Riding in the steadily moving car, I was brought back to the first time I had heard Mr. Bigelow, somewhat jokingly remark that “Parker kids had never gone south of R.J. Grunts.” Although I knew that the concept being alluded to had some validity to it, I was certainly not aware of the extent to which the statement was true. 

However, this statement came to life a few weeks ago when I found myself driving with friends to watch a Parker boys soccer away game. The game happened to be against the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools, my alma mater, but more importantly in this context, it is located in Hyde Park.

The car, which my four friends and me, traveled about ten miles southbound on Lake Shore Drive before exiting at 57th drive. With a bit of spare time before the start of the soccer game, we decided to drive through what many would call “the heart of Hyde Park.” 

Progressing through the neighborhood that I used to spend almost all of my time, I was excited to briefly serve as a tour guide to my friends. In the SUV that was filled with 17 and 18-year-old lifelong Chicagoans, it suddenly became apparent to me that no one else had ever set foot in Hyde Park, or anywhere in the general vicinity, except for the occasional sports game. 

While cruising through the streets that had clearly experienced some recent enhancements, the conversation that had filled the car quickly transformed into what seemed to be a state of utter confusion. 

As we passed by the various upscale boutiques and eateries that lined 53rd street, the car was suddenly filled with expressions of surprise and statements of wonderment. One person articulated their surprise by stating that they “didn’t know this existed here.” 

Although the pronouns filling this comment were slightly ambiguous, I immediately inferred that “this” referred to the flourishing neighborhood that the individual at once found themselves in, and that the “here” meant any location in the southern half of Chicago. 

I was cognizant of the fact that many Parker students had attended the entirety of their schooling in Lincoln Park, and that they had resided in a surprisingly small radius to the school. What surprised me was the seemingly small fraction of students that had spent time outside a couple of select, northern, neighborhoods. 

I know I would be mistaken if I did not consider the convenience aspect of this–- each of these individuals resided several miles from the South Side of Chicago. However, I believe that this outlook is too common among the Parker community, and in general, North Side inhabitants, to be a coincidence. 

I am genuinely not sure if there is or needs to be a solution to what I see as a trend of unawareness. I am also irresolute in naming the origin of this oblivion at Parker because I do believe it is more of a systemic problem. As someone who grew up on the South Side, I was simply caught by surprise in this moment.