Chicago: Farewell, Sweet South Side

I guess I should’ve figured out something was wrong when a group of residents abruptly vacated the premises. Our once vibrant and bustling building on Constance Avenue was nearly empty just a few weeks after the owner sold it.

“They’re overreacting,” I thought to myself.

I couldn’t imagine why anyone would want to leave. Our apartments were in a well landscaped courtway building, which was nestled in the hub of South Shore conveniently located by Chicago’s renowned Lakefront and Lakeshore drive expressway. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Shore,_Chicago)

Not only that, Stony Island Avenue and the historical Hyde Park were just minutes away; there you could find a tantalizing assortment of restaurants and stores on days when traveling further west to Ford City Mall or Further south to River Oaks wasn’t feasible. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyde_Park%2C_Chicago%2C_Illinois)


I guess my sentiment had gotten the better of me because I was born and raised on the southeast side of Chicago. Why, as a teenager, my stomping grounds were the strips of Stony Island and Jeffery Avenue. I have a bond with those streets and feel a sense of ease whenever I’m in the vicinity.

I loved what big name companies were doing to the area. For instance, a LaSalle Bank, a Starbucks, and a Fifth Third Bank have all emerged on Stony Island in recent years. On 75th street, in place of a structure that couldn’t decide whether or not it wanted to be an unoccupied eyesore or a Zayre, Goldblatts or Ames from year to year, now stands a Staples and a Walgreens.

The potential for vast economic growth has always been present on the south side; with new homes and condominiums being constructed, as well as new businesses, it seemed my neighborhood and its residents were in for a long overdue extreme makeover. My love continued to grow for the southeast side as it went through its transformation and I even fell for the dwelling on Constance.