South Shore

South Shore, which is on the shore of picturesque Lake Wazzapamani, is home to one of the most famous landmarks in Chicago history: The Palace Hotel and Ballroom. Wait...my mistake. I am once again confusing my love for The Blues Brothers with real life...

Predominantly a middle-class African American community on the city's south side, South Shore was at one time promoted as a vacation spot for wealthy Chicagoans and a destination for the elite. The neighborhood's jewel, the South Shore Cultural Center, was formerly known as the South Shore Country Club, and "had stables, a nine-hole golf course, tennis courts, a bowling green, and a private beach on Lake Michigan." While many of those amenities still exist, the Cultural Center is now a hub of activity for the entire community, offering not only an unmatched setting for a wedding, but "dance programs ranging from steppin to ballet to country-western line-dance, as well as classes in painting, ceramics and cooking, and a variety of productions in its 600-seat Paul Robeson Theatre."