Mckinley Park (Chicago, Cicero, Berwyn: crime rates, first time home buyer, neighborhoods)

[BRU67]

Originally Posted by chet everett

...the biggest threat to areas of Chicago that are "improving" but are sandwiched by rougher areas is the fiscal disaster that is brewing. The relative attractiveness of more well established areas on the north side will likely INCREASE for some folks if / when the City deals with an actual collapse of its lifeline to the bond markets as smart investors would see relatively quick profits. In contrast, the much less desirable areas on the S/SW side that really compare poorly in terms of amenities likely would rapidly fall in value and simply stay at the bottom of things. This is not unlike the sorts of problems that have been seen in some of the older suburbs were older industrial features have just gone vacant. The desirability is nonexistent -- why live in McKinley Park when things are better in every way for families that seen the value in Berwyn???

Because it doesn't have a 773 area code That will automatically make a house in McKinley $50k more valuable than one in Berwyn if it shows the most minute signs of "improvement" (we all know what this really means). It makes no freakin' sense but I lived it and it is so.

[jrs2]

Originally Posted by chet everett

...the biggest threat to areas of Chicago that are "improving" but are sandwiched by rougher areas is the fiscal disaster that is brewing. The relative attractiveness of more well established areas on the north side will likely INCREASE for some folks if / when the City deals with an actual collapse of its lifeline to the bond markets as smart investors would see relatively quick profits. In contrast, the much less desirable areas on the S/SW side that really compare poorly in terms of amenities likely would rapidly fall in value and simply stay at the bottom of things. This is not unlike the sorts of problems that have been seen in some of the older suburbs were older industrial features have just gone vacant. The desirability is nonexistent -- why live in McKinley Park when things are better in every way for families that seen the value in Berwyn???

Why is it you try and sway everyone in the Chicago forum to the Burbs? McKinley Park seems ripe for investment and an upswing, as people priced out of Bridgeport and Pilsen move along southwest. The el access and cheap housing alone are enough to draw more people. The mentality of "ditch the city, its doomed, move to the suburbs" is exactly why so many of the solid neighborhoods in that part of the city are in such disrepair now. And they aren't even discussing families, just the neighborhood as a whole. If pilsen and bridgeport can get turned on an upswing, why not Mckinley? It's already showing the signs.

[valpofan11]

Originally Posted by TBideon

Let's face it, if we could get more Asian people to fill in these depleted working class and warzone neighborhoods in the south and west sides, Chicago would be one hell of a better and safer city. I say give a million visas or green cards free of charge to Asian and Indian immigrants, with all bank-owned, foreclosed, or eminently domain seized properties gifted to our new neighbors. Empty lots too. Give them Section 8 housing and boot those that abuse such programs. Would be great to have that culture and morals and hard work, ethical values overwhelm the endless, generational s-hitshow that goes on there currently.

Agreed 110%. Brighton Park has about 3,300-3,500 Asian residents now, approx 7-7.5% of the population. I really hope it continues to increase, and hopefully they have a huge positive effect on the residents around them, as Brighton Park has seen 39 wounded with 11 being killed this year, mostly by Mexican street gangs. Would love to see massive Asian population growth in Chicago. This satisfies the Chicago progressive Democrats agenda of "diversity" while also most likely being law abiding and hard working, compared to some who have decided to ruin everyone else's lives.

[lepoisson]

Honestly, I don't want to see a huge increase of Asian growth in some neighborhoods. It doesn't really make the neighborhood more diverse, it just further segregates races. Segregation is a major problem in Chicago and the fact that Asians (specifically the Chinese) are only expanding outwards to neighborhoods near Chinatown just shows how much of a problem it is.

Why aren't they moving to neighborhoods not surrounding Chinatown? Why don't whites move further south? Why don't blacks move further north? See the problem...

I like Bridgeport the way it is. There's a huge enclave of Chinese in the Northeast part, but the other parts of the neighborhood are mostly white, Hispanic, and a few Asians mixed in. My street has all races and I'd like to keep it that way. I think the "good old boys" in Bridgeport are fighting against Chinese businesses on Halsted (I read an article somewhere about it). The alderman wants to prevent some nail shops from opening up because he says it takes away from people being able to walk down the street for dinner and shopping.

[valpofan11]

Originally Posted by lepoisson

Honestly, I don't want to see a huge increase of Asian growth in some neighborhoods. It doesn't really make the neighborhood more diverse, it just further segregates races. Segregation is a major problem in Chicago and the fact that Asians (specifically the Chinese) are only expanding outwards to neighborhoods near Chinatown just shows how much of a problem it is.

Why aren't they moving to neighborhoods not surrounding Chinatown? Why don't whites move further south? Why don't blacks move further north? See the problem...

I like Bridgeport the way it is. There's a huge enclave of Chinese in the Northeast part, but the other parts of the neighborhood are mostly white, Hispanic, and a few Asians mixed in. My street has all races and I'd like to keep it that way. I think the "good old boys" in Bridgeport are fighting against Chinese businesses on Halsted (I read an article somewhere about it). The alderman wants to prevent some nail shops from opening up because he says it takes away from people being able to walk down the street for dinner and shopping.

Fair points, although it is human nature to live in an area with people of similar values in terms of morals and culture. This a lot of times plays out along racial/ethnic lines. Segregation is what people tend to choose nowadays. Although it might be viewed as "bad" by all the progressives who believe we all need to live in this "racially diverse" area, it is what it is. Social cohesion a lot of times declines in a more "diverse" area because of little to no common values/culture among people.

[OyCrumbler]

Originally Posted by lepoisson

Honestly, I don't want to see a huge increase of Asian growth in some neighborhoods. It doesn't really make the neighborhood more diverse, it just further segregates races. Segregation is a major problem in Chicago and the fact that Asians (specifically the Chinese) are only expanding outwards to neighborhoods near Chinatown just shows how much of a problem it is.

Why aren't they moving to neighborhoods not surrounding Chinatown? Why don't whites move further south? Why don't blacks move further north? See the problem...

I like Bridgeport the way it is. There's a huge enclave of Chinese in the Northeast part, but the other parts of the neighborhood are mostly white, Hispanic, and a few Asians mixed in. My street has all races and I'd like to keep it that way. I think the "good old boys" in Bridgeport are fighting against Chinese businesses on Halsted (I read an article somewhere about it). The alderman wants to prevent some nail shops from opening up because he says it takes away from people being able to walk down the street for dinner and shopping.

Right, so I'm for directing immigration increases towards areas that are currently pretty depopulated like east, southeast, and south of Chinatown.

[Slats Grobnick]

Originally Posted by chet everett

...the biggest threat to areas of Chicago that are "improving" but are sandwiched by rougher areas is the fiscal disaster that is brewing. The relative attractiveness of more well established areas on the north side will likely INCREASE for some folks if / when the City deals with an actual collapse of its lifeline to the bond markets as smart investors would see relatively quick profits. In contrast, the much less desirable areas on the S/SW side that really compare poorly in terms of amenities likely would rapidly fall in value and simply stay at the bottom of things. This is not unlike the sorts of problems that have been seen in some of the older suburbs were older industrial features have just gone vacant. The desirability is nonexistent -- why live in McKinley Park when things are better in every way for families that seen the value in Berwyn???

Because Berwyn will resemble Cicero in 15 years, which is crap by most people's standards, and McKinley Park will resemble Bridgeport in 15 years, which by most people's standards is better than Cicero.

Short term Berwyn is better, long term no, unless youre moving to the northern edge of Berwyn which borders Oak Park, but that has issues too because it borders Ausin, which is a hell hole by most people's standards

[chet everett]

Originally Posted by Slats Grobnick

Because Berwyn will resemble Cicero in 15 years, which is crap by most people's standards, and McKinley Park will resemble Bridgeport in 15 years, which by most people's standards is better than Cicero.

Short term Berwyn is better, long term no, unless youre moving to the northern edge of Berwyn which borders Oak Park, but that has issues too because it borders Ausin, which is a hell hole by most people's standards

I frankly have NO IDEA what any of the various communities in and around Chicago might look like in even two years let alone a decade and a half. When Chicago is no longer able to finance the charade of pensions and the finances of Illinois are fully committed to only fattening up insiders with not a cent left over for anything else the whole area between Indiana and Iowa might just be a slice out of some Mad Max film...

[BRU67]

Originally Posted by Slats Grobnick

Because Berwyn will resemble Cicero in 15 years, which is crap by most people's standards, and McKinley Park will resemble Bridgeport in 15 years, which by most people's standards is better than Cicero.

Short term Berwyn is better, long term no, unless youre moving to the northern edge of Berwyn which borders Oak Park, but that has issues too because it borders Ausin, which is a hell hole by most people's standards

Berwyn does not border Austin. Cicero is a middle-class Hispanic suburb. Now, I suspect that as a person raised as a middle/upper middle class white, you would define crap and middle class differently than the residents who live in Cicero do. But even still, I don't think the term crap fits by any definition. It actually had a lower crime rate than Oak Park for a long time.

[andrew61]

Originally Posted by lepoisson

Honestly, I don't want to see a huge increase of Asian growth in some neighborhoods. It doesn't really make the neighborhood more diverse, it just further segregates races. Segregation is a major problem in Chicago and the fact that Asians (specifically the Chinese) are only expanding outwards to neighborhoods near Chinatown just shows how much of a problem it is.

Why aren't they moving to neighborhoods not surrounding Chinatown? Why don't whites move further south? Why don't blacks move further north? See the problem...

In the case of Chinese immigrants, I'm thinking it's just a matter of wanting to be near family and friends who have already moved here. It's challenging moving to a strange country with unfamiliar customs, so people find comfort and support in being near their own. Chinatown is already pretty full, so they move to adjacent neighborhoods.

Their children and grandchildren will probably spread out and do more integrating.