Addison and Cicero

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by Chi-town Native

...But Portage Park will be fine...They definitely have issues, but nothing to leave the hood over.

That would be nice if it makes it. I am certainly not rooting against it. Only time will tell.

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by Hendu

...So really it makes little sense for property owners to abandon any neighborhood unless they're cool with eventually getting a default judgment against them and having their wages garnished...

I am not saying people should abandon their houses and run for the hills. I am speaking more about the people that have their houses paid off already. They would be better off renting the places out even...

And again I am talking about the part of Portage Park on the south end next to areas that are on the chute.

[SonySegaTendo617]

My own take on the area(been meaning to post here for a while, but haven't had time): it's definitely not as bad as some make it out to be, or that one should immediately flee the area. Every so often, me and one of my female friends pet-sits for a friend who lives a couple blocks southwest of that intersection(I'm asked to do this usually like 2-3 times a year), and I've never felt creeped out or worried for my safety one bit. And this is from someone who has occasionally taken the Belmont, Cicero, and Addison buses to that area in the evening.

Sometime in 2009, I did read in one of the neighborhood newspapers(sorry, I don't remember which one it was) about a gang task force the 16th District Police Station created for the area bordering Cicero Ave, Belmont Ave, Laramie Ave, and Addison Ave. I'm guessing the CPD's recently created gang task force is still in place and working to keep that area from getting infested with the gang problems that have unfortunately crept into so much of Cragin, Hermosa, etc. My brother teaches at a nearby CPS high school, and he's told me(unfortunately) that the blocks close to Kilbourn Park have often had gang problems, as well.

Earlier this year in 2010, when I left that house and waited for the Belmont bus near Foreman H.S., I was honestly surprised I didn't see creepy characters on the street, nor(at least at that time) a lot of gang graffiti, excluding possibly one alley(can't remember for sure, though). So maybe for all I know, the recently created Police gang task force is making some progress in that area....

And btw, why is it that the Portage Park neighborhood always seems to have a bad rap for whatever strange reason on C-D that it doesn't deserve? Sure it may not be Old Irving Park nice(or say, the area near Addison/Pulaski off of the Kennedy), but it's certainly not a craphole area by any means.

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by SonySegaTendo617

...infested with the gang problems that have unfortunately crept into so much of Cragin, Hermosa, etc....the blocks close to Kilbourn Park have often had gang problems, as well...

That is what I have been trying to point out. And guess what? People from those areas are causing problems in Portage Park.