Beverly Neighborhood Walking Tours Planned For This Weekend

CHICAGO — Beverly-Mount Greenwood Patch editor Tim Moran will be collaborating with Chicago for Chicagoans in a repeat tour of the Beverly neighborhood this weekend. Tours will go from 1-3:30 p.m. on both Saturday, Aug. 17 and Sunday, Aug 18. The 2.5-hour tour features a three-mile trek through one of the South Side’s most iconic neighborhoods.

>>> Register for the Beverly walking tour on EventBrite.

Beginning at the 103rd/Beverly Hills Metra station, the tour will cover the history, architecture, and landmarks of this unique neighborhood– from churches and castles, to Irish immigration, historic homes, and contemporary controversy. The afternoon will end with a meal at Janson's Drive In, a Chicago institution serving up hot dogs, hamburgers and Italian Beef sandwiches since 1960. Come learn something new about your place in space and don’t forget to wear your walking shoes.

>>> 'Iconic': Tour Guide Talks Up Beverly Ahead Of Walking Tours

Leading the Beverly walking tours is Chicago For Chicagoans’ founder and executive director Patti Swanson, an architectural historian, educator, preservation enthusiast, and bookmaker. Patti factors lots of local collaboration into her tours and strongly believes in making history inclusive and accessible to everyone.

Tim is a homegrown Beverly resident who brings decades of passion for his community to a one-of-a-kind exploration of this time capsule neighborhood.

The Route

The tour will begin at the 103rd St. Metra station and briefly head west to 103rd and Longwood by the Givens Castle. It will then go back east all the way to Wood Street and turn right to 104th Place, the block there named for Walter Burley Griffin. It will continue southbound to 105th Street, where it will head west past the train tracks and back onto Longwood, where it will continue south to the hill on 107th Street by the former Beacon School. It will turn right on Seeley Avenue and zig-zag a bit on Seeley and Hoyne until it crosses 103rd Street at Seeley. It continues on Seeley past the Pump House, then back east on 102nd Street to Longwood. It will then go north past St. Barnabas and Hurley Park to 99th Street, where it will make its final turn and end at the 99th Street Metra station. For those going to Janson's after the tour, the route will continue west on 99th to Western Avenue.

Chicago for Chicagoans happily exists as a "pay-what-you-can" tour service. A suggested tip of $10-20 per person is always appreciated, as are reviews on Yelp, liking their Facebook page, spreading the word, and attending future tours. Chicago for Chicagoans is a certified 501(c)(3) nonprofit that creates inclusive walking tours by and for Chicago residents, designed to represent the histories of all Chicagoans. Donate online at Chicago for Chicagoans.