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Plenty Of Change For Hyde Park After Election

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Nov 5, 2008 6:00 pm US/Central

Plenty Of Change For Hyde Park After Election

Reporting
Dorothy Tucker

CHICAGO (CBS) ―

Click to enlarge 1 of 1: Vendors in Hyde Park sold t-shirts featuring the Obama family the day after the historic election.
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Perhaps no neighborhood is as excited about Barack Obama as his adopted home of Hyde Park. Now locals and tourists alike want to check out the community where our next president lives.

CBS 2's Dorothy Tucker reports businesses there are hoping all that attention will translate into dollars. For decades the biggest attraction in Hyde Park was the University of Chicago, but Wednesday and perhaps for years to come Hyde Park will known as the home of the 44th president of the United States.

Savvy entrepreneurs are hawking t-shirts and selling caps on 53rd Street in Hyde Park. On the corner of 53rd Street and Lake Park Avenue dozens stood in line for nearly an hour, waiting patiently to buy newspapers celebrating the Hyde Parker who is on his way to the White House.

Obama has lived in the neighborhood for more than 20 years. His family's home is on the corner of 51st Street and Greenwood Avenue.

"They want to know where does he come from? What is his background? What are people like in his community? And people will be coming to Hyde Park to see what we're about," said Greg Teague of the Chamber of Commerce.

And when they come, they'll bring new business to restaurants like Valois, a favorite of the next president-elect.

"It's a good thing he's from Hyde Park. It brings a lot of people to the area, it brings people from all over the country," Hyde Park resident Tom Chronopoulos said.

Business leaders say the increase in traffic will also attract new restaurants and stores to the community. And while residents welcome more retail, some are bracing themselves for the change that comes with being the home of the next president.

"The traffic congestion. We're gonna have a lot more people 'cause everybody's gonna want to live in the neighborhood. That's one side, but progress is coming and there's nothing else you can do. But it's worth everything," resident Jack Stewart said.

Change is already here. Anytime Obama is in town 51st Street is closed off and traffic is rerouted around his house.

At least for now it's an inconvenience neighbors are willing to live with.

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