This Chicago Neighborhood With Beaches Is Sadly One To Avoid (Or Explore With Caution)

Chicago, Illinois, is not commonly associated with beaches. However, there are several found on Lake Michigan, including South Shore, located in the Windy City's South Side. The neighborhood — where former first lady Michelle Obama spent her childhood — is home to South Shore Beach at South Shore Cultural Center Park, as well as Rainbow Beach Park. Visitors to these summer hot spots are offered views of the downtown skyline as they splash and play in the chilly waters of Lake Michigan. Still, you might want to explore South Shore with caution, or avoid it entirely. Although Chicago is not America's most dangerous city (that distinction goes to Illinois' East St. Louis), it does have some rough areas.

The South Shore neighborhood, nicknamed Terror Town, is riddled with gun violence, homicides, and robberies, among other offenses. It's all this that has led to it being considered one of the most dangerous in Chicago. CrimeGrade.org gives it a D+, noting the crime rate as 51.59 per 1,000 residents. Additionally, a 2024 PropertyClub report states that there is a one in 13 chance of being a crime victim in South Shore. In a Niche student poll on safety, 44% of 36 responses stated, "There are noticeable safety concerns, and there are times I don't feel safe."

This sentiment is reflected in reviews about South Shore on Niche, written by current residents. "I have lived in this neighborhood for over 20 years. Through my experience over time the neighborhood has declined with violence." Another wrote, "South Shore is an under-resourced community that needs substantial help." However, the city and the neighborhood have made efforts to transform South Shore for the better.

Dating back to 1889, South Shore experienced a period of growth in the '90s (via the Encyclopedia of Chicago). Per the Chicago Tribune, that changed in the 2000s. The publication reports that South Shore and its residents suffered economically, primarily due to the Great Recession. Ultimately, this led to an uptick in crime. Nevertheless, positive progress has been made. In 2018, the Peacekeepers Program was implemented in Chicago. This initiative involves paying locals (some of whom may have previously been involved in crimes) to act as mediators to combat violence within South Shore and other Chicago neighborhoods.

A Peacekeepers Program report published in 2025 by the Institute for Policy Research at Northwestern University concluded that their work led to a 41% decrease in violence in hotspots throughout the city. Note that there is a youth Peacekeepers Program, typically available in the summer, for young adults and teenagers, including those from the South Side. South Shore has also taken matters into its own hands. In 2022, the neighborhood held a peace march to rally against the widespread violence in the area. Likewise, a local group, the Kola Nut Collaborative, frequently hosts peace circles at Mama Africa's Marketplace, a South Shore store that sells cultural products. 

"It's a method to begin building those bonds of connection, community and learning more about one another," explained the Kola Nut Collaborative's Michael Strode to Block Club Chicago. Despite all this, violence has continued in South Shore. In the summer of 2025, a peacekeeper was shot in the neighborhood. In October of that year, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) stormed a South Shore apartment building due to alleged Venezuelan gang activity. 

Even with its infamy, South Shore's natural beauty and underrated Chicago gems like South Shore Cultural Center Park and Rainbow Beach Park make it hard to resist. Take into account that countless reviewers on Google have nothing but positive things to say about South Shore Cultural Center Park, with many describing it as safe. "This is one of the most beautiful places to visit in Chicago," stated one individual. In addition to featuring South Shore Beach, there is a nature sanctuary packed with native plants, wildlife, and trails. The historic site, a country club built in the early 1900s, also has a kid-friendly golf course that's open to the public from spring to fall.

Swimming is only allowed at Chicago beaches in the summer, and during this time of year, the South Shore Social Beach Club — an eatery that offers live music, dance parties, and other events — is open. What's more, Rainbow Beach Park is located less than a 10-minute drive away and has a number of sports courts to enjoy on Lake Michigan's shore. According to Google reviewers, it's clean and full of families in the summer. They add that it's not uncommon for there to be a police presence here.

That said, the general consensus from locals on Reddit and Niche is to be wary of South Shore's 71st street, a known area for criminal activity (in fact, the neighborhood's peace march was held here for this very reason). A Redditor had this to say, too: "Just be aware of [your] surroundings and don't be oblivious and you should be fine." For more stories about crime in the Windy City, read about Chicago's most dangerous train stations and the neighborhood often called the city's "most violent' and unsafe.