Washington Heights Facts

Location: About 14 miles south of the Loop
Boundaries: 99th Street to the north, Halsted Street to the east, 107th Street to the south and Vincennes Avenue to the west
Bordering Neighborhoods: Roseland, Longwood Manor, Beverly, Morgan Park
Crime Statistics: Go to CLEARMap to search specific streets and areas for crime incidents
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Then and Now

Remember the 1800s? Those good ole' years way back when? No? Let us refresh your memory ... back then Washington Heights neighborhood was pretty undeveloped. In fact, the area was pretty much completely devoid of settlers until the 1830s. Around this time farmers moved in and claimed the land with a series of sprawling farms.

For decades, agriculture continued to be the principle use of the territory until the 1860s. Then, in 1864, the nearby industrial development of railway train manufacturing plants caused Washington Heights to see a shift from rural community life to a more urban situation as workers from the plants built residences in the neighborhood. Just two years later, the town of Washington Heights was formed as a small residential district for local industry laborers and their families. And, as with many of the little communities that popped up in outlying areas of Chicago's ever-growing boundaries, the township was later incorporated into the city limits in 1890.

Today not much has changed in Washington Heights. Sure, we've got the Internet, DirecTV, cell phones, and solar-powered outdoor landscape lighting, but this south side Chicago neighborhood is still home for scores of blue-collar workers, despite the railcar industry no longer being a major area employer. Commercial development continues to be low, but the core draw of the neighborhood -- its cozy residences and affordable prices -- remain intact.
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Parks

Every good neighborhood needs a nice open place to take it easy, read a book, break out the Nerf football, or just run around to expend some energy. Washington Heights proves itself a good neighborhood with ten acres of fine parkland on its southern border for just that.

Jackie Robinson Park (10540 South Morgan St, 312-745-4041) provides Washington Park residents with a decently spacious area for a little outdoor activity and relaxation. Originally named Mount Vernon Park after George Washington's famous home, the recreation spot was established in 1957 to give the neighborhood locals a place to play, stretch the legs, and get a breath of fresh air. Aside from a good deal of well-landscaped green space, the park's main feature is the baseball diamond -- open for public use. In 1999, the area underwent significant modifications. The baseball diamond was improved with lights and additional stands, a couple basketball courts were installed, and Mount Vernon Park was renamed after Jackie Robinson, the first African-American to play baseball in the majors. What with baseball being the park's main draw, it seemed only fitting.

Jackie Robinson Park isn't one of Chicago's largest parks, but it does have plenty to offer Washington Heights residents. In addition to the open space, the baseball diamond, and the basketball courts, the park also boasts a number of programs. These range from kid-friendly fare like NERF football to more competitive events like adult three-on-three basketball tournaments. Although there aren't any specified walking trails, nothing stops us from jogging a few laps around the park whenever we feel the urge to get in a good cardio workout. It's quiet, it's shady, and it's perfect for an early evening run. So if you're in the area, grab a Frisbee, grab a bat, or just grab the kids and head over to Jackie Robinson Park for some outdoor good times.
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Real Estate

It's true Chicago is split up into a number of very different neighborhoods, each with its own distinct character. In Washington Heights you'll find modest brick homes sitting atop small lots, with a row of bushes or flowerbeds standing between the homes and a thin plot of grass leading to the road. Many places have one-car garages but since a lot of households have multiple vehicles it leads to streets lined with residential parking. Back alleys offer quick routes about the neighborhood, as well as access to your garbage cans on pickup day.

There are very few multi-unit residential buildings in Washington Heights, instead the blocks are comprised of a mix of two- and three-bedroom brick ranches and bungalows, and two-story redbrick houses and split-levels. A new homebuyer can easily find properties for under $100,000 here, although many of those structures are older and would require some renovation, but the majority of the houses still maintain a quaintness that is inviting and desirable. Plus, if you're willing to put in the time, they could very well become that perfect home for you and your family.

In addition to the lovable fixer-upper, Washington Heights neighborhood boasts a good number of well-maintained Chicago bungalows that sport attractive exterior stone accents and historical beauty. Scattered in among the more traditional architecture are a few new-construction homes that bring all the amenities of downtown living to the south side. Many of these properties are priced between the low to upper $200,000s, but there are some very nice, good-size homes in Washington Heights for $150,000 or less.

Washington Heights Residential Real Estate Info

A number of Chicago neighborhoods can boast a historic home or two. Washington Heights has a whole street of them! The Walter Burley Griffin Place District (1600-1800 blocks of W 104th Pl) covers two entire blocks of West 104th Place (which is also known as Griffin Place depending on the age of your map or cartographical software). Whatever you call it, this area houses the largest concentration of Prairie-style dwellings in Chicago. The eight homes that comprise the district were designed by Walter Burley Griffin, a Chicago architect who started his career studying under local super-architect Frank Lloyd Wright (who founded the Prairie School of architecture). Between 1909 and 1914, Griffin constructed the homes of his namesake district with his own unique variation on the Prairie-style of architecture. The typical Prairie School involved lots of horizontal lines, flat roofs with overhanging eaves, discipline in the use of ornament, and natural materials. The horizontal lines were meant to blend into the Midwest prairie landscape. The homes of the Griffin Place District epitomize this style, and were granted historic landmark status by the city of Chicago in 1981. As for Griffin himself, after designing a number of private residences in Chicago, Griffin moved to Australia in 1912 to design an entire city, called Canberra. Never one to settle in complacency, Griffin moved again in 1936, this time to India, where he continued to design many private structures.
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What's on the Menu?

Washington Heights is mostly a residential neighborhood, so things like restaurants and shops aren't exactly found on every street corner. That hardly means you can't find decent cuisine in this Chicago neighborhood. We've certainly found some quality establishments for some mighty fine food. You want to know our favorites? Well pull up a chair and bring your appetite ...

KW Spice is Nice (10536 S Halsted St, 773-445-8740) is the place to go in Washington Heights for your barbeque fix. You might almost walk by this unassuming brick building, if not for the endlessly packed tables visible through the large glass windows. KW Spice is indeed almost always busy with customers, and with good reason. They serve up some of the best barbeque around, something you can tell by the aroma that hits your nose as soon as you step through the door. The smells of seared meat and spicy sauces are almost overpowering, but that's all the more reason to stay. Take a seat (though, on a really busy night like Saturday, you might want to get here early or you'll be waiting for quite a while for that chair) and choose something off the menu. Everything's great, but the specialty of the house is the ribs. Lathered with a delicious sauce, and so tender the meat practically falls off the bone, this KW favorite is exactly what the word "mouthwatering" was made to describe. And just a note, in case you were thinking this would be the perfect spot for your next date -- these barbeque ribs are messy! There's no sophisticated way around them, you've got to just dig in and use those fingers. It's the only way to go.

If you're still hungry for more meat, then you might need to see a doctor, Doctor C's Caribbean Cuisine (10226 S Halsted St, 773-779-8000) in particular. Doctor C is an actual person (though not an actual doctor); he's a Jamaican-born chef who has been cooking up Caribbean fare for over twenty years. He's so proficient and exacting in the kitchen that his friends dubbed him "doctor." His restaurant is primarily a carryout joint, although there are a scant handful of tables for dining. The menu offers a good variety of Caribbean-inspired foods, from catfish and curried goat to stewed chicken and Jamaican-style oxtails. Doc C conjures up quality dishes that are not only tasty, but sure to cure what ails you. We recommend the traditional jerk chicken, a delicious blend of spices and grilling, which is perfect to bring home for a nice meal with the family.
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Best Shopping Stops

As we mentioned before, the very residential nature of Washington Heights makes for very few commercial developments. As such, shopping is a tad light. Still, there is one neighborhood boutique that fills a special niche for folks around here.

If you're like us, sometimes you find yourself struck with emotions that you just can't seem to express. We can't all be Bill Shakespeare after all. Still, we find there's hardly a feeling that can't be conveyed with a card and a bright bouquet of flowers, and to help us with that is Creative Celebrations (818 W 103rd St, 773-445-7886), a quaint little florist right in the middle of Washington Heights. With a friendly, helpful staff and a large selection of blooms and compositions, Creative Celebrations offers great options for Valentine's Day, graduations, parties, and any other situation where nicely arranged flowers would be appropriate. Or, if there's no occasion for celebration, just get a bunch for the house -- it's amazing how a splash of color can really brighten up a room.
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Getting Around

Getting around Washington Heights is most simply done on foot. Besides, what could be nicer than a good stroll on a cool, fall Sunday afternoon with the kids or the dog in tow? We do acknowledge that we don't always have time for leisurely travel. In those cases, we trust Chicago's public transportation system (the CTA) to get us around.

Bus travel is one of the easiest ways to get around (and out of) Washington Heights. The CTA offers a number of lines that run through the neighborhood, the majority of which have stops along Halsted Street, the neighborhood's eastern border. Pretty much all these buses head to the 95th/Dan Ryan station, where you can board another bus bound for pretty much any point in the city. At the 95th/Dan Ryan station, you also have the option of picking up one of Chicago's elevated trains (known by city-dwellers as the "El"). The Red Line El begins at the 95th/Dan Ryan stop and runs north into Chicago's downtown Loop and beyond.

If you live on the west side of Washington Heights (or just don't want to transfer from bus to train in order to get to work) you have the option of taking the Metra Rail. Metra is Chicagoland's commuter rail system -- a series of trains that connect Chicago's downtown with the outlying suburbs, with stops throughout the city. The Metra Rock Island Line runs right along the western border of Washington Heights and has a station at 104th Street. From here you can get downtown in about 30 minutes, which isn't bad for a morning or evening commute. To further sweeten that deal, Metra offers expanded service during peak rush hours. All in all, Metra provides a very tempting manner of travel for Washington Heights commuters.

Still, if you can't be swayed out of your car, Washington Heights has options for the drivers as well. Interstate 57 runs right through Washington Heights and connects with I-94 (Dan Ryan Expressway) just east of the neighborhood, which heads directly into the heart of Chicago's downtown Loop. Though it does tend to get a bit congested during weekday rush hours, it's still a lot easier than trying to drive through miles of little residential and surface streets on your way to work (or to the Art Institute or to a baseball game or whatever your reason is for heading north). As we previously mentioned, quite a few Washington Heights homes have garages, but street parking is easy enough, and most of the time there's plenty of space for your vehicle.
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School's in Session

Families in Washington Heights have a handful of public and private schools to choose from. In addition to the following list, you can find more information on Chicago area schools at our Chicago Guide Schools page.

Corliss High School 821 W 103rd St - (773) 535-5115
Julian Achievement Academy 10330 S Elizabeth St - (773) 535-5170
Marcus Garvey Elementary School 10309 S Morgan St - (773) 535-2763
Mount Vernon Elementary School 10540 S Morgan St - (773) 535-2825
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Basic Needs

We've compiled a sampling of some of the convenient places you can get your bare necessities in Washington Heights neighborhood, from soap to soup, books to boxes for shipping.

Transit

Chicago Transit Authority (888) 968-7282

Libraries

Chicago Pullman Library 11001 S Indiana Ave - (312) 747-2033

Post Offices

US Post Office 1256 W 103rd St - (773) 238-2267

Pharmacies

Walgreens 10620 S Halsted St - (773) 238-1860

Emergency Rooms

Roseland Community Hospital 45 W 111th St - (773) 995-3070

Grocery Stores

Save-A-Lot 10700 S Halsted St - (773) 821-7705
Shaffer Grocery 1049 W 103rd St - (773) 445-6598

The following are just a taste of the entertainment, shopping and dining Washington Heights has to offer. Discover the rest as you explore the neighborhood for yourself.

ENTERTAINMENT

Walter Burley Griffin Place District 1600-1800 blocks of W 104th Place

SHOPPING

Creative Celebrations 818 W 103rd St - (773) 445-7886

DINING

American Cuisine
KW Spice is Nice 10536 S Halsted St - (773) 445-8740
Kamari Hot & Cold Shop 806 W 104th St - (773) 779-2900
Seashell Fish and Chicken 1049 W 103rd St - (773) 881-4444

Caribbean Cuisine
Doctor C's Caribbean Cuisine 10226 S Halsted St - (773) 779-8000
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Sometimes it makes more sense to view the city of Chicago as a bunch of separate neighborhoodsespecially when it comes to real estate. Whether you are in the market for a loft, condo, townhome, or house, it is just as important to inspect the surrounding area as it is to inspect the home's foundation. Washington Heights neighborhood is just one Chicago community with an abundance of residential properties, and a life all its own. From where you send your kids to school to where you dine at night, the information we provide is an essential piece of the puzzle when you're trying to decide whether or not to buy that adorable house in Washington Heights.
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