President Barack Obama's Chicago Neighborhood and Residence (Original Pics)

Since Barack Obama became a household name a couple of years ago, I have been wanting to take a drive through his neighborhood since I only live about 20 miles from his Chicago home. I made that drive on March 11, 2009. I knew his part of Chicago somewhat from having attended an Art Fair and dining at several restaurants in that area some years ago. Also, I attended a music conference which was hosted at a hotel across from Lake Michigan in the same area - in fact, just blocks from Obama's house. So, it’s been awhile, but I had been to Obama's neighborhood before.

President Barack Obama’s political career began in the neighborhood where his current Chicago home is located, the Hyde Park area, and I’ve heard that this particular home has been his Chicago residence for the past two years. Areas of Chicago are known by their neighborhoods, and Hyde Park is considered a very nice area on Chicago’s south side along Lake Michigan. It stretches from about 51^st Street, also known as Hyde Park Boulevard, on the north down to about 60^th Street on the south with its west border being Washington Park, just two blocks to the west of Obama's home, and its east border being Lake Michigan, just eight blocks to the east. More exactly, in regard to Obama’s house, it is at 5046 South Greenwood Avenue, on the northwest corner of Hyde Park Boulevard, an east-west street, and Greenwood Avenue, a north-south street, which cuts off going south at Hyde Park Boulevard. Therefore, the house is literally on the Kenwood side of the Hyde Park-Kenwood bordering neighborhoods.

Both neighborhoods have primarily older large homes (many could be called mansions just as well) and apartment buildings. There are many more blocks of apartment buildings than blocks filled with large houses or mansions. With the exception of Greenwood Avenue being blocked off with large cement barricades and police cars at both ends of the block, this area looks like a regular upscale neighborhood in Chicago. The only clues that there is something extraordinary on the block is the sight of five Chicago squad cars on the block or very close by; there were three on the south end – Obama’s corner on Greenwood and Hyde Park – and two at the north end of the block - Greenwood Avenue and 50^th Street when I first went by.

When I spotted these cement blocks, posted signs, and the police cars, naturally, I knew I was where I wanted to be. Just beyond the building across from Obama’s house which faces east, there was a one car-width lane to the back of the building next to it. I parked my car there and got out with my camera. I saw a big sign saying that I would be subject to search - both me and my possessions - if I proceeded. I took a picture of the sign and saw that I couldn’t get past the sign even if I wanted to - the path was blocked. Then, I saw a college-aged woman crossing the street, avoiding eye contact with me, and shuffling along. I don't know if she was just avoiding "me" or if she was thinking, 'Lord please, not another first timer wondering which mansion is Obama's!" Nevertheless, she was quick to respond to my question: “Isn’t Obama’s house in the middle of the block?” I don’t even remember where I got that impression, but I was glad when the lady said, “No, it’s right there,” as she pointed to the large house on the corner. I said, “That one or the next one?” She said, “Right there” as she pointed directly to the house on the corner and dashed off into an apartment building a short distance away from me. I started walking along Hyde Park Boulevard on the north side of the street because there was no place to walk due to the extended cement blocks and metal fencing. I kept my eyes on the house while my peripheral vision could see the policeman in his squad car motioning. I thought to myself: he’s going to stop me – so take the picture now. I did. Then, the policeman sounded his fog horn to which I looked at him and saw him wagging his finger to-and-fro as to say: Don’t do that! Go back! Not wanting to lose the one picture I had, I retreated to my car, checked my camera to see if I got the house picture. I'm pretty much a novice at taking pictures and have little faith in my photography abilities. This time, I really lucked out. I got a good picture. I drove to the back of that building I'd parked next to to turn around since there was too much traffic to back into Hyde Park Boulevard to drive on. Fearing the policeman might follow me back there, I quickly got my car back out to the street and took off to the east.

From there, I circled the neighborhood, thinking the police were watching me, but they probably weren’t. They certainly had an opportunity to stop me, but they didn’t. In fact, I passed the policeman who wagged his finger at me three times before I saw there was a discreetly-positioned camera located about half-way up on a pole on the south side of the street at Obama's intersection. That was the last time I passed by. Even though I was intimidated by the policeman's wagging finger, I was still determined to take more pictures of the President’s Chicago neighborhood - bus stops, apartment buildings, schools, churches, stores, parkways, and other things. I didn't want the Subway sandwhich shop or Walgreens just blocks to the west; I wanted different things that can't be found in most every Chicago neighborhood. The very next picture I took after the Obama house was supposed to be the police car and road block at the north end of Obama's block but it didn’t take – my camera gave me the on-screen message: Change Batteries! I felt so heavenly blessed that I didn’t get that message with the last picture I took – the Obama’s house picture. However, I did drive by again, after changing batteries, and get the picture I wanted.

I’ve lived in the Chicago area my entire life but never knew where Operation PUSH National Headquarters is located until I saw it on my one-man Obama’s neighborhood tour - only about three blocks from Obama’s house on Drexel. I took a picture of that, too. Just a block north of Operation PUSH - about four blocks away from Obama’s house - I saw one of those Chicago Police cameras with flashing blue lights up high up in the air. They are put in areas to stop crime. It looked so out of place in the President’s neighborhood that I just had to stop and take a couple pictures of that, too.

Then I realized how close I’d been to these historic places when I did part-time delivery jobs some years ago during my summers as a teacher and had hospital deliveries right nearby. However, I didn’t remember the neighborhoods around the hospitals being like this at all, so I drove on. In no time, within blocks, the neighborhood changed. That’s probably why I remembered the hospitals' neighboring areas looking so different from Obama’s immediate area. Within a mile of Obama’s house, I was taking pictures to show the contrast of his house and what is found just a short distance away. I shot photos of deserted land lots, boarded up stores and apartment buildings and houses, and people at the bus stops. In Obama’s neighborhood, I saw predominantly Black people, but I also saw many Whites, and some Asians and Orientals – basically, the Chicago melting pot. As I ventured out of the immediate area around Obama’s house, further north and west, the neighborhood became completely Black. As I was sitting at a stop sign by Cottage Grove, a main thoroughfare on the south side, I heard a male voice calling “Yo! Yo!” I’ve been around long enough to know that that means someone wants to sell me drugs. To remember the location and its close proximity to Obama's house, I took a quick picture of the corner store where I was. Unfortunately, it was now early evening and for the first time on this excursion, my camera’s flash lit up the area. That startled people, and I felt it best I leave. In fact, a van pulled over and the driver opened his door and looked to see who was taking pictures. I darted across Cottage Grove back east and found myself back at the blue light on Drexel within blocks.

So much for going in circles, I took a busier street, 47^th Street for the entire distance going west to drive back out of the area. Before I got very far along my route to the west, I saw four police cars parked in disarray in front of a Dollar Store. I did a quick U-turn, drove back, and snapped a picture of that. I’d forgotten about the flash, and it shocked me and the policemen who, unfortunately, were exiting the store just as I squeezed the button for my photo. As anyone who watches Chicago news knows, the police don’t like starring in videos or pictures taken by the public. So, I moved along from there quickly, also.

From bus stop to bus stop, I could see the neighborhoods were culturally changing from Black to a Latino and Black mix. After passing Cellular Field, where the Chicago White Sox play baseball, the people on the sidewalks and at the bus stops were becoming predominantly Latino. From there, I was getting back to territory I know well and joined the end-of-rush-hour traffic to get home.

A mid-afternoon’s drive to Obama’s house, just some 20 miles away from my home, turned out to be quite an afternoon and evening. Next time I do something like this, I think I’ll take someone with me. Before heading out for this trip, I didn’t think about how driving and clicking would mix. They didn’t mix as well as I thought they would – not because I’ve only got two hands but because I’ve only got two eyes which need to stay on the city streets.