T. Nicholas Realty | Chicago's Neighborhoods (McKinley Park)

Chicago's Neighborhoods
McKinley Park

McKinley Park
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McKinley Park has been a working-class area throughout its long history. This tradition began around 1836 when Irish workers on the Illinois & Michigan Canal took squatter's rights to small tracts of land.

The beginning of the twentieth century led, after years of complaints by residents, to the creation of a park, which was named for President McKinley after his assassination. The 69-acre park now boasts a swimming pool and ice-skating rink. It is the area's showplace and led to the naming of the entire community.

After years of declining populations, during the 1990s the population grew from 13,297 to 15,962. Well-kept two and four-flat buildings dominate the landscape, but new infill housing has begun to appear. Two stops on the Orange Line rapid transit have boosted property values and spurred development of a shopping mall on Archer and Ashland Avenue.

Buildings in McKinley Park include:
• 2323 W. Pershing Rd. (McKinley Park Lofts) • 3556 S. Seeley Ave. (St. Philippus)