Scared out of my wits to move to Chicago (Oak Lawn: mover, homes)

[prairiestate]

Originally Posted by Avengerfire

Half as much? Doubtful.

Same type of neighborhood? No way. The Far Northwest side is greatly superior to the Far Southwest side.

Is the Far Southwest Side bad? No.

Will it become questionable in the next 10-15 years?
Very likely.

I guess you have better eyesight, because I certainly don't see any difference in the endless rows of brick bungalows that line the streets of both the Northwest and Southwest sides.

As for price, yes, half as much is an exaggeration. Still, I just checked an MLS listing site. Edison Park and Mt. Greenwood are both suburban style neighborhoods at the farthest edges of the city, surrounded by actual suburbs. If you are looking for affordable housing, you have a total of 6 homes to choose from in Edison Park priced under $300,000. In Mt. Greenwood, you have 10 times as many, a full 60 homes for under $300,000 to choose from.

As for future safety, gangs are running rampant across the city. If you ride the EL around the loop, there is even gang graffiti on some of the signs and buildings there now. I have never seen that before.

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by prairiestate

...As for price, yes, half as much is an exaggeration. Still, I just checked an MLS listing site. Edison Park and Mt. Greenwood are both suburban style neighborhoods at the farthest edges of the city, surrounded by actual suburbs. If you are looking for affordable housing, you have a total of 6 homes to choose from in Edison Park priced under $300,000. In Mt. Greenwood, you have 10 times as many, a full 60 homes for under $300,000 to choose from...

That is because the Far Southwest side is under siege.
It has 10-15 years left maybe less before it turns ghetto.

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by prairiestate

I guess you have better eyesight, because I certainly don't see any difference in the endless rows of brick bungalows that line the streets of both the Northwest and Southwest sides...

I have spent considerable amounts of time in each. You are barking up the wrong tree buddy.

If you cannot see THE DIFFERENCES you are the one that needs glasses.

[Drover]

Originally Posted by Avengerfire

I have spent considerable amounts of time in each. You are barking up the wrong tree buddy.

Yeah... by the airport anyway, there's way more single-level ranches than you'll find anywhere in the NW side, and probably even more ranches than bungalows in that area. East of the airport on the other hand is lots of nice li'l bungalows.

[Avengerfire]

The airport is considered part of the far Northwest side of Chicago, but 99.9% of the housing in the Far Northwest side is east of the airport.

There are plenty of non-bungalows in the Far Northwest side of Chicago. Case in point is old Norwood Park. The Far Southwest side has nothing like Old Norwood Park.

The O'Hare neighborhood of Chicago has a large number of duplex houses.

The northern portion of Jefferson Park and much of Forest Glen have large amounts of wood frame houses.

[Drover]

Uh, I guess should have clarified, I meant Midway airport.

[Avengerfire]

Nice save.

I was beginning to wonder about you...

[ajolotl]

I prefer the southwest side to anything I saw on the northwest side. That's probably because I have a little bit of taste for ghetto life, though, at least nearby. I didn't see anything nearly as nice as the Beverly housing stock on the northwest side. I don't doubt you that it exists but I couldn't find it just driving around randomly over several weekends. Can you give me some coords?

Originally Posted by Avengerfire

That is because the Far Southwest side is under siege.
It has 10-15 years left maybe less before it turns ghetto.

[Drover]

Originally Posted by ajolotl

I prefer the southwest side to anything I saw on the northwest side. That's probably because I have a little bit of taste for ghetto life, though, at least nearby. I didn't see anything nearly as nice as the Beverly housing stock on the northwest side. I don't doubt you that it exists but I couldn't find it just driving around randomly over several weekends. Can you give me some coords?

Buena Park is about as close as you'll get. But it's a tiny island and the lots are a lot smaller. There are some grand-ass houses there though, and it's home to some movers and shakers like Jim Thompson and the late Studs Terkel. There's also some really nice housing stock in Old Irving Park, and a lot of them are on double lots.

[Avengerfire]

Here are a few:

N. West Circle, N. East Circle, Nina, Ardmore, Nicolet, Nickerson...

Louise, Lundy, Meredith, McClellan, Mandell, Prescott, Livermore...

Check out ANY residential street in Edgebrook.

It would take me hours to compile all of the specific places you should check out.

The best and easiest way to see them is to have someone in the car with you that knows the area.