Looking for a socially diverse, involved, and culturally connected portion of Chicago? Well, you're at the right place. In the South Side of Chicago you'll find the Chicago White Sox and the Bears, the excellent University of Chicago, and the original site of the World's Colombian Exposition. You can also find the home of President Barack Obama. Yes, life can be fine on the South Side.
Without further ado, we break down the best neighborhoods on Chicago's South Side.
South Side Chicago - Hyde Park | The Best Neighborhood in Chicago for Families
Note how we didn't have to specify North Side in this one (see: Best Neighborhoods in North Side). That's cause Hyde Park is THE best place to raise a family: yes, even better than Roscoe Village. Hyde Park offers a breadth of options for green space, with more parks and lakes in the vicinity than you can count on...one hand. (Alright guys, that's still a lot.) Nearby, you can find the Museum of Science, a great place to take to distract your kids for a day (think: free babysitting), and dozens of family friendly restaurants for a mature but buzzing nightlife. If that hasn't convinced you yet, there's a Babies "R" US located smack dab in the middle of the neighborhood. This place is Baby Central. Get an apartment here if you're just starting to raise your family.
South Side Chicago - Bridgeport | A Historic and Diverse Neighborhood
Bridgeport offers a wide, varied selection of cultures and ethnicities for those of you who are looking for an experience closer to home. Historically, Bridgeport was primarily Irish, and developed as an Irish enclave in Chicago. In the late 19th century, Polish and Lithuanian immigrant groups also piled in, resulting in a much more diverse, multicultural atmosphere. Apparently failing to realize that the neighborhood already had an overabundance of individual communities, Asian and Hispanic communities rapidly spread into the neighborhood, until Bridgeport secured its status as the most ridiculously diverse community in Chicago. It also features beautiful, historic architecture from its Polish Cathedral churches, and offers many old structures and churches for the history buffs out there. For an interesting, creative city, with a ton of regional atmosphere, check out Bridgeport.
South Side Chicago - South Shore | The Best Neighborhood in Chicago for Middle Class Buyers
South Shore is a friendly, all-around quality community for the middle class apartment renter. The heart of the community is the South Shore Cultural Center, a lakefront retreat that was converted into a public neighborhood community center in the 1970s and is now a bustling social enclave. As a result of its Cultural Center, the South Shore has consistently received high marks for providing a hospitable, friendly community for the middle-class buyer. In terms of star power, this neighborhood is primarily known for being the hometown of both Kanye West and Michelle Obama: both have stated explicitly that growing up in excellent apartment rentals in the South Shore was the sole and driving reason for their success in life.*
*Citation needed.
Looking for the best neighborhoods in other areas of Chicago? We've got that covered too. Head over to:
- The Best Neighborhoods in Chicago | Downtown and West Side
- The Best Neighborhoods in Chicago | North Side
South Side Sally sells White Sox socks on the South Shore. To buy White Sox socks from Sally, head over to AddressReport and find detailed info about any address in Chicago.