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Kenwood, Chicago

Community area in Chicago, Illinois


Community area in Chicago, Illinois

FieldValue
nameKenwood
official_nameCommunity Area 39 - Kenwood
settlement_typeCommunity area
image_skylineObamaHouseChicago.jpg
image_captionObama Family Home
image_mapKenwood map.png
map_captionStreetmap
image_map1US-IL-Chicago-CA39.svg
map_caption1Location within the city of Chicago
subdivision_typeCountry
subdivision_nameUnited States
subdivision_type1State
subdivision_name1Illinois
subdivision_type2County
subdivision_name2Cook
subdivision_type3City
subdivision_name3Chicago
parts_typeNeighborhoods
parts_stylelist
p1Kenwood
p2North Kenwood
p3East Hyde Park
p5Indian Village
unit_prefImperial
area_total_km22.82
population_as_of2020
population_footnotes
population_total19,116
population_density_km2auto
demographics_type1Demographics 2020
demographics1_title1White
demographics1_info120.9%
demographics1_title2Black
demographics1_info266.0%
demographics1_title3Hispanic
demographics1_info32.2%
demographics1_title4Asian
demographics1_info46.0%
demographics1_title5Other
demographics1_info54.8%
timezoneCST
utc_offset-6
timezone_DSTCDT
utc_offset_DST-5
coordinates
postal_code_typeZIP Codes
postal_codeparts of 60615 and 60653
blank_nameMedian household income 2020
blank_info$52,336
footnotesSource: U.S. Census, Record Information Services

Kenwood is one of the 77 community areas of Chicago in Illinois, United States. It is on the shore of Lake Michigan on the South Side of the city.

Its boundaries are 43rd Street, 51st Street, Cottage Grove Avenue, and the lake. Kenwood was originally part of Hyde Park Township, which was annexed to the city of Chicago in 1889. Kenwood was once one of Chicago's most affluent neighborhoods, and it still has some of the largest single-family homes in the city. It contains two Chicago Landmark districts, Kenwood and North Kenwood. A large part of the southern half of the community area is in the Hyde Park-Kenwood Historic District. In recent years, Kenwood has received national attention as the home of former U.S. President Barack Obama.

Description

Kenwood was settled in the 1850s by wealthy Chicagoans seeking respite from the increasing congestion of the city. The first of these residents was John A. Kennicott, who built his home near the Illinois Central Railroad at 48th Street. He named the home Kenwood after his ancestral land in Scotland, and when the Illinois Central Railroad built a small depot near 47th Street, they named the station Kenwood as well. Shortly afterwards, the name Kenwood began to be applied to the whole area.

The southeastern portion of Kenwood contains the Indian Village neighborhood, which features the Chicago Landmark Powhatan Apartments and the National Register of Historic Places-recognized Narragansett Apartments. The 1902 Blackstone Library is another well-known landmark in the neighborhood. It continues to be part of the Chicago Public Library system. The recently reopened Hyde Park Art Center, located on Cornell Avenue just north of 51st Street and East Hyde Park Boulevard, is Chicago's oldest alternative exhibition space, with an on-site school and studio.

The Hyde Park community area is to the south of Kenwood and the southern half of Kenwood (south of 47th Street) is sometimes referred to as Hyde Park-Kenwood.

In the 1890s, the Kenwood Astrophysical Observatory, established by astronomer George Ellery Hale, was located in Kenwood close to the new (at that time) University of Chicago.

Politics

As with much of the South Side, the Kenwood community area has supported the Democratic Party in national elections by vast margins. During the 2016 presidential election in particular, Kenwood cast 7,639 votes for Hillary Clinton and 251 votes for Donald Trump (94.19% to 3.09%). In the 2012 presidential election, Kenwood cast 8,712 votes for Barack Obama and 331 votes for Mitt Romney (95.63% to 3.63%).

Schools

The public schools in Kenwood are Kenwood Academy, Canter Middle School, King College Prep High School, Ariel Community Academy, William C. Reavis Math and Science Specialty School and Beulah Shoesmith Elementary School. Private Schools in Kenwood include the Ancona Montessori School, Cambridge School of Chicago, Akiba-Schechter Jewish Day School, and Hales Franciscan High School.

Notable residents

  • Muhammad Ali
  • Lerone Bennett, Jr.
  • Barbara Bowman
  • Marc Canter
  • David "Honeyboy" Edwards
  • Louis Farrakhan
  • Hugo Friend
  • Seymour Hersh, was raised at 835 East 47th Street.
  • Valerie Jarrett
  • Edward Levi
  • Ann Marie Lipinski
  • Roberta Martin, lived at 4901 S. Woodlawn Avenue.{{cite book |last1=Greer |first1=Ronald L. |title=Only a Look : A Historical Look at the Career of Mrs. Roberta Martin and the Roberta Martin Gospel Singers of Chicago, Illinois
  • Gaston B. Means
  • Carol Moseley Braun
  • Elijah Muhammad
  • Barack Obama
  • Michelle Obama
  • Mandy Patinkin
  • Cindy Pritzker, member of the Pritzker family
  • Maurice Rabb
  • Julius Rosenwald
  • Bill Veeck
  • Muddy Waters

The infamous murderers Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb, and their victim Bobby Franks, were all residents of Kenwood.

Notes

References

  1. "Community Data Snapshot - Kenwood". MetroPulse.
  2. "Encyclopedia of Chicago - Kenwood". Chicago Historical Society.
  3. "Hyde Park-Kenwood Community Conference".
  4. Paral, Rob. "Chicago Community Areas Historical Data".
  5. Ali, Tanveer. (November 9, 2016). "How Every Chicago Neighborhood Voted In The 2016 Presidential Election". [[DNAInfo]].
  6. Ali, Tanveer. (November 9, 2012). "How Every Chicago Neighborhood Voted In The 2012 Presidential Election". [[DNAInfo]].
  7. "Sey Hersh on his rough-and-tumble Chicago past: ‘At some point I realized I was in a tyranny’ {{!}} Bleader".
  8. Miraldi, Robert. (October 2013). "Seymour Hersh". Potomac Books.
Info: Wikipedia Source

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