Englewood - Chicago, IL

Government deemed the area now considered Englewood as habitable in 1840, and the neighborhood served as a supporting neighborhood to Chicago as the city's railroad system grew and thrived. In 1871, the Great Chicago Fire occurred, forcing many people out of the city center. This led to a sharp increase in the Englewood population, and the Englewood train station had up to 1,000 trains passing through daily in 1889.

Englewood Shopping Center used to sit at Halsted and 63rd and was arguably the main historical feature of the Englewood neighborhood. Heavily integrated into the community, it hosted live events, parades, and festivals before major retailer Sears Roebuck withdrew from the premises. In 2007, the new 40-acre campus of Kennedy-King College opened on the land that formerly housed the pedestrian mall.

The majority of the restaurants in Englewood serve fast food. One option is Dream Cafe and Grille on West 61st Street. In its quirky, brightly colored dining room, this spot serves everything from jerk salmon tacos to grilled Moroccan chicken to macaroni and cheese to mashed potatoes. Be sure to check out their jerk chicken egg rolls.

Another local favorite, Long Tung, serves up authentic, gourmet Chinese food to Englewood residents. The menu includes a massive selection of classic Chinese dishes ranging from chop suey to egg foo young. It serves as a popular spot for college students and traditional residents alike due to its central location of Halsted and 63rd, just across the street from Kennedy-King College.

Englewood has very few forms of late night entertainment, so residents generally travel a few miles to nearby neighborhoods for clubs and bars, such as The Pub and Odyssey II in Hyde Park.

While the Metra Rail Rock Island route crosses through the southeast edge of Englewood, Gresham Station serves as the nearest platform to catch the train, and it lies 3 miles south of the neighborhood center.

Another option to travel in and out of Englewood involves taking the “L” trains, also known as the elevated trains. The Green Line stops at Halsted and 63rd, adjacent to the Kennedy-King College Campus. This line takes you all the way to the Loop in a quick, 20-mile trip, passing by a total of 30 stations. Using the Green Line, you can reach major destinations including the Art Institute, the University of Chicago and Illinois Institute of Technology.

The Red Line of the “L” system serves the far east side of Englewood, with stops at Garfield and at 63rd on the east side of Interstate 94. This line travels north and south, serving locations such as Metcalf Park and U.S. Cellular Field, the home of Major League Baseball's Chicago White Sox.

You can also choose to get around the area by car, by utilizing the expressway. Interstate 94, also known as the Dan Ryan, travels north and south from the Englewood area to the West Loop area. Cabs also commonly cruise the Englewood neighborhood, making them an easy transportation option.

The largest park in Englewood, Hamilton Park consists of nearly 30 acres. It contains two gymnasiums, a multi-purpose room, an auditorium and a dance room. Outside, the park offers baseball fields, swimming pools, basketball and tennis courts and a playground. Through the Chicago Park District, Hamilton Park also offers after school and summer programs to keep kids safe and off the streets. Kids can play basketball for free on Fridays and Saturdays as a part of the Windy City Hoops program. Hamilton Park & Cultural Center also hosts an annual jazz concert available for anyone to enjoy.

Sherwood Park, on Shields Avenue, offers similar features to Hamilton Park but on a smaller scale. The 6.18-acre park contains a gymnasium, baseball fields and basketball courts. It offers several programs, including after school and summer programs, the Teen Club and violin lessons.

The cost of living in Englewood hovers just above the national average, but it is a whopping 12.5 percent below the cost of living in Chicago overall. The housing in Englewood is extraordinarily affordable, at 21 percent below the average national cost. A heavy majority of residents rent instead of own, and the median rent in Englewood sits at $862 per month.

A small grocery center called Englewood Supermarket is available at 61st and Stewart Avenue. It offers the basic necessities for the east side of the neighborhood. Other small shopping centers include M & S Foods on S Sangamon Street and 59th Street Food Mart. The area used to house a massive mall called Englewood Shopping Center, but it scaled back heavily in 1978 and was eventually demolished in 2005.

Larger grocers include Aldi on 63rd and a Food 4 Less in the neighboring community of West Englewood. Additionally, the Englewood/Anchor House Farmers Market on 61st Street and Dorchester Avenue is open on Saturday mornings year round. The market moves indoors from November through April, bringing residents the freshest produce and most nutritious foods from local food artisans.