Suggestions, please? (Chicago, Worth, Manhattan: for sale, condos, how much)

[Dash9]

Hi! I'll be moving to Chicago soon, as I am a flight attendant and will be based there and would love any suggestions on nice areas of the Chicago area to live? Just a low down on what areas to stay away from? Uptown seems to be more affordable, but I really don't know the area and am not sure how safe it is? I'd appreciate any feedback! Thanks so much!

[Drover]

Well, if you're just looking for feedback on Uptown specifically, the deal is this: it has a long-standing tradition of being a sucky neighborhood. That tradition is rapidly yielding to the forces of gentrification to such a degree that yuppies, emo-hipsters, and 'hood-trash currently have nearly equal claim on the neighborhood. Want to score some righteous dope? Uptown is your place. Want a phenomenal sushi dinner? Uptown is your place. Want to find an "escort" for the evening? Uptown is your place. Want to hang out in a pretentious martini bar? Uptown is your place. Want to hang in a smoke-filled legendary jazz venue? Uptown is your place. Want to get (or already have) tattoos and piercings in places you wouldn't show your mother? Uptown is your place. Want to live near legendary night clubs like The Aragon and The Riviera where well-known international touring acts such as The Pixies, Los Lobos, They Might Be Giants, The Flaming Lips, The White Stripes and Amy Whitehouse perform? If so, Uptown is your place. There's just no denying it: Uptown currently delivers the widest variety of urban experiences in the most concentrated space.

Want peace and quiet away from the push, pull, give & take of urban life, and/or easy access to either airport? Then Uptown ain't your place. What are your priorities? The "Uptown" lifestyle? Convenient access to O'Hare? Convenient access to Midway? More info would be helpful...

[NYrules]

Originally Posted by Drover

Well, if you're just looking for feedback on Uptown specifically, the deal is this: it has a long-standing tradition of being a sucky neighborhood. That tradition is rapidly yielding to the forces of gentrification to such a degree that yuppies, emo-hipsters, and 'hood-trash currently have nearly equal claim on the neighborhood. Want to score some righteous dope? Uptown is your place. Want a phenomenal sushi dinner? Uptown is your place. Want to find an "escort" for the evening? Uptown is your place. Want to hang out in a pretentious martini bar? Uptown is your place. Want to hang in a smoke-filled legendary jazz venue? Uptown is your place. Want to get (or already have) tattoos and piercings in places you wouldn't show your mother? Uptown is your place. Want to live near legendary night clubs like The Aragon and The Riviera where well-known international touring acts such as The Pixies, Los Lobos, They Might Be Giants, The Flaming Lips, The White Stripes and Amy Whitehouse perform? If so, Uptown is your place. There's just no denying it: Uptown currently delivers the widest variety of urban experiences in the most concentrated space.

Want peace and quiet away from the push, pull, give & take of urban life, and/or easy access to either airport? Then Uptown ain't your place. What are your priorities? The "Uptown" lifestyle? Convenient access to O'Hare? Convenient access to Midway? More info would be helpful...

You forgot to mention the growing gay/lesbian presence in the community (Uptown) as people from Lakeview are migrating north due to the rising costs of living around Boystown in Lakeview. Basically Uptown is like Chicago's mini Manhattan, there is a little of everything there good or bad.

[Drover]

Originally Posted by NYrules

You forgot to mention the growing gay/lesbian presence in the community (Uptown) as people from Lakeview are migrating north due to the rising costs of living around Boystown in Lakeview.

Well there's that and the fact that Andersonville is right next door to the west.

[Scribbler]

I always took Uptown as the slightly seedier sister to where I was in Edgwater, but it's gotten much less sketchy in the past half-dozen years.

[pandabear]

i have always foundd uptown grimey. But the northside needs that.It needs more of that.

[Drover]

I'm curious if you've been to Uptown recently. There was a two-year absence for me between 2003 and 2005, and I simply could not believe how much it had changed in two years. I've watched a lot of gentrification going on in this city over the last decade, but I've never seen it happen this rapidly. There is still certainly a grimy element to Uptown, but has gotten much smaller. It's pretty much confined to a 4-block stretch of the Broadway corridor from Berteau to Wilson any more -- and you'll still even find a couple of upscale-ish storefronts here and there in that stretch. The Lawrence/Broadway corridor is almost completely yuppified now, complete with new condos, a Borders, a new night club (much smaller than Aragon and Riviera), a couple of martini bars, et cetera.

[Dash9]

Thank you so much for all of your help. I think I found a condo for sale that I would like if it was in a good area, it's 5000 N Marine. I'm from Fort Worth so I don't know if that would be a safe walk to the Argyle CTA stop. But it looks like a nice place from the pics.

[iceflow]

Moving from Texas
Wondered if the schools in California/San Diego areas where extreme, if a child rolls their eyes do they get sent to ISS!!?? We are originally Brits lived here for 9yrs, have 13yr boy and 8yr girl, we thought California might be a bit more laid back!! We have just come back from San Diego, and loved it, and noticed the youth had longer hair than the Texans.

[Drover]

Originally Posted by Dash9

Thank you so much for all of your help. I think I found a condo for sale that I would like if it was in a good area, it's 5000 N Marine. I'm from Fort Worth so I don't know if that would be a safe walk to the Argyle CTA stop. But it looks like a nice place from the pics.

That area is pretty OK. There are still some grimy elements around the Argyle stop but it's nothing to fret too much about. The Argyle stop also happens to be in the middle of Little Saigon, which makes for some good eating and good people-watching.