beverly

Compiled by Jim Daley, Neighborhood Captain

PHOTO BY MARC MONAGHAN Before Europeans settled what is now Chicago, the indigenous Potawatomi whose language gave the city its name primarily lived in the area now called Beverly. The history of the community’s original inhabitants is still there, laid down as Vincennes Ave., which traces the route of what was once a Native trail that traversed modern-day Kentucky, Illinois, and Indiana.

Beverly residents proudly and correctly remind anyone who asks that no, it’s not a suburb, it’s a neighborhood in the city—it is and it ain’t, though: the neighborhood, once a streetcar suburb before being annexed by Chicago in 1890, is still the last stop before you hit the city’s southwestern borders. But its residents, many of whom commute to the Loop for work, are also acutely aware of what the neighborhood may still be missing, and in conversations will often note recent openings of newer, hipper locales as a sign that Beverly is trending towards some version of cool.

They’re right—but it’s nuanced. The neighborhood is sometimes described as an “oasis” of integration in Chicago’s hyper-segregated South Side, but try to drive through North Beverly—a whiter, more affluent section of the community—when leaving Evergreen Plaza on 95th and Western, which Black South Siders patronized historically, and you’ll find yourself stymied by a maze of literal roadblocks designed to keep nonresidents out. And a pizza parlor on 95th Street has some of the best thin crust in Chicago, but last year it began flying a “thin blue line” American flag out front, acutely aware that the 19th Ward is home to one of the highest percentages of cops in the city.

That said, Beverly is where you can find some of the most unique spots in Chicago, let alone the South Side. Hip-hop artist Kanye West’s grammar school, Vanderpoel Elementary, still overlooks the north end of Longwood Drive atop a sloping ridge. That geographical formation, the Blue Island Ridge, is at its highest point the tallest spot in Chicago, one hundred feet above Lake Michigan. As Longwood winds southward up the ridge’s eastern slope, stately mansions—and even a 140-year-old castle, complete with towering battlements— gaze down what were prehistoric shores of an inland lake that was carved out by receding glaciers. These days, the ice and snow that will soon pile up on the ridge’s slope will mean only one thing: great sledding. (Jim Daley)

Jim Daley is the politics editor at the Weekly.

South Siders Mary Kate Beck and Maggie Depalo debuted All That Good Stuff at neighborhood fixture Cork & Kerry, an Irish-themed bar on Western Ave., but when the city shuttered bars in response to COVID-19 last year, they took it on the road.

Since then, the show has held events at pizza parlors, bars, and retirement communities, and features a rotating lineup of local comedians performing their stuff, often outdoors when weather permits.

Upcoming shows will be at the Elm Lagrange on September 15; Cork & Kerry on October 5; and back at the Elm Lagrange on October 13. A portion of the proceeds from ticket sales typically go to a local good cause. (Jim Daley) In 2019, Mary Bujwid and Jason Moss started selling handmade candles at farmers markets and community events in the neighborhood, as well as from their home and online. Last year, the pair opened a brick-and-mortar location at 99th and Walden Parkway—which has grown into a bustling collection of small businesses over the past couple of years—and expanded their inventory to include apparel, tote bags, and more.

The shop offers candles with unique South Side themes: there’s the Frunchroom, which is described as a “mom-approved blend of florals and cotton” and sells for $25; the Music Fest, which blends the smells of incense and cannabis and goes for $30; and the Record Store, which costs $25 and marries patchouli and LP jackets. There are also candles named for prominent Beverly streets such as Longwood, Western, and the shop’s own Walden Parkway.

Beverly Dry Goods also sells candle accessories such as snifters and wick trimmers so you can properly maintain your candles. As someone whose knowledge of candles extends to the occasional tea lights, I had never heard of wick-trimming. If you’re like me, don’t worry: the store’s website includes a helpful “education” page that explains how to take care of your candles and keep them burning bright. (Jim Daley)

PHOTO BY MARC MONAGHAN

9915 S. Walden Parkway. Tue-Fri 105; Saturday 10-3; closed Sunday. 773701-6029.