Edison Park
Ranked 44th best neighborhood in Chicago
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Great for
- Safe & Sound
- Clean & Green
- Eating Out
- Neighborly Spirit
- Peace & Quiet
Not great for
- Cost of Living
- Childcare
- Gym & Fitness
- Lack of Traffic
- Medical Facilities
Who lives here?
- Families with kids
- Professionals
- Retirees
- Singles
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Reviews
Edison Park
rating details
2yrs+
- Neighborly Spirit
- Safe & Sound
- Clean & Green
- Pest Free
- Peace & Quiet
- Eating Out
- Nightlife
- Parks & Recreation
- Shopping Options
- Gym & Fitness
- Internet Access
- Lack of Traffic
- Parking
- Cost of Living
- Resale or Rental Value
- Public Transport
- Medical Facilities
- Schools
- Childcare
"Quaint, Lacking in Diversity"
This is a cute little neighborhood with a strong sense of family and community feel. It's common to see unsupervised children out playing and riding bikes late into the evening, and neighbors talking to each other in a friendly fashion. There is an almost unbelievable concentration of bars and restaurants in the little downtown area, many of which are quite upscale. Many businesses are locally owned. The neighborhood is fairly well-served by the Metra, though CTA options are limited and unreliable. Park Ridge is a suburb within easy walking distance, and has many amenities such as restaurants, bars, and professional services. There are clean parks, and good tree cover. The area has a safe feel.
Where Edison Park falls down is in its lack of diversity. It's very much an upper class white monoculture, with an extremely low number of minorities living in the neighborhood. The only people of color you'll observe in this neighborhood are the ones working service jobs, or delivering mail. The neighborhood also has a high concentration of police officer residents, thanks to a city requirement that officers live within the city limits. This has benefits, in that residents are community-invested and are inclined to keep things safe. However, Edison Park is geographically as far away as you can get from the city center to the north and west, and still be considered "Chicago." As a result, expect to see a lot of 'Police Lives Matter' signs. I have had friends who are LQBTQ+ or people of color who tell me they don't feel safe walking in this neighborhood after dark.
Overall, this is an excellent neighborhood if you are affluent, white, have children, and want to remain within the technical city limits of Chicago.
Where Edison Park falls down is in its lack of diversity. It's very much an upper class white monoculture, with an extremely low number of minorities living in the neighborhood. The only people of color you'll observe in this neighborhood are the ones working service jobs, or delivering mail. The neighborhood also has a high concentration of police officer residents, thanks to a city requirement that officers live within the city limits. This has benefits, in that residents are community-invested and are inclined to keep things safe. However, Edison Park is geographically as far away as you can get from the city center to the north and west, and still be considered "Chicago." As a result, expect to see a lot of 'Police Lives Matter' signs. I have had friends who are LQBTQ+ or people of color who tell me they don't feel safe walking in this neighborhood after dark.
Overall, this is an excellent neighborhood if you are affluent, white, have children, and want to remain within the technical city limits of Chicago.
Cons
- Lack of Diversity
Recommended for
- Professionals
- Families with kids
- Retirees
Edison Park
rating details
2yrs+
- Neighborly Spirit
- Safe & Sound
- Clean & Green
- Peace & Quiet
- Eating Out
- Nightlife
- Parks & Recreation
- Shopping Options
- Parking
- Public Transport
"Edison Park - Quiet but Close"
Edison Park is on the far (very far) northwest side, right by O’Hare airport. It is definitely closer to feeling like a suburb than a part of the city. There are lots of houses of all styles and the atmosphere is family friendly and relaxed. It almost seems more like a small town unto itself and is a little bit less connected with the city in general.
I know that residents of the neighborhood have really worked to keep Edison Park this way – voting against certain developments that would change the landscape (like huge condo buildings, which a lot of people who live all over the city, including myself, really don’t like for many reasons) or the feel of the area.
It is close to a lot of north side neighborhoods by car or bus. It’s also close to the Kennedy and the Blue Line to get to the suburbs or other parts of the city.
There are a bunch of family restaurants and bars in the neighborhood, mostly concentrated along a small stretch of Northwest Highway. A lot of them are Italian or pizza places – I’ve eaten at a couple of these and they were both really good.
Edison Park is a great place for a family that wants to be close to the city but without that rushed, crowded feel.
I know that residents of the neighborhood have really worked to keep Edison Park this way – voting against certain developments that would change the landscape (like huge condo buildings, which a lot of people who live all over the city, including myself, really don’t like for many reasons) or the feel of the area.
It is close to a lot of north side neighborhoods by car or bus. It’s also close to the Kennedy and the Blue Line to get to the suburbs or other parts of the city.
There are a bunch of family restaurants and bars in the neighborhood, mostly concentrated along a small stretch of Northwest Highway. A lot of them are Italian or pizza places – I’ve eaten at a couple of these and they were both really good.
Edison Park is a great place for a family that wants to be close to the city but without that rushed, crowded feel.
Pros
- far from downtown
Recommended for
- Professionals
- Families with kids
- Retirees
Edison Park
rating details
2yrs+
- Neighborly Spirit
- Safe & Sound
- Clean & Green
- Pest Free
- Peace & Quiet
- Eating Out
- Nightlife
- Parks & Recreation
- Shopping Options
- Gym & Fitness
- Internet Access
- Lack of Traffic
- Cost of Living
- Resale or Rental Value
- Public Transport
- Medical Facilities
- Schools
- Childcare
"Good food and a safe, quiet neighborhood."
Edison Park is a primarily residential area that feels a lot more like a suburb than city neighborhood. Being one of the furthest neighborhoods from downtown, it is fairly quiet and safe in Edison Park.
It's also close to enough other areas that have more going on that if you lived here you wouldn't feel left out of the loop. Yeah, not all the best clubs are here, but you can get to Wrigleyville or other parts of the city quickly enough that it wouldn't be a terrible commute. You have the highway right nearby, so travel is mostly simple. Sometimes traffic gets a bit congested, but it isn't as bad as other areas.
Zia's Trattoria is one of the best Italian restaurants in the city, so you do have some excellent options available for dining if you want to stay within the neighborhood.
Overall, I wouldn't consider Edison Park a particularly exciting area, but it is a great place for families, with nice, quiet streets, and plenty of safety.
It's also close to enough other areas that have more going on that if you lived here you wouldn't feel left out of the loop. Yeah, not all the best clubs are here, but you can get to Wrigleyville or other parts of the city quickly enough that it wouldn't be a terrible commute. You have the highway right nearby, so travel is mostly simple. Sometimes traffic gets a bit congested, but it isn't as bad as other areas.
Zia's Trattoria is one of the best Italian restaurants in the city, so you do have some excellent options available for dining if you want to stay within the neighborhood.
Overall, I wouldn't consider Edison Park a particularly exciting area, but it is a great place for families, with nice, quiet streets, and plenty of safety.
Recommended for
- Families with kids
Edison Park
rating details
2yrs+
- Neighborly Spirit
- Safe & Sound
- Clean & Green
- Eating Out
- Nightlife
"President Obama would return"
Fun Edison Park Fact: President Obama dined at Zia’s Trattoria, on the neighborhood’s local restaurant row, for an episode of Check, Please! (although it did not air until after he became president). Later asked if the experience was worth a trip back to Edison Park, Obama said that he would surely go back.
This is one of those neighborhoods where families drift when they are ready to leave the bustle of city life and settle into a more suburban-type area. Those who love city life won’t be too far from the action (Edison Park is the furthest north and furthest west neighborhood in the city, but the Blue line will take you further into Chicago) if they move to Edison Park, but things are markedly quieter out here.
Surprisingly, though, this out-on-the-North-Side-fringe of a neighborhood is a big draw for nearby suburbs (and even fellow city dwellers) – especially the restaurant row part of it. It’s a cool place, laid back and completely lacking in snobbery. But, ultimately, people live out here because they want to be in an area that is more suburb than it is city – and Edison Park helps them do so.
This is one of those neighborhoods where families drift when they are ready to leave the bustle of city life and settle into a more suburban-type area. Those who love city life won’t be too far from the action (Edison Park is the furthest north and furthest west neighborhood in the city, but the Blue line will take you further into Chicago) if they move to Edison Park, but things are markedly quieter out here.
Surprisingly, though, this out-on-the-North-Side-fringe of a neighborhood is a big draw for nearby suburbs (and even fellow city dwellers) – especially the restaurant row part of it. It’s a cool place, laid back and completely lacking in snobbery. But, ultimately, people live out here because they want to be in an area that is more suburb than it is city – and Edison Park helps them do so.
Edison Park
rating details
2yrs+
- Neighborly Spirit
- Safe & Sound
- Clean & Green
- Pest Free
- Peace & Quiet
- Eating Out
- Nightlife
- Parks & Recreation
- Shopping Options
- Gym & Fitness
- Internet Access
- Lack of Traffic
- Cost of Living
- Resale or Rental Value
- Public Transport
- Medical Facilities
- Schools
- Childcare
"Great neighborhood close to everything"
Edison Park is the best location for getting the best of both city and suburb life. We are close to everything. Most of the neighborhood is comprised of city workers, school teachers, policeman and fireman so you really get a feeling of safety which is huge plus if you are starting a family. I personally enjoy that our kids school is only one block away and we have at least 6 parks within walking distance of our home. The nightlife is great because again right on Northwest Highway there are great restaurants and bars to walk to on any given night but if you are craving a club in wrigleyville we are only a 15 minute drive. We are 2 minutes from the metra as well as the L station which is a huge plus and we are right off the expressways. Since we are also right on the northwest chicago border we have access to Park Ridge and all there fine shops and establishments. We love to wake up Saturday mornings and drive or walk 3 minutes west to a little bagel shop with the kids and have breakfast and hit the stores and library of uptown Park Ridge. It really is the best of both city and suburb life.
Recommended for
- Professionals
- Singles
- Families with kids
- Retirees
