South Shore Overview
At the northern end of South Shore is the historic district of Jackson Park Highlands which is one of Chicago's greatest examples of structural history and 19th-Century architecture, with an abundance of homes in the style of American Four-Square, Colonial Revival, and Renaissance Revival -- all on oversized lots. Between the first and second World Wars, a housing boon brought the development of luxury cooperative apartments and mansions to the South Shore neighborhood.
The neighborhood’s crown jewel is the South Shore Cultural Center. Previously known as the South Shore Country Club, it began as a lakefront retreat for some of the most influential business leaders and most prominent families in Chicago. Marshall and Fox, architects of the Drake, Blackstone, and Edgewater Beach Hotels, were hired to design the incredibly opulent, Mediterranean-style clubhouse. The grounds provided a private stable, beach, and golf course. Tennis, horseback riding, and skeet shooting were enjoyed by such noted celebrity guests as Jean Harlow, Will Rogers, and Amelia Earhardt. In 1974 the South Shore Country Club held its last members-only event, and today, the Chicago Park District owns the property. It has been restored to its original design and is now open to the public.
South Shore is also home to Rainbow Beach, one of Chicago’s most popular and largest beaches. Once one the most affluent and prestigious neighborhoods on the South Side of Chicago, South Shore underwent a long period of declining property values in the 1960’s through the mid 1980’s. In recent years, however, this beautiful neighborhood, well located along Lake Michigan, just south of Jackson Park, and about nine miles from Downtown Chicago, has undergone an amazing renaissance. Express buses and the METRA Illinois Central Line whisk commuters to Downtown Chicago and The Loop.
South Shore Homes for Sale
For those desiring a friendly, middle-class community in which to live, South Shore homes for sale offer families excellent choices when relocating to the Chicago area. Many young professionals, as well, are finding South Shore an excellent place for raising their families. They have re-settled in the neighborhood and restored some of the most beautiful homes the city’s south side has to offer. Luxury condo conversions are plentiful, too.
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