5029 S Dorchester, Cook, 60615

n the center of Hyde Park/Kenwood, close to everything that makes this neighborhood such a great place to call home is this lovely Victorian greystone. This home has been lovingly cared for: the woodwork has been stripped and re-finished throughout the first floor. Hardwood floors extend throughout the entire home including the staircases. The master bath has a huge whirlpool tub and a separate shower stall. The bathrooms in the 2nd and 3rd floors have tub/showers and the basement bath has a shower stall. You don’t have to be an academic to appreciate all of the installed bookshelves found in many rooms including the living room. The kitchen has a stainless steel refrigerator, gas oven/range, and dishwasher. There is also a microwave oven and disposal. Black granite counters top maple cabinets. The large peninsula accommodates stools for eating at the bar. The laundry room in the basement has full size washer and dryer. Underneath the family room is extra unheated storage. There is plenty of room for a large household with 6 bedrooms and 4 baths. The walk-out basement has a large family room, a full bath and the 6th bedroom for extra privacy. On the main floor, the space is wide open, including the double parlor, kitchen and family room in the back which opens out to the back deck and yard. While being spacious, it is a very manageable size within the neighborhood. Kenwood was built at the turn of the century with huge mansions on equally huge lots by the richest people in Chicago at that time. This is one of a row of homes built at the end of the 19th century. All around it, new commercial development is exploding. The shopping center at the corner of Hyde Park Blvd. and Lake Park Ave. is soon to be completed as a major shopping/entertainment center with Whole Foods as its anchor in a Jeannie Gang designed complex. A movie theater opened on 53rd Street earlier this year, following a Five Guys, an Akira and a Clarke’s—the only 24-hour diner for miles. 53rd Street now has a Hyatt Place Hotel, a concert venue and a new University of Chicago office building as well. There is also a state of the art LA fitness center /health club in the development. Other retailers and restaurateurs include Park Tavern, Ja’ Grill, Starbucks and Chipotle. The Promontory, a new music venue and restaurant opened in the former Borders building. Bruce Finkelman, who operates Empty Bottle, Bite Café and Beauty Bar, among other nightlife venues, partnered with Craig Golden, of Evanston’s Space and Union Pizza to bring chef Jared Wentworth to Hyde Park. Also winning rave reviews are A10 and Yusho. On the corner of 47th and Cottage Grove, just a few blocks to the west, there has just opened a major multilevel shopping/residential development. The $46 million complex is anchored by a 41,000-square-foot Wal-Mart “Neighborhood Market” store that focuses mostly on groceries. The development also will include 96 rental apartments and 14,000-additional square feet of commercial space, in addition to the Wal-Mart store, which has a 20-year lease for its location. At the corner of 47th and Lake Park, the existing shopping center with a Walgreens, Citibank and the newest outpost of the beloved Original Pancake House has welcomed a brand new Ross store this fall. There are other stores in this center as well. It’s an easy walk or roll to the shopping, restaurants and transportation. The Hyde Park buses to the Loop and to the University of Chicago stop right at the corner. The Metra train stop is just a few blocks away. Altogether, it’s a lovely spot to call home.