I actually did a driving tour of the far South Side once, looking for the former haunts of Richard Speck and the ruins of American industry. I had read that years ago that there were alot of bars and rooming houses that catered to sailors on the Far South Side, particularly near the harbor. That world is apparently all gone, as the only bar I passed had its windows boarded up.
I never got to see Vrodolyack's house, but did see that trailer park in your nabe. I also got to prove to my friend that Chicago did indeed have an East Side.
Hegewisch used to be solidly Conservative. What happened?
I think we tend to relate more to Indiana. And I’m always surprised that so many people know of Hegewisch’s existence. Before I moved here, the only way I knew about it was because there used to be a “Carl from Hegewisch” who was a regular caller on WLS. A real character.
I like it. You’re right, a lot of the more colorful aspects of it are gone; but it reminds me more of a small town than a city neighborhood, and I like the gritty, blue-collar character of it.
The trailer park is pretty much gone. The city and a developer got together to plan the construction of $400K houses in a swamp, and the trailers had to go. They were hauling dirt in there all summer, but not much has happened lately.
Vrdolyak’s house is, I believe, around 114th and Ewing. You can’t miss it.