

• Walking

  If you're up for a longer walk, you can start at the Oak Lawn Village Hall. Head north on 95th Street until you reach Cicero Avenue. Turn right and walk along Cicero Avenue until you reach 47th Street. Turn left on 47th Street and continue until you reach Lake Shore Drive. Once you reach Lake Shore Drive, turn right and walk along the sidewalk until you see the signs for North Avenue Beach. This walking route is around 12 miles and will take approximately 4 to 5 hours.