Constrution boomed in Avalon Park in the 1920s and again after World War II, with much of the housing bungalows, Cape Cods and Georgians. The triangular Avalon Park’s boundaries are 76th St. to the north, South Chicago Ave. to the east and 87th St. to the south. The community area includes the neighborhoods of Marynook and Stony Island Park.

The community has been mainly residential, served by a shopping district at 79th Street and Stony Island, as well as many schools and churches. Owner-occupancy rates have been better than 70% in recent decades.

Avalon Park’s population in 1970 reached a high of 14,412, of which 83 percent were African American. By 1980 Avalon Park’s population had declined slightly to 13,792, with African American residents making up 96 percent. By the end of the century, the population had dropped to 11,147.

The commercial district in Avalon Park is anchored by a Sears store at 1334 E. 79th St. and a Jewel Food Store at 8721 S. Stony Island. Professional services in the area include banks, brokers, restaurants, cleaners, travel agencies and printers. The neighborhood from Stony Island east to Cregier is viewed as the busiest largely black shopping district in Illinois.

Single-family homes in Avalon Park go for a wide range of prices, from $23,500 for a two-bedroom, one-bath home to $172,048 for a three-bedroom, 2½-bath residence. Condos range in price from $119,900 for a two-bedroom, one-bath unit up to $139,900 for a three-bedroom, two-bath unit.

The actual Avalon Park contains great facilities and activities, including, for young women: dancing, tumbling, cheerleading, fitness, volleyball, and teen counseling, while for men they offer: wrestling, basketball, martial arts, fitness, tumbling, volleyball and counseling. Avalon Park also has great outdoor facilities, including a pool, baseball diamonds, a football field, basketball courts, tennis courts, a track field and picnic tables. A refrigerated ice rink is open for general use, hockey, and skating in the winter months. The park itself is often used for community meetings and contains a big assembly hall. The park district built an inviting modern brick field house building in 1958.