Beverly View is a purely residential neighborhood at Chicago’s Southwest edge, with only five blocks of land inside its borders. Nestled between the communities of Wrightwood and Gresham, Beverly View is about 13 miles from the downtown Loop. Its boundaries include 79^th Street to the north, 81^st Place to the south, Western Avenue to the west and the Metra Electric Rock Island District line to the east. The neighborhood’s most accessible public transportation is the number 49 bus that stops along Western Avenue.

Before being settled in the 1890s, Beverly View belonged to the area known as Blue Island, where the recession of glaciers had left a small lake. Beverly View was originally settled by waves of European immigrants, but in the early 1920s a shift occurred and the neighborhood became home to a rising number of Irish and African American immigrants. Today, both Beverly and Beverly View are among the nation’s most ethnically diverse neighborhoods.

Sometime between 1910 and 1920, a streetcar began operating along Chicago’s longest street: Western Avenue. The avenue also serves as the main street in Beverly View and the new streetcar gave residents easy access to the 79^th Street beaches. In 1931, a second streetcar was added and the residents of Beverly View were instantly connected to the entire city, from 111th Street all the way up to Howard Street on the city's north side. The streetcars were discontinued in the mid-20^th century and converted to bus routes.

The most popular real estate options in Beverly View are large, single-family homes, most of which are settled on good-sized lots. Popular housing styles include one- and two-story frame houses, raised ranches and redbrick bungalows. Most of these have a rear garage and at least a small backyard. Currently, Beverly View does not offer any condos or official rental units. Because of its proximity to the city center and quiet atmosphere, new residents are increasingly attracted to Beverly View as an alternative to the outlying Chicago suburbs.

Five blocks make a tight border, so the usual neighborhood amenities are lacking in Beverly View. Nearby are a small clothing outlet, video rental store and cell phone provider. Even so, residents are not without. All of life’s daily necessities, including a variety of options for shopping and dining, can be found in the nearby communities of Beverly, Wrightwood and Gresham.

Because there are plenty of families in this residential subdivision, Beverly View does operate one private Catholic academy where children in kindergarten through fifth grade may attend. For families with older students, or who are not interested in a religious education program, there are several public schools in Beverly.

Beverly View Real Estate