Tobey Prinz Beach Park

My cousins have two kids going to Loyola so they bit the bullet and bought a condo for them nearby. I guess this is the thing parents do now for college kids. I think they just wanted to have a place in the city after the kids finish college to save themselves from their boring suburban existence. And Rogers Park definitely qualifies as «the city». Plus its a stones throw away from this great little park. They asked me to come take a look at the unit. While waiting for them and the real estate agent I checked out this park. I never knew this park existed and it looks like a little gem. Its a nice little park which will satisfy whatever needs you may have, whether it be beach, small wilderness area, fishing walking or just plain people watching. Plus there is a great view of the city as you can see from my photo.

This is one of the most well maintained beaches in all of Chicago, located in Rogers Park, its sanctuary in its own way. Standing at the end of Pratt pier is one of the most spectacular scenic views in the city. The people you meet are so friendly and all care a great deal about the environment. «The Wall» a concrete bench area that stretches a great distance around the center of the park area and walkway, is something that the community looks forward to yearly, in which it is white washed and made available to the public, friends, family and solo artist all gather to have fun painting and expressing a piece of themselves for others to see for the next year to come. There are lots of other festivities the park provides over the year, its definitely a great place to visit and enjoy, a lovely place to relax and get some sun, or get some exercise and take a swim, I highly recommend it for anyone to check out!

This is my spot! Running, walking, beach day or a picnic in the park… I am here almost everyday. It’s beautiful, somewhat undiscovered and only a block away from me! The perfect place to escape the city for a moment and just enjoy the lake, the beach (a little bit rocky but mostly nice), and a little bit of nature.

This is such a wonderful spot during the summertime. I consider myself extremely lucky to live close enough to come here on a whim. I’ve almost never seen it get truly crowded here, and sitting by the shoreline, watching the lapping waves is the most relaxing thing I’ve done since living in the city. This beach alone is an argument for living in Rogers Park.

I am so blessed to live so close to this beach. After living in Santa Monica, CA – where I was 3 blocks from the Pacific Ocean and also Venice Beach — I can honestly say that I like this a whole lot better. First, I never dreamed that I could afford to live even closer to a beach.
Santa Monica and Venice had become so touristy that they were unpleasant much of the time. I found that I stopped visiting because of this.
I love the tranquility of Pratt Beach. The people that hang out there seem really cool, to. There are really nice grassy park areas, too. You can sit in the shade or soak up the sun; whatever you desire.
My sister came to visit from the ‘burbs and noted how culturally diverse it was. From what I’ve read, Rogers Park has been considered one of the most culturally diverse in the entire nation. That is part of this beach’s charm. You see people of all ages, dogs of all types, people of all races — it’s really kind of its own little urban utopia.
I don’t need an ocean when I have Lake Michigan right at my doorstep. Best of all, you don’t have to be wealthy to live near Lake Michigan. This is truly urban living at its best.

A cold autumn day
DisaPIER in frosty blue
No worries; just peace

Quite clean (nice sand to walk in) and never too crowded. The pier is great to walk on– if you walk towards the end there is a great view of downtown!

After going here for a civil union ceremony last month, the boyfriend and I had a yen to hit the beach last weekend. (There’s this really nifty arch that the wedding party exchanged vows under. Very cool.)
GOOD PLAN! We mixed up a quart of lemonade loaded up the cooler, grabbed some ice and headed out. Now, bear in mind that the parking is street only and can be challenging. Still, we parked just west of Clark and walked down Pratt the rest of the way.
It was an awesome day. Not crowded at all. We pitched our umbrella and walked into the lake. There was a nice sandbar and it made my soul happy to watch kids building a sandcastle on the beach.
There were lifeguards in the tower and in a row boat and the ‘guards’ changed regularly.
I considered it a plus that the ice-​cream man pushed his bike-​cooler across the beach every two hours. Pretty much everyone there was well-​behaved and mellow.
I just relaxed on the beach, waded in the water, collected some pretty stones and took a break under the umbrella to read a nice, soothing murder-​mystery. Good times.
Next time I go, I’ll have to explore the park and dunes, but I was too busy being relaxed to check it out.
Interestingly, when I talked to my my parents last Sunday night, they remembered that beach and also had very fond memories of it. Pretty cool.

Pratt Beach is a fun beach to go to on a lazy, sunny day if you are looking to kick back and relax without the throngs of people you may encounter elsewhere, say North Ave. Beach. It has a great pier to walk out onto with great views of the Lake as well as Montrose Harbor and downtown. We were pleased to see the abundance of lifeguards on duty: two on the Lake in rowboats, one on the beach in a tower, and one on the beach in a hut. However, my friends and I had a hell of time trying to ward of the millions of biting, nagging flies everywhere! Overall, that is what put a damper on our beach day.

I love it… partly because I consider it my backyard. Sure… it’s a little odd, but Rogers Park is odd, and it caters to all manner of folks, from college kids to aged hippies to families and kids. It is my favorite spot in Chicago. It’s so beautiful and peaceful in the morning. Never crowded even on a 90+ day, and if you find yourself here on the 4^th sit back and enjoy the best private fireworks display in the city.

Tennis Courts mostly wait on weekends; 4 newly paved courts; very fast. No bathrooms except up at Morse. Water fountain. One night light for all of the courts.

You are owned only by the city so I can be frank, Pratt Beach. You’re a bit creepy. You seem empty. Where is everyone? The weather is great now, but you’re not being used. That sucks.
Maybe you need to be cleaned, or maybe you reflect the neighborhood, which I describe as sleepy.
But you are peaceful. So I like you. I ignore your litter. And that ‘green glop floating near the shore.’ My dog likes you too, and she is getting braver with going in.

This is one of my favorite places in Rogers Park. I LOVE the pier… I’m out there just about every evening watching the sunset when the weather isn’t plaguing me. And it’s just about the BEST place I’ve ever found to «people watch.» Naturally, I pick up on themes of the beach/​park. Tonight’s was «Big Muscly Men walking tiny dogs on leashes» and «Newbie Rollerbladers.» Yesterday’s – «Joggers out for the first time this spring.»
It’s the best cheapest entertainment one could ever hope for. If the people bug you, turn due east and stare at the lake for an hour. Ah. A perfect evening.

pratt beach is filthy and usually has a thick layer of green glop floating near the shore, but if you’re not interested in swimming it’s great. easy access to the park and a super rad look out point, you can see for miles. no bathrooms. wear sunscreen.

The lakefront at Pratt Street is one of my favorite beaches. It’s separated into two halves by a long pier that stretches out into the lake. Try walking all the way out on the pier and chatting it up with the fisherman out there. They always have an interesting story.
The beach to the south of the pier is small. Water is shallow and good for small kids or for casual wading, but not very suitable for serious swimming.
North of the pier, the beach stretches for a half mile up to Touhy. It’s also relatively shallow and the lifeguards keep the swimmers close to the beach by patrolling in their rowboats.
One of the unique and cool features of Pratt Street Beach is the long concrete bench that runs north along part of the beach’s jogging/​biking path. Every year, the city whitewashes the bench and then segments it into about 200 4-​foot sections. Then on one Saturday, people from the area can come and get assigned to paint one of the sections. There’s no common theme, just a hodge-​podge of ideas and creativity. I’ve come down for the past 3 years to survey the eclectic artwork and enjoy the lake and the beach at the same time.
Note: While this beach and the surrounding area are relatively safe during the day, use discretion when visiting after dark or alone.