What neighborhoods wre very dangerous and dirty in the 80s/90s, but reletively livable today? (Chicago: crimes, house)

[scottyr]

thanks for all the replies. Would it be safe to say that logan square in 2011 feels like wicker park in 1995? Could it also be said that Wicker park in 2011 feels like Clark and Belmont area in 1995?

[jwaiter]

Originally Posted by scottyr

thanks for all the replies. Would it be safe to say that logan square in 2011 feels like wicker park in 1995?

Uh... no, not by a long shot.

Originally Posted by scottyr

Could it also be said that Wicker park in 2011 feels like Clark and Belmont area in 1995?

Again, no.

[AmosBanks]

I helped run a sports league from 1998-2002. We had softball at Brands Park on Thursdays and Hamlin Park on Sundays because all the other leagues were fighting over the lakefront parks. Now Hamlin is a prime sports location and people no longer have an issue driving to Brands.

/The lights still suck at Brands, tho...

[Chi-town Native]

Originally Posted by scottyr

thanks for all the replies. Would it be safe to say that logan square in 2011 feels like wicker park in 1995? Could it also be said that Wicker park in 2011 feels like Clark and Belmont area in 1995?

No and no.

Wicker Park in 2011 (if you mean the 2 blocks around the park) is maybe like Oz Park is 1995.

[Attrill]

Originally Posted by scottyr

thanks for all the replies. Would it be safe to say that logan square in 2011 feels like wicker park in 1995?

It is tough, if not impossible, to make the comparison. Logan Square is a MUCH larger area than Wicker Park - which part of Logan Square are you talking about? The area around the Congress Theater is very different from the area around the Boulevard, the area around Kosciuszko Park, etc...

Secondly, the city itself has changed over that time. The murder rate in the city is half of what is what in the early 90's, and other crimes are down by comparable numbers. Walking down Damen in the early 90's was completely different than most parts of the city today. I had a lot of strange experiences - cars driving next to me for blocks yelling at me to get in the car and buy some drugs, random kid trying to sucker punch me as I walked into the Busy Bee, homeless guys going nuts in the Rama mart and the owner going at them with a baseball bat, I won't even get into some of the crazy stuff I saw at the Duk's at Damen/Division. I don't think Logan Square has any areas where you have a fair amount of street crime coupled with new stores, bars and restaurants opening up. In terms of businesses The Northside, Double Door, Soul Kitchen, were all open by '95 and were drawing good sized crowds to the area. There was still a fair amount of crime (not as bad as earlier in the 90's) but it was pretty clear the neighborhood was changing. By 2000 or so you had the Real World filming in the neighborhood. There are no parts of Logan Square that are changing at anywhere near the pace that Wicker Park did.

[Chi-town Native]

Originally Posted by Attrill

I won't even get into some of the crazy stuff I saw at the Duk's at Damen/Division.

oh man, I remember that place was quite the live wire!

[tribecavsbrowns]

I live in that pocket between Ashland and the Kennedy and between Division and North, and I was telling my Comcast technician today that my landlord lived in the house for six years before we moved in this past year. He raised his eyebrows and said, wow, this neighborhood was "really bad" six years ago (and he lived in Humboldt Park then, so...). I'm not clueless, I knew my neighborhood was a big gang neighborhood for a long time (and that there is still a gang presence), but I didn't realize how much it's changed just in six years. 15-20 years ago it must have been a shooting gallery.

[Attrill]

Originally Posted by tribecavsbrowns

15-20 years ago it must have been a shooting gallery.

I had friends who lived there about 12-13 years ago. The area has definitely improved a lot, but I never thought of it as a shooting gallery. Even at the worst I saw (early 90's) most of the Wicker Park/Bucktown/Ukrainian Village area never had the same feel as the worst parts of the South and West sides. The houses were a lot more run down, there was a lot more dealing, prostitution, homeless, and scam artists. But there wasn't the same bombed out/hopeless quality of the worst parts of the city (few abandoned houses, lots, etc.). My friends actually moved to that place after a couple of shootings in front of their previous place at Division and Hoyne, and they felt it was a lot safer.

[scottyr]

kinda off topic, but what neighborhoods had strong punk rock/thrash metal/grunge scenes during the 80s and through the 90s?...(As opposed to areas where hip hop/r and b was the soundtrack of choice)

[jwaiter]

Originally Posted by scottyr

kinda off topic, but what neighborhoods had strong punk rock/thrash metal/grunge scenes during the 80s and through the 90s?...

Wicker Park.