looking at apts in avondale (Chicago, Irving: home, neighborhoods, quality of life)

[jkemiv]

Anyone have information on the Avondale area? Just doing a little research before I move into any one area. I am planning on moving to Chicago in a few weeks. I've received some great feedback on the Logan Square and Wicker Park area. I am now curious about the Avondale area or any area close to the El "blue line.
Thank you in advance.

[Drover]

Avondale is a bit of a mixed bag. It's not a particularly gentrified area. It's something of an immigrant community; Mexican/Latino immigrants are scattered throughout the North and Northwest side but there is a pretty high concentration in Avondale. This affects the quality of life in aesthetic/superficial ways; namely, it's not a "neat and tidy" neighborhood. It's still relatively quiet and pretty safe by big-city standards, but it's quite a different neighborhood than Wicker Park, which is thoroughly gentrified. Logan Square is a bit harder to peg down; it's one of the strangest and truly diverse neighborhoods in the city. I described it in a different thread thus: "Logan Square is a very odd mix of retro-indie hipsters, yuppies and gangbangers all living side by side."

[j33]

That is a very good description of Logan Square. That has been my experience and impression as as well.

[carrie718]

its gangbangers everywhere u go

[Chi-town Native]

Originally Posted by Drover

Avondale is a bit of a mixed bag. It's not a particularly gentrified area. It's something of an immigrant community; Mexican/Latino immigrants are scattered throughout the North and Northwest side but there is a pretty high concentration in Avondale. This affects the quality of life in aesthetic/superficial ways; namely, it's not a "neat and tidy" neighborhood. It's still relatively quiet and pretty safe by big-city standards, but it's quite a different neighborhood than Wicker Park, which is thoroughly gentrified. Logan Square is a bit harder to peg down; it's one of the strangest and truly diverse neighborhoods in the city. I described it in a different thread thus: "Logan Square is a very odd mix of retro-indie hipsters, yuppies and gangbangers all living side by side."

Logan Square is also home to a bazillion Mexican and Puerto Ricans who run the gamut from ghetto to fully Americanized/6 figure white collar workers.

If you look within a 3 block radius of the Belmont stop you'll be fine and it will have a more urban/commercial feel (I've been just SE of Belmont/Kimball for 9 years), but Avondale is block by block as a whole. You've got a nice mix of still-surviving industrial sectors, fixer-uppers, and people moving there from Lake View, Logan & Irving Park. The Jackowo section on Milwaukee is also very cool, authentic old world delis, etc.

[Rewind4]

Are your planning on having a car? If not, I'd suggest staying somewhere near the El or Milwaukee ave. Avondale is a large area, and amenities there tend to be much more spread out than in a denser area, like Wicker Park or Lakeview.

Also, traffic can get pretty heavy in Avondale during the day, especially along Belmont or where Elston hits California and Belmont.