Southside (East Chicago) Explained

Southside
Settlement Type:Neighborhood
Coordinates:41.625°N -87.4808°W
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Type1:State
Subdivision Type2:County
Subdivision Type3:City
Subdivision Name2:Lake County
Subdivision Name3:East Chicago
Unit Pref:Metric
Area Footnotes:[1]
Area Total Km2:1.0
Population Total:6210
Population As Of:2013
Population Density Km2:auto
Timezone1:CST
Utc Offset1:-6
Timezone1 Dst:CDT
Utc Offset1 Dst:-5
Postal Code Type:ZIP code
Postal Code:46312
Area Code:219

Southside or South Side is a neighborhood in western East Chicago, Indiana. Together with Northside and Roxana, it makes up "East Chicago proper," as distinct from Indiana Harbor. The population is 64% Hispanic and 25% African American.[1] The neighborhood is home to 20% of East Chicago's population.[1] The neighborhood is dominated by residential properties, with relatively few institutional buildings.[1]

Southside is bounded on the north by the commercial corridor along Chicago Avenue (Indiana State Road 312), and on the south by the Grand Calumet River.[1] To the east, the residential area is bounded by Indianapolis Boulevard; beyond that lies the industrial district along the Indiana Harbor and Ship Canal. To the west, Southside adjoins North Hammond.

Southside was the site of the very first home built in East Chicago, that of William H. Penman (later East Chicago's first mayor), built in 1888. Most of the residential development in East Chicago's first decades, prior to the 20th century, took place in this neighborhood.[2]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Northwest Indiana Regional Planning Commission. 2017-11-14. 68-70. Creating Livable Communities. 2013.
  2. "Beautiful New Homes": The Development of Middle-Class Housing in the Industrial Suburb of East Chicago, Indiana . Tamsen Song Anderson. 2013. Indiana Magazine of History. 109. 3. 185-223.