Near North Side

The idyllic North Shore Triangle - close to downtown and the river, graced with parks and minutes to Notre Dame - is filled with a mix of interesting people. The near-northside neighborhood also includes the West North Shore Historic District – a local historic district designated in 1978 – which preserves the integrity of the historic homes.
 
Ernest Young, a young student of Frank Lloyd Wright, designed a number of the homes in the district for wealthy clients. His designs include a variety of Colonial Revival style homes with a Prairie influence. Also in the neighborhood are French Eclectic, Dutch Colonial Revival and English Cottages styles.

The diversity of housing is one of the neighborhood's most attractive features. This diversity stems partly from the phases of development that built the neighborhood – grand homes on the River at the turn of the 20th century, Roaring '20s growth around Wakewa and Marquette, post World War II housing closer to Angela Boulevard.  

Years ago one family moved to the neighborhood because it was children friendly. 

The children walked to Madison and St. Joseph's schools, and her husband walked to his job as an English professor at the University of Notre Dame.

Her oldest son calls it a "Huckleberry Finn boyhood," she said, referring to the St. Joseph River, the St. Mary's Woods, the railroad tracks and the Notre Dame golf course that would beckon boys to play.

"That's how life was," the mother said, recalling baseball and tag football games for older children in Triangle Park (also known as Nakomis Park), and swings and slides for younger children in Parkovash Park.

Residents, who also enjoy Leeper Park across the river, consider themselves lucky to have such open space in a city neighborhood.

"It's a dream neighborhood," said a man who moved into his 1927 house in 1989. "It's family-friendly. It's got plenty of trees and sidewalks. It's got two parks. We're just six blocks from downtown - an easy walk." With a new bike lane on North Shore, the neighborhood is minutes to Notre Dame, and the East Bank Trail starts nearby. 

One professor who used to have Notre Dame students walk to his house for class says North Shore has kept its identity across the changing generations.

"Those waves have come and gone, and we're back to a baby wave," he said.

"Now we're surrounded by lots of young people with new babies. It's still very diverse. It's not unlike how it was when we first moved in. The changes were not drastic." Prices range from a modest $90,000 to a recent sale of $267,000 with a number of the homes in the $130,000 to $160,000 range. Homes along the river in the historic district can sell for the mid-$300,000s and up.

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Department of Community & Economic Development
Division of Community Development
227 W. Jefferson Boulevard • Suite 1200 S
South Bend, IN  46601
574.235.9660 • Fax: 574.235.9469