Curious about the safety of Uptown neighborhood (Chicago, Lincoln: low income, section 8)

[rtt1]

I'm a single guy of smaller stature (about 5'5) and was interested in purchasing a garden apt on Winthrop st. between Argyle and Ainslie. That particular block looks nice, but I'm reading a lot about how shady the neighborhood is. I've lived in Columbus OH for most of my life, and was wondering how uptown stacks up safety weise. Thanks for the help!

[MannheimMadman]

The epicenter of all thing evil in Uptown is near the Wilson stop. You're looking pretty near the Margate Park part of Uptown, and just south of Foster. Have you done due diligence in checking crime for the address yet?

[Irishtom29]

I lived at Sheridan and Ainslie until 4 years ago and it was weird; a mixture of gangbangers, rummys, druggies, bums, whackos along with some regular working people both white and blue collar and both hetero and gay. There were streets I walked down and streets I avoided; when I went to the Green Mill I walked to and from Broadway on Argyle not Ainslie to avoid the lowlifes from that big building behind the Aragon. One night people from there beat the dog**** out'a the gay guy who lived across the hall and put him in the hospital.

We were broken into twice and once while we were home; we chased them off.

I hear things are worse around there now. Maybe I hear wrong.

[chitown85]

Uptown is said to be the most ethnicity and economically diverse neighborhood in the city. During the day it seems ok, everyone goes to work. It's middle class. At night you start to see a few gang bangers and other unsavory types. Just avoid them and 99% of the time they don't bother you.

[Lookout Kid]

Uptown is such a mixed bag. I live in on a very safe block of Uptown closer to Irving Park Road (in what many people call Buena Park). We have basically had no safety issues here whatsoever in nearly six years (hopefully I'm not jinxing myself here). But I've certainly had some experience with the "real" Uptown, and have to say I wouldn't live anywhere else in the neighborhood except for areas that border Ravenswood or Andersonville. "Margate Park" is nice too, but it feels sort of cut off from other nice areas, and you have to deal with some shady activity to go about your daily life there. We considered it when we were looking at places back in 2004-2005, but considering the crime spike we've seen this past year, I'm very happy we stayed closer to Lake View.

[xavier xerxes]

Check out uptown update.
Its a great area of the city, but currently there
is a gangwar going on there.

Regardless Uptown will be okay.
But there is turmoil there in the central area.
I personally like the area south of foster and west of broadway
north of lawrence and east of clark.

You can go to andersonville or argyle area
and you are close to the el and its a nice area.

Uptown continues to improve
and buildings are being rehabbed
and economic development is still occuring
despite the preponderance of low income housing
some of which does need to be phased out.....

[lenniel]

Not have Schiller as the alderman there should help. She open the flood gates making Uptown the social services capital of Chicago and as can be predicted, you get all the things that go along with halfway houses, SROs, meth clinics, psych units, homeless shelters, Section 8 housing, etc.

[Savoir Faire]

Originally Posted by lenniel

Not have Schiller as the alderman there should help. She open the flood gates making Uptown the social services capital of Chicago and as can be predicted, you get all the things that go along with halfway houses, SROs, meth clinics, psych units, homeless shelters, Section 8 housing, etc.

I think Uptown had plenty of drug rehab and mental health centers before Schiller took office. That being said, those clinics have to located somewhere, would it be better if they moved them to Lincoln Park, the Loop, Bridgeport?

[andrew61]

Originally Posted by Savoir Faire

I think Uptown had plenty of drug rehab and mental health centers before Schiller took office. That being said, those clinics have to located somewhere, would it be better if they moved them to Lincoln Park, the Loop, Bridgeport?

Don't you think it would be better if such places were more scattered around the city instead of concentrated in one part of town? A neighborhood can handle a few such places... it's when it gets too many that the area becomes overwhelmed.

Why must Uptown be the dumping ground for everything?

[Savoir Faire]

Originally Posted by andrew61

Don't you think it would be better if such places were more scattered around the city instead of concentrated in one part of town? A neighborhood can handle a few such places... it's when it gets too many that the area becomes overwhelmed.

Why must Uptown be the dumping ground for everything?

I totally agree. Problem is convincing other neighborhoods to agree with this. Do you think the residents of Norwood Park or Gold Coast would welcome a methadone clinic?