South Siders Resigned To Idea Obama Family May Not Return
(CBS) – From the White House back to Kenwood for the first family, right?
Not so fast. The website Politico suggests the Obamas could be headed to New York City.
CBS 2's Dorothy Tucker finds a mix of understanding and disappointment on Chicago's South Side.
"What can we do without Barack in Hyde Park? He defines our neighborhood," Kathy Banks says.
So, for some, the news of Obama not returning to their neighborhood and instead considering a permanent move to New York city to establish a foundation is a difficult pill to swallow.
The connection to Hyde Park is strong. It was home for 20 years before Obama became the nation's first African-American president, a distinction that not only brought international recognition to the community but an economic boom.
Tourists come by the busload to see the chair in the barber shop where Obama used to get his hair cut.
Or they go to Valois, where the president visited just two weeks ago and dined on his favorite breakfast meal, which are featured items on the menu.
Gabriel Piemonte is the editor of the community newspaper, Hyde Park Herald, which is down the street from the President's Chicago home. The home is guarded by the Secret Service, with both Chicago Police and University of Chicago police are on constant patrol in the neighborhood.
Ward Ald. Will Burns is among the Hyde Park residents willing to accept that Obama may never return.
The White House did not respond to a request for comment.