Safety on Clark at Uptown/Andersonville border (Lincoln, Granville: apartment, crime)

[nbaltaz]

Hi all,
I've been living in Uptown for a year (Argyle and Kenmore) and while there is so much to love about this neighborhood, the crime is getting me down. I found a great apartment on Clark and Ainslie, just a block south of Andersonville. I plan to walk to and from work and I have a dog, so I will be out and about a lot in the surrounding area. Does anyone know how safe it is there? I'm not expecting the leafy green streets of Lincoln Square, but I'm fed up with the drug deals, crazy people, and gang violence that I encounter on an almost daily basis where I currently live. How safe is it on Clark just south of Andersonville?

[lenniel]

Why don't you just move someplace with less crime? You might not be able to get the same size place, etc, but you'll feel better about your surroundings.

[gomexico]

I've spent a lot of time in the area just south of Foster/Andersonville and along Clark St. over many years. I haven't lived there, though. But my impression/experience has been that it's a pretty good neighborhood. Convenient to many things. I suppose there's a source for checking crime stats, but I don't know how to direct you to that information.

[Maintainschaos]

We've walked along that area at night several times to head back towards the Granville area and had no problems, but I've never lived in that area before.

[Drover]

Originally Posted by lenniel

Why don't you just move someplace with less crime?

Uhm....that's what (s)he's looking to do?

Anyway, this is a case where just a few blocks can make quite a difference in overall QoL. The Clark Street corridor used to be a bit skeevy from Montrose to about Winnemac or Carmen but the section north of Lawrence has tidied up quite nicely in recent years. In fact these days it feels not too far off the leafy green streets of Lincoln Square.

[Vlajos]

Unless you're afraid of Bongo Room, Ceres Table, The Wooden Spoon, The Hopleaf, Chase Bank, etc. you should be fine.

[TBideon]

I go there once a week for piano practice and dinner; the area is fine though a little isolated when I'm waiting for the 22 (usually 10 or 11pm). I have also seen women walking dogs by themselves along Argyle at night, which is usually a pretty good indication of the overal safety.

[jonnynonos]

I took a walk on Clark from downtown to Howard on Sunday night. Not the best time for that kind of walk, as the streets everywhere are fairly desolate.

In Rogers Park no less than 3, maybe as many as 5, cop cars slowed down to check me out. (I was wearing a black ski cap, black jacket and black gloves, so I understand!) Once I crossed the Andersonville border not one did.

I was a bit on edge walking through Rogers Park when it was that desolate--it is just a bad situation to put yourself in no matter where you are in the city, including the Loop late on Sundays. But once I hit Andersonville and that area I felt extremely safe.

I have no idea about the statistics but the 'feel' of that area is very very yuppified.

[rubbersoul89]

personally, i think that area is totally safe.

but then again, i never really thought that area by the argyle redline stop was very dangerous either.

[gomexico]

Originally Posted by jonnynonos

I took a walk on Clark from downtown to Howard on Sunday night. Not the best time for that kind of walk, as the streets everywhere are fairly desolate.

A 10-mile walk in 35F weather. A brave soul you are. But I suspect the entire walk wasn't so desolate. Particularly not the first 6 miles or so. Then again, maybe you were wandering through the city during the 'ovelrnight' hours.