It's a short walk from the residential area, Uptown Chicago. The beach is not very big, but big enough to enjoy the views, relax on the sunny day on the sandy beach. Many people walk their dogs here, and I found very comfortable walking around with them. The area is well maintained, very clean! There is a restroom, change room, shower area on the side of the parking lot, not far from the beach. Parking is pretty much full in the season but off season there are plenty of spaces to find. read more

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I can not believe it The beach lucks ok. But the rules are so stupid. I have a canoe and some inflatable platforms 40 square feet, not inflatable for children. I tried to launch my canoe in the lake, and I can't do. Because the low is stupid ones. If you have children I really recommended you to don't come in Foster beach. You are not able to come here to your inflatable product because you are not going in the water with anything inflatable. Sorry Chicago. You are the most worst beach i seen in my life read more

My favorite beach in the city that is kept very clean. Plenty of space to set up a chair and relax on a hot day. Last time I went the shower to clean off your feet was broken which was unfortunate, hopefully that is fixed for the next season. read more

This beach used to be great. Now it's overrun with way too many volleyball courts who blast loud music and ruin the atmosphere. It's not big enough, it was already crowded and not it's nearly impossible to get a spot on a weekend. read more

02/27/21 - Foster Ave Beach just reopened after being closed for months to vehicular traffic. Maybe fortunate because it's been so cold, but unfortunate because I never got to access this area during the polar vortex that lasted several weeks. The lake has been spectacular unlike anything I have ever witnessed in my lifetime of living in Chicago. I have been able to get to the lake 2-4x's/week to witness the constantly changing ice shelves and ice formations never the same hour to hour and/or day to day. It was absolutely frigid but I was able to photograph & document many of these changes but in limited areas and limited time because of the amount of time I was able to spend outside because of fear of frostbite. I have mixed emotions about all the ice going away because each day was different but at the same time I'm welcoming the warmer weather (just not too hot lol) That being said I was able to go the lakefront this morning just a little after the sun came up over the horizon. As you may know the weather has been much warmer over the past week w/the high temps in the high 30's & 40's. Last Saturday the lake was covered in ice and snow as far as you could see. Much of the ice has disappeared and melted into the lake, but there are still remnants of ice shelf's that project out 20-30ft into the lake off of Foster Ave lakefront. There are also large chunks of ice that have broken off and are floating in the lake. It's like the end of the ice age. If you haven't been out yet you need to get out before it's all gone. read more

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Got here early today because it's going to get busy today with the air & water show. Lots of people already here but I was able to find parking. Now to ride my bike. read more

Foster Avenue Beach - Beaches Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Probably the best, cleanest sand of all the downtown beaches. Great sand for volleyball and many people use this beach for volleyball. It's a good mix of people relaxing, kids playing, dogs running, swimming, sand sports. I have never had a bad experience here and generally the crowd is low key not many disturbances. There's also ample parking with a free lot and a paid lot. Overall even though I live down the street from Oak street beach many times I will make the drive to Foster. Also this beach seems to be dog friendly which is a plus unlike Oak street beach. read more

Such a beautiful beach on the shore of Lake Michigan. Great views in many directions. Next time I am in Chicago, I will stop by. Nice pave trails up the beach that you can walk/bike on. read more

What a nice break from the ultra-crowded beaches further south! Every beach along the lake is gorgeous, but they can sometimes be shadowed by the massive crowds. Foster is definitely smaller, but there's plenty of room to spread out without bumping elbows with everyone around you. The views of Chicago skyline isn't quite as visible from this beach- Montrose Beach juts out into the lake more and can get that view! There are rest rooms, food stands, and looks like lots of room for full-on BBQ's in the surrounding park! There's also a good amount of parking (paid parking in the lot, free parking on the street), even on nice weekends. read more

Chicago is really an Awesome place to live with all these beautiful beaches.Like every other beach this had got all the facilities to have great time with Friends/Family. Well I was here yesterday to take part in a Lantern Event that was held by Ellis in Memory of his kid. It was really nice to be a part of this event which makes us realize that love never dies and how much our parents loves us.Glad I made new friends and release lanterns and watch them. Pros: --------- Rest Rooms Lots of Trees for Shade Vienna Hot Dog shop Swimming is Easy as water is not rough Great place for BBQ Lots of Benches CTA Accessibility Good Spot for Volley Balls Light House for Photoshoots Lots of Parking Trail for running Cons: -------- None as Far I know Enjoy before the summer lasts. read more

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Great beach for the family. Small but clean and plenty of parking. Not too far from Montrose Beach but I think this one is better.

Great Beach to Swim. Lifeguards are there to 7pm. After 7 swim where you want. Out to buoys is a good swim read more

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I love thisbeach not too crowded only thing is that it closes at 7pm. Wish they extend it to 9pm at lea read more

Foster Avenue Beach - A hot day at Foster Beach - Beaches Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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An unexpected stop on a beautiful, sunny day became more memorable than I ever expected when I was proposed to here. The beach's sands are white, and clean, with life guards on duty. It backs to a park, where grassy, green picnic areas provide a shady spot to get out of the sun. Lots of families swimming and grilling on the day of our visit, and parking can be tight, just like anywhere in Chicago. The water was calm, and from the lake the city looks beautiful whether from the park side, or the beach. I'll always have fond memories of this beach (I said yes) but it's certainly a nice way to enjoy a coast like experience for anyone visiting Chicago. read more

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I'm glad they sectioned off a part of FAB for dogs this past summer. Our dogs and I checked it out not too long after it was complete and we favored it much more than the dog beach at Montrose. Yes, it is smaller, but I think that's why we liked it so much. You can see from one end to the other with no problem locating your dog. The entrance is also double gated. We went early in the morning so it wasn't too packed, but come afternoon lots more people started trickling in. While I secretely wish that this beach was exclusive for the smaller dog breeds, I doubt that will ever happen and it'll probably be hard to enforce anyway (similar to the problem with dog parks). read more

Pros: not a lot of dogs & it's clean. Cons: the gate doesn't close very well because the sand isn't cleared out; it's only partially closed in so dogs that like to run away definitely can; it's about half the size of Montrose Ave. dog beach; and there is quite a bit of people/bike/car traffic that will make anxious dogs even more anxious. read more

Clean beach (: The bathrooms were locked though, which I can understand because it's September. A lot of people brought their dogs too which is cool! Friendly people & no one stole my stuff! Thanks! read more

There was a huge party happening near Daniel's Mexican food. People were peeing on the side of the buildings. The seagulls didn't poop on me or my friends, a definite plus to the beach. The people were really hip and kind. I feel much cooler as a person now, much more sweet/ripped. When you build a hole in the sand water fills the hole. This phenomenon would be great to show kids. You can bet money on the water coming in. Easy cash! If you're looking g for Brazilian booties this beach isn't for you. The beach goers had average physiques. This made my posse feel comfortable and welcomed. Maybe more booty next time would be appreciated. Vendors were a little pushy, although they were selling cerveza. ¡Fiesta! Also, FREE PARKING! With all my experiences under consideration I would say that this beach is pretty bumpin' ...totes bumpin... read more

Foster Avenue Beach - Beaches Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Don't go here.... you want to go somewhere else... trust me. Why would you want a place to park your car for free. That just hurts the economy by no spending your wealth? Why would you not want to jocky for a place to put your towl down (like you do at North Avenue)? It is a good way to work on your spotting skills and agility. Why would you want a nice big green grass field to enjoy? You live in the city because you want to be part of a concrete jungle. Now I tell you this, North Avenue Beach has all you are looking for. Leave Foster Avenue beach alone since there is nothing for you here. read more

Foster Beach is a great place to take your family or come with a group of friends. The parking lot is very accommodating and they charge reasonable prices. It was easy to unload my children and belongings from the car; the beach isn't very far from the parking lot. Single people, looking for talent, should go to North Avenue or Oak Street beach :) read more

Oh Foster Beach, how I will miss you. I'm moving to the Ukrainian Village in a few weeks. Far, far away from my beloved Foster Beach. I've lived just off of the beach for 5 years now, and I can honestly say it's probably the best beach in Chicago. You don't get any of the pretentiousness that you get down at North Avenue or Oak Street. I don't feel like the men are all grading me on my T&A. I can come here, bring a book, and relax all day without having a group of Trixies jiggle their boobs for the guys. The best part? There's a Dominick's right down the street, so I can stop off for picnic supplies and then just walk the couple of blocks to the beach. Never again will I pay for overpriced concessions at the beach. I will miss walking along this beach hand-in-hand with the boyfriend. I'm sure we'll be back, it just won't be nearly as convenient as it was when all I had to do was walk out my front door and across the park to get there. Le sigh. read more

Foster Beach is a family-phobic's nightmare. The south side of the beach, at least. The north side is where the younger, diaper-bagless folks are. Not as crowded too. It's a quieter alternative to North Avenue Beach. Overall, the beach is very clean, lots of room to play beach sports, and not as .. *ahem*.. "unclothed" as Hollywood Beach. However, I find indecent exposure entertaining so Hollywood Beach will always be #1 in my heart. read more

Foster Avenue Beach was one of the final stages of Lincoln Park's build. It is an artificial beach with imported silky sand. It is a very small beach with very short swim range. I really appreciate this beach on a hot summer day because the water is clean, cool and only chest deep. They have three life guards: one on land and two on sea (in row boats.) These life guards will keep you from going out too far. I guess the beach just suddenly cliffs off since it was man made. I don't need big waves or deep waters. I like it just about chest deep. This is my first lake swim and I love fresh water because you don't have that sticky salt sensation when you get out of the water and your hair doesn't mat up. read more

Sure, Foster beach isn't the BEST beach in Chicago. But if you want to go to the beach and your goal isn't to "see and be seen" then this is the beach for you. I like North Ave beach because it's livelier and there's tons of eye candy (read: hot men). However, when I truly want to relax with some friends, family, or even by myself ... I head to Foster. It's less crowded and has tons and tons of free parking. That, in and of itself, is reason enough for me to come here. Foolish city drivers (such as myself) will appreciate the rarity and value of this more than you non-drivers could ever imagine. Before I discovered Foster beach, I used to think driving to the beach was something you could only do in fairy tales ... or California. read more

This is by far my favorite beach in Chicago though as someone from land locked Dallas , I'm thrilled to be close to any kind of beach. The beach is plenty big too. This beach beats out the other downtown/north side beaches for me because of the shade factor. I am all about the shade. Granted, the shade is in the grassy area and not the sand but no matter. If I want to stick my feet in the sand, I'll stroll over. If not, the view of the beach, the sound of the waves hitting the shore and just plain relaxing outside is good enough for me. Today there's a man about 10 feet ahead of me playing guitar and singing. He's singing in Spanish so I catch only every fourth word or so but it's nice to listen to some acoustic action. I even decided to forgo my ear buds with my own tunes to listen to him. Otherwise, the noise factor here isn't too bad...some kids, general adult chatter, a bark every now and then. As for the lake versus ocean comparison, fresh water is better than salt water. Plus if the lake is large enough not to be able to see across, it's a big enough body of water for me. Haven't checked out the bathrooms or concessions. Parking is relatively easy and while it would be great if free, $1 per hour is no big deal. read more

Beautiful beach! Its peaceful also, and water calm. Lucky me, i get to see it everytime i enter the Lakefront trail to start my run or bike rides. And great place to watch the sunrise. read more

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BEST BEACH IN CHICAGO! Period. Its giant, have fantastic life guards, and huge open green spaces for the kids and picnics all the same. The field house has food, first aid and great bathroom facilities. The beach is so large even on the hottest days there is ample space for just about any sized group, and if you have a picnic there is so much green grass space up and down the beach that you will have no problem finding anywhere to set up tents and grills. Parking? FREE, and Ample although if you are local you should walk, so that the people from out of the way can come and nejoy our wonderful beach! read more

This beach is EGON APPROVED (that's my dog). He loves romping here (on leash, of course) and exploring on the rocks. Lots of grassy areas with good stuff to sniff, and shady benches to take a rest. Way less pretentious than the beaches further south. read more

So, as I gay I intensely feel the pressure to visit Hollywood(AKA gay beach) for my beaching desires however this one is my favorite. It's bigger, the beach/sand is nicer and there is a huge park behind it which is great for pre/during/post beach picnics or BBQs. Plus, let's face it - I don't have the abs for gay beach.... read more

Felt like I was in Florida with out the humidity! Beautiful soft soft sand and clear clean looking water. Such easy parking, we parked right in front. Not crowded at all and we loved the beautiful skyline along the beach to look at. Can't wait to go back! read more

Foster Avenue Beach - Beautiful beach! - Beaches Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Foster Avenue Beach is a great little beach used by more of the Uptown/Edgewater/Rogers Park/Andersonville folks and is never as crowded at the beaches farther south. Parking is easy and the beach is very nice a great amount of shallow water for children to play and swim. The nearby parks are great with many trees for shade. You can relax, grill out, even nap. There is a beach house at this location and the food is pricey. I never used the bathrooms (and NO I didn't do "it" in the lake/ocean...feels like an ocean to me...hey, I'm from the mountains.......either *grin*), so I cannot comment to date. All and all a nice little trip to take up the lake to explore a beach that has a lot to offer visitors. read more

one of the most beautiful beach I have ever visited! Really love it, easy access! There is also have bike rental as well. read more

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I've been going to Foster Beach since I was in diapers. It's clean, big, not crowded, and there are cute dogs to watch on the North end. There's a concession building for all sorts of artery clogging snacks, though there are always men with icecream carts thingees near the water so one doesn't have to make the journey across scorching hot sand. The bathrooms are about as appealing as you would expect, but could certainly be worse. And there are showers outside which are great for rinsing off the sand. One con is the pay to park machines. I'd recommend bringing change and bills, as the machine decided to stop talking my dollar bills randomly before I was finished putting money in. You can also pay with credit cards. Another thing (being a grown ass woman), that I did not love were the ridiculous ratio of adults to evil demons from hell. I mean children! If you don't have any kids or don't enjoy them splashing water and sand on you, go to the North end. It was way less crowded with kids. The south end of the beach is like a daycare. read more

Foster Avenue Beach - So much pretty. July 2010. - Beaches Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

What a great find! When you want to catch some rays and you don't want to deal with the crowds at North Ave. & Oak St. then head on over to Foster Beach! The sand is nice and clean (thank goodness for the smoking ban) and they do comb out the sand several times a week. You can hang out on the sand or they have grassy areas too. Parking isn't too bad when you get there earlier in the morning. If you wait until mid-day you will be out of luck my friends. The bathrooms COULD be cleaner. They have pigeons hanging out in them and I wouldn't dare sit on those bowls! They also have a concession stand but you will pay about $20 for a few dogs and fries. Bring your own treats and beverages and enjoy the beach! read more

I love hoe big this beach is, and it's definitely one of the cleaner ones, but I hate all the children that come here... The water is also pretty clean here, and they have a little shop for water and small snacks which is thoroughly appreciated. Warning: the bathrooms are horrendous, I wish they took better care of them. Otherwise I don't have much to complain about, I'm here all the time! See ya there! read more

I have a Cocker Spaniel & took him to this beach today. Although there is a partial fence it would have been better if it was completely fenced in. My dog went running with a Labrador past the area we were in but luckily they both came running back. Other than that, it was cool, surprisingly clean & not too crowded plus the dogs & their owners were nice. :) read more

Foster Avenue Beach - Running with his friend - Beaches Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

a little bias bc i work mere steps away from here. the non bias perk is the fact you go here and can actually enjoy yourself, ie find a spot to sit, walk a bit and enjoy a fairly unobtrusive stretch of beach uninhabited by the masses. my son and i hit this place up regularly and would take this over nearly all others and we've been to most if not all. i don't find this beach any different from any other in terms of cleanliness, which a few others have pointed out. we live in chicago and ppl are careless dirt bags for the most part and live their lives as such. there is no pristine beach out there. sorry. read more

Warning: This will be THE FUNNIEST REVIEW YOU'VE EVER READ!!! Oh The Rocks! If you went to Chicago land raves back in the day. Then you know. ...and then the cops came and we were all rolling sooooooooooooooooooooooooo hard.... read more

Great beach area with all the amenities of a park and beach! You can rent bikes or other fun things. The beach has a stone step path that was probably built 30 years ago, but the walk is nice, trees are lovely and you can't beat the lake's fresh air. The beach is spacious and rarely crowded as it is north of the larger, Montrose beach. Soccer fields are close by and there is plenty of space on the grass or sand read more

Foster Avenue Beach - A small tower you can walk out to! - Beaches Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I love this beach. I love the soft sand. I love the lack of people before 8 a.m. most days. I love the old guy who sits on the bench each morning while reading the paper. I love the sunrises here. I love the way my dog plays in the frigid water while I laugh. I love how well the city maintains it. Sometimes, just sometimes, I even forget that I'm in Chicago. Instead, I am transported to my parents' house in Florida that overlooks the ocean. I think it's the seagulls. The lack of sharks is sure lovely. The bathrooms are really gross, and I'm not even a get crabs on the toilet seat kind of freak. They're just old, grimy and very well used on hot summer days. I also really dislike the dingdong with the obnoxious, ill behaved puggle who cannot control her dog. Other than that, this is my beach. Parking on a hot weekend day can be iffy, as there is no parking in the neighborhoods nearby. Arrive early to snag a parking space. Also, pack a picnic as the concession stand has limited offerings for ridiculous prices. There's a Subway at Sheridan and Winona if you want to bring sandwiches. The only thing that is really lacking is naked people. If there were naked people here, I would give it five stars. read more