Montrose Beach on the lakefront. Photo: User:JeremyA / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.5
Montrose Beach and Harbor are among the busiest spots on Chicago’s lakefront in summer. After Labor Day the crowds thin, the boats come out of the water and a different set of regulars takes over.
Birders and the dunes
The Montrose Beach Dunes and the nearby bird sanctuary, often called the Magic Hedge, are among the best places in the Midwest to watch migrating birds. Fall migration brings warblers, sparrows and raptors through the area. The dunes also became famous in recent years as the nesting site of piping plovers, an endangered shorebird, beginning with the pair known as Monty and Rose in 2019.
The harbor
Montrose Harbor is one of the largest in the city. Boats are typically hauled out in fall and stored for winter. The harbor walls and breakwaters remain popular with anglers and walkers year-round.
Park District work
The off-season is when much of the maintenance happens: repairs to harbor facilities, work on beach structures and planning for the next season. Weather and lake levels can affect erosion along the shoreline.
For neighbors
For Uptown residents, Montrose is the closest major piece of the lakefront. In the colder months it becomes a place for long walks, runs on the lakefront trail and views of the skyline across the water.
For local business
Summer crowds help restaurants and shops on Montrose Avenue and Broadway. In the off-season, those businesses rely more on neighborhood regulars. Some host winter events to keep traffic up until the beach reopens.
Ruth Kaminski is the editor of The Uptown Ledger and covers neighborhood institutions and housing.
