Hegewisch, at the far southeast corner ot the city, bordering Indiana, is Chicago’s most geographically isolated neighborhood. It’s isolated by nature (marshes, lakes, rivers) and the unnatural (industrial areas and expressways).
Hegewisch is a place where people make things, and used to make a lot more. Reminders of the industry that surrounds the area are always present.
Hegewisch’s isolation lends it the feel of an aging small town, one that’s seen better days. Still, household incomes are above citywide averages, eighty percent of the housing is owner-occupied, and much of the housing stock is single-families and 2-flats, often priced well below $200K. Hegewisch isn’t a transient area but there are newcomers, and they’ve been predominantly Mexican of late.
See a short primer on Hegewisch at the Hegewisch 60633 site. View about 175 YoChicago photos of Hegewisch and its sub-neighborhoods (Arizona, Avalon Trails, Harbour Point Estates and Old Hegewisch) at Flickr.
Thanks for the tour!
There is something very charming and ‘old Chicago’ about this neighborhood. I wonder if Hegewisch has seen any new development recently
UP,
There’s been almost no new development in Hegewisch in the past decade.
There are rumors that the Harbour Point Estates trailer park, at the east end of the community, will be redeveloped with single-family homes. This is a very sizable piece of land that once housed nearly 3,000 trailers, and that backs up to parkland.
Yeah, I saw from the pics. I hope so–it’s kind of sad to see a trailer park in the city.