The "don't go north of Irving Rule" (Metropolis: condo, private schools)

[slow_nerve_action]

I use that advice for people moving into the city, and don't really know anyone.
The area south of Irving along the lake is great to be young, meet new people, go out, see music, get involved and enjoy life. Live within a few blocks on Halsted or Lincoln, for whatever floats you boat.

One can start looking north of Irving when they become comfortable:
-the city in general
-how to manage the CTA
-searching for apartments on their own
-have their own social network


The rule seems outdated, especially to those living in the city. We all have our favorite spots and blocks. However, would you put someone out to meet new people in Old Irving? Or among the more family-oriented blocks in North Center or Lincoln Square? Or walking alone at night from the El in Rogers Park?

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by slow_nerve_action

...The rule seems outdated, especially to those living in the city. We all have our favorite spots and blocks. However, would you put someone out to meet new people in Old Irving? Or among the more family-oriented blocks in North Center or Lincoln Square? Or walking alone at night from the El in Rogers Park?

If one has even marginal game one can meet or pick up women in most places. Someone like me with above average skills can do it anywhere.

North Center and Lincoln Square have plenty of singles as places like Lake View and Lincoln Park. Many of the singles tend to be older and wiser though so your pick up lines have to be on a way different level than trying to pick up a drunk trixie or recently graduated college chick (from insert any midwestern college here.)

[Wildcatbonk]

I am arriving to the conversation late, but I am among the "not north of Irving Park" crowd (and not south of Roosevelt or west of Western).

For me it has absolutely nothing to do with safety, but with proximity to places I like to go and things I like to do in the city. I used to live right at Irving Park and Damen, and constantly found myself fighting that extra 20 minutes to get home in traffic driving north (I now live at Damen and Belmont).

Does this mean there aren't bars and restaurants I like that are north of Irving Park? Of course not, I can name quite a few in Lincoln Square, Andersonville and Edgewater...but I don't go up there as much as I do to places in Lakeview, Wicker Park, or in the Loop. And commuting...have you ever taken the el from that stretch on the red line in Edgewater where it stops every few hundred feet and doesn't go faster than 15-20 mph the whole time? It's awful.

It has been my experience with friends and acquaintances that as you move north towards Uptown and Edgewater, you start encountering people who live there because it was what they could afford to buy or it's closer to the highway, they work in Evanston, etc. On the contrary, the only people who live in Lakeview or Lincoln Park are the ones who really *want* to be in those parts of town (a theory that is supported by higher rent and property values) as opposed to living there by virtue of circumstance.

For what it's worth, if I worked in Evanston, I would almost definitely move to Lincoln Square.

[Milwaukee City]

Keep the yuppies out of E-wood and K-town, we wouldn't want them to ruin that neighborhood too.

Prices keep people out of an area? so then don't live there. Supply and demand my friend. Also if you own a home then don't sell when prices go up or sell and take your gains.(make sure obama get his though first).

Okay so let's say prices do rise in K-Town and you still want to live there and feel like you are being "forced out". Then do something about your life and get a better job or move. Maybe if you were smart you could buy some of these homes as the yuppies are moving in and rent them out to more yuppies or sell them at a higher rate and take this yuppies for all they are worth.

All I hear is excuses, what is expensive? 1000 for a 2 bedroom? that's 500 per person or 1600 for a one bedroom? then don't live there.

Beside back to topic, as a white boy from Wisconsin, Milwaukee. Who has spent time past midnight many a time north of Irving I never felt afraid even my first couple of times. Some people just have unreal expectations for big cities, like they are all supposed to be as safe as madison,WI.

[Alacran]

Originally Posted by Milwaukee City

Keep the yuppies out of E-wood and K-town, we wouldn't want them to ruin that neighborhood too.

Prices keep people out of an area? so then don't live there. Supply and demand my friend. Also if you own a home then don't sell when prices go up or sell and take your gains.(make sure obama get his though first).

Okay so let's say prices do rise in K-Town and you still want to live there and feel like you are being "forced out". Then do something about your life and get a better job or move. Maybe if you were smart you could buy some of these homes as the yuppies are moving in and rent them out to more yuppies or sell them at a higher rate and take this yuppies for all they are worth.

All I hear is excuses, what is expensive? 1000 for a 2 bedroom? that's 500 per person or 1600 for a one bedroom? then don't live there.

Beside back to topic, as a white boy from Wisconsin, Milwaukee. Who has spent time past midnight many a time north of Irving I never felt afraid even my first couple of times. Some people just have unreal expectations for big cities, like they are all supposed to be as safe as madison,WI.

Uh, that's exactly what is happening. People are starting NOT to live there because of prices.


K-town, Austin, Englewood is worlds away from Logan, Uptown, Albany Park, Rogers park, Pilsen.

Why does Albany Park need gentrification?
It's a decent neighborhood with relatively cheap rent.

IT won't be that much safer with gentrification.
It would just be costlier to live in.

And yeah....
Very easy to say "Then do something about your life and get a better job or move."

[Avengerfire]

So now this has turned into a gentrification/economic class garbage talking thread?

That discussion has been beaten to death many times in the forum. I am sort of in the middle on the issue, but there is a large number of Chicagoans of all colors and even economic backrounds that would be quite enraged by some of the things people have posted in this thread. If some of these things were said in a local bar someone's teeth would get knocked out.

[Irishtom29]

Originally Posted by Avengerfire

If some of these things were said in a local bar someone's teeth would get knocked out.

Especially in a tavern north of Irving.

[emathias]

Rules are for simple-minded suckers.

[grapico]

eh is this a joke? North Center/Ravenswood/Andersonville/Lincoln Square etc are all north of Irving and all IMHO better as well, better restaurants, more hip, much more intelligent crowd, not commercialized garbage, etc. I much prefer them. I also like some western parts like Roscoe Village and Western Lakeview... but east lakeview/linconlpark/gold coast are all way too yuppie and commercialized and "unreal image of Chicago" for my taste. If anything I might avoid anything SOUTH of irving by the lake, especially the Belmont to North Ave corridor around Clark I can get downtown faster than most people in LP/LV anyway if that is a concern with the Ravenswood metra stop.

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by grapico

...If anything I might avoid anything SOUTH of irving by the lake, especially the Belmont to North Ave corridor around Clark

Yeah I sure do. It used to be pretty mixed for many years in the types of stuff going on. One of the coolest things was the live peep show/adult bookstore on Broadway just north of Diversey. (If you like(d) that sort of thing and yeah they were women.)

Now for the most part between North and Belmont near the lake is like Schaumburg in Chicago.