Moving to Chicago, Little Italy, need advice (Oak Park, Lincoln: sublease, condo)

[VicUsk]

Hi All,

We are relocating to Chicago since my husband has gotten at job at UIC. We live in CA right now and it turns out that an acquaintance is moving out of his condo in Little Italy, close to UIC and is looking to sublet. I am familiar with the near north side and downtown areas of chicago, but I don't know much about the near west side. Does anyone know what its like to live there? Is it family friendly? We have a seven month old and would like to be in an area that is fairly safe and family friendly. THe condo is two blocks or so east of S. Ashland and Roosevelt. Any advice from people who have lived there or are living there would be great! Thanks!!

[jonnynonos]

I don't live there but I am there all the time.

Mostly students with a smattering of Italians and probably an increasing amount of yuppies... the area has gotten much better since the 90s.

There is some public housing to the south that you will want to steer clear of and things get dicey west of western as well.

Overall a cool, improving area with nice character and great architecture. I would live there. You're not too far from everything but far enough that it should feel like a real neighborhood.

For the most part, though, it is fair to say that it is more or less an extention of the university at this point.

[chet everett]

Depending on the OP's spouse's role it may be quite a little haul to the actual building(s) they need to get to -- UIC actually has the "Medical Campus" which lies NW of Roosevelt & Ashland vs the "main campus" about 2 miles east...

I don't really agree that it feels like "a real neighborhood" anymore as the University and assorted hospitals (Rush, VA, Cook Co, UIC...) make the area rather unpleasantly overrun by folks with no long term connection to the residential portions of what has been pretty brutally remade... Frankly the domination of the area by the not just academic / healthcare but also administrative / law enforcement related uses (like juvenile courts building) makes this one of the worst such area in Chicago for families -- there are probably more kid friendly developments near the high rises around Northwestern University and even Hyde Park (home to UofC hospitals) has more ammenities. With an infant this is not the worst place for a short term stay but longer term there are much more family oriented areas.

[UrbanCheetah]

Oh Chet I think you are overreacting. One of the worst places for kids? Are you serious?!

[jonnynonos]

Chet go to the Vernor Park Tap and tell them it's not a real neighborhood; you will get your ass beat !

[long101]

As others have mentioned, there are some public housing buildings around, but the area North of Roosevelt is nice, IMO. There will be a mix of yuppies, students, young families, and medical folks. There are a ton of shops and restaurants on Taylor St., a weekend market to the East on Canal St (I believe it moved from Canal, but in the area), and you are just North of Pilsen which is a Mexican neighborhood with alot of great eats.

[chet everett]

There are just too many folks with no roots in the area for me to recommend this to families with school aged children long term.
While the medical students / residents are likely too busy to present much threat of crime that same busyness means you won't have nearly as many potential playmates for your children nor parents to network with about important decisons like navigating the CPS selective admissions as in desirable parts of Lincoln Park, Lakeview, Roscoe Village, Lincoln Square, Andersonville etc... Heck there are more kids and more stable longer term residents in places like South Loop, Pilsen or Logan Square. When it comes to staff at the hospitals and universities there are probably more such folks in Hyde Park, Oak Park or the west suburbs.


I clearly said there are worse place (especially as the areas west / south of the Medical Center District remain hot spots of violence...) and for a short term sublease this is a good location to get acclimated to work, but I cannot recommend this area as a being a "real neighborhood" as massive changes driven by "urban renewal" has seen not just expansion of the medical and higher education uses but also governmental changes like juvenile courts, State Police, and other admistration departments...

Nothing particularly sinister about explaining to newcomers the various reasons that some places are better suited to families than others.

[MSchemist80]

When I was at UIC there was a sketchy area of half boarded up buildings on Taylor street between Racine and Ashland. Is that still there.

[jonnynonos]

Originally Posted by MSchemist80

When I was at UIC there was a sketchy area of half boarded up buildings on Taylor street between Racine and Ashland that looked very sketchy. Is that still there.

I don't think there's anything like that there.

[jonnynonos]

Originally Posted by chet everett

There are just too many folks with no roots in the area for me to recommend this to families with school aged children long term.
While the medical students / residents are likely too busy to present much threat of crime that same busyness means you won't have nearly as many potential playmates for your children nor parents to network with about important decisons like navigating the CPS selective admissions as in desirable parts of Lincoln Park, Lakeview, Roscoe Village, Lincoln Square, Andersonville etc... Heck there are more kids and more stable longer term residents in places like South Loop, Pilsen or Logan Square. When it comes to staff at the hospitals and universities there are probably more such folks in Hyde Park, Oak Park or the west suburbs.


I clearly said there are worse place (especially as the areas west / south of the Medical Center District remain hot spots of violence...) and for a short term sublease this is a good location to get acclimated to work, but I cannot recommend this area as a being a "real neighborhood" as massive changes driven by "urban renewal" has seen not just expansion of the medical and higher education uses but also governmental changes like juvenile courts, State Police, and other admistration departments...

Nothing particularly sinister about explaining to newcomers the various reasons that some places are better suited to families than others.

Fair enough but there is still a fair amount of residents there. Who knows the exact number.