Why is UpTown considered bad? (Chicago, Wheeling: crime rate, credit, neighborhood)

[Chicago60614]

Originally Posted by Aleking

I have a theory that one of the reasons why Uptown's reputation continues to struggle (even when compared to more violent neighborhoods like Humboldt Park) is the way it was marketed to during the pre-housing crisis boom from 2000-2007. Surrounding neighborhoods were already well on their way and Uptown saw a massive influx of suburban transplants looking to make a quick buck in a lakefront neighborhood near Wrigley Field. Instead of embracing and building on the diversity, edge, transit options, and vibe of neighborhood (the Wicker and now Logan model), they became fixated on crime ... blowing up every minor incident into a headline worthy brouhaha. Uptown is still a gritty urban neighborhood but it's far from the war zone many of it's digruntled condo owners project.

Do you live in the area though? I've been in Uptown for years and I completely disagree that statement. It sounds like what a lot of the community activists and the old alderman said when people who live in the area had the nerve to try and confront the gang issues and open-air crime going on. People were upset about shootings and murders happening at 5pm on a nice Wednesday afternoon on a busy street. The aldermans official response wasn't to say anything about the shooters, but to tell the residents to basically shut up and "go back to Lincoln Park" because they apparently didn't want any homeless people or icky minorities around. It's normally not helpful to respond to people who want to clean up the neighborhood and actually do something about the crime situation by waving your hand away and calling them racist.

[It'sAutomatic]

It's hype. It's definitely a legitimate skid row but there's not a lot of street crime despite incidents like the gang bottle-throwing scuffle caught on tape (some real hardcore gang fight that was ::eye roll:: ). I live in a richer area and they have worse stuff going on here. Not to mention that Uptown is more of a collection of neighborhoods, some good and some not.

[C. Maurio]

Originally Posted by Sour

I don't know, it just seems like UpTown has a bad reputation. Even my wife, who has lived in Chicago all her life, try's to tell me it's one of the worst areas in Chicago. I've been there multiple times, even there last week, I just don't see what's dangerous about there.

Sure, Broadway & Wilson can be sketchy ( I was there 12 P.M at night), and outside the Aragon Ballroom has a few weird fellows, but overall I find the area fairly nice and the people don't look trashy or anything.

Obviously not the best area in the city, but easily not the worst neighborhood, not even close.

I went to college over there. I never thought it was bad. Maybe not the best but not bad. And the crook that used to run the place Ald Axelrod did not help it as much as he could have either. Ald Shiller accomplished a lot more for uptown in terms of public projects.

[C. Maurio]

Originally Posted by It'sAutomatic

It's hype. It's definitely a legitimate skid row but there's not a lot of street crime despite incidents like the gang bottle-throwing scuffle caught on tape (some real hardcore gang fight that was ::eye roll:: ). I live in a richer area and they have worse stuff going on here. Not to mention that Uptown is more of a collection of neighborhoods, some good and some not.

When I was in school over there they had a couple of skinhead groups called CASH and SHOC that didn't like each other much and they would rumble over there from time to time.

[JBVirtuoso]

I do think that Uptown (the central part with the bad reputation) isn't for the faint of heart, and it's probably not a good choice for someone who's new to city living. But it's definitely not bad, and my impression is that with a thick enough skin, it's completely tolerable. There will be a lot of panhandling and unsolicited conversations with people in various mental states, but it's not like these people cause major problems in the neighborhood. Honestly, I think it feels very much like a less glitzy version of the Loop, at least in terms of why people go there and the types of interactions that happen.

I have personally witnessed a domestic dispute gone horribly wrong one night on Argyle Street a couple years ago (there were bottles being thrown at people/buildings). I called the police, and they came very quickly and settled things, and it wasn't really a big deal. But these isolated incidents are definitely not helping the reputation of the neighborhood.

All in all, I'd consider living there if I found a good apartment, but I'd definitely weigh the quality of life (mostly noise) issues against the neighborhood's amenities (the lake, transit, food, and entertainment).

[C. Maurio]

Originally Posted by JBVirtuoso

I do think that Uptown (the central part with the bad reputation) isn't for the faint of heart, and it's probably not a good choice for someone who's new to city living. But it's definitely not bad, and my impression is that with a thick enough skin, it's completely tolerable. There will be a lot of panhandling and unsolicited conversations with people in various mental states, but it's not like these people cause major problems in the neighborhood. Honestly, I think it feels very much like a less glitzy version of the Loop, at least in terms of why people go there and the types of interactions that happen.

I have personally witnessed a domestic dispute gone horribly wrong one night on Argyle Street a couple years ago (there were bottles being thrown at people/buildings). I called the police, and they came very quickly and settled things, and it wasn't really a big deal. But these isolated incidents are definitely not helping the reputation of the neighborhood.

All in all, I'd consider living there if I found a good apartment, but I'd definitely weigh the quality of life (mostly noise) issues against the neighborhood's amenities (the lake, transit, food, and entertainment).

Uptown is a place for people that want to live close to the lake and transit and the action but do not have the money to live anywhere else on the north lakefront. It is not really "bad" but certainly not as good as Edgewater or Lincoln Park by any means.

[ChiNaan]

I agree that Uptown's bad reputation is seriously overblown. That being said, it hasn't gentrified to the extent of everything else along the lake on the North Side, and that's what people compare it to. If you compare to the entire city, it looks pretty good.

[Vlajos]

Only a small part of the Uptown community area could be considered sketchy.

[ChicagoMeO]

Sketchy? Not Margate Park! (Foster & Marine Drive area)

[Lookout Kid]

I lived in the "Buena Park" section of Uptown for eight years (just left recently), and most of that area is perfectly fine. But here is a sample of what we dealt with in that time frame in various parts of Uptown:

1. A kid (gang member) getting shot in the buttocks near the end of our block.
2. A kid (gang member) getting shot at Irving Park and Broadway in the middle of the day.
3. "Drive-by" gunfire at 6 p.m. near the most popular Buena Park playground.
4. Watching a cop search for a discarded handgun in the bushes near another playground, while pushing my kids on the swings.
4. A creepy shirtless homeless guy, probably mentally ill or addicted to something, blowing smoke at the car window near my child's car seat, and then putting the cigarette butt out on the trunk of my car (my wife was alone with the kids).
5. Playing with the kids at the park as a homeless man exposes himself to urinate on the slide.
6. Wheeling a child in stroller past multiple open-air drug deals.
7. Wheeling a stroller wheel over a bloody dread lock that was ripped off of someone's head.
8. Multiple incidents of homeless people sleeping and eating (messily) in our building's vestibule.
9. Racial slurs directed at me while waiting for the Red Line at Wilson (I'm white).
10. Racial slurs directed at me while dining at an open air restaurant.

Lot's of good times in Uptown, and a really great place to raise kids!