Southside neighborhoods (Chicago, Cicero, Chatham: rent, new construction, tax) - Illinois (IL) - City-Data Forum

Michguy76 · 12-01-2007, 09:05 PM

My family and I are considering a move to Chicago next summer. We have been looking into these neighborhoods: Clearing, Pullman, Hegewisch, Marquette Park, Ford City, Ashburn, and Grand Crossing. Can anyone give me a description/opinion of the areas? We are looking for safe, mixed, and inexpensive areas. Thanks.

Manigault · 12-03-2007, 08:24 AM

There's new construction in Ashburn, Grand Crossing and around Ford City. In Pullman there is rehabilitation going on but the housing stock is about a generation older.

I think you're gonna have to come to the area and explore in order to find a neighborhood that suits you.

Drover · 12-03-2007, 12:00 PM

It all depends on your comfort level I suppose. A lot of these areas are still pretty rough, or are small oases surrounded by rough areas (ala Pullman). I personally would feel pretty comfortable living in Hegewisch and most of Ashburn/Ford City area (namely the part northwest of Columbia Avenue), and maybe the southwestern portion of Marquette Park. I don't know what your ethnicity is, but I have noticed that there are virtually zero black people in Hegewisch (it's about 60/40 white/Hispanic). I don't know enough about the area to know if that's by coincidence or design, but it's something to keep in mind.

Anyway, Grand Crossing is pretty rough -- something like 20 murders there in the last year. Immediately south of Grand Crossing is a considerably calmer neighborhood known as Chatham. I think Chatham is a little overrated, but it is one of the nicer neighborhoods in the immediate area. The housing stock there is very solid. It seems most problematic in the vicinity of Cottage Grove and gets better as you head west. It also probably wouldn't meet your "mixed" criteria since it's about 99% black. Marquette Park is a bit of a mixed bag safety-wise. West of Kedzie is definitely better than east, and stay south of 63rd. I'd put at least a few blocks between myself and those streets. Clearing is pretty safe, clean and tidy with about a 70/30 white/Hispanic ethnic mix. Pullman is a small island of sanity in a sea of urban chaos -- approach with caution.

NYrules · 12-03-2007, 01:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Michguy76

My family and I are considering a move to Chicago next summer. We have been looking into these neighborhoods: Clearing, Pullman, Hegewisch, Marquette Park, Ford City, Ashburn, and Grand Crossing. Can anyone give me a description/opinion of the areas? We are looking for safe, mixed, and inexpensive areas. Thanks.

YOUCH!!! Some of those neighborhoods you listed would def. be considered "da hood" May I recommend the Archer Heights neighborhood in addition to your search? It is a mix of mostly old polish and latinos, but overall the area is still fairly safe. Pulaski is very busy between I-55 and 79th so I don't think you have to worry too much about being mugged or anything like that there. At least I never feel threatened when driving through there as I do in some of the other areas of Chicago.

Michguy76 · 12-03-2007, 03:19 PM

Thanks to all for the info. My family and I are Caucasian, but are not against living in an area that is primarily African American or Hispanic, as long as they are open to "outsiders." We have lived in Detroit for about 10 years and stayed in South Carolina for awhile as well....both with large African American populations. I am hoping to find something safe, inexpensive, and near public transportation. I've heard to find areas near the orange or red lines, but to stay away from the green line.....is this true? We are coming to Chicago around the holidays to do some looking around. Anything you all would suggest? Any info on Chicago Lawn or areas around Midway?

Avengerfire · 12-03-2007, 03:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Michguy76

Thanks to all for the info. My family and I are Caucasian, but are not against living in an area that is primarily African American or Hispanic, as long as they are open to "outsiders." We have lived in Detroit for about 10 years and stayed in South Carolina for awhile as well....both with large African American populations. I am hoping to find something safe, inexpensive, and near public transportation. I've heard to find areas near the orange or red lines, but to stay away from the green line.....is this true? We are coming to Chicago around the holidays to do some looking around. Anything you all would suggest? Any info on Chicago Lawn or areas around Midway?

Drive around these areas if you have a car with you, if not, rent one. Drive around in the daytime as well as night and you will narrow things down a bit more.

Drover · 12-03-2007, 04:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Michguy76

Thanks to all for the info. My family and I are Caucasian, but are not against living in an area that is primarily African American or Hispanic, as long as they are open to "outsiders." We have lived in Detroit for about 10 years and stayed in South Carolina for awhile as well....both with large African American populations. I am hoping to find something safe, inexpensive, and near public transportation. I've heard to find areas near the orange or red lines, but to stay away from the green line.....is this true? We are coming to Chicago around the holidays to do some looking around. Anything you all would suggest? Any info on Chicago Lawn or areas around Midway?

A lot of the areas around the Red Line south of 35th isn't terribly great either, with the west side of Chatham being the possible exception. (The southern branches of the Red and Green Line run parallel to each other about 4 to 6 blocks apart all the way down to 63rd St.) I was not exaggerating earlier about Chatham: it is literally 99% black. It's one thing to be in a primarily black area -- it may be another to literally be the only white faces in sight. I don't know how welcoming or not they would be of whites in the neighborhood. The "vibe" I get is that they would mostly be ambivalent about a white family moving in as long as it doesn't become a trend; ethnic displacement is still a hot-button issue in this city that has been particularly re-stoked by the gentrification of other neighborhoods.

One of the neighborhoods you already inquired about is near Midway (Clearing). An adjacent and practically identical neighborhood is Garfield Ridge. As for Chicago Lawn... most of it is pretty rough. You already asked about Marquette Park which is partly within Chicago Lawn, and I'll give the same advice about Chicago Lawn in general and Marquette Park in Particular: stay west of Kedzie and at least a couple blocks south of 63rd. Any more than 4 blocks west of Kedzie would technically put you out of Chicago Lawn (St. Louis is its western boundary) and into the West Lawn area, which is quite a bit more stable. It's sort of a combined Mexican/Polish/Lithuanian area. West Lawn is where Ford City is, which you inquired about earlier. Bus lines along Cicero Avenue and 63rd Street would drop you off at the Midway Orange Line station, from which it's about a 25 minute train ride to downtown.

Michguy76 · 12-03-2007, 04:50 PM

I have heard some good things about Hegewisch. Are there any safe ways to get downtown from there using public transportation? (Red Line or Buses?)

Michguy76 · 12-03-2007, 04:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Avengerfire

Drive around these areas if you have a car with you, if not, rent one. Drive around in the daytime as well as night and you will narrow things down a bit more.

Where do you suggest to drive around? (a good starting point)

Drover · 12-03-2007, 10:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Michguy76

I have heard some good things about Hegewisch. Are there any safe ways to get downtown from there using public transportation? (Red Line or Buses?)

There are no CTA train lines anywhere near Hegewisch. There are bus lines, but using CTA to get to downtown from Hegewisch would take you well over an hour, probably in the area of 90 minutes.

However, there is a train line called the South Shore Line operated by the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District (NICTD) that runs from South Bend to downtown. It has a stop in Hegewisch, and travel time between Hegewisch and downtown and vice-versa is about half an hour. Check out Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District for more info.

I hope you like nice and quiet. Hegewisch is a rather isolated neighborhood and there's not a lot down there in the way of restaurants, pubs, shops, boutiques, and the like. There's a small business district, but overall Hegewisch is a very, very quiet place. And you can save about 25 cents a gallon on gas by driving a couple of blocks to Indiana where they don't tax the holy snot out of gasoline.