Obama's Urban Oasis

Call it their urban oasis. When President-elect Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, head home for a break from the White House, they won't go to a sprawling ranch or private seaside compound. The Obama family will come back to a crowded Chicago neighborhood, creating different security challenges for the Secret Service and perhaps headaches for his neighbors. No other recent first family has lived in a city neighborhood like the Obamas. The $1.6 million mansion they share with daughters Malia and Sasha sits just off a busy street and his closest neighbors are just a few feet away. Obama is a Chicago transplant whose campaign was rooted in the notion that he's not like the other guys, and living in an urban neighborhood is a symbol of that. Presidential historian Paul Light says maintaining strong ties to Chicago is one way Obama can stay in touch with the people who helped him get elected.