Historic parks and extensive beaches meet down-to-earth, affordable living in this beautiful south side Chicago neighborhood. South Shore is a sprawling community that encompasses expansive public recreation space and ambitious civic organizations. The neighborhood cultural center acts as a hub for outdoor amusement with lengthy walking trails, a bird sanctuary, all-ages sports programs, and waterfront grounds that offer breathtaking views of downtown Chicago. When night falls in the summer, movies and live music take place at the center, bringing neighbors and families together. A healthy retail corridor along 71st Street gives the area a cosmopolitan touch and the selection of down-home cooking available at the restaurants in South Shore is enough to satisfy any comfort food craving.
The history of Chicago’s South Shore neighborhood is a story of immigration, migration and urban change. The neighborhood is located in the heart of Chicago’s south side, which was a central location to many African American artists, writers and musicians from gospel great Tommy Dorsey to poet Gwendolyn Brooks. In the 1850s, South Shore was far from the center of things in Chicago, and was really just a mass of swampland. Despite its swampy disposition, steel mill workers began to move into the area, which actually became a collection of settlements with very British names, like Essex and Windsor Park (a Metra station in South Shore neighborhood still bears the name Windsor Park).
The population started to pick up when the railroad came through in the 1870s, and even more so after becoming an official part of Chicago in 1889. Another boost to development occurred after 1893, when the World Columbian Exposition took place in neighboring Jackson Park. All the excitement surrounding Chicago’s south side led to the construction of the swank South Shore Country Club, which was built in 1905. However, the posh, upper-crust club excluded African American and Jewish residents.
Irish, German, Swedish and Jewish immigrants from Europe flooded to the area in the 1920s and the population surged to almost 80,000. At that time South Shore was a diverse place with a variety of churches and synagogues. Then, in the 1950s, a new migration—this time from the south—took place. Trying to escape the oppression of life in the southern states, large numbers of African Americans started coming to the northern city of Chicago in search of a better life.
The South Shore Country Club went out of business in the 1970s, but the change was cause for celebration because the Chicago Park District bought the stunning 65-acre property in 1974 and converted it into the South Shore Cultural Center, making the beautiful space available to all.
Today, the South Shore neighborhood offers residents wonderful lakefront facilities and extensive community programming, though commercial areas leave much to be desired as there are a limited number of shops or restaurants. Still, it’s an affordable south side Chicago neighborhood that is home to many of the city’s inhabitants. [Back To Top]
South Shore facts
Location: Approximately 10 miles south of the Loop Boundaries: Lake Michigan to the east, 67th Street to the north, 79th Street to the south and Stoney Island Avenue to the west. Bordering Neighborhoods:South Chicago, Woodlawn, Grand Crossing, Jackson Park Highlands, Avalon Park Crime Statistics: Go to CLEARMap for crime stats on specific Chicago neighborhood, intersection, address or police beat. [Back To Top]
South Shore transportation
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South Shore Real Estate
South Shore neighborhood offers Chicagoans an attractive and affordable mix of housing options. Recent years have seen a mini-boom in residential development down here with many new constructions going up as we speak. The most expensive housing (but still reasonable, compared with similar property to the north) is for lake lovers, who can opt for a new condo minutes from the beach and South Shore Drive. Many of these come with luxury trimmings like granite countertops, hardwood floors and stainless steel appliances.
Families may favor the single-family homes, which have front lawns and small backyards. The majority of detached houses in the South Shore are found on tree-lined streets, intermingled with solid three- and four-story redbrick buildings with rental and condo units. Some residential high-rises vintage condominiums with ornate exterior stonework dot the neighborhood along South Shore Drive, affording breath-taking views of the water and the city skyline. The atmosphere here is laid back and neighborly. Residents enjoy front patios where they can sit and chat with neighbors, while children ride bikes on the sidewalks, though not all streets are well tended.
The average price for a three-bedroom single-family detached home in South Shore is around $178,000, and a four- or five-bedroom place costs about $250,000, on average. There are also homes that are valued at over a million dollars, but detached single-family homes can still be found for less than $100,000.
In terms of attached housing, one-bedroom condo units or apartments sell for an average price of $93,000, but there are places available for as low as $60,000. The average sales price for a two-bedroom unit in the South Shore neighborhood is about $139,000.
The average sale price of a home in South Shore 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 South Shore sign up for the trends report below or contact your Dream Town broker.
The average number of days a home in South Shore 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 South Shore 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 South Shore 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 South Shore sign up for the trends report below or contact your Dream Town broker.
The total number of listings in South Shore 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 South Shore sign up for the trends report below or contact your Dream Town broker.
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