Mr. ObamaRogers' Neighborhood

Mr. ObamaRogers' Neighborhood- I had a foggy dream last night of Mr. ObamaRogers and King Friday (maybe he was the 13th) as President and Vice President. VP King Friday just shook his head violently, yes-no, yes-no, yes-no and then clapped ferociously. He never spoke a word however, kinda like Dick Cheney in a way. President, Mr. ObamaRogers began taking his red sweater with the Lacoste® Alligator and Presidential Seal off the hangar as I realized that the dream view of him had only been of his back. And as he turned and faced the dreaming me, now with his red sweater on, I recognized the ultra liberal dude, hipster Barack Obama and this was his Hood…neighbor! But VP King Friday blew my mind, I thought he looked like a half-white, half-black country singer Kenny Rogers with a Cracker Jacks® gold crown. Roy Rogers and Ginger Rogers were working on my next dream script while Will Rogers kept repeating like a broken record, “I Never Met I Man I Didn’t Like…..I Never Met A Man I Didn’t Like….I Never!” I’m sure Buck Rogers was zooming through my cerebral cortex preparing to tell me why the 25th century world will be in black & white? But President Mr. ObamaRogers already knew the answer! Meantime the Rogers’ clan were taking over my dream world with a giant black & white heart-pillow with TV lettering that read “I Love Lucid” by DesiLu! Then claraudiently as the heart-pillow melted away. Fred McFeely Rogers sang, “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?”

I woke up scratching my head, must have missed Buck but got Barack instead! Welcome to Mr. Barack Obama’s neighborhood! And they are on the Chicago south shore, the southeast side. The neighborhoods of Hyde Park and Kenwood are some of the most historic areas in the city. Hyde Park is located immediately adjacent to Lake Michigan with beaches, parks, Frank Lloyd Wright mansions, Universities campuses and museums. Seven miles south of Chicago’s Loop, Kenwood, next door to Hyde Park, is where Obama lives with his family. Hyde Park too is where his wife Michele works at the University of Chicago Hospital. The Chicago “Loop”, the central business section of the city of Chicago and the various government building are located. The Loop refers to the elevated commuter rail system that forms an actual loop with the train track’s path high above the city streets. The term “L” is an abbreviation for the Elevated and subway rail system. Obama worked in various Loop law firms in his past. Barack, it has been reported, that now his national presidential campaign headquarters and offices are located in, not the Loop, but on North Michigan Avenue, the “Magnificent Mile”, Chicago’s Gold Coast.

Hyde Park Chicago’s demographics is White 43.5%, Black 37.7%, Hispanic 4.11%, Asian 11.3%, Other 3.39%. Population is 30,000 and the median household income is $50,000, established in 2000 census. Hyde Park and Kenwood Community are both a very cultured neighborhood, both with a major area of higher learning, and including The Museum of Science and Industry, the Oriental Institute, the University of Chicago, the DuSable Museum of African American History and Frank Lloyd Wright’s “Robie House” and “Heller House” plus the now demolished “Midway Gardens.” The Kenwood Community of Chicago, which is next to Hyde Park and contains Obama’s mansion that he purchased in 2005, also has the most mansions of any area of the city. Here a good many demolished and some still existing Frank Lloyd Wright structures. And they are; “All Soul's Church”, The first building that Frank Lloyd Wright worked on in Chicago, “The Bootleg Houses,” “The McArthur House,” “The Blossom House,” The now demolished Wright influenced, “Transportation Pavilion at The Columbian Exposition.”

……..more Mr. ObamaRogers Neighborhood info.

Kenwood’s demographics are; Population 18,900, Black 75.7%, White 15.9%, Hispanic 1.64%, Asian 4.27%, Other 2.52%.

Notable Hyde Park & Kenwood residents have included:

* Elijah Muhammad

* Muhammad Ali

* Saul Bellow

* Clarence Darrow

* Bernardine Dohrn

* Marshall Field

* Hugh Hefner

* Mahalia Jackson

* Swami Vivekananda

* Sister Toldja

* Harold Washington

* Jody Watley

* Gilbert F. White

* Jay Noel Yuenger of White Zombie

* Louis Farrakhan

* Eugene Fama

* Barack Obama

∑ Enrico Fermi

* Leopold and Loeb

Barack Obama’s stomping grounds in Chicago.

MacArthur’s Restaurant, 5412 W. Madison Street. Barack’s favorite meal here is “Turkey Legs” and this is one of his fav restaurants too.

The East Bank Club, 500 N. Kingsbury St. @ the east bank of the Chicago River in the toney River North area. An upscale and hip health club where he works out playing tennis, shoots hoops and rubs shoulders with “Da Mare,” Richard Daley and Jesse Jackson.

Obama’s Mansion, 5046 S. Greenwood Avenue. In the Kenwood neighborhood. The controversial property he purchased and still lives in, for only $1.65 million in 2005. This house, on the same day he purchased it, the now convicted, Tony Rezko, the real estate investor and heavy financial contributor to Obama’s campaign’s wife, bought an adjoining empty lot. Then they sold to the Obamas, a 10-foot-wide strip of land that increased the value of their property and decreased the attractiveness of Rita Rezko’s own land for development. Legal or illegal is still a big question mark. Obama has since regretted any “sweet deal” or impropriety with the Rezko’s. However, “It's Easier to Ask Forgiveness Than to Get Permission!”- Isn’t it Senator Obama?

233 N. Michigan Avenue- 11th floor- 33,000 sq. ft. The National Headquarters of the Obama presidential campaign.

Starbucks

1301 E 53rd St. Chicago, IL, 60615

Medici Bakery and "new" restaurant next door.

1327 E 57th St, Chicago

51400 E. 53rd Street - Empty storefront now, was a Baskin-Robbins ice cream shop where Barack and Michele’s first date and first kiss happened while sitting on the curb in the summer of ’89.

1989- Chase Tower, 10 S. Dearborn St. a 60-story skyscraper formerly called One First National Plaza. Where Michele and Barack first met. At the law firm of Sidley & Austin were they had a summer internship.

The Law Offices of Miner Barnhill & Galland, at 14 W. Erie St. After graduating magna cum laude from Harvard Law School in 1991. He first met the now convicted developer, Tony Rezko at this time while employed here.

1990- Three First National Plaza, a 57-story building at 70 W. Madison St. Where he had another summer association for the Hopkins & Sutter law firm.

Holy Family Catholic Church rectory, 351 E. 113th St. in the historic Pullman neighborhood. In the late ‘80’s where the Development Communities Improvement Project began from a 2-room bungalow with 3 others.

Palmer Park at 113th Street and King Drive, because the room was so tight at the rectory that Obama and another staffer would often walk through the park here to discuss strategy.

McDonald’s at 600 E. 115th St. 2 or more times a week Obama would hold meeting with the other organizers and activists.

5429 S. Harper Ave, Hyde Park, a three-story building. His first apartment (1-S) after college. His landlord remembers Obama as a pleasing tenant whose mother came once for a visit.

5450 S. East View Park, Unit # 1. His first owned condo where he lived. This complex had 110 units in 11 buildings, built in the 1920’s and now rehabbed.

University of Chicago Law School, 1111 E. 63rd St.- Obama taught here from 1993 – 2003 in the Harry A. Bigelow Lecture Hall.

The outdoor basketball courts at Hayes Drive and South Lake Shore drive. Where Obama and his brother-in-law, Craig Robinson have played. Craig is now the head coach at Oregon State University and former head coach at Brown University.

1464 E. 53rd St. was the location of the Hyde Park Hair Salon and Barber Shop where Barack went for hair cuts for the past 20 years. The shop has since moved to 5234 S. Blackstone Ave. Probably due to increase of business created by the Obama buzz!

Trinity Unity Church of Christ, 400 W. 95th St. Obama’s former church for two decades. He left after controversy concerning videos with inflammatory rhetoric by the pastor, Jeremiah Wright and visiting Roman Catholic Priest, Rev. Michael Pfleger. Who is pastor of a nearby Catholic parish.

532 W. 95th St. the first location of the Trinity Unity Church of Christ when Obama became a member. And he and Michele were married.

South Shore Cultural Center, the former South Shore Country Club, 7059 S. South Shore Drive. The Obamas had their wedding reception here. Obama’s half-sister, Maya Kassandra Soetoro was a bridesmaid at the wedding.

Illinois State Senate 1996-2004 - Springfield, IL.

United States Senate from Illinois 2004-2008-?

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