Kenwood

Why we love it

Are you an architecture buff? Then you’ll love Kenwood, Hyde Park’s neighbor to the north.

Explore like a local

• Take a Chicago Architecture Center tour of the area’s many hidden gems.
• Ramble along the Burnham Wildlife Corridor, the largest stretch of natural area on Chicago’s lakefront.
• Recharge with a superfood smoothie or a honey cortado at creative cafe Carver 47 Food and Wellness Market — all proceeds go toward a local arts academy.

Insider tips

As the Chicago Architecture Center puts it, “Kenwood offers a surprising suburban feel in an urban setting.” As you wander its shady streets you’ll be awed by 19th-century mansions, charming coach houses, and stunning contemporary homes, all surrounded by lush lawns and meticulous garden landscapes that will leave you green with envy (and determined to go home and water your droopy fern).

The neighborhood also boasts an impressive collection of Art Deco building from the early 20th century, particularly in the Indian Village district. That’s where you’ll find the Powhatan Apartments, an ornately decorated high-rise that was lauded as having “all the luxuries of an ocean liner” when it opened in 1929. There’s also the Hyde Park–Kenwood Historic District, recognized by the National Register of Historic Places.

Kenwood counts some pretty big names among its former residents. which means you’ll be walking in the footsteps of Muddy Waters, Muhammad Ali, the Obamas, and longtime White Sox owner Bill Veeck.