woodlawn
C
urrently in the midst of a major revival, Woodlawn is finally getting the attention it deserves with its prime location near the lake, museums, the University of Chicago and the planned Obama Presidential Library.
The South Side neighborhood is surrounded by beautiful parks including Washington Park and Jackson Park, site of the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition and home to the largest and oldest beach house in the city. While there is some existing housing stock, including tidy brick two-flats, there’s a lot of open land just waiting to be developed. Tax incentives initially got the construction ball rolling, eventually picking up steam and attracting more developers and bigger projects.
Several new projects are underway including single-family homes, townhomes and condominiums. Construction is ongoing on everything from new University residence halls to mixed-use complexes with retail spaces and affordable housing options. Woodlawn is accessible by public transportation including the CTA Green Line and Metra, as well as nearby Lake Shore Drive. High school students attend Hyde Park Academy and the all-boys Catholic Mount Carmel High School in the neighborhood.
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