Is Calumet City safe? (Chicago, South Holland: crime, neighborhoods, buy)

[pfrontman]

Due to personal circumstance I may have to move and work in Calumet City. Is it a safe suburb of Chicago? The other factor is the predominately all black neighborhood. (I am not black but I am a visible minority). I am not racist and get along well with everyone, I just do not know very much about the area. Any information would be great. Thanks (1st time posting too)

[Drover]

Do you have to live in Cal City? If not, I'd look into other areas nearby. Munster IN, Dyer IN, the Hegewisch neighborhood of Chicago all come to mind.

[pfrontman]

I do actually have to live there for a yr at least. Are there certain neighborhoods I should avoid? I am thinking it will be around the 500 East End Ave area. Is that a bad neighborhood? It is off the highway.

[rubber duck]

Originally Posted by pfrontman

I do actually have to live there for a yr at least. Are there certain neighborhoods I should avoid? I am thinking it will be around the 500 East End Ave area. Is that a bad neighborhood? It is off the highway.

Go as far south as you can, that's my only recommendation. Definitely south of Sibley and as close to South Holland or south Hammond as you can get, and if you see a blacked out car rolling slowly down your street go inside and get down....really.

[thepizzaguy]

There's a great, well maintained Full Service 18 hole County Golf Course at 159th and the 90/94. There's a ton of water, and a lot of sand. It used to be relatively cheap at $15.00 a round. It's been a while, but I expect that it still rather cheap.

[Transcendental Blues]

I grew up in cal city, and my parents still live there. I reccomend going south of 159th by any means necessary. Then drive over to cabela's in hammond, IN and buy yourself some kevlar body armor.

[human]

unfortunatley people assume things and create stereotypes when a neighborhood changes. one is that the property value drops but if you do your research in cal city the property value is steadily rising. another is the consistant refrences to "drive by shootings" if you ask the calumet city police about a certain area and the goings on they will give you all the information you need. please do your research and ask people who currently live there. I'm sure the police will give you a non biased/non racist statistics you are looking for. you can also go into the archives of local newspapers and research weather or not there are frequent reports of shootings, killings, break ins and drive-by shootings. thank you.

[Drover]

OK, here's the research I've found so far:

From 1999 to 2005 (the last year for which crime data is available), Cal City's murder rate went from zero in 1999 to 15.5 per 100,000 (about thrice the national average). This has been part of an upward trend.

In the same time period, robberies tripled from 62 (167.6 per 100,000, well below the national average) to 187 (490 per 100,000, well above the national average). This too was part of a clear upward trend.

Assaults have doubled. Rapes have tripled. Thefts have held steady while car thefts have trended downward. Burlaries trended down and then went right back up.

So yeah, it looks like Cal City's problems are more than just "rumors."

[Jeanine Alexander]

the bad things you've heard about cal city are not just "rumors"!! i would try my hardest if i were you to not live there, if i could help it. even the hammond area is not the greatest (which is where i lived from birth to age 26). i now live in texas and thank god b/c that nw area of indiana is getting crappier and crappier. i'd go as far SOUTH as i could, like Crown Point, St. John area, even Schererville, Munster, or MAYBE Griffith.

[LM1]

Originally Posted by Drover

Do you have to live in Cal City? If not, I'd look into other areas nearby. Munster IN, Dyer IN, the Hegewisch neighborhood of Chicago all come to mind.

Hegewisch is turning the corner as we speak.
It will cease being predominantly white in about 10 more years. Tons have already left, no one is staying and only the old hold-outs will remain in a decade.

And when that happens, the same thing will happen to Hegewisch that has happened in every single other area of every other city in the country that went from being white to non-white. One of those unfortunate "racist realities" that we aren't supposed to talk about and pretend doesn't exist, but entirely factual none the less. If you want to live in Chicago/land, either be prepared to spend a ton of money to live on the northside, a long commute from the burbs or live in a jungle that isn't safe.

Safe, Convenient and Cheap. IN Chicago, you only get to pick 2.