Barack Obama's House - Kenwood - Chicago
This is Pres. Obama's house, now protected by the U.S. Secret Service, but not when this was taken on April 15, 2007. (Our tour of the Kenwood neighborhood actually began on the sidewalk in front of the house so we could get a better look at the synagogue across the street. ) Im sure you can't park your mini-Cooper there today!
I had predicted that the Obamas were likely to sell this place after moving to Washington. The president initially said that he expected to visit home about ever six weeks or so. This place is nice, but I guess it's nothing compared to Camp David. I still say they sell....it's not like they are ever going to return to Chicago to live...
The lot on the left is the subject of the "Rezko" deal. Tony Rezko bought the lot for the asking price, and the Obamas got $300,000 off the asking price. Rezko was recently found guilty of "influence peddling" related charges in the federal court in Chicago. Obama was able to successfully disassociate himself from Mr. Rezko, so that this house deal never became much of an issue. Rezko was ultimately convicted and sentenced to 10 1/2 years in prison: www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-rezko-sentencing...
Once Barack became the Democrat nominee, the Secret Service substantially tightened security on the street, and even more once he was elected president.
UPDATE: Does this look familiar? Maybe you've seen this in a John McCain commercial? Me too! flickr.com/photos/mss2400/2792584058/
Wanna see the neighborhood? Check out this group of other photos from my Kenwood tour: www.flickr.com/photos/mss2400/sets/72157600085923943/
Comments and faves
12th St David, Amateur critic, Carolina Gyrl, flickr-member, and 18 other people added this photo to their favorites.
Gear+Head (63 months ago | reply)
Interesting !
Dr.Flemming (59 months ago | reply)
Cool photo! But saying Senator Obama's roots in Chicago aren't deep??! His political career started on the south side. He taught at the University of Chicago law school for over 12 years and was involved with a civil rights group on the south side for 11 years! And his wife works for the U of C...I would say that's pretty rooted pretty deep!
Mark 2400 (59 months ago | reply)
You may be right, Dr. Flemming. Perhaps I am comparing them too much to the Clintons, who bailed out of Arkansas for good once Bill became president.
EDdetroit (58 months ago | reply)
Nice picture of Barack Obama's house but he'll be moving out in January.
tim-johnson (58 months ago | reply)
If only the walls could talk. Thanks for sharing this Mark.
--
http://marklevinshow.com/ (?)
brianfredock (57 months ago | reply)
And to think Mr. Obama says that John McCain is out of touch with the middle class. I read he bought the house for nearly $1.65 million. At last look, middle class people made on average $100,000 and could not afford to own a home such as this one. If Mr. Obama purchased the home with 20% equity, his mortgage payment woud be over $7700 a month! That's $92,400 a year, almost what the average middle class American makes. How can Barack Obama tell me he "gets it" when he talks about how I live and the day to day struggles of my life.
justerikakane (57 months ago | reply)
but john mccain, who can't even remember how many houses he owns, gets the middle class struggle? when's the last time john mccain had to worry about a mortgage payment? i guess since middle class Americans are all hoping to marry an heir[ess] and not have to worry about paying bills, Americans relate to his "story." it's like showing them that dreams truly come true. LOL.
am i hallucinating? i mean, come on.. i'm not even supporting a party yet and i still see through that.
cjmarbutt (56 months ago | reply)
One of McCain's former homes:
realestate.yahoo.com/Arizona/Phoenix/Homes_fo r_sale/b726c...
bambieyes6 (56 months ago | reply)
Brianfredock, Barack has openly talked about his meager beginnings as a child being raised by a single mother on welfare. He knows sacrifice first hand and no matter how rich he is now he still exudes the humility and character instilled in him as a child. Just because you have a fine house with cars to match it doesn't mean you don't notice the house with the roof caving in or the long lines at a soup kitchen. McCain on the other hand can't relate to anyone who isn't in his immediate circle and that's just plain sad if you ask me.
psoreilly (56 months ago | reply)
Single mother on welfare... I love this bullshit. The only thing I could find about barrack's mom on welfare was that she was getting some foodstamps while she was getting her doctorate and Obama was being sent to the finest prep school by his rich grandmother who was vice president of a Bank. He knows sacrifice alright, how to sacrifice the truth to become another sham of a president.
Gear+Head (56 months ago | reply)
Look at the number of "hits" on this photo !
anti-globalism (56 months ago | reply)
John McCain married a rich woman, and they together own eight homes as investments.
A comparison of wealth and scandals:
www.corrupt.org/news/will_the_uncorruptible_c andidates_st...
Barack Obama pretends to be a man of the people, but is in fact a babied elite among the liberal elites because not only is he a good liberal, but he's a black man who acts white.
jnwlkr (55 months ago | reply)
Yes beautiful house! Just a shame about his poor blood relatives - a brother in Kenya living in a shack, an Aunt in Boston living in a dump and his poor grandmother with osteoarthritis living in a high rise apt in Hawaii and I think his sister living in the same block of flats too. This is a man who will be in charge of our finances!!!!
zjohnlu (55 months ago | reply)
I immediately recognized this house when an old friend emailed me this picture today. My friend (and another one) were going to the U of Chicago and rented a room in this house when it was owned by a Chinese American physician more than 20 years ago (whom I know also). I even took my youngest daughter this summer to see this house, although at the time I had no idea that it belongs to our future president (God willing)!
Go Obama!
habsburg06 (55 months ago | reply)
Wow ! What a lovely estate ! A big fave !
lovenefertity (55 months ago | reply)
People, people, please! Obama is a lawyer!! the wife is a lawyer too!!
so they can afford a nice home! if you go to school for years to educate yourself, why not enjoy life after???nothing wrong with that!
dont be jealous.....just go to school to be a lawyer, a doctor,........OR THE NEXT PRESIDENT then you can afford expensive things........Education is the KEY
bravedeer (55 months ago | reply)
Who's Senator Obama? You mean President Obama? :D
Mark 2400 (55 months ago | reply)
Lovene, I'm a laywer too, and I sure can't afford a house like that. Actually, before Barack became Senator, he couldn't either.
habsburg06 (55 months ago | reply)
Lovene, what a nonsense. Nobody is jealous of President Obama. I am a political scientist (my father is a doctor) and I have a very good earning !
I admire Obama for his achievements ! And I wish him all the very best !
bravedeer (55 months ago | reply)
Actually, Obama made most of his money from his books. A senator gets paid less than 200k/year.
What is this silliness about being out of touch because he's rich? Yeah, he's rich but he wasn't always rich. What's wrong with becoming rich?
Mark 2400 (55 months ago | reply)
That's right Bravedeer, but nobody wanted to buy his books when he was only a State Senator. People forget too that Michelle got a cushy promotion after Barack elected US Senator.
I generally stayed quiet here during the campaign, and let others argue about this....I didn't vote for Barack (one of many millions of Americans that did not vote for him) but the campaign is over and he now deserves our respect, and at least initally, the support of all Americans.
tlouallen50 (55 months ago | reply)
I think the man deserve the house. Do not hate on him because he went to college, received a degree, and set high goals. He have made great accomplishments. He is a great example of God blessing a righteous person!!!!!!
upperlevel67 (55 months ago | reply)
Why is everyone complaining? If you dream, you can get it. It takes planning and staying on top of your game with your goals. We all should embrace that idea. After all, this is America...land of opportunity.
Go President-Elect Obama!!!! I know what you said and done is often true because I have also accomplished a lot of my dreams. Keep inspiring America.
Mrs.Adebayo (53 months ago | reply)
In the late 60s early 70s this house was the home of our small Lutheran church.It was a source of community outreach and activism.The rent was paid by the offerings of a congregation that was less than 100 people.It is the border between Kenwood and Hyde Park.The neighborhood was not upscale at the time.I think its appropriate that the Obamas lived there,though I doubt they knew the history of their home.
Brule Laker (53 months ago | reply)
I'm a little late to this discussion, having photographed the house from across Hyde Park Blvd. shortly before the election.
My cousin is a physician and the U of C Hospitals and knows Michelle Obama. I hardly think she had a "cushy" job. She was well-paid and has been a successful attorney, so given that the house is in Kenwood and not Lincoln Park, they could reasonably afford it. They purchased it from a doctor at the hospital who quit in a huff over something to do with his wife not getting a promotion or something and moved out of town.
Fromageball (53 months ago | reply)
Beautiful house! and to the complainers: hopefully you realize that Barack has also written some books, and Michelle was a high-powered lawyer, they have both worked very hard, I don't think they need to apologize to anyone for their successes.
GO_TO_2040 (52 months ago | reply)
Hi, I'm an admin for a group called Explore Northeastern Illinois, and we'd love to have this added to the group!
Feel free to add other photos that explore northeastern Illinois. Along the way, check out who we are and what we do at cmap.illinois.gov and www.goto2040.org.
conimarie1961 (52 months ago | reply)
What a nice photo of President Obama's home!!! Wow, those who oppose him sure love looking at photo's of his beautiful home!!!
Gavin Sullivan (48 months ago | reply)
I saw Obama's house earlier today, and there is a very strong security presence. Nobody is allowed to drive or walk on the street in front of the house, but due to the house's location on a corner you still can see it from the side.
Oteah-bull (48 months ago | reply)
OBAMA and his wife deserve this beautiful house. I just wish they would have stayed there. He will mess this country up so bad It may never come out of it. HE IS A SOCIALIST. If he appoints one more Czar I will puke.
tim-johnson (48 months ago | reply)
I have already puked...
astouka (47 months ago | reply)
une très belle maison. Jaimerais jeter un coup d'oeil à l'intérieur
est ce possible ?
Mark 2400 (47 months ago | reply)
Google translation of the above comment:
a beautiful home. I would like to take a look within
is it possible
Mark 2400 (41 months ago | reply)
From the Tribune:
Shortly after the inauguration last January, the Obama family returned to their Kenwood home for a long Valentine's weekend. The family hasn't been back since, though the president returned to Chicago in June to speak at a medical conference and in July for a political fundraiser. On neither occasion did he stay the night.
www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chicago/ct- met-chicago-...
chez.petrus (38 months ago | reply)
He actually stayed in his house overnight - twice after he got elected and moved to the White house, contrary to what you said. In February, they dined at Table 52 in Hyde Park and in June, he stayed maybe to look into a water leak from a third floor bathroom pipe that leaked all the way down to the first floor. This is an inside story of course!
Cragin Spring (31 months ago | reply)
Nice photo, nice history.
tracy smith2 (25 months ago | reply)
NIce shot.i think Pres.Obama and his family will no longer stay on that house anymore.But maybe he sometimes come to visit because as what they've said there no good place than home.
I wish i could visit that place if given a change im from apts california
smaginnis11565 (22 months ago | reply)
I'm glad we have an urban President who appreciates the value of city life. To think that one day this will become the Barack Obama National Historic Site! :-)
mitchellbrown228 (19 months ago | reply)
Mark2400, be a better lawyer, or write a best-selling book. I have a feeling that had not Obama written the book that sold millions of copies he wouldn't be living in this nice house. I do love how folks never stop hurling the epithet of "socialist" at this president. Hmmmm. Let see...he kept Sec. Def. Robert Gates, Republican't - never (Read: NEVER) has this happened before that a president of a differing party has maintained a Secretary of Defense from another party. (begin intellectual calisthenics to "explain" this one) He's maintained Robert Mueller, a Republican't appointee that most observers agree is a fine public servant. He appointed Ray LaHood, a Republican't to the post of Secretary of Transportation. He appointed John Huntsman, Republican't as ambassador to China (Read: CHINA! - a major player, not New Zealand or Lichtenstein) so it wasn't to get him out of the way. Yep. It sure looks to me and any rational observer Obama is a rabid partisan political hack...and probably a Socialist to boot (to say nothing of Mooslim pretender from Kenya. Or is it Indonesia? My tin foil hat is cutting off the blood flow to my head.
robspost (13 months ago | reply)
"bambieyes6 (43 months ago | reply)
Brianfredock, Barack has openly talked about his meager beginnings as a child being raised by a single mother on welfare. He knows sacrifice first hand and no matter how rich he is now he still exudes the humility and character instilled in him as a child. Just because you have a fine house with cars to match it doesn't mean you don't notice the house with the roof caving in or the long lines at a soup kitchen. McCain on the other hand can't relate to anyone who isn't in his immediate circle and that's just plain sad if you ask me."
That's not the only thing that is just plain sad, I'm sorry but your politicisation of this photo website is nothing short of pathetic! That is complete patently false information about how President Obama came up and if that's in fact what you heard him say then he was not telling the truth.
TheBlackRabbit (12 months ago | reply)
Very nice. I love brick homes.
dprasad_001 (11 months ago | reply)
amaging house i love it realy one day i meet barak obama in his house god bles y nd tc..... thanks & regards dwarika prasad india +91 09675827877
wilmaobama (7 months ago | reply)
WOW what a nice house. What a beautiful house you have. Barck can I have this house? I'd like to see the inside of it. I want a personal tour. Is it paid for yet? Am I asking too many questions?
wilmaobama (7 months ago | reply)
I'm gonna stay in your house since I don't have one. I don't have a job, housing, health insurence, nothing. I been writing you about this problem for four years now. I don't have a place to stay so I'm staying in yours. This some bull .
smaginnis11565 (7 months ago | reply)
Wilma, did you get to stay in George Bush, Sr.'s hotel room in Houston in the eighties? You know, the address he claimed as his residence when he was first Vice President, then President? :-D