Altgeld Gardens is located in the southern neighborhood of Riverdale. It is one of Chicago’s older neighborhoods, originally inhabited by European immigrants in the mid-1800’s. Altgeld Gardens is mostly known for being the location of the first public housing projects in the United States and for being an important stop on the Underground Railroad. The projects were built in the 1940’s for soldiers returning from World War II and their families. The 1,500 two-story homes are in the process of being rehabbed. The neighborhood is also home to Carver Park. It was built to create a recreational area for those living in the projects and has sports fields, swimming and open fields.

The area lies between 130^th Street, the Calumet River, the Indiana state border and the Beaubien Forest Preserve. The Day Ryan Expressway is in the neighborhood.