North Avenue Beach Assaults?

I've been hearing rumors that North Avenue Beach was closed do to out of control thugs and gangbangers groping and assaulting people, not due to heat, as has been widely reported. Rumors of cyclists knocked from their bikes... I know a few cyclists were picked up and dropped in the lake by some thugs early last month. The sources are somewhat suspect, but I wanted to know if anyone had heard or experienced anything. Generally my least favorite part of the trail, but I'm debating whether to avoid it completely this summer. As the CPD is undergoing regime change, we should be diligent about reporting incidents like this, even if front-line CPD staff are dismissive... so that resources get allotted appropriately.

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Permalink Reply by MagMileMarauder on June 1, 2011 at 8:04am

I also live in Logan Square and work at U of C. I find riding on the streets more fun and most importantly, the commute is about 3 miles shorter each way. In case one's concerned with safety on the streets, Drexel Boulevard is patrolled by U of C Cops, by the time you get out of their jurisdiction then you get to the Bronzeville/IIT area, which is pretty good. I've seen the occasional group of youths here and there, but definitely not overwhelming. My guess is that the cops are usually chasing them out of these areas. Here's my typical route as an example.

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Permalink Reply by S on June 1, 2011 at 8:06am

I'd suggest maybe heading west just north of the museum campus through the two underpasses. You'll end up on the sidewalk on the west side of columbus dr. You can ride on the side walk and then head west through the loop (W on Randolph to Desplaines and then north till milwaukee?). If you're going to leave the LFT, I'd leave before the bridge over the Chicago river. The stretch along the LSD by the loop is okay but it can get a bit crowded and tends to have random tourists standing on the path and gawking.

Looking at google, it looks like there's a useable path from the LFT to 18th St. Just head west from the trail just south of that random hill north of the mccormick. That'll get you to 18th dr. which goes under LSD and to a parking lot. The north end of the parking lot has a walkway/sidewalk that'll take you up and over the metra tracks and to 18th St. I'm not familiar with that area but you could head west and then north at a convenient st (clark?).

Shay said:

No matter how I get to work (drive, CTA, bike), it's always coming home that's the pain in the butt. Maybe I can ride the LFT up to the Loop or Lincoln Park and then get off and find a way to get northwest. I think right around Navy Pier to Diversey Harbor is where I have the problems.

Suchandra, any suggestions? I know you ride the trail a lot.

S said:

The path is almost always pretty crowded and a pain to ride on in the afternoon once it gets warm and the weekend just makes it worse. The parts north of Addison and south of the museum campus are fine for the most part throughout summer though. However, it's okay in the mornings. A bit crowded but that's mostly commuters or joggers and not too bad.

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Permalink Reply by Red Tornado on June 1, 2011 at 12:02pm

i was riding along the lakefront near division about three weeks ago and i looked up to see about 30 teenagers, all black (I'm white), girls and boys, sprawling all over the bikepath and sidewalk and headed in my direction. rather than turn around (wouldn't even have considered it at the time), i rode forward cautiously and looked for a gap. as i was riding through the group, i hear a couple of teens to my left yell "push him, push him over" and then i turned to my right just as a midsized teen came at me with arms outstretched.

i'm still rather proud of my move. without thinking, i shifted my weight and leaned the bike toward him and i stiff-armed the bastard just before he connected with me. i got him right in the chest and i bounced off but my weight shift counteracted his thrust and i kept on riding forward. i turned to see a hurt, hateful look from him as one of his friends took off trying to catch me. as i rode on safely, i pulled out my u-lock, brandishing it, and hollering in triumph.

i wonder what those kids would've done if they'd have knocked me over, or what i would have done to them. they are minors but i doubt that would have stopped me from swinging my lock at any number of their heads.

i waited further down the path until another biker came through the pack. i asked if he had any trouble and he said a couple of the kids faked like they were going to clothesline him. as we rode together talking, a cop(?) in his cop(?) car came along the bike path and we told him about the kids, so he continued on towards them, not sure if anything happened.

one thing we can do, if you see trouble, help a biker out.

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Permalink Reply by Waymond Smith on June 1, 2011 at 2:27pm

Years ago I had a problem with some punks/thugs, but I was able to intimidate them. I sometimes carry a pistol with me due to such incidents.

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Permalink Reply by Alex B. on June 1, 2011 at 5:48pm

I was there... And I rode through this crowd on Monday. It wasn't a flash mob in the formal sense, but I certainly wondered if this was a meetup coordinated online or by a radio station. The scene was very much like a crowd exiting a concert. The video doesn't show it, but there were many more teens and young adults descending on that area between North and Division. I searched around, but didn't find anything.

Also, I didn't see any violence, just a lot of people clogging up the lanes.

But here's what it looked like at about 7-8pm, http://vimeo.com/24549860.

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Permalink Reply by Joe Willis on June 1, 2011 at 6:41pm

That was a much different scene a couple of hours later and not a bike cop around.

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Permalink Reply by Digital Dario on June 1, 2011 at 6:57pm

great video. it wasnt that bad when i rode through midday. i had enough trouble with all the wet sand south of fullerton to about north ave on my way south, not to mention the crowds and decided that it wasn't worth the trouble to ride through again going north. smartest decision i made all week.

but i had a more of a off-topic question, what camera did you use ?

A. B. said:

I was there... And I rode through this crowd on Monday. It wasn't a flash mob in the formal sense, but I certainly wondered if this was a meetup coordinated online or by a radio station. The scene was very much like a crowd exiting a concert. The video doesn't show it, but there were many more teens and young adults descending on that area between North and Division. I searched around, but didn't find anything.

Also, I didn't see any violence, just a lot of people clogging up the lanes.

But here's what it looked like at about 7-8pm, http://vimeo.com/24549860.

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Permalink Reply by Alex B. on June 1, 2011 at 6:57pm

I don't doubt that, but I really don't know. I decided to ride up Dearborn after the show. I cut over to Lake Shore at North Avenue at about 10pm and saw several mounted police. The party was over at that point.

Joe Willis said:

That was a much different scene a couple of hours later and not a bike cop around.

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Permalink Reply by Alex B. on June 1, 2011 at 7:30pm

DD: GoPro HD. I've wasted enough space already. Make me a friend and I'll tell you more about it.

Digital Dario said:

but i had a more of a off-topic question, what camera did you use ?

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Permalink Reply by Dr. Doom on June 2, 2011 at 1:52am

I'm quite sure that the police are not going to let the area between North Ave and Oak Street Beach become a hunting ground for large groups of feral youths. It's bad for business. Does that mean there are never going to be such groups? Of course not. But the nonsense about carrying pistols and what not is unhelpful.

H3N3 said:

I ended up in a similar situation on the way home from a Critical Mass ride.

There are absolutely large groups of teens and tweens out there looking to harass and possibly injure a cyclist for kicks. It seems to be worst between North Ave and Oak Street Beach. I'm having a hard time believing anyone could seriously write "the police wouldn't let that happen."