Parkway Gardens Apartment Homes, Public housing complex in Greater Grand Crossing, Chicago, US
Parkway Gardens Apartment Homes is a residential complex between 6330 and 6546 South King Drive in Greater Grand Crossing, Chicago. The development consists of multi-story brick buildings with two and three-bedroom units grouped around shared courtyards.
The complex was built between 1950 and 1955 on the former site of White City Amusement Park according to plans by architect Henry K. Holsman. It became the first cooperatively owned housing project for African American families in the United States during the segregation era.
The name "Parkway Gardens" recalls the original vision of a park-like residential development with green spaces between buildings. Today residents use the courtyards as meeting points where children play and neighbors hold everyday conversations.
Access is controlled through gated entrances, and visitors should arrange contact with residents in advance. The complex provides maintenance services and laundry facilities for residents that operate around the clock.
Michelle Obama, who later became First Lady, lived here during her youth, as did several well-known rappers from Chicago's hip-hop scene. The complex was later added to the National Register of Historic Places, documenting an important chapter in African American housing history.
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