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This is incredibly ridiculous. People on C-D steer 'newbies' to these neighborhoods because 'newbies' say they want things such as:
-safety
-excellent eateries and places to imbibe
-healthy shopping district/cool small businesses
-excellent public transportation.
Moving to the 'non top 5 neighborhoods' doesn't mean your life will be in danger 24/7. However, life in those neighborhoods means you won't get what I mentioned above.
For instance, I knew from the start that when I moved to Albany Park, I'd get:
-elevated instances of crime, loads of graffiti
-fairly crappy restaurants (with the exception of a handful of gems.)
-extremely shady, and very few places to imbibe
-really crappy shopping. Unless, that is, you're really into shady places where it seems most of the inventory 'fell off the back of a truck.'
-neighbors who were poor as hell and trashy.
But you know what? I moved there because it was close to NEIU and I was broke. I also had my car broken into, had my apartment burglarized, had to buzz in the CPD to my building once a week due to domestic violence upstairs, and had the creepy bum pass out in our building's foyer.
If you had the opportunity to avoid a large chunk of this, wouldn't you?
A fool and his money are soon parted.
Quote:
Originally Posted by RiverRise
I am VERY thankful for your post. I had to dig deep into my e-mail to find my login (it has been two years--wow!) because I wanted to respond to you.
I get so sick and tired of people on City Data steering newbies into yuppy and "safe" (read: majority white) neighborhoods, as if everything outside of Lincoln Park, Lakeview, Wicker Park, etc. means your life will be in danger 24/7. Too bad there aren't more people like you willing to move into struggling neighborhoods. Struggling does NOT have to mean dangerous! There is great housing stock in Lawndale. It would be great if the neighborhood can turn again. Actually, I'm sure that's in the current mayor's plan but that's another topic. Too bad there aren't more people with your mindset.
I mean if you read some topics here, you'd think the west side just didn't exist. Thank you for not being a yuppy. I wish you the best and I hope you find what you're looking for.
I would second Berwyn but I believe you want to live in the City. It did change a lot in the last few years for the better. It sill miss the Polish butcher and the Italian ice.
I'm from Garfield Park, so I have seen and heard it all. I don't expect newbies to move to Garfield Park, but the amount of Lakeview, Lincoln Park, and Wicker Park promotion is ridiculous. I can't remember what post I was reading, but when talking about the different sides of the city the whole west side was not mentioned at all! What the heck?! I'm sure most of you speed right through it but to pretend that it doesn't exist speaks to the general attitude of the Chicago forum, and I'd place bets on the race of most of its posters.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MannheimMadman
This is incredibly ridiculous. People on C-D steer 'newbies' to these neighborhoods because 'newbies' say they want things such as:
-safety
-excellent eateries and places to imbibe
-healthy shopping district/cool small businesses
-excellent public transportation.
Moving to the 'non top 5 neighborhoods' doesn't mean your life will be in danger 24/7. However, life in those neighborhoods means you won't get what I mentioned above.
For instance, I knew from the start that when I moved to Albany Park, I'd get:
-elevated instances of crime, loads of graffiti
-fairly crappy restaurants (with the exception of a handful of gems.)
-extremely shady, and very few places to imbibe
-really crappy shopping. Unless, that is, you're really into shady places where it seems most of the inventory 'fell off the back of a truck.'
-neighbors who were poor as hell and trashy.
But you know what? I moved there because it was close to NEIU and I was broke. I also had my car broken into, had my apartment burglarized, had to buzz in the CPD to my building once a week due to domestic violence upstairs, and had the creepy bum pass out in our building's foyer.
If you had the opportunity to avoid a large chunk of this, wouldn't you?
Also, I don't expect to find everything I need in my neighborhood. I never move into a neighborhood and expect to find great shopping a stone's throw away. I also travel for food. Those are not requirements on my checklist. Perhaps if some of the people who live in those neighborhoods stepped out of them, they'd find gems in the less popular places (and yes gems exist even in Garfield Park ).
I don't want to make this about me and this will be my last post on this topic. I just thought I'd support someone whose mindset is not of the status quo.
Also, I don't expect to find everything I need in my neighborhood. I never move into a neighborhood and expect to find great shopping a stone's throw away. I also travel for food. Those are not requirements on my checklist. Perhaps if some of the people who live in those neighborhoods stepped out of them, they'd find gems in the less popular places (and yes gems exist even in Garfield Park ).
I don't want to make this about me and this will be my last post on this topic. I just thought I'd support someone whose mindset is not of the status quo.
Then your critique needs to be of the people asking for recommendations, not the people providing answers that meet the criteria listed.
People who can afford Lincoln Park and Lakeview and Wicker Park and want to be able to walk to more than one or two good places aren't bad people for ignoring areas that don't provide that level of convenience. They also aren't bad people for being busy and wanting to spend more time in places than getting to places.
I do go all over the city and encourage others to do the same, but at the end of the day I live in River North because when I'm busy (and I work 50 hours a week, am studying half-time towards a masters degree, am on my condo association board, am on the associate board of a local charity, and run a small side business renting out my guest bedroom, so I am objectively extremely busy) and can't take the time to travel to other parts of the city I still want access to things, things I can get in River North within a 5-10 minute walk. If I lived even in a place like Taylor Street, which I find quite charming, or Douglas Park, which I think would make a good long-term investment, most things would take me longer and eat into time I just don't have.
lets not argue here but lets find a common ground that we all have our own taste and preferances.
If any places, id would rather pick wicker park but thats bc of piece pizza and 24 hour blue line and of course the vintage shops on Milwaukee avenue. But Id rather travel great distance, to be honest I love shopping and going out for food. but those are a luxury when I need it not when I am accessible to it.
For example, living here in CLT: plaza midwood I have subway, mcdonalds and all the amenities I could live on but thats just wasting money and being lazy so again Im trying to avoid many of that, while being urban as possible. I want to hole in the wall places, mom pop shops again, and within biking distance to downtown.
when we lived there: we enjoyed Bacci's pizza, philly cheese steak, Meli's, a place not remembered hole in wall under expressway by the chicago white sox, taco burrito king, (anything that is not whole national chain) again I know lincoln park and other high end places have those but those places are rare squashed by mc donalds, barnes and nobles and chiptotle.
we want to park our car again and just bike and bike or public transit, I want the isolation of my own world on the bus or train without fighting traffic driving causing tense...
Honestly since the OP mentioned social service/community organizing positions and other non-traditional sectors he actually could be on the right track. Urban Planning is kind of a hard field to gauge because those statistics probably only show positions with the title "urban planner" in them as in with a local government. The urban planning degree is actually somewhat flexible as far as what you can do with it and many take jobs with position titles that don't include the words, it is not like having a specific type of engineering degree where you know you pretty much have to take a specific job. So really any position dealing with urban issues to any degree will often consider people with urban planning degrees and many of these positions can be found in large diverse cities like Chicago and many of them don't show up on statistics for "urban planning" jobs.
Honestly though while statistics can be important to know what you are up against not all people want their lives to be dominated by statistics either, people have dreams to live where they want to and not because the location quotient or cost of living over pay is better in some city 500 miles away that they don't care about. That may be your style but the OP's personality seems quite different from yours. Your style seems to be by the book, play it safe, and conformist. The OP on the other hand seems to be the type that lives life by their own book, takes reasonable risks and sacrifices for their dreams and is non-conformist and I can identify with that. I am not trying to make a judgement statement, if that is what makes you happy then have at it Haus but you have to understand other people are perfectly happy having different outlooks on life as well.
Last edited by chicago103; 12-30-2011 at 05:22 PM..
Honestly since the OP mentioned social service/community organizing positions and other non-traditional sectors he actually could be on the right track. Urban Planning is kind of a hard field to gauge because those statistics probably only show positions with the title "urban planner" in them as in with a local government. The urban planning degree is actually somewhat flexible as far as what you can do with it and many take jobs with position titles that don't include the words, it is not like having a specific type of engineering degree where you know you pretty much have to take a specific job. So really any position dealing with urban issues to any degree will often consider people with urban planning degrees and many of these positions can be found in large diverse cities like Chicago and many of them don't show up on statistics for "urban plannSing" jobs.
Honestly though while statistics can be important to know what you are up against not all people want their lives to be dominated by statistics either, people have dreams to live where they want to and not because the location quotient or cost of living over pay is better in some city 500 miles away that they don't care about. That may be your style but the OP's personality seems quite different from yours. Your style seems to be by the book, play it safe, and conformist. The OP on the other hand seems to be the type that lives life by their own book, takes reasonable risks and sacrifices for their dreams and is non-conformist and I can identify with that. I am not trying to make a judgement statement, if that is what makes you happy then have at it Haus but you have to understand other people are perfectly happy having different outlooks on life as well.
FINALLY!! Someone understands me! Life is about risk!
Rich people get richer by taking risk, poor get poor by being safe. Not that I'm either or, but this country was found by risk takers not people who sat by the throne.
Thought I'd make an update due to mid year since I last posted in January. My schedule has changed since last time saying I was going to move in the winter, well I am moving this summer, most specifically JULY 2012! CAN I GET A CHEER HERE! I am really excited as my time in grad school as winded down and Im ready to move on back to my home town.
I possibly have a job in place that is to be determined as well my husband.
after my visit over spring break I have changed my course of places:
I am also now including north side: area by edge water, roscoe village, andersonville to my current list.
I also found a great realtor who is now helping us with our search.
so areas are:
Hyde Park/Kenwood/ grand boulevards/ North Woodlawn
Bridgeport/Pilsen
Logan Square
andersonville/ edgewater
if any have suggestions id like to hear them, but if you rather criticize move on....
***thanks for who supported my decisions!***
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Thank you for not being a yuppy. 
I wish you the best and I hope you find what you're looking for.
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