known ▁structures : ▁Sold ier ▁Field , ▁home ▁of ▁the ▁NFL ' s ▁Chicago ▁B ears ; ▁McC orm ick ▁Place , ▁Chicago ' s ▁primary ▁convention ▁center ; ▁the ▁Museum ▁Camp us , ▁which ▁contains ▁the ▁Field ▁Museum , ▁the ▁Sh ed d ▁Aqu arium , ▁and ▁the ▁Ad ler ▁Planet arium ; ▁and ▁Nor ther ly ▁Island . ▁The ▁area ▁is ▁currently ▁under going ▁a ▁major ▁resident ial ▁and ▁mixed - use ▁re development . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁The ▁Near ▁South ▁Side ▁is ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁dynamic ▁of ▁Chicago ' s ▁communities . ▁It ▁has ▁under g one ▁a ▁met am orph osis ▁from ▁a ▁Native ▁American ▁hom eland ▁to ▁a ▁blue ▁col lar ▁settlement , ▁to ▁an ▁el ite ▁social ite ▁resident ial ▁district , ▁to ▁a ▁center ▁for ▁vice , ▁to ▁a ▁sl um , ▁to ▁a ▁public ▁housing ▁and ▁w are house ▁district , ▁and ▁finally ▁to ▁the ▁home ▁of ▁a ▁newly ▁gent r ified ▁resident ial ▁district . ▁ ▁Begin nings ▁and ▁continuous ▁change ▁The ▁Near ▁South ▁Side ▁was ▁initially ▁noted ▁for ▁w agon ▁tra ils ▁w inding ▁through ▁a ▁light ly ▁populated ▁b end ▁of ▁Lake ▁Michigan . ▁It ▁was ▁on ▁one ▁of ▁these ▁tra ils ▁that ▁the ▁Fort ▁D ear born ▁Mass acre ▁occurred ▁in ▁ 1 8 1 2 . ▁This ▁area ▁was ▁first ▁populated ▁by ▁sett lers ▁working ▁for ▁the ▁Illinois ▁& ▁Michigan ▁Canal , ▁who ▁subsequently ▁worked ▁in ▁the ▁l umber ▁district . ▁Pro xim ity ▁to ▁the ▁rail ro ads