Dog Walkers in New City (Back of the Yards)

New City is one of Chicago's 77 community areas, located a short distance from the Lake Michigan shoreline and in the southern section of Chicago. New City contains the neighborhoods of Canaryville and Back of the Yards. The Back of the Yards community's unique name comes from the historic location of the city's stockyards which were closed in the 1970s. This region still harbors lots of industrial activity and is also home to a large residential population with commercial activity along the many streets. Services, restaurants, shops, and grocers are well distributed in the district. Take your dog strolling in the neighborhood and you will be able to access schools, parks, and commercial regions all within close proximity to each other. 

The weather in Chicago may not always be cooperative for walking with your pooch as winters can be quite cold. Springtime in Chicago can be rainy with thunderstorms, so you'll want to be prepared for whatever comes your way. 

New City has industrial activity and train tracks running north to south through the middle of the region. Rail yards and tracks present a hazard to pedestrians with pets and should be avoided. Much more pleasant residential and commercial areas are available in Back of the Yards for strolling with your dog. The community features some areas with very old historic brick homes and mature, prolific landscaping and trees which provide shade to sidewalks in the summer. Unmaintained properties can present a hazard to dogs if they have not been cleaned up, so exercise caution in these areas.  

Other sections have newer single-family homes that are closely spaced and generally have generous setbacks from the street. Be careful when walking down alleys in case other residents are backing out of driveways as it is easy to miss seeing a dog that is close to the ground. Overall, the terrain is flat in New City and easily traversed on foot.

There are many parks and greenways in New City. Sherman Park is connected by a greenway to Gage Park to the west, and Gage Park is connected to McKinley Park in the north by another greenway. Sherman Park has sports and recreational facilities as well as the large lagoon and circular paved walking trail around the perimeter of the park. This 60-acre park has a fieldhouse with outdoor murals beautifying the facilities. 

Gage Park is 30 acres in size and features a garden, large open spaces, and paved walking paths. McKinley Park in the north has almost 70 acres and even boasts a seasonal outdoor ice rink. While dogs may not be permitted on the rink, it still makes for interesting people-watching! Other parks providing green properties and pathways in the neighborhood include Kelly Park, Rage Park, Kucinski-Murphy Park, Donovan Park, Davis Square Park, Malus Park, Hope Park, Moran Park, Little Venice Park and Oakley Park.