Regents Park apartments, 5020-5050 S Lake Shore Dr, Hyde Park / Kenwood

(Visited 4,891 times, 1 visits today)

Regents Park‘s two modernist towers house 1,031 apartments at 5020-5050 S Lake Shore Dr in Hyde Park / Kenwood.

Regents Park was built on the site of the former Chicago Beach Hotel, which had a private beachfront prior to the construction of South Lake Shore Drive. The hotel became 5th Army Headquarters after World War II and was demolished in the early 70s.

Regents Park’s 37-story south tower was completed in 1972 and the 36-story north tower in 1974. Regents Park is the largest apartment complex on the South Side of Chicago and has the most extensive suite of common-area amenities.

Nobel Prize-winning author Saul Bellow, a former resident, called the view from Regents Park “the best thing about Chicago.” President Barack Obama, who was not a resident, was rumored to have worked out in Regents Park’s fitness center.

Dubin, Dubin, Black & Moutoussamy was the architecture firm for Regents Park, and McHugh Construction was the general contractor.

The apartments

Regents Park offers a variety of studio, 1-bedroom, 2-bedroom, 2-bath and 3-bedroom, 2-bath apartments.

Floor plans and updated rent ranges are available at the building’s website.

A number of apartments have updated kitchens and baths in a variety of finishes.


The apartments have large expanses of windows and generous room sizes. Closet space is typically very good and in a number of the floor plans it’s outstanding. The south tower has several tiers of two-bedrooms with a separate dressing area and walk-in closet in a large master suite.

Views. Regents Park’s near-lakefront location serves up spectacular views of the skyline to the north from high-floor units in the north tower and from a rooftop sundeck.


The south tower overlooks Harold Washington Park, Burnham Park’s Promontory Point and some of the grand Hyde Park apartment buildings. A pedestrian bridge over Lake Shore Drive provides access to the lakefront and Burnham Park.

Amenities, services, policies
The most striking feature of Regents Park’s extensive amenities is Bergen Garden, a tree-shaded private oasis built on a deck between the two towers.

Bergen Garden is a seasonal sanctuary for migratory birds and is home to resident ducks who return each year.

Two of Regents Park’s on-site amenities are open to the public: the Sip & Savor Coffee Shop and Market in the Park, a full-service grocery with a salad bar, deli meats, ethnic foods and a good selection of wine and beer.

Regents Park has an indoor 20-yard lap pool with a whirlpool at one end and a fountain at the other.

The Terrace Grill overlooks the pool and serves up wraps, salads, sandwiches and Mexican cuisine for dining in, takeout or delivery to an apartment.

Kanga*roo Park, adjacent to the pool and viewable from the Terrace Grill, is an interactive play facility with a large inflatable jumping castle and structured weekly programming for kids aged 0 to 6.

Kanga*roo Park opens to an outdoor rock garden area and a seasonal playground.

There’s a recently-upgraded, handicapped-accessible fitness center adjacent to the pool, with a variety of cardio and strength-training equipment.

Regents Park has a fully-equipped business center overlooking Bergen Garden.

Each tower has a rooftop sun deck with an adjacent resident lounge and party areas. There are additional lounge areas scattered throughout the complex for socializing and quiet study.

Each of the buildings has a well-equipped laundry facility and there’s an on-site cleaners.

Regents Park has on-site leasing, management and maintenance staff, and 24/7 door staff. The complex is pet-friendly, subject to limits.

Regents Park hosts a series of resident events throughout the year for residents to meet each other and neighboring businesses.

The location
Regents Park has a high-profile location overlooking Lake Shore Drive and Lake Michigan.

The location has excellent proximity to parks, transportation, dining and shopping, and convenient access to the University of Chicago.

Shopping. Treasure Island, which self-describes as “America’s most European supermarket,” is a few blocks away in the Hyde Park Shopping center, which also hosts an Office Depot, Walgreens and Elston Ace Hardware.

Whole Foods is slated to anchor the City Hyde Park development, which is under construction two short blocks west of Regents Park.


Retail development in the immediate area is being spurred by the recently-opened Harper Court and Akira, a few minutes’ walk from Regents Park

The scene along 53rd Street is changing rapidly, but locally-owned staples like Hyde Park Records still dot the strip.

Dining, nightlife, entertainment. Harper Court has revved up the restaurant scene near Regents Park.



Native Foods Café, Pork Chop, Chipotle and Starbucks have opened in Harper Court and A10 is drawing a crowd across the street, next to the landmark Harper Theater.

The Sit Down, Valois, Mellow Yellow, Pizza Capri and a dozen other neighborhood standbys still line 53rd Street.

Hyde Park isn’t known for its bar scene, but there is a decent selection of neighborhood joints near Regents Park.

The revamped Harper Theater is showing first-run movies and the University of Chicago hosts a variety of free or low-cost entertainment options. Street festivals, including the venerable 57th Street Art Fair, are popular in the summertime.

Parks, recreation. Regents Park has Harold Washington Park as its front yard.

The park is mainly a passive recreation space favored by local dog walkers, but it does have tennis courts, volleyball poles, chess tables, a soft-surface playground, a spray pool and picnic areas.


A nearby pedestrian bridge across Lake Shore Drive connects Regents Park to Burnham Park’s popular Promontory Point, the 57th Street Beach, the 18-mile Lakefront Trail and host of additional recreational amenities.

Transportation. Public transportation is excellent.

Metra’s Electric stop at 51st / 53rd Street, a short block from Regents Park, reaches Millennium Station in the Loop in 15 minutes.

The #6 CTA bus stops at the corner and travels express to the Loop from 47th St.

The #172 CTA bus connects residents to the University of Chicago campus, where many of them work or study.

Taxis regularly cruise the area. Several Zipcar car-sharing locations are nearby and DIVVY bikes are available a few short blocks west on 51st St.

Access to the city’s expressway grid is excellent, via Lake Shore Drive.

The competition

You’ll find additional options at YoChicago’s Hyde Park / Kenwood apartment guide.

Share your take on Regents Park

If you’ve lived at or visited Regents Park, and are not a real estate agent, add your thoughts in a comment. Comments are moderated, and commercial messages are not allowed.

Regents Park

Address 5020-5050 S Lake Shore Dr
City Chicago
# of Units 1,031
Pets Cats and dogs OK, subject to limits
Parking On-site garage parking
Completed 1974
Management MAC Property Management
Website Regents Park

Related videos









Spacious, modern apartments and lavish amenities at Regents Park

 









Affordable modern apartments in a prime location

 









Location meets luxury at the Del Prado Apartments

 









New luxury apartments at the Shoreland in Hyde Park

 









Amenity-rich new apartments Hyde Park / Kenwood

 









Windermere House apartments in Hyde Park

(Visited 4,891 times, 1 visits today)