[Southside_Chicago_Republican]

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.

[Clemenza]

We have places like Hegewich in the urban northeast (Bayonne, NJ and the island community of Broad Channel in Queens come to mind). Nobody knows such places exist unless they live there.

In many ways, it beats the strip mall that is the Loop.