A small, quiet community of single-family homes and Prairie-style bungalows, this hidden south side gem offers families stability, comfort and affordability. Kennedy Park is often grouped in with its big sister neighborhoods (Beverly and Morgan Park). This has actually been a good thing as Kennedy Park has benefited from the communities' organized planning initiatives and historic preservation programs. Not to mention Kennedy Park is right along the famous South Side Irish Parade path that celebrates St. Patrick's Day in true Chicago style. The rest of the year the neighborhood is pretty calm. A traditional Irish pub and a one-of-a-kind antique dealer/barber shop are all the excitement this peaceful residential locale needs.
Kennedy Park is a small Chicago neighborhood, originally part of the greater Morgan Park area which originated in 1869 when the Blue Island Land and Building Company purchased the property from a family that owned much of the land in the vicinity. It was the intention of the developers to turn the area into a residential and commercial district and to create a viable, self-sufficient community south of the busy city center of Chicago.
In addition to developing much of the land, the company also donated some of its property for use as the Mount Vernon Military Academy (now Morgan Park Academy) and even convinced the Baptist Theological Union to relocate to the area as well. Morgan Park was on the rise. In 1882, Morgan Park was incorporated, and although the residents of the town resisted the union, the promise of better schools and policing tipped the scales in favor of annexation. Morgan Park (including the area that would one day be Kennedy Park) was officially made a part of the city of Chicago in 1914.
Eventually, Kennedy Park became its own neighborhood, taking its title from the park that occupies the center of the tiny, eight-square-block community. Before we did our homework, we assumed the neighborhood and the park were named for JFK, but it turns out the park was actually christened in honor of Calumet Park commission member DJ Kennedy in 1932, and the community subsequently took on the title later on. You learn something new every day. Thanks to the Beverly Area Planning Association and their annual home tour of the greater Beverly and Morgan Park areas (which includes Kennedy Park), the community has been able to promote housing development as well as the historic preservation of the neighborhood’s distinctive Prairie-style architecture. The non-profit organization is a grassroots group of businesses and civic groups that has been working for the betterment of the Beverly/Morgan Park/Kennedy Park area for the past 60 years. And from what we’ve seen, they’ve done a phenomenal job. Today Kennedy Park is an established, integrated neighborhood with its namesake scenic park and reasonably priced housing that play home to a diverse group of Chicago families.
Kennedy Park facts
Location: About 13 miles southwest of the Loop Boundaries: Western Avenue to the east, 111th Street to the north, 115th Street to the south and California Avenue to the west Crime Statistics: Go to CLEARMap to search specific streets and areas for crime incidents
Kennedy Park transportation
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Kennedy Park Real Estate
The residential areas of Kennedy Park neighborhood are fairly serene and peaceful with many tall pines and smaller leafy trees providing shade for the quiet side streets. Housing stock varies in Kennedy Park with traditional two-story frame homes, which can include front porches that run the width of the house, and a wealth of one-story brick ranches and 1960s-style split levels.
The neighborhood does feature some larger two-story brick houses with back-alley garages and a number of the yards are nicely landscaped with beautiful flowerbeds lining the walkways. Many of the properties in this southwest side Chicago neighborhood do not have fences, supporting the existence of a safe environment for children to play out on the green grass lawns.
Generally, the average sales price for a three-bedroom single-family detached home in Kennedy Park is around $250,000. A select few sell for between $300,000 and $400,000. Houses with more space (and more bedrooms) bump the average sales price up to $327,000. Attached housing is much less common in this Chicago neighborhood, but there are some condos and townhomes available. Prices start in the low $100,000s and go up to the low $300,000s.
The average sale price of a home in Kennedy Park is represented by the chart to the right. The red line indicates the average price based on the total time frame selected in the drop-down window. The blue line indicates the average sale price for the particular month within that time frame. For more detailed information on Kennedy Park sign up for the trends report below or contact your Dream Town broker.
The average number of days a home in Kennedy Park spends listed for sale is represented by the chart to the right. The red line indicates the average number of days based on the total time frame selected in the drop-down window. The blue line indicates the average number of days a home spent on market during the particular month within that time frame. For more detailed information on average market listing times in Kennedy Park sign up for the trends report below or contact your Dream Town broker.
The average sale price of a home compared to its listing price in Kennedy Park is represented by the chart to the right. The black line indicates the baseline listing price for homes during the time frame selected in the drop-down. The red line indicates the difference between the average listing price and the average sale price during the particular month within that time frame. For more detailed information on Kennedy Park sign up for the trends report below or contact your Dream Town broker.
The total number of listings in Kennedy Park is represented in the chart to the right. The red line represents average number of days based on the total time frame selected in the drop-down window The blue bar represents the current number of listings during the particular month of that time frame. For more detailed information on Kennedy Park sign up for the trends report below or contact your Dream Town broker.
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