Reflecting on her childhood in the 7th Ward, Paula Danoff recalls fond memories of growing up by the lake in a neighborhood filled with small business owners and Northwestern community members. At Ryan Field football games, she even cheered on her student teacher, a member of NU’s cheerleading team.
“Even if you weren’t a part of Northwestern, the proximity to it made it fun to be close by,” Danoff said.
Located in Evanston’s northeast corner, the 7th Ward features Evanston Hospital and much of the Central Street business district. Attractions like Lighthouse Beach and the northern half of Northwestern’s campus, including its athletic facilities, are other prominent parts of the ward.
Danoff is the CEO of the Evanston Art Center, a nonprofit organization that relocated to Central Street from the Harley Clarke Mansion in 2015.
“Moving into the Central Street storefront has given Evanston Arts Center a huge presence,” Danoff said. “Everyone here wants to support each other.”
She added that Central Street visitors come from all over Evanston and the Chicago North Shore.
NU’s Ryan Field, set to re-open in fall 2026, is also located in the 7th Ward. With the football stadium’s recent renovation projects, residents have expressed varying degrees of satisfaction with the ongoing construction.
Ald. Parielle Davis (7th) works with Evanston’s Most Livable City Association, which is taking legal action against the city’s approval of the commercial rezoning of Ryan Field. City Council passed the rezoning measures with a tied vote broken by Mayor Daniel Biss in November 2023.
The MLCA complaint claims the rezoning allows NU to host up to six concerts a year in an open-air stadium unsuitably located in a residential neighborhood, disturbing residents’ daily routines.
7th Ward resident Brigette Petersen has not felt majorly impacted by the renovations on Ryan Field, but she said the University made empty promises surrounding the construction of its new softball stadium , which began this year.
“A project manager from Northwestern said there would be a flagger out at Isabella (Street) and Ridge (Avenue) directing the big semitrucks, but there hasn’t been,” Petersen said.
Just east of the ward’s residential streets lies Lake Michigan, and the ward’s lakefront territory stretches from NU’s Lakefill to Evanston’s northern Wilmette boundary, encompassing private residential beach access and Lighthouse Beach. The Grosse Point Lighthouse was constructed by the government in the late 19th century and served as a navigational aid for ships approaching Chicago’s harbor.
Other natural features in the ward include Catharine Waugh McCulloch Park and Independence Park, both of which feature playgrounds that were recently renovated for community use.
In terms of racial diversity, the 7th Ward trails the rest of Evanston. According to the city’s 2025 Housing Gap Analysis and 2023 census, the 7th Ward is more than 80% white and contains the smallest Black and Latino population of all of Evanston’s wards.
With more than 60% of households annual earning above $120,000, high housing prices make moving into the 7th Ward inaccessible for many. Some city leaders hope to address this disparity through Housing4All, Evanston’s first dedicated housing strategy.
Despite the controversy around the ward’s infrastructure, 7th Ward resident Dick Ryan (Bienen ’63), said his favorite part of the area is the activity that comes with living near a university.
Ryan emphasized he continues to enjoy watching the NU Marching Band practice near his home and attending sports matches, so he anticipates the completion of the Ryan Field renovation.
“It’ll be an economic benefit for the town,” Ryan said. “It’ll be interesting to see what happens there once it’s done.”
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