South Shore, Chicago: Community Area #43 Guide

South Shore is Chicago community area #43, on the South Side lakefront between 67th and 79th streets. It is known for the South Shore Cultural Center, Rainbow Beach and the Jackson Park Highlands, and it is where Michelle Obama grew up. CMAP estimates its population at 53,588 (2020–2024 ACS).

Fact	Details
Community area number	43
Side of the city	South Side
Population (2020–2024 ACS estimate, CMAP)	53,588
Neighborhoods within	Jackson Park Highlands, Bryn Mawr, Parkside, Windsor Park, Cheltenham Beach, Essex
Main Metra stations	Metra Electric South Chicago branch: Stony Island, Bryn Mawr, South Shore, Windsor Park, Cheltenham
Major parks	South Shore Cultural Center grounds, Rainbow Beach

Boundaries

South Shore runs from 67th Street on the north to 79th Street on the south, between Stony Island Avenue and Lake Michigan.

Neighborhoods within South Shore

Jackson Park Highlands, at the north end, a Chicago Landmark district since 1989.
Bryn Mawr, Parkside, Windsor Park, Cheltenham Beach and Essex, early settlements that merged into South Shore.
The South Shore Bungalow Historic District, with 229 bungalows on the National Register.

History

Small settlements grew around Illinois Central and steel mill jobs, and the railroad opened a station at 71st and Jeffery in 1881. The area was annexed to Chicago in 1889 and took the South Shore name in the 1920s. The South Shore Country Club opened in 1906 on 67 acres by the lake.

Population jumped from 31,832 in 1920 to 78,755 in 1930. The area was 69% Black by 1970 and 95% by 1980. In 1973, local activists took over South Shore Bank after regulators denied its move to the Loop, and the Park District bought the country club in 1972 for use as a cultural center.

Landmarks and parks

South Shore Cultural Center, the former South Shore Country Club.
Rainbow Beach, south of the cultural center.
Jackson Park Highlands landmark district.
Jeffery–Cyril Historic District, six apartment buildings from 1927–1929.
Nation of Islam Mosque Maryam, 7351 S. Stony Island Avenue.

Getting there

Metra Electric’s South Chicago branch runs along 71st Street and Exchange Avenue with stops at Stony Island, Bryn Mawr, South Shore, Windsor Park and Cheltenham. South Shore has no L station.

Frequently asked questions

Did Michelle Obama grow up in South Shore?

Yes. Michelle Obama was born and raised in South Shore.

What is the South Shore Cultural Center?

The former South Shore Country Club, opened in 1906 and bought by the Chicago Park District in 1972.

How do you get to South Shore by train?

Take the Metra Electric South Chicago branch, which stops at several stations along 71st Street and Exchange Avenue.