white family moving to Humboldt park. advice? (Chicago, Albany: fit in, apartment complex)

[eevee]

you'll find white people living east of the park in Humboldt Park. heck, my landlord was white when I lived there. I agree that corner of the park isn't that great, so I would personally try to stick east of the park. plus, there are better amenities east of the park and esp. along North Ave (more stores, restaurants, etc)

if "change for the better" = gentrification and "yuppyfying" the area and trying to do away w/ the strong Puerto Rican flavor in the area, you may be in for a tough time.

[tonythetuna]

Originally Posted by sarahdeanne

I have heard people from several races say in these forums that the neighborhood is on an upward trend.

Not that part of Humboldt Park.

[eevee]

as for housing, I've noticed a lot of apartments w/ condo finishes (granite counters, stainless steel appliances, etc) popping up along Kedzie and even further west. funny thing is, a lot of them were demanding rent that seemed too high for that area of HP (back when my roommates and I lived in HP, we went to go look at a place near Kimball and North that was $1500 for a 3 bedroom). here's one example I saw on CL, though IIRC, it was that bad, rent wise (<$1400)

1060 N Kedzie #3 - Chicago, IL 60651 - CirclePix Presentation Tour

slightly off topic: a couple of weeks ago, I was watching old House Hunters episodes online. one episode was a Chicago could looking for a condo and they were shown a snazzy little place in "West Wicker Park" which I think they ended up buying. I still wonder how much they lost in the long run...

[chet everett]

Nothing I like better than some web designer that would rather build a site quick and dirty than make it useable on the millions of iPhones and iPads that real estate agents have:
"Alternate HTML content should be placed here. This content requires the Adobe Flash Player."

[DADASGIRL]

I always find it most curious that people have only two opinions about neighborhoods "Great" or "god-awful". I mean - if EVERYONE could live in areas devoid of crime, n'er do wells, pesty homeless folk, etc etc - then by golly a Utopian society would no longer be myth. There are a number of posters who can attest to this area - meaning they are living there NOW or have lived there in the past 5 years. Other posters simply ride the "crime & gangs are more visible here- so this area is awful" bandwagon.

I am a firm believer that if you have no reason to interact with the criminal element - then the criminal element wont interact with you. Lets face it - if you're not a drug user, if you're not shooting dice in the alley, if you're not looking to buy/trade illegal or stolen property - then the liklihood of "something terrible" happening simply b/c you live in the area is SMALL. Now dont get me wrong - this isnt to say that you wont bear witness to any number of urban personafied stereotypes - groups of young teens pacing the area, some couple engaging in an argument that should be had indoors, kids who litter b/c their parents havent taught them better...all big cities have this and yet MILLIONS of people seem to live & navigate them unscathed. It all depends on your tolerance level. There will be some neighbors with loud music, there may be neighbors who take up 2 parking spaces repeatedly, there may be a family who doesnt keep their lawn up. If you want to lessen the liklihood of "irritating factors" the suburbs would be a better fit.

Now about your whiteness - this area and many others have been gentrifying for a while now. Like it or not - white people moving in an area less stellar than "wrigleyville" is like Xmas in July - its the sign of "good things to come", from an economic development perspective. But rest assured there are plenty of upwardly mobile persons/families in the area. They too dont want to live in a gang war zone and if you're active in the community - good things will happen.

Also - living in the city requires more exercises in common sense - no matter what color you are. Leaving your curtains/blinds open 24/7 isnt a good idea. Make sure bikes, toys, lawncare items & outdoor chairs are inside after use. Be observant - know who lives in your area versus who is visiting. Watch your neighbors habits - cause they will be watching you. Invest in a security system for the house. Keep low level windows shut AND locked at night & while you are away. Lock your car doors & leave NOTHING on the seats - including the car seat. In Chicago - its not about where you live necessarily - criminals looking for easy marks will travel to ALL neighborhoods looking to score. When they patrol - you dont want to become their victim.

Good luck !

[quigboto]

I've lived on the northwestern side of the park for six years now, and while I know there are some urban pioneers in the part of the neighborhood you're talking about, I wouldn't recommend it, especially since you have kids. I walk in southwestern part of the park in the daytime and it's safe enough, but after dark that area is not the safest place for much of anyone. As you get farther north it definitely gets better, but still has a ways to go. I applaud your desire to be part of a community and investing in its future, and I think that the eastern parts and some of the north/northwestern parts of Humboldt provide that opportunity without taking on an insane level of risk. Logan Square is also a neighborhood to consider, as it is still an interesting mix of yuppies hipsters yupsters and hispanic families.
No one wants to see HP (esp west of the park) improve more than I do since I own my home here, but I would really caution you against moving into the southwest area of the neighborhood, especially with kids in the mix.

[chet everett]

The eastern parts of Humbolt Park have improved. The western parts have not. Even the parts are still far from "great" though clearly not as "god awful" as the western parts.

If the OP wants to find a community with a wide mix of people they will NOT find it on the west end of Humbolt Park. Even people that have taken a risk on fixing up apartments in Humbolt Park are telling the OP it is not a place for anybody with kids. The OP is homeschooling their kids. It would be nuts to move Chicago and live in an area that is so clearly NOT worth the risk...

There are NOT millions of people getting by just fine in Humbolt Park. Quite the opposite. Chicago's crummiest neighborhoods are loosing residents at an alarming rate. The OP's husband will be working downtown. His employer will likely question what kind of nut they've hired that willingly chooses an area with no redeeming qualities when netter areas are less inconvenient and more affordable...

Originally Posted by DADASGIRL

I always find it most curious that people have only two opinions about neighborhoods "Great" or "god-awful". I mean - if EVERYONE could live in areas devoid of crime, n'er do wells, pesty homeless folk, etc etc - then by golly a Utopian society would no longer be myth. There are a number of posters who can attest to this area - meaning they are living there NOW or have lived there in the past 5 years. Other posters simply ride the "crime & gangs are more visible here- so this area is awful" bandwagon.

I am a firm believer that if you have no reason to interact with the criminal element - then the criminal element wont interact with you. Lets face it - if you're not a drug user, if you're not shooting dice in the alley, if you're not looking to buy/trade illegal or stolen property - then the liklihood of "something terrible" happening simply b/c you live in the area is SMALL. Now dont get me wrong - this isnt to say that you wont bear witness to any number of urban personafied stereotypes - groups of young teens pacing the area, some couple engaging in an argument that should be had indoors, kids who litter b/c their parents havent taught them better...all big cities have this and yet MILLIONS of people seem to live & navigate them unscathed. It all depends on your tolerance level. There will be some neighbors with loud music, there may be neighbors who take up 2 parking spaces repeatedly, there may be a family who doesnt keep their lawn up. If you want to lessen the liklihood of "irritating factors" the suburbs would be a better fit.

Now about your whiteness - this area and many others have been gentrifying for a while now. Like it or not - white people moving in an area less stellar than "wrigleyville" is like Xmas in July - its the sign of "good things to come", from an economic development perspective. But rest assured there are plenty of upwardly mobile persons/families in the area. They too dont want to live in a gang war zone and if you're active in the community - good things will happen.

Also - living in the city requires more exercises in common sense - no matter what color you are. Leaving your curtains/blinds open 24/7 isnt a good idea. Make sure bikes, toys, lawncare items & outdoor chairs are inside after use. Be observant - know who lives in your area versus who is visiting. Watch your neighbors habits - cause they will be watching you. Invest in a security system for the house. Keep low level windows shut AND locked at night & while you are away. Lock your car doors & leave NOTHING on the seats - including the car seat. In Chicago - its not about where you live necessarily - criminals looking for easy marks will travel to ALL neighborhoods looking to score. When they patrol - you dont want to become their victim.

Good luck !

[sarahdeanne]

Originally Posted by chet everett

Respectfully the thought that any one family, completely unfamiliar with the historic problems of Chicago, could possibly be part of change for the better while you homeschool behind doors thick enough to be mistaken for a bank vault is laughable...

I don't home school behind closed doors. We are very much a part of the community. On re-reading my post I see that I came off pretentious. I am not. I don't think I will immediately make a difference in the community just by being there (or by being white) I am more interested in finding people to relate to and to share with and to learn from with my kids.


I thank everyone for the neighborhood advice. I think I'll do best to visit some of them in person. It's really hard to get a clear picture of things over the internet.

[eevee]

my advice: move to a different, more stable neighborhood w/in your budget (e.g., Logan Square is still rough around the edges in parts, but still much better than that area of Humboldt Park and yet not that far away. Ukrainian Village is even safer). find a community organization in the Humboldt Park area to volunteer for and commute to the area. get to know the people, the area, and plans for the area (since you aren't the first to come into the area w/ the idea of fixing it. you don't want to step on people's toes) a bit better before moving your family there in the thick of it and start talking about "changes". coming in from another state, you're going to have enough issues just getting used to Chicago w/o the added issues of safety, esp. since you have young children

[tonythetuna]

Originally Posted by sarahdeanne

I thank everyone for the neighborhood advice. I think I'll do best to visit some of them in person.

You should always do that. I have no idea why people would not if they have the ability to do so.