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Riverdale (Altgeld Gardens)
Boundaries and Major Infrastructure
- There is one major neighborhood in the community area Chicago officially refers to as Riverdale. It is comprised of public housing (The Altgeld-Murray Homes), a renter's community and a homeowners community. However, residents of the area consider this to be one cohesive neighborhood with a long history of residence united by networks of family and friends.
- Click on the map to explore the Altgeld neighborhood.
- The official boundaries of the Riverdale Community Area are 115th Street, the Bishop Ford Expressway, 138th Street and the I.C. Railroad. Its southern border meets with the town of Dolton and Riverdale, therefore, this community area is rarely referred to by its official name.
Biodiversity
- The Beaubien Forest Preserve, a popular fishing spot for the region, is in the community's southeast corner. Residents also enjoy watching deer in the preserve.
- Several old-growth oak trees cover parts of the Beaubien Woods Forest Preserve.
Important Facts
- The area between 134th street and the Calumet River was an important stop on the Underground Railroad. The Chicago/Calumet Underground Railroad Effort (C/CURE) is working to develop the 'Jon Ton Farm' as an educational facility, and to place markers at other sites on the South Side of Chicago.
- More than half of the area making up Riverdale is occupied by a sewage treatment plant (Calumet Reclamation District), rail-yards and industry.
- The Altgeld-Murray Homes will be rehabbed (2003-04) and will become mixed-income housing. Each building will be gutted and a new interior installed. The Local Advisory Council is working with developers on the rehab.
Contemporary Demographics
2000 Total Population: 9809
The Altgeld Gardens community has been predominately African American since the building of the public housing in the 1940's. According to the 2000 Census, it is now 97% African American. The majority of residents are renters. The median Household Income for the 2486 renting households in the neighborhood was $11,066 in 2000. Three-hundred and eighty two owner occupied households were counted, with a median household income of $39,850.
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