Clear Ridge (Chicago, Madison, Brighton: renting, houses, employment)

[2012]

Does anyone hear live in the Clear Ridge (Clearing/Garfield Ridge) area of Chicago, west side of Midway Airport? If so how do you feel about the area? Do you like living (t)here? Where do you live? I live by St. Syms. I used to love the area, but it has some very minor problems, like graffiti, and paint (like from paintballs) on your car. Also it has been becoming soooo hispanic. (I'm not being racist, just saying that I've seen a huge rise of hispanics in the area.) How do you like the schools? I went to Hale and liked it, thought it was a good school, and wouldn't mind sending my kid there. Also, at least by me, it seems to many be older families, like families with kids in 7 grade and above, not too many younger families or older people. Is that by you too? Im just trying to get to know the rest the the ClearRidge area, since i like the neighborhood, but not so much my area, i pretty much only know from austin to nargasette and the tracks (59) to 63. do yo find the rains to be annoying, where i live i can hear the horns (59) and the squelling (sp?) (65) all the time, they are worst then the airplanes. hopefully you understand this, thanks.

[2012]

Oh, and does anyone know how Kennedy really is? i never went there, so i dont know, is it really that, well, crappy of a school.

[ChiMack]

someone told me it has been getting worse...but i cant confirm it

[JoeyPants]

What is happening to Garfield Ridge is what is happening to many neighborhoods in Chicago. It's starting to resemble the neighborhoods east of it. Following in the footsteps of Brighton Park and Archer Heights, it's starting to see a influx of gangs. The changes are slow and gradual, but they are happening. I say for the most part it's a quiet neighborhood, but I suspect it will resemble Archer Heights/Brighton Park in about 10 years, which is not a hardcore ghetto, but it does have a gang presence. Check out Kedzie and Archer and this will tell you what Garfield Ridge will look like in 10 years. The general population shift in Chicago appear to be shifting outward from the center. Many areas, not just this one will resemble the area neighboring area closer to downtown. Belmont Cragin which had a large Polish population in the 80's is resembling Humboldt Park/Logan Square, and likewise those area are slowly beginning to resemble Bucktown/Wicker Park.

[Drover]

Yeah.... I'd be OK with renting in Clear Ridge -- for now anyway -- but I wouldn't buy there. And that's too bad because right up until a couple years ago it was on my list of places to look if/when I'm in the market for a house.

[Tex?Il?]

Originally Posted by Drover

Yeah.... I'd be OK with renting in Clear Ridge -- for now anyway -- but I wouldn't buy there. And that's too bad because right up until a couple years ago it was on my list of places to look if/when I'm in the market for a house.

What about the residency requirements for all the cops, firefighters, other city workers. It seems to me that there will half to be a couple areas on the edge of the city that will remain "white ethnic strongholds" because the people that live there will have to, and they aren't going to see there neighborhoods. (AKA: I mean nothing racist by that phrase in quotes, its just a reality in Chicago. I'm sure the vast majority of those Garfield Ridgers don't who you are or where your from, as long as you are a good citizen"

[MannheimMadman]

^^ Maybe the Whites who choose to leave Garfield Ridge and Clearing will flock to the NW neighborhoods or Beverly/Mt.Greenwood. I do have to say, I like the tidy and neat symmetry that the little houses in Garfield Ridge offer.

[Drover]

Originally Posted by Tex?Il?

What about the residency requirements for all the cops, firefighters, other city workers. It seems to me that there will half to be a couple areas on the edge of the city that will remain "white ethnic strongholds" because the people that live there will have to, and they aren't going to see there neighborhoods. (AKA: I mean nothing racist by that phrase in quotes, its just a reality in Chicago. I'm sure the vast majority of those Garfield Ridgers don't who you are or where your from, as long as you are a good citizen"

I agree that the vast majority of Clear-Ridgers "don't [care] who you are or where your from, as long as you are a good citizen," and that's why the ethnic transformation of the Southwest side has been far more orderly than the overnight flips that happened in the 60s and 70s. But make no mistake that current Clear Ridgers have also taken stock of what has happened to the neighborhoods just north and east of them; namely, that what followed the "good citizens" hasn't always been so good, or just as often, the "good citizens" bring their children with them who end up running with gangs -- that is, if they're not already affiliated. Brighton Park and Gage Park were the Clear-Ridge of the 1990s, and now Clear-Ridgers are seeing history repeat itself in their neighborhoods.

Where will the white firefighters/cops/sanitation workers/teachers/etc. go? That's a good question. We're watching them hold out as long as they can in the Southwest side as we speak. My guess is once they can't hold out any longer they'll head to the more stable enclaves of Bridgeport, Beverly, Mount Greenwood, western Morgan Park, and Northwest side areas like Jefferson Park, Gladstone Park, Dunning, Oriole Park, et cetera. Clear Ridge didn't see the kind of run-up in property values that the North and near Northwest sides saw in the 1990s through early 2000s, but they still saw a good solid bump during that time. So anyone down there who's been sitting on their house for at least 15 years has a good chunk of equity to bring with them to at least buy into the aforementioned neighborhoods even if it means they may not live quite as comfortably as they had in Clear-Ridge.

[Tex?Il?]

Originally Posted by Drover

Where will the white firefighters/cops/sanitation workers/teachers/etc. go? That's a good question. We're watching them hold out as long as they can in the Southwest side as we speak. My guess is once they can't hold out any longer they'll head to the more stable enclaves of Bridgeport, Beverly, Mount Greenwood, western Morgan Park, and Northwest side areas like Jefferson Park, Gladstone Park, Dunning, Oriole Park, et cetera. Clear Ridge didn't see the kind of run-up in property values that the North and near Northwest sides saw in the 1990s through early 2000s, but they still saw a good solid bump during that time. So anyone down there who's been sitting on their house for at least 15 years has a good chunk of equity to bring with them to at least buy into the aforementioned neighborhoods even if it means they may not live quite as comfortably as they had in Clear-Ridge.

Interesting.

I wonder if the main difference between the far northwest and far southwest neighborhoods might have more to do with the jobs and employment around O'Hare than with the gentrified north side on the other side of the "North Branch."

I've always thought the main difference between the far NW and far SW is just proximity to O'Hare. Culturally is feels about exactly the same, with the exception of MBA loyalty obviously.

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by Tex?Il?

...I wonder if the main difference between the far northwest and far southwest neighborhoods might have more to do with the jobs and employment around O'Hare...

...I've always thought the main difference between the far NW and far SW is just proximity to O'Hare. Culturally is feels about exactly the same...

It's more about where you grew up. Northsiders usually stick north and Southsiders south. Although I have met quite a few southsiders that have moved north-not nearly close as many the other way around. It also has to do with where your relatives live and where the house you are inheriting is...

There are differences in culture. No doubt about it. Too many to go into right now.

One thing I will say is the women are much different between north and south sides. They each have their own pro's and con's of course. I have dated girls from both sides of Madison.