How "North Shore" is Evanston? (Chicago, Waukegan: apartments, house)

[edsg25]

Lots of good North Shore threads here lately. I thought I'd introduce another one:

How "North Shore" do you consider Evanston to be?

In essence, Evanston gave birth to the North Shore. And it is one of those lakefront communities with Wilmette, Kenilworth, Winnetka, Glencoe, Highland Park, Lake Forest, and Lake Bluff whose "blood lines" are not doubted. Evanston doesn't cling to any sort of "associate membership" of Glenview, Northfield, Northbrook, or Deerfield.

But though "official", Evanston is often distinguished or set apart from its bretheren: it's more urban/suburban than the others, most ethnically, racially, and economically diverse, more capable of standing alone a city. The apartments that crowd the blocks of south Evanston are decidedly unnorthshore; the vintage homes along the lakefront and the the geogians and colonials in north and northwest Evanston are totally North Shore.

So when it comes to your own classification, how do you assess Evanston's northshoreness? Evanston is offically North Shore, but is it North Shore in your mind?

[Lookout Kid]

I think Evanston provides a lot for the rest of the North Shore. For instance, if you live in Wilmette or Winnetka and want to see a movie, you go to Evanston.

I will say that Evanston is VERY "North Shore", yet it is distinctly different from the other North Shore communities. I'd say there's North Shore gradient, with Evanston on one end and Lake Forest on the other. But of course, Evanston has a significant pocket of African Americans, and a suburban ranch house zone that blends in with Skokie (Skevanston). I could see how someone would say this isn't "North Shore", but then I would argue against taking such a narrow view of the North Shore, and that you need to see the big picture of that region...

But of course, few would call North Chicago or Waukegan "North Shore", so I guess my logic falls appart there.

[At1WithNature]

If I remember correctly, from Skyscraper City, you've long had a thing for Evanston. Are you a Northwestern grad, edsg?

[edsg25]

Originally Posted by At1WithNature

If I remember correctly, from Skyscraper City, you've long had a thing for Evanston. Are you a Northwestern grad, edsg?

no, but living in Evanston for many years, I became a real fan.

[chitown85]

Evanston is much more urban than the "north shore." That's my opinion. North Shore is much more suburban.

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by chitown85

Evanston is much more urban than the "north shore." That's my opinion. North Shore is much more suburban.

Sure, but there are sections of east Evanston that are as North Shore as anything--with large beatiful older homes. Evanston helped define the concept of "North Shore" when it was first settled.

[edsg25]

Evanston can actually be seen this way, with part being itself and parts sharing traits with three neighboring communities:

Central Evanston, the lakefront and NU: Pure Evanston

North Evanston: very much like Wilmette in the size of homes that grow bigger when one goes up the North Shore from these first two towns

West Evanston: Skokie like in post WWII tract homes, many with little architectural distinction from each other or even having architecture in the first place

South Evanston: two and three flats are an extension of Chicago

[edsg25]

If Evanston distinguishes itself from the rest of the North Shore in terms of ethnic and economic diversity, could an argument be made that second to Evanston in this respect (but not nearly as different from the rest) would be Highland Park? HP tends to have more "plain" neighborhoods than places like Winnetka, Glencoe, or Lake Forest.

[SloopyJ]

Fun question, though the OP pretty much answered it himself. I think, though, that the answer depends on the context. When speaking geographically, it's always part of the north shore. E.g., "Campagnola is the best Italian restaurant on the north shore."

When speaking metaphorically as in the "north shore aesthetic", however, I would argue that Evanston is usually excluded. E.g., when I saw a stoned-looking disheleveled young guy get into a $90,000 BMW the other day, I told my wife the scene was "very north shore", and it was certainly understood that I didn't mean Evanston.

[ajolotl]

When I was living in Evanston (for 9 months) I recall meeting a woman who explained to me that she could have lived in Wilmette, Wilmette, Kenilworth, etc. but that she wanted her kids to have more of an appreciation of class and racial diversity, so she moved to Evanston for the experience (the nicest part, no less). She told me all of this like I would have the vaguest idea what she was talking about, but I remember thinking that it was the oddest thing I'd ever heard since Evanston seemed so upscale and homogeneous to me compared to Hyde Park (my main residence at the time). I always took that to characterize a certain type of North Shore resident -- they view Evanston as slumming it.