It’s all in the name: Prairie Shores mixes freewheeling shoreside vibes with a grounded sense of comfort. Stretching from 25th Street to 31st Street, this neighborhood’s ability to fit the best of both worlds in a relatively compact area is helping it to become the next buzzy neighborhood in Chicago. “There’s a lot of positive movement around Prairie Shores,” says Realtor Grigory Pekarsky with Vesta Preferred Realty, which he co-founded in 2009. “You’ve got McCormick Place just to the north of the neighborhood, that’s a big convention center. There are also lots of cool dining options in hotels nearby. It feels like momentum is moving southward from there, toward Prairie Shores.”
The Prairie Shores neighborhood is on the cusp of becoming the next buzzy neighborhood in Chicago.
31st Street Beach is a popular place to gather on warm days in Prairie Shores.
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Condos and town houses with community amenities
Condos and town houses make up a lot of the housing stock in the area. For example, homebuyers can find a one-bedroom condo here for $120,000 – though they may want to keep in mind that the size for these can be in the 500-square-foot range. Amenities in condo complexes tend to include fitness centers and resident lounges. The town houses can often be newer builds from the late 2000s, expressing a modern style of brick and steel. With three bedrooms, three baths, multiple levels and views of the skyline, these properties are geared toward those seeking an upscale experience. Prices start in the low $500,000s.
Newly Constructed low rise condos with green space and attached garages can be found in the Prairie Shores neighborhood.
Townhomes can often be newer builds from the late 2000s, expressing a modern style that gives you an upscale experience in Prairie Shores.
Mid Rise Condo buildings are a common site in the Prairie Shore neighborhood.
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Sports are popular extracurriculars at local schools
For close attention, young learners can attend Drake Elementary: only 260 students in the kindergarten through 8th grade range are enrolled here. The school's key goal is to increase literacy, but extracurriculars include a boxing club and videography club. Students then move up to Dunbar Vocational Career Academy, a high school known for its roster of celebrity alumni, including TV star Mr. T and soul singer Lou Rawls. Sports are also a big focus at Dunbar, with the basketball team winning a regional championship in the 2011-12 season.
John B Drake Elementary School serves students in the Prairie Shore neighborhood.
Dunbar Vocational Career Academy
serves high school students in the Prairie Shore neighborhood.
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Parks fit for roaming and bringing pets
A prime appeal of Prairie Shores is that it’s focused on getting residents outdoors, including with their canine friends in tow. This neighborhood is very pet friendly, with two dog parks are situated next to each other: Wiggly Field and Prairie Paws. There are parks for humans, too, of course. At nearly 22 acres, Dunbar Park allows plenty of room to roam around. It contains four baseball fields, tennis courts, batting cages and a running track. For that refreshing lakefront experience, residents can walk the trails along the 31st Street Beach or simply throw down a blanket and bask in views of the skyline. The 8-acre Lake Meadows Park is another grassy stretch. Residents can stroll under the big shade trees or join a game of basketball.
Prairie District park is just north of Prairie Shores and has a dog park open to all.
31st Street Beach in Prairie Shores has a pier you can jump off of to cool off on hot days.
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Easy errands and sophisticated dining
A walk across Lake Meadows Park leads to the appropriately named Lake Meadows Shopping Center, where Jewel-Osco offers ingredients for dinner. For a memorable dining experience, there’s the Moody Tongue. Inside is a sophisticated setting of marble, leather and dark wood. The restaurant brews its own beers in house, which are then recommended as accompaniments to various dishes like caviar, seared scallops and steak. But it’s not exactly a cold white tablecloth experience: patrons will be seen snuggling up to the fireplace, surrounded by hardbound books.
Located within the Lake Meadows Shopping Center in Prairie Shores, Jewel has all of your grocery needs.
Jewel-Osco is located in Prairie Shores and is available for your daily grocery needs.
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Alternative modes of transportation are embraced
Abundant sidewalks and shade trees make Prairie Shores a pedestrian friendly neighborhood. Buses run in both directions on Martin Luther King Drive, a main thoroughfare on the neighborhood’s west end. On the north side, residents have immediate access to Interstate 55 – they can merge from here onto the famous Lake Shore Drive and explore all that Chicago has to offer. Commuters can jump on the Metra train at the 27th Street station.
The CTA bus has numerous stops on Martin Luther King Drive in Prairie Shores.
Prairie Shores commuters can jump on the Metra train at the 27th Street station.
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Written By
Paul Spencer
Video By
Luke Basinger
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Schools
Source:
GreatSchools:
The GreatSchools Rating helps parents compare schools within a state based on a variety of school quality indicators and provides a helpful picture of how effectively each school serves all of its students. Ratings are on a scale of 1 (below average) to 10 (above average) and can include test scores, college readiness, academic progress, advanced courses, equity, discipline and attendance data. We also advise parents to visit schools, consider other information on school performance and programs, and consider family needs as part of the school selection process.
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Prairie Shores offers renovated or classic studio, one, two, or three bedroom, pet-friendly apartments with spacious layouts and expansive closets. Community amenities like a fitness center and dog play park offer daily conveniences, while brand-new amenities designed to encourage connection and community are underway. Located on 20 acres of tranquil green space alongside Lake Michigan, residents
Interested in learning more about homes in this neighborhood?
Reach out to
Stacie McGlone,
an experienced agent in this area.
Average Home Value
Source: Public Records
Property Mix - Square Feet
This Neighborhood Has More Renters
Demographics
Total Population
2,474
Median Age
33
Population Density
14 ppl/acre
Population under 18
14.6%
Below the national average
23.8%
Population over 65
11.9%
Below the national average
19.1%
Finances
Median Household Income
$55,510
Significantly below the national average
$71,702
Average Household Income
$64,383
Education and Workforce
High School Graduates
100%
College Graduates
74.7%
Significantly above the national average
34.1%
Advanced Degrees
42.6%
Significantly above the national average
13.3%
% Population in Labor Force
64.2%
Weather
Annual Precipitation
34''
Average Winter Low Temperature
20°F
Average Summer High Temperature
84°F
Annual Snowfall
40''
Area Factors
Very Bikeable
Bike Score®
79/ 100
Car-Dependent
Walk Score®
18/ 100
Good Transit
Transit Score®
61/ 100
Source: Walk Score
Source: Walk Score
Sound Score® measures the noise level of any address. Transit Score® measures access to public transit. Bike Score® measures the bikeability of any address.
Disclaimer: Certain information contained herein is derived from information provided by parties other than Homes.com. Our sources include: Accuweather, Public Records and Neustar. All information provided is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed to be accurate and should be independently verified.
