One of the greatest things about Rock Island is the active neighborhood associations.

Black Hawk Park West
Black Hawk Park West Neighborhood Association is an emerging neighborhood association, located north of Black Hawk State Historic Site. Bylaws are being developed, and the neighbors are meeting.

Broadway Historic District
Seventh Avenue to 13th Avenue, 17th Street to 23rd Street. To see where Broadway is located in the city click here. To see a detailed map of Broadway click here.

Broadway Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1998. The neighborhood contains 22 Rock Island Landmarks. Four Broadway homes are also individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The following architectural styles and types are found in Broadway: Apartments, Bungalows, Classical Revival, Colonial Revival, Craftsman, Double Houses, Foursquare, Italianate, Queen Anne, Vernacular, Second Empire, and Townhomes. The Rock Island Preservation Commission has published History and Architecture booklets dedicated to Broadway’s buildings including: Broadway Historic District, Spencer Place / 19th Street Walking Tour, 20th Street Walking Tour, and 22nd/23rd Streets Walking Tour. The fifty buildings highlighted in the Broadway Historic District tour and available through .mp3 download here.

Serious development of the Broadway area began after 1860, with housing subdivisions platted by a number of prominent local businessmen. Fine quality homes were built for the professionals and managers who worked downtown. Doctors, store owners, industrialists, capitalists and architects built their homes in Broadway, as did those involved in both river and rail transportation. Laborers, plasterers, cornice makers, and woodworkers were also among the neighborhood’s residents.

To visit the Broadway Historic District's web site go to www.broadwaydistrict.org

Douglas Park
Rock Island Parkway to 11th Street, 7th Avenue to 18th Avenue. To see where Douglas Park is located in the city click here. To see a detailed map of Douglas Park click here. *Plans are underway to merge into a West End Neighborhood Association.

The following architectural styles and types are common in Douglas Park: Apartments, Bungalows, and Vernacular Houses. Development in this neighborhood spanned 120 years, from the 1830s to the 1950s. The oldest part of the neighborhood has lots that parallel the Mississippi River, developed mainly in the 19th century. However, the majority of Douglas Park Neighborhood was built between 1900 and 1919, featuring many small bungalows. Douglas Park Neighborhood is named after the very large baseball park located at the south end of the neighborhood. The colorful and significant past of this baseball park, constructed in 1904, has included minor league professional baseball, amateur baseball, professional football, and even the International Softball Congress World Tournament.

Downtown Neighbors Association
Mississippi River to 7th Avenue, 15th Street to 24th Street. To see where the Downtown Neighbors Association is located in the city click here. To see a detailed map of the Downtown Neighbors Association click here.

In Downtown Rock Island, there has been a surge of new housing development. Many condos, lofts and apartments are being built to provide convenient downtown living. The buildings in Downtown Rock Island were built as early as 1850. The charm of Downtown comes from these buildings and their preserved historical qualities and seen in History & Architecture: Downtown Rock Island. The Mississippi River curves along the northern boundary of the downtown. Bridges bracket the downtown riverfront. One is the Centennial Bridge, which is an icon of the Quad Cities. The other is the Sylvan Slough crossing to Arsenal Island. A bike trail atop a floodwall follows the course of the river, providing a fantastic view of the Mississippi.

Greenbush Neighbors
24th Street to 30th Street, Mississippi River to 9th Avenue. To see where Greenbush is located in the city click here. To see a detailed map of Greenbush click here.

Greenbush is a varied neighborhood situated on the side of the hill and the land below. Homes higher in the neighborhood have a wonderful view of the river valley. The streets are tree-lined, giving a peaceful feeling to the area. The following architectural styles and types are common in Greenbush: Apartments, Bungalows, Classical Revival, Craftsman, Double Houses, Foursquare, Ranch, and Vernacular. Irish immigrants who wanted a Parish and neighborhood of their own built the Greenbush Neighborhood around Sacred Heart Catholic Church.

To visit Greenbush Neighbors web site go to www.greenbush.info

Highland Park
16th Avenue to 18th Avenue, 20th Street to 24th Street. To see where Highland Park is located in the city click here. To see a detailed map of Highland Park click here.

All of the architectural revivals, many of which were professionally designed, are present in this exclusive neighborhood in their highest form, including Colonial, Georgian, Dutch, Tudor, and Spanish. This neighborhood is a locally designated historic district, through which the Rock Island Preservation Ordinance protects the significant exterior architecture. Highland Park is featured in a History & Architecture Tour.

KeyStone Neighborhood Association
38th Street to 46th Street (Moline border), Mississippi River to 14th Avenue. To see where KeyStone is located in the city click here. To see a detailed map of KeyStone click here.

The following architectural styles and types are common in KeyStone: Apartments, Bungalows, Cape Cod, Colonial/Spanish Revival, Craftsman, Double Houses, Foursquare, Queen Anne, Ranch, Tudor Revival, Vernacular, Prairie School, Victorian, and Gothic/Romanesque Revival. KeyStone Neighborhood contains three Rock Island Landmarks. The development of the KeyStone neighborhood spanned 100 years, from the 1870s to the 1970s. The topography of KeyStone Neighborhood is among the most varied of Rock Island. In this neighborhood you’ll find flat and hilly terrain, ravines, and the adjacent Mississippi River.

To visit the KeyStone Neighborhood Association's web site go to www.keystonerockisland.org

Longview Neighborhood
11th Street to 16th Street, 7th Avenue to 18th Avenue. To see where Longview is located in the city click here. To see a detailed map of Longview click here. *Plans are underway to merge into a West End Neighborhood Association.

A crowning jewel of the Longview Neighborhood is its 39-acre landmark park with rolling hills and large oaks complemented by a winding walking/biking trail that runs through the entire park. Longview Park rests on the former pasture of Bailey Davenport and was designed at the turn of the 20th century by nationally known landscape architect O.C. Simonds of Chicago. The following architectural styles and types are found in Longview: Bungalows, Cape Cod, Classical Revival, Colonial Revival, Queen Anne, and Tudor Revival.

New Old Chicago / Old Town Chicago
Rock Island Parkway to 15th Street, Mississippi River to 7th Avenue. To see where Old Chicago is located in the city click here. To see a detailed map of Old Chicago click here. *Plans are underway to merge into a West End Neighborhood Association.

Old Town Chicago neighborhood traces its origins to 1835. The following architectural styles and types are found in Old Chicago: Apartments, Double Houses, Foursquare, Italianate, and Queen Anne. There are three Rock Island Landmarks in the Old Chicago neighborhood.

A new concept plan for the New Old Chicago Neighborhood has been developed by the Planning and Design Institute, and approved by City Council. This area is bounded by 12th Avenue on the south, 12th Street on the east, and the Rock Island Parkway on the north and west. The plan envisions new commercials, residential and park investments, remodeled and renovated homes and commercial buildings, and enhanced streetscapes. This is not a short-term project, but one that will take ten or more years and significant sums of private and public funds. To see the New Old Chicago Plan click here.