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Photo: MrHarman, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Were it not for the somber atmosphere, Oak Woods would probably be one of Chicago's favorite parks as it is beautifully laid out and has four attractive elongated ponds. The cemetery is the final resting place of many of the South Side's most famous residents, including Olympian runner Jesse Owens, nuclear physicist Enrico Fermi, civil rights leader Ida B. Wells, Mayor William Hale Thompson (perhaps Chicago's most eccentric leader), and the first black mayor of Chicago, Harold Washington Jr. One of the more striking monuments is the memorial to the overwhelming 6,000 Confederate prisoners of war who died at Camp Douglas (on the site of the present day Illinois Institute of Technology in Bronzeville). The mayors' graves are located along the northwest shore of the largest lake (Symphony Lake). If Illinois' ugly political world interests you, you can find "Senator" Roland Burris' ostentatious monument/grave prepared in advance, with a list of his "achievements."
Oak Woods Cemetery is a large lawn cemetery in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Located at 1035 E. 67th Street, it is in the Greater Grand Crossing area of Chicago's South Side. Established 173 years ago on February 12, 1853, it covers 183 acres (74 ha).
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A community center housing one top-notch African-American theater company, which puts on an extraordinary number of plays, nearly all of them world premieres. The theater is very nice and the community center includes two art galleries featuring mostly local African-American artists. Live music on Music Mondays (second Monday of the month).
Muntu is an innovative and highly acclaimed Chicago dance company, which performs energetic interpretations of African and African-American dances and music. This location, their headquarters, is comprised of offices and a stage, although they regularly travel around Chicago's performance venues.
Old Avalon Theater
Built in 1927 as one of the South Side's most impressive movie palaces, done up in ornate Moorish Revival style, this theater was in operation well past the riots and up into the late 1970s. Since then, the theater has served as a church, and then a performance venue, before finally shuttering its doors in 2003. In 2008, however, the building caught a glimmer of new hope with a purchase by new owners hoping to turn the building into a new cultural venue. The idea hasn't quite taken hold yet, but there is reason to feel optimistic about this Chicago Landmark's long-term future. If you are not getting in for an event in the meantime (and believe it, the interior is in fabulous shape and incredibly beautiful), check out the cool mural on the side and ponder the building's incredible musical history; the venue's performers truly include every single world class blues, jazz, rhythm & blues, funk, and soul musician you can think of: John Coltrane, Count Basie, Nat King Cole, Sammy Davis Jr, Earth Wind & Fire, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, the Supremes, Gladys Knight, the Isley Brothers, Billie Holiday, Isaac Hayes, B.B. King, Miles Davis, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, and so on.
Nine holes of golf maintained (somewhat) by the Chicago Park Administration. Great skyline views over Lake Michigan from the course.
SSCC
An enormous South Side landmark, which once served as the private golf clubhouse — closed to African-Americans. Times have changed. The country club went bankrupt, and the golf course and tremendous building were bought by the Chicago Park District, and then converted into a beautiful and extravagant community center with large chandeliers and floor to ceiling windows. The SSCC hosts plays, live music, and dance performances. It's no stranger to fame, having hosted the wedding receptions of countless South Side notables, including the Obamas; the exterior also served as the "Palace Hotel Ballroom" for the Blues Brothers' big gig.
Ok, this place is cool. A roller rink oozing with South Side character and home to not a few serious skaters who flaunt their moves to smooth R&B and old school. It has shown up a bit in pop culture, from the movies "Soul Food" and "Roll Bounce" to several nationally-aired music videos. If you are intimidated by the pros on the rink but want to check the place out, there are also arcade games and pool/ping-pong tables. It is open to different age groups at different times, so make sure to double-check the hours before coming here.