Is Chicago a safe place to live/work? (Joliet, Cary: apartment, homes)

[adamtrip]

My wife and I hope to move from Charlotte, NC to Chicago next year (hopefully in the downtown, lakeshore, or uptown area). We have been doing a lot of research on Chicago and it seems most of the tips on safety are common sense-no CTA after 10pm, stay away from the south and east sides, stay aware of surroundings, etc. My wife will be looking to work at a high school as a counselor, and so she may have go in early. Also, we would like to not take our cars while living in Chicago. And since we can't go everywhere together, she is a little worried. We also have a dog which will have to be taken out perioidically by whoever is home at the time. I know it depends a lot on where we work and live, but I don't want her to have to worry all the time, and I don't want to have to worry about her all the time.

We are coming in October to visit and check out some areas, but does anyone have any comments on safety, nice areas, some good high schools, and how we might be able to find jobs and an apartment without making too many trips back and forth.
Thanks in advance for your help!

[j33]

No CTA after 10pm? I've taken the CTA after ten pm with no problems (I didn't even have problems with that time in the 80's when it was a bit rougher around these parts), and when with friends or a group of people, I've taken it a 3am with no problems. Granted it is always wise to be aware of ones surroundings, but paranoia isn't necessary.

[Manigault]

I have a friend, a single woman, who moved from Charlotte, NC to the south side of Chicago about two years ago. Where did you get that information that to be safe one had to avoid the south side? There really is not an east side of Chicago, either. I think you meant the west side, perhaps.

Now that I've pointed that out, Chicago is pretty safe in most places. Be aware of what's around you and don't be out by yourself in areas you aren't familiar with.

[adamtrip]

Yes...I did mean the west side. As for the south side, I got that from some travel books we had bought.
Any info. you all can give is helpful.
Thanks!

[Chicago Tim]

Parts of the South Side aren't too bad, like Hyde Park some areas by US Cellular and on the near west side by UIC and the Pilsen area isn’t too bad. Unless you live right near downtown, the Gold Coast or Lincoln Park, you wont be in a great area. Chicago is very segregated so you have to be careful and smart. You mentioned Uptown which has some very shady parts, but Uptown, Edgewater and Rogers Park all have bad spots, but it’s fairly cheap and your close to the lake and a lot of cool places. A car really isn’t necessary the CTA goes everywhere and as long as you’re smart, chances are nothing will happen to you. Jefferson Park on the NW side is nice, highest concentration of Pols outside of Warsaw. And Logan Square has some problems but it’s pretty close to downtown, artsy and fairly cheap.

[M TYPE X]

Both Charlotte and Chicago have bad areas and nice areas, dull suburbs and safe suburbs, big towers and small towers. Chicago is merely bigger, with more people of more diverse backgrounds.

I've got someone visiting me from overseas this Fall who is scared to shop on Michigan Avenue. I told her it's not Detroit.

[Drover]

No, Chicago is not a safe place to live and work. All 3 million of us plus a couple hundred thousand more daily commuters all live in mortal fear of our lives every day, as do all the hipsters, yuppies and barflies going to and from their various nightlife destinations between 10pm and 5am via the CTA.

Be smart, maintain an awareness of your surroundings, stay out of crummy neighborhoods when you have no business being in them and you'll be fine.

[preppyboyofIL]

In the past decade the Daley administration has worked UNBELIEVABLY hard to clean up Chicago and make it a safe place to live, work, and play for everyone.

Chicago earned a reputation of being the most segregated city in the United States back in the 1950s and 60's where you could cross a major street such as Western Avenue that on the west side was fine, yet on the east side of the street you would end up in a very bad neighborhood very quickly! The good news is though that things have changed or are changing. Mayor Daley realized his father's antics back in the 1960's of putting all the african americans on one side of a freeway and all the whites on the other was a bad idea creating battle grounds for gangs and drugs so Daley Jr. has decided to mix things up more thereby eliminating these "mega" bad neighborhoods. (i.e. Cabrini Green, or Robert Taylor Homes on east side of Dan Ryan-demolition is under way)

Now don't go and think that you can just go out walking the streets at 1am waiving $100 bills around because that is not the case, but Chicago has gotten much safer over the past few years. Areas that are ok after dark would be all the areas to the north of the city with the exception of the Rogers Park area. The River North/Streeterville area is fine as well, but the Loop can empty out and become a ghost town after dark making this area rather scary after dark. Another area to avoid would be the area directly to the south of the downtown area; this would include areas from the state line to about Western Avenue from about Cermak south to 111th Street. Between Western and Pulaski/Crawford the neighborhoods change and become safer as you head west. The west side is kind of a mix bag of everything so basically use common sense there. The burbs are basically of the same fashion, northern and western burbs are ok, south west is fine, but Joliet and areas east of Pulaski are rather sketchy.

As with any big city the general rule is after dark stick to the major thouroughfares with tons of traffic and people and you will be fine. Don't get adventurous and decide to take tours of the alleys or train rides to the less fortunante neighborhoods because this may get you into trouble and look like you belong there in that neighborhood. Don't go and start gauking out the car windows looking like a tourist.

[adamtrip]

Thats really helpful. Thanks!

[NSH]

Originally Posted by preppyboyofIL

Another area to avoid would be the area directly to the south of the downtown area; this would include areas from the state line to about Western Avenue from about Cermak south to 111th Street. Between Western and Pulaski/Crawford the neighborhoods change and become safer as you head west.

Hey that's my neighborhood!
Here are a few pictures from the "area to avoid"

106th & seeley

105th & hale

89th & Bell

94th & winchester

SCARY STUFF