Washington Park Facts

Location: about 8 miles south of the Loop
Boundaries: 51st Street to the north, Cottage Grove Avenue and Martin Luther King Jr Drive to the east, 67th Street to the south and State Street to the west
Bordering Neighborhoods: Hyde Park, Bronzeville, Englewood, Park Manor, Woodlawn
Crime Statistics: Go to CLEARMap to search specific streets and areas for crime incidents
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Then and Now

Washington Park's earliest non-native settlements began in 1890 during the time when the South Park Board purchased large tracts of land to accommodate the rapidly growing meatpacking industry.

The construction of new upscale homes and major thoroughfares like Grand Boulevard (a.k.a. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive) and Midway Plaisance in neighboring Hyde Park drew more working-class laborers to the area, many of whom took up residence in Washington Park. Later, the opening of the Washington Park Club in 1884, with its race track and putting green, served to stimulate the interest of wealthy newcomers to the south side, including to Washington Park neighborhood.

In 1893, when rumors were confirmed that the Columbian Exposition would be held in the Washington Park area, the news brought on another wave of people to the community. And the next decade saw a further population boost upon installation of the elevated train system (or "El") at 55th Street and cable cars running as far as 63rd Street.

As Washington Park continued to grow the socio-economic makeup of the community shifted from affluent businessmen to low-income laborers that were predominantly African American. By 1930, 92 percent of Washington Park's population were African American families. Racial tensions increased between white and black residents, and many white residents moved further south.

Despite all the set backs that the Washington Park community endured in the latter half of the 20th century, it has once again struck the interest of many land prospectors. Today the neighborhood is undergoing a healthy redevelopment spurt that is widespread throughout the entire south side of the city. Washington Park neighborhood is even the proposed site to host the 2016 Summer Olympics which would bring an 80,000-seat temporary stadium to the area that could later be converted into a smaller permanent 5,000-seat amphitheatre.
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Parks

The picturesque scenery of placid lakes, grassy fields and mature trees are only some of the attraction to Chicago's Washington Park (5531 S. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr, 773-256-1248) -- the neighborhood's namesake parkland. This 372-acre park was designed by New York's Central Park architects Frederick Law Olmstead and Clavert Vaux. The original concept in Washington Park's blueprints was to fashion a formal recreational space. The two architects collaborated with Brooklyn Park designer Horace Cleveland in the planting of 60,000 trees and construction of roadways, sewer lines, as well as creating a pastoral meadow called the South Open Green. By the 1880s, the Park boasted several recreational lakes, a music pavilion for summer concerts, and even sheep were brought in to maintain the grassy meadows. A botanical garden was also created by park officials using 3,000 packages of flower seeds and bulbs given as gifts from cities around the world. In 1881 a mess hall was added and in 1910 the park contracted the construction of an administration building, both of which were built by Daniel Burnham's architectural firm, headed by the famed American architect and city planner who thought big -- and tall. (Burnham's firm was the leader in developing the skyscraper.)

Today, Washington Park has just about every outdoor activity that an urbanite could wish for, including a fitness center, tennis courts, baseball diamonds, swimming facilities, basketball courts, and the city's only public cricket field -- which is filled with players every Sunday morning. As we all anxiously await the winter thaw, and the thought of enduring one more day of cabin fever becomes unbearable, the first appearance of warm weather gets us out onto the park's walking trails (some over 1.5 miles long). With four different trails to choose from, take your pick of paths that will lead you all over the park, or perhaps to the edge of one of the several little lakes that are scattered about this south side urban oasis. And don't be surprised if you see semi-reclined fisherman casting a few lines on a warm summer afternoon. Washington Park also has summer "Movies in the Park" open to all at no charge from June through September. This is family-oriented programming designed to give residents an enjoyable summer evening out in the city. We recommend bringing a picnic basket and blanket for maximum comfort and pleasure.
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Art and Architecture

Situated along the sprawling landscape of Washington Park, the DuSable Museum of African-American History (740 E. 56th Pl, 773.947.0600) was named after Jean Baptist Pointe DuSable and was founded in 1968. DuSable, a Haitian fur trader, was the first permanent non-European settler in Chicago. The museum is the oldest African American-based museum in the country preserving historical experiences and achievements of African Americans. An expansion is planned for 2007, in which the museum will take over a building across 56th Place and connect the two structures with a covered walkway. The addition will double the size of the current museum.

As of now the museum has three levels of galleries. The main floor houses an exhibition of Africa's different regions, displaying artwork and clothing indicative of the continent. You can also peruse the gift shop filled with postcards and wonderful museum memorabilia. Also on this floor are a bust of DuSable and a model of his trading post. The upper and concourse levels host permanent exhibits of the Civil Rights Movement focusing primarily on the movement in Chicago and both stories present additional artwork by African Americans artists. The museum also has traveling or temporary exhibits, and houses a 500-seat theater, which is used for plays, talks and concerts.

While museums often center around the past, its fun to be able to focus on the future -- specifically the year 2016. If all goes well, the summer of 2016 will be a monumental one for the city of Chicago, especially the south side neighborhood of Washington Park, which would be the site for a temporary 80,000-seat Olympic Stadium that would boast magical views of the lakefront and surrounding neighborhoods. The Olympic Committee selected Chicago as the U.S. potential to host the 2016 Summer Games, which, considering our strong sports culture and long history of champion teams, coupled with a fierce fan loyalty, makes us the only sensible choice, in our humble opinion.

Chicagoans know that if we are selected as the host city for the Olympic Games, the construction of new venues would generate economic benefits before, during, and after the games. Our city would attract companies from across the globe to open offices, which means new jobs. Additional community benefits also include the acceleration of planned infrastructure improvements, especially transportation related initiatives to coincide with the Olympiad. And the temporary stadium in Washington Park would speed up the revitalization of the entire south side community, which is already starting to see some changes as developers jump on the opportunity to be a part of this amazing, once-in-a-lifetime event.
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Real Estate

As we've just mentioned, Washington Park is the 2016 Summer Olympics location hopeful. If Chicago ends up with the winning ticket to host the Summer Games, Washington Park neighborhood will get a second chance to reinvent itself and step even further away from the half-century of disrepair that plagues its past.

Aside from the massive parklands of Washington Park, and rundown remnants of the last century's architectural movement in Chicago, roughly 50 percent of the neighborhood's lots are vacant. The majority of Washington Park's residents are low-income families. However, we Chicagoans haven't lost faith in rebuilding this once affluent community.

The City of Chicago recently launched programs that allow mixed income residents to live side-by-side by creating affordable homes below market price for individuals and/or families that meet eligibility requirements. This is all made possible with the cooperation of participating developers working with the city to retain as many of the long term community members as possible. The surge in gut rehab and new construction condominiums is a sure sign that the neighborhood is amidst change. We feel that the ambitious revitalization taking place in the surrounding neighborhoods such as Kenwood, Hyde Park and Bronzeville will only make Washington Park's fresh makeover inevitable -- with or without the Olympics.

As it is today, much of the neighborhood consists of low- and mid-rise brick condos -- both vintage and new construction models. Surrounding many of the properties are wrought-iron fences that provide both a sense of security and a nice, well-kept appearance to the residential streets. While attached multi-unit homes are in abundance in Washington Park, single-family detached houses are more difficult to find. The average sales price for a one-bedroom condo is around $168,000, with some studios listed for under $100,000. If you and your family need a little more space -- most likely you will -- the price point is more, but you definitely get your money's worth. For example, a three-bedroom condo around here is $205,000, on average.

Washington Park Residential Real Estate Info

Source: Multiple Listings Service of Northern Illinois
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What's on the Menu?

Washington Park has a small share of neighborhood restaurants and eateries that cater to the southern soul food fanatics.

Rose BBQ (5426 S State St, 773-268-3401) has an extensive menu of traditional southern dishes, including -- but not limited to -- collared greens, corn bread, barbeque ribs, and black-eyed peas. Rated top spot for authentic soul food, Rose's BBQ also has a catering service for intimate get-togethers or large family functions. Miss Lee's Good Food (205 E 55th St, 773-752-5253) is a takeout only joint that's all about the barbecue and southern eats, and every entree is under $10. Some of the house specials are chicken smothered in gravy with biscuits, fried catfish, ocean perch sandwiches, and pig ear sandwiches (we'll let you experience that one for yourself). Miss Lee's also knows how to do desserts with delicious peach cobbler, sweet potato pie, and to-die-for bread pudding.

If there's one thing we know about folks who live in Chicago it's that they love their pizza, and as you might suspect, Washington Parkers are true Chicagoans right down to the last slice. BB Pizza King (Four W Garfield Blvd, 773-373-5464) is a carryout pizzeria and more. Not only do they offer classic pies with your choice of sausage, mushroom and bell pepper toppings, but they've also got meatball sandwiches, hamburgers, and foot-long Polish sausages. We get a kick out of the "Mother-in-law" which is a hot tamale served on a hot dog bun covered in chili. Please pass the antacid.
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Night on the Town

We admit that Washington Park is not the mecca for nightlife, but when we're up for a neighborhood night crawl we know we can't go wrong when we step into Odyssey II.

Odyssey II (211 E 55th St, 773-947-0956) is Washington Park's all encompassing late night lounge, bar, and disco. It attracts both the Hip Hop and the R&B set featuring a bevy of entertainment options like multiple screens for sports watching, dart boards, chess, checkers, and even karaoke (on Tuesday evenings only, so you don't have to listen to those off-key versions of I Will Survive every night of the week). And if you love couples dance Odyssey hosts a fun event for the steppers, where you can showoff your fancy footwork with your partner, every second Sunday of the month. Since it is the only place in Washington Park where the local residents can kick back, have a drink and enjoy the nightlife, we're glad this joint is open seven days a week until two o'clock in the morning.
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Mark Your Calendar

When we are in search of great entertainment as well as a cross-cultural experience, Washington Park has some memorable annual outdoor events, right on the neighborhood grounds.

Washington Park residents looking for an exotic summer festival to add some spice to the daily routine love the African Caribbean International Festival of Life (5500 S Cottage Grove, 312-427-0266 or 773-955-2787). The festival averages a few hundred food and merchandise vendors lining both sides of Payne Drive from late June through July Fourth. Retail items for sale range from CDs to handmade purses, tribal jewelry to hand-carved wooden figurines, clothing to books on Afro-Caribbean culture. Much of the affair focuses on traditional African costumes and folk art that celebrates all facets of this vibrant community. This south side Chicago neighborhood festival brings out all the serious stops -- collectors of African artifacts can expect to pay as much as $1,000 for an original piece.

Perhaps you're a music enthusiast. In that case, you'll love this Washington Park festival's music scene. After you've browsed the vendors for the best in purchasable tunes and CDs, we think it'd be a good idea to take a break from perusing the many booths and enjoy the relaxing beats of a live reggae concert. Crowds gather for the dozens of live performances that make for a good vibration groove session and the ultimate in outdoor neighborhood entertainment. All this talk of good music and good times wouldn't be complete without good food. Some of the best goat stew and jerk chicken north of the Caribbean can be sampled at this south side Chicago festival. If traditional island cuisine sounds a bit too adventurous, the classic hot dog and hamburger fare are also cooking up on the grill.

If you weren't able to make it to the African-Caribbean Festival or if you just didn't get your fill of the islands, check out Belize Day in the Park (5700 S Payne Dr, 773-881-0412). It's a free one-day event that takes place in early August, and is a favorite of Washington Parkers. The celebration features live music of bands from Belize with over 100 food and merchandise stands. Belize Day has a similar flavor and ambiance to its summer fest predecessor, but it is unique in the sense that the food vendors and items for purchase focus exclusively on Belize culture and goods produced in this Caribbean island paradise.
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Getting Around

Washington Park has reliable public transportation that provides fast access to destinations within the neighborhood as well as to the heart of downtown Chicago.

Of the south side Chicago neighborhoods, Washington Park is one of the few with multiple Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) train line stops -- three to be exact. The Green Line "El" (nicknamed for its elevated tracks) offers residents a quick, easy way to travel in-neighborhood, or shoot up to the Loop. The Green Line runs between Prairie and Calumet avenues, and you can hop on at the Garfield Boulevard station, the Hyde Park Boulevard stop, or slightly east at Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and 63rd Street.

Another alternative to the "El" is the bus. You can catch bus #63 to State Street and transfer to bus #29 northbound to get into the Loop. Or, if you're doing most of your traveling by car, Lake Shore Drive is accessible at 57th and 53rd streets, just a few stoplights east of Washington Park. From the neighborhood, you can easily connect to the Stevenson Expressway (I-55), the Dan Ryan Expressway (I-90/94), and the Eisenhower Expressway (I-290) in a matter of minutes. Parking is abundant in Washington Park, free from zone permits (for the moment), and the majority of the homeowners have a secured parking space or garage.
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School's in Session

Washington Park neighborhood offers several local choices in elementary school education. In addition to the following list, you can find more information on Chicago area schools at our Chicago Guide Schools page.

Betsy Ross Elementary School 6059 S Wabash Ave - (773) 535-0650
Burke Elementary School 5356 S Dr Martin L King Jr Dr - (773) 535-1325
Carter Elementary School 5740 S Michigan Ave - (773) 535-0860
Dulles Elementary School 6311 S Calumet Ave - (773) 535-0690
Dyett Academic Center 555 E 51st St - (773) 535-1825
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Basic Needs

What would a neighborhood be without easy access to a few of life's basic essentials and services? Here's what residents can expect to find in Washington Park.

Transit

Chicago Transit Authority - (888) 968-7282

Pharmacies

K&K Pharmacy 401 E 61st St - (773) 667-4400
Walgreens 6330 S King Dr - (773) 324-8500

ENTERTAINMENT

Parks
Washington Park 5531 S Martin Luther King Jr. Dr - (773) 256-1248

Events
African Caribbean International Festival of Life 5500 S Cottage Grove - (312) 427-0266
African Festival of the Arts 5100 S Cottage Grove Ave - (773) 955-2787
Belize Day in the Park 5700 S Payne Dr - (773) 881-0412

DINING

American Cuisine
Barbara's Soul Food 353 E 51st St - (773) 624-0087
Rose BBQ 5426 S State St - (773) 268-3401
Ma King's Soul Food Restaurant 6607 S King Dr - (773) 995-4800
Miss Lee's Good Food 205 E 55th St - (773) 752-5253

Asian Cuisine
China Chop Suey 235 E 51st St - (773) 548-6255

Fast Food
The Eatorium 634 E 61st St - (773) 493-2008

Pizza
BB Pizza King 4 W Garfield Blvd - (773) 373-5464

Nightlife/Bars
Odyssey II 211 E 55th St - (773) 947-0956
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As one of the many diverse Chicago neighborhoods, Washington Park offers homeowners a wide range of residential properties. Washington Park homes include lofts, condos and townhomes, to name a few. In addition to Chicago real estate, you can get detailed neighborhood information from our comprehensive online Chicago neighborhoods guide. With features like dining, shopping, entertainment, and resources, we've done all the leg work already to make your home search that much easier. Now, when a listing in Washington Park Chicago catches your eye, you can read all about the surrounding area and what it has to offer, all without setting foot in the neighborhood. Like a Yellow Pages, Metromix and MLS database all rolled into one, this site is your ultimate Chicago neighborhoods visitors' guidebook.
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