Oak Street Beach

Oak Street Beach is the best-known downtown swimming beach in Chicago, Illinois, set at the north end of the Gold Coast at 1000 N Lake Shore Dr. The beach is a curved stretch of fine, pale sand on Lake Michigan, a freshwater lake with no tides and no salt, so the water is usually clear to greenish-blue on calm days and noticeably cold even in midsummer. A gently sloping bottom makes the swimming area suitable for casual wading and swimming within the roped lifeguard zone, though waves can build quickly when the wind comes from the north or east. The beach is relatively short compared with the long north and south side beaches, but its position directly below the Gold Coast high-rises, with the John Hancock Center and the downtown skyline in view, makes it one of the most photographed spots on the lakefront. The atmosphere is urban and social rather than quiet: volleyball games, sunbathers, office workers on a lunch break and visitors from nearby hotels share the sand, and the beach is often crowded on warm summer weekends. Amenities include seasonal lifeguards, restrooms, volleyball courts and a seasonal cafe nearby, and the Lakefront Trail runs along the back of the beach, so walkers, runners and cyclists pass continuously. Lifeguards are on duty from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day, generally from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and swimming outside those hours is not permitted. Access is easy: the beach lies about half a mile east of the Magnificent Mile and can be reached on foot from the Chicago Red Line station, by CTA Bus 151, or by a Divvy bike station close to the beach. A pedestrian underpass beneath Lake Shore Drive connects the Gold Coast streets to the sand. Street parking in the surrounding neighborhood is scarce and expensive, and public transit or cycling is the more practical choice. Because the beach is compact and popular, visitors who prefer more space often walk or ride north along the trail to North Avenue Beach or south to Ohio Street Beach.