Parkway Garden Homes
Parkway Gardens Apartment Homes, also known as O-Block is a 694-unit privately owned apartment complex located in Greater Grand Crossing area and is on the border of Woodlawn and Washington Park. Chicago's Greater Grand Crossing, Woodlawn, and Washington Park community areas are located on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois. The complex was built from 1950 to 1955; architect Henry K. Holsman, who planned several of Chicago's affordable housing developments, designed the Modernist buildings.
Parkway Gardens Apartment Homes | |
| Location | 6330-6546 S. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Drive, Chicago, Illinois |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 41°46′36″N 87°36′59″W |
| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1950-1955 |
| Architect | Henry K. Holsman |
| Architectural style | Modern |
| NRHP reference No. | 11000848 |
| Added to NRHP | November 22, 2011 |
The apartment complex was the first to be cooperatively owned by Chicago's African-American residents, who experienced a housing shortage during the Second Great Migration due to segregation; early residents included former First Lady Michelle Obama, and more recent inhabitants have included rappers Chief Keef, King Von, and Fredo Santana. Many other notable artists and music producers have come from Parkway Gardens as well.
In recent years, however, the complex has become the center of one of Chicago's most violent blocks. The complex is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.