Looking for info about a specific part of Hazel Crest (Chicago: section 8, for sale)

[garyjohnyang]

On the NE side of Hazel Crest, near the border with Markham, there’s a neighborhood I’m curious about. It’s sandwiched between 294 on the south & west, 167th street on the north, and the Metra Electric tracks on the East. I briefly drove through the neighborhood and there seems to be quite a few boarded up homes & businesses. I’m wondering if there are “nicer” blocks within the neighborhood (maybe farther from the expressway, towards the center) where the homes are better maintained/not as many vacant properties? Any information would be helpful. Thanks!

[Hiruko]

Originally Posted by garyjohnyang

On the NE side of Hazel Crest, near the border with Markham, there’s a neighborhood I’m curious about. It’s sandwiched between 294 on the south & west, 167th street on the north, and the Metra Electric tracks on the East. I briefly drove through the neighborhood and there seems to be quite a few boarded up homes & businesses. I’m wondering if there are “nicer” blocks within the neighborhood (maybe farther from the expressway, towards the center) where the homes are better maintained/not as many vacant properties? Any information would be helpful. Thanks!

I would recommend contacting a local real estate agent.

[Curly Q. Bobalink]

Zillow only shows three homes in that triangle (half Markham, half Hazel Crest, East of Robey) for sale, two of which are entering foreclosure. The asking price on the third is just under $90K, with 2018 taxes just under $10K per year. Why anyone on the planet would want to subject themselves to that is beyond me, it is almost a guarantee that the property will not appreciate in value with a ten percent annual tax bill. That is what is killing many of the South Suburbs. I'm not sure how you could even make money renting one out, unless you bought it for sixty grand and got the taxes reduced.

On the other hand, It looks like many of the homes in there are on larger lots with mature trees, but there is a lot of "industrial" property bordering the area you described. The area is so small, why wouldn't you have driven down every street? My best guess this is a "declining" neighborhood, but it might make nice farmland once everyone moves out and the towns are eventually busted out.

[rrah]

I don't know much about the current status of that area, but I spent many, many days there as a child and teen. My grandparents and several other extended family members lived in that part of Hazel Crest for decades. My great grandparents and great uncles ran a business in the general area. My great grandparents helped fund the building of the Catholic Church, St. Anne's. My parents were married in that church. Myself and one of my siblings were baptized there. My grandparents funeral services were held there. I went to mass there many times with my grandparents. I was also there last summer for my aunt's funeral. She lived 60 plus miles away but still considered it her church. My dad was looking for the plaque with his grandparents name on it after the service. It started to rain so we needed to leave. Unfortunately we didn't find it.

My grandparents lived east of Robey/Dixie Highway. You could see the train tracks from their upstairs windows.
Grandma died in 1984. Grandpa died in 1987. A cousin bought their house. She either lost it or sold it sometime in the early 90's. The area became a little tougher in the mid to late 90's.

Because of my history in the area, I occasionally look at the Zillow listings for the general area. I think the prices are increasing slightly compared to a few years ago. I could be wrong. I'm also seeing a few more for sale than the poster above is seeing. Most interesting is at least one flip. I'd watch for the flips. It might be indicative of an upward trend for an area if there are enough of them.

This is one I see: https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1.../4275658_zpid/

[garyjohnyang]

Originally Posted by rrah

I don't know much about the current status of that area, but I spent many, many days there as a child and teen. My grandparents and several other extended family members lived in that part of Hazel Crest for decades. My great grandparents and great uncles ran a business in the general area. My great grandparents helped fund the building of the Catholic Church, St. Anne's. My parents were married in that church. Myself and one of my siblings were baptized there. My grandparents funeral services were held there. I went to mass there many times with my grandparents. I was also there last summer for my aunt's funeral. She lived 60 plus miles away but still considered it her church. My dad was looking for the plaque with his grandparents name on it after the service. It started to rain so we needed to leave. Unfortunately we didn't find it.

My grandparents lived east of Robey/Dixie Highway. You could see the train tracks from their upstairs windows.
Grandma died in 1984. Grandpa died in 1987. A cousin bought their house. She either lost it or sold it sometime in the early 90's. The area became a little tougher in the mid to late 90's.

Because of my history in the area, I occasionally look at the Zillow listings for the general area. I think the prices are increasing slightly compared to a few years ago. I could be wrong. I'm also seeing a few more for sale than the poster above is seeing. Most interesting is at least one flip. I'd watch for the flips. It might be indicative of an upward trend for an area if there are enough of them.

This is one I see: https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1.../4275658_zpid/

Wow, thanks for the info & story - great hearing about the history of this neighborhood. Did St. Anne’s serve any particular nationality when it was founded? Irish/Italian/Polish maybe? I’m not aware of what the demographics of Hazel Crest were in the past but it would be interesting to know.

Thanks for linking me to the flip as well. It’s nice to know that at least some investors have been able to sell a rehab in this area. Of course we want to be cognizant of problems with the neighborhood but it stood out to me because of how much cheaper houses here are than in other parts of Hazel Crest.

[Z'Dig]

I lived there from 1980 until 1998 on 170th Trapet ave. near where your talking. I move due to the neighborhood changing for the worse. It started when a 2 block area on 171st street between Dixie Hwy. and maybe Head street, Duplexes were turned into section 8 apartments and people from the than being demolished Robert Taylor Homes were moved into them.
Along came the drug dealers , gangs and the like. Then the small mom and pop businesses closed from being robbed. I moved due to a crack house that was set up across the street from me and my wife was constantly being harassed when walking home from the train station on 170th street. I still am a member of the American Legion post 398 there but wouldn't suggest you moving to that side of Hazel Crest.

[garyjohnyang]

Originally Posted by Z'Dig

I lived there from 1980 until 1998 on 170th Trapet ave. near where your talking. I move due to the neighborhood changing for the worse. It started when a 2 block area on 70th street between Dixie Hwy. and maybe Head street Duplexes were turned into section 8 apartments and people from the than being demolished Robert Taylor Homes were moved into them.
Along came the drug dealers , gangs and the like. Then the small mom and pop businesses closed from being robbed. I moved due to a crack house that was set up across the street from me and my wife was constantly being harassed when walking home from the train station on 170th street. I still am a member of the American Legion post 398 there but wouldn't suggest you moving to that side of Hazel Crest.

I did notice that it seems somewhat rougher on the 171th St. side, but the entire neighborhood looked pretty depressed on the whole. I’m not interested in living in the area myself but was more so just curious about its investment potential.

Where did families leave to from Hazel Crest? I’m guessing they just went further south/west in the suburbs?

[Z'Dig]

Well , I went to Mokena others, who knows. Some in Homewood ,Flossmoor but again guess what's happening? I moved back into Chicago in 2008 to be my fathers full time caregiver. About ready to sell and get outta here though.

[rrah]

Originally Posted by garyjohnyang

Wow, thanks for the info & story - great hearing about the history of this neighborhood. Did St. Anne’s serve any particular nationality when it was founded? Irish/Italian/Polish maybe? I’m not aware of what the demographics of Hazel Crest were in the past but it would be interesting to know.

My great grandparents were from Poland. They lived in Chicago when they first arrived and later moved to what is now East Hazel Crest. I don't recall it being specifically a Polish church, but that was 40-50 years after it was formed.