independence park neighborhood (Naperville, Lincoln, Irving: sales, hair salon, rental)

[ritahope]

what is the independence park neighborhood like? location is nice with expressway and blue line right there. is it safe? family friendly? are there any amenities besides the park there? is there a difference between north and south of irving park? thanks

[Drover]

Originally Posted by ritahope

what is the independence park neighborhood like? location is nice with expressway and blue line right there. is it safe?

Compared to what? Compared to Garfield Park, yes. Compared to Naperville, no.

Originally Posted by ritahope

family friendly?

For the most part.

Originally Posted by ritahope

are there any amenities besides the park there?

What sort of amenities are you looking for?

Originally Posted by ritahope

is there a difference between north and south of irving park? thanks

The lots and houses south of Irving Park tend to be a little bigger, and in my casual observation, in slightly better condition. IMO the portion south of Irving Park is a little more prestigious.

[ritahope]

thanks for the answers.

i mean is it safe for a thirty something woman with children to live there alone, walking on the streets, etc. i'm coming from lincoln square.

i was just wondering about the demographics, like is it mostly families or no? obviously a lot quieter than some other neighborhoods so i was thinking it might be.

as far as amenities, i am wondering what is walkable (basically from independence park) as far as coffee shops, restaurants, etc.

also, have been looking to see comparable home price sales in the past and it seems really hard. there seems to be really really low turnover there. is this true? i'm talking about single family homes. that seems to be a good sign of stability and people liking the area, right?

sorry forgive me, i'm a little clueless but really want to learn more about the independence park neighborhood of irving park and what it's like.

[Drover]

1) I don't think the crime rate is materially different in Irving Park vs. Lincoln Square. Perhaps a tad higher, but not in a way that you'd notice in your every day life.

2) I wouldn't say it's "mostly" families, but there are more here than in your standard nightlife neighborhoods.

3) Walkable? Not really unless you really like to walk. There will be some interesting things within walking distance (a nationally renowned barbecue joint, a Thai/sushi place, another Thai coffee shop, a pretty cool Moroccan restuarant) and more mundane things (Walgreen's, a pawn shop, a hair salon or two, a greasy-spoon diner or two, a funeral home, a corner tavern or two), and a few things to give the place some extra character (a Bulgarian community center, a Romanian community center, a Latvian community center.) Economically and ethnically speaking, the neighborhood is much more of a hodgepodge than Lincoln Square and it doesn't really have an equivalent to Lincoln Avenue where every neat-as-a-pin little shop, bistro and boutique are all lined up in a row for you. It takes a little more initiative to find everything the neighborhood has to offer, and it's not as much as Lincoln Square offers up.

4) Finally, I saw a bit of speculating going on before -- updated two-story single-family homes had asking prices approaching a million bucks and even ranches had price tags approaching 400 grand -- so I think the recent lack of turnover has a lot more to do with everybody's equity having been wiped out. That said, I would definitely say that Independence Park is a less transient neighborhood than Lincoln Square precisely because of its preponderance of SFHs and not so much rental stock. But you don't have to get too far north or east of Independence Park before you do get into a lot of 2- and 3-flat rental stock and the transience/resident-turnover that attends.