Bad Neigborhoods In Chicago, IL (Oak Park, Washington: housing, condos, rent)

[MarquettePark]

A few facts

I am 37 tall thin white single male, I am a Cable Satellite Guy, born and raised in Marquette Park, living in Oak Forest now for the last ten years.

I have worked almost every zip code north and south east and west, for eleven years.

99% of my income, business, and routes are in "Bad Neighborhoods" 60629 mostly, Englewood, ash burn, chatham, The Narrows, Alligator Gardens, and the 95th and Jeffrey corridors. I have a Ford Explorer, and four grand worth of tools, and supplies, ladders. I work from noon to midnight seven days a week, 365 days a year

In eleven years, I was robbed/stolen from twice, once in Tinley Park, spoiled rich white housewife (my drill), and New Lenox another spoiled rich white housewife, (my glowrods) glowrods, are flexible fish sticks, that glow in the dark, and cost ninety bucks per fifteen feet.

I NEVER LOCK MY TRUCK WHILE WORKING AND IF IT IS WARM MY WINDOWS ARE DOWN

I ALWAYS PARK IN ALLEYS WHENEVER POSSIBLE

MY KEYS ARE ALWAYS IN THE TRUCK AND VISIBLE IF YOU SPEND MORE THAN A MINUTE LOOKING FOR THEM

I work garfield park, murray park, to put it more blanketly, I work for black people, and I am white from MarquettePark, and every black person knows about Marquette Park, even black people in Africa, and Europe know about Marquette Park,

AND NOT ONCE DID ANYTHING HAPPEN TO ME NOT ONCE

I am from the southside like I stated, and not fond of the North Side, BUT I challenge anyone to prove that the north side is more dangerous than the southside, (You have to be on drugs to think that)

Fact:
North Siders are more educated
Fact
North Siders are more tolerant
Fact
North Side has more culture and fine examples of civilized society
Fact
North Siders have more money

I am laughing my ass off right now, to all those people who think the SouthSide is safer than the North (I hate the North Side, detest it) but more dangerous than the South Side NOT

If your in tune with Chicago, and follow the program..............Nothing will happen to you...............The hookers know me by name on 63rd street, and tell me I have mad flavor, whatever that means.......In Chicago everybody and your mother is a crook......If not, then your a tourist, or an idiot........55th and ashland the squeege guys, and the drug dealers call me ADOLPH FARRAKAHN, OR BILLY WHICH IS MY NAME....

Gage Park which is also on the 55th street corridor "Que Paso Que Puedes" and is occupied by hispanic gangs and what some of you other people on this thread call family/gangs give me a wide beth and protection, I have to pay for this protection, but everybody has to kick upstairs from time to time to make a living, and or reside in the hood they want. ITS A BIG TABLE AND WHEN YOU COME TO THE TABLE BE PREPARED, BRING GIFTS, GIVE RESPECT AND REMEMBER WHO OWNS THE TABLE.........

If you want to live in a Kool Aid Commercial (White mom, two white kids, one girl, one boy, one black kid, one asian kid and or hispanic kid, the NORTH SIDE IS THE PLACE FOR YOU

I hate to bring it down to a race thing, but this is Chicago, and race is a major consideration when choosing where to live, not so much the crime issue


Shocking as this sounds: I would recommend the North Side for any young, educated, male, female, white, black, gay or straight............I also recommend Satellite, not Cable, Taxi's not a car, Two Jobs, and tons of spending cash, for all those kick ass bars and clubs overbythere in the Noth Side

I hope most of you caught the drift of my reply, everybody has a different view, the reality of what I see and experience everyday, working in your homes, your alleys, your roofs, is a reality you will never experience.

The North Side is more dangerous than the South Side, (I am still laughing at that one)

[Milliano]

Originally Posted by sonicreducer

East Garfield Park's wikipedia entry paints a much brighter picture:

Almost every neighborhood page on wikipedia is full of biased or flat out false information, especially for Chicago, most likely edited in by real estate agents (every single poor neighborhood is 'up and coming', basically). They delete any true negative information about them. The thing about wikipedia is you have to use your brain, and ask yourself who would edit the page you are looking at, and what their motives might be. Just like if you try to look up an athlete or sports team, it will be full of lies written by their fans.

Marquette Park - very interesting post. You know what you're talking about.

[AQUEMINI331]

Why was Bronzeville listed as a bad area? In five years it'll be the hottest neighborhood in Chicago. For now, it's a nicely kept secret on the South Side that people are slowly but surely discovering. I'd suggest she move down there and get a good deal while the iron's hot. People, the projects are all gone. Bronzeville is not what it used to be. Hell I live in Hyde Park and I'm considering a move back to Bronzeville once my lease is up (if i still live in Chicago at all by then) because even though I LOVE the neighborhood, the building I live in, and the apartment itself I must say it's a bit overpriced. I used to live in Bronzeville off of 35th and King and it was a much better bargain over there. Now granted my apt. over there was older and lacked some modern amenties such as a dishwasher, but I've never lived in a house with a dishwasher anyway. Didn't make any difference to me.

To say the South Side has more to offer culturally is pushing it. I guess that depends on how you define culture. To me, it doesn't.

Are you serious? The South Side has no culture? The South Side is FILLED with history and culture. Everything from the Irish and Italian immigrants who first populated the South Side to the African American immigrants who've been coming up north since the 1920s, all of these peoples contributed to the unique culture that is the South Side. If you're talking about operas or whatever then no I don't think we have any of that. But we do have theatres, museums, etc. here on the South Side, and they're the best in the city IMO. Certainly they're as good as anything to be found downtown.



@ MarquettePark - I think it is a little crazy to say that the North Side is more dangerous than the South Side BUT.............there's more crime on the N side than people realize and a little less crime on the S side than what people think. The truth is a little bit less interesting and less sensastional than what people like to believe IMO. My personal motto - "anything could happen anywhere. So be prepared." That's how I see it. People get shot and killed and have their bodies dumped off in dark alleys or dumpsters somewhere on the North Side, just like people live nice, happy, productive lives on the South Side. Remember folks, stereotypes are just stereotypes. All stereotypes have to be taken with a grain of salt, though they are all based on at least a little bit of truth.

[Scribbler]

Originally Posted by MarquettePark

If you want to live in a Kool Aid Commercial (White mom, two white kids, one girl, one boy, one black kid, one asian kid and or hispanic kid, the NORTH SIDE IS THE PLACE FOR YOU

Is there any particular reason that (God forbid) ethnic diversity is worthy of such derision and scorn? Funny, I thought that I was living a pretty good life by having friends and neighbors of varying backgrounds, turns out, it was all just a Kool Aid commercial.

[Huckleberry3911948]

Originally Posted by IllegalForeigner:)

Bad Neighborhoods In Chicago. I'm thinking of going to that city but I just want some advice where to be and where not to be
thx!

bad neighborhoods in chicago. that is like trying to look for your mom in a care home and describing her to the nurse, cannt miss her 5 ft 2 bent over and has got grey hair older lady.
stephen s
san diego ca

[zionbaby]

Marquette,

what do you know about 111th and S Racine Avenue?

I have an aunt up there who I have been considering moving in with but i was curious as to how I would get operate once I get there. Is is safe to park on street, are there groceries near by. How is traffic to downtown form this area?

thanks.

[NSH]

Originally Posted by zionbaby

Marquette,

what do you know about 111th and S Racine Avenue?

I have an aunt up there who I have been considering moving in with but i was curious as to how I would get operate once I get there. Is is safe to park on street, are there groceries near by. How is traffic to downtown form this area?

thanks.

111th and racine is in Lower Morgan Park in the 22nd police district. This is a hot spot for crime and drugs in 22 but is still safer than many other communities to the east or north like Roseland or Englewood. Groceries and shopping is at 111th and Western about a mile away. Most stores in Lower MP are shuttered or in some type of disrepair. Downtown is super easy from here You can get downtown in 35 minutes during the rush and 20 during non rush.

[zionbaby]

thanks NSH,

So as far as parking goes....do you think it would be safe/a problem?
do buses run regularly from this area?
also, what would be the closest quality hospital for this area?

[dlb8685]

Post addresses not zip codes and your info will get a lot better on what's good and bad. No matter where you are you'll probably be a lot safer if you watch your back and stay on well lit, main roads as much as possible. There are some really nice, fun neighborhoods in Chicago, a lot of it comes down to how much you are willing to pay. I would start out with the conservative, north side options. Anything within a couple blocks of the lake is usually pretty nice, I seem to remember a couple things from the far north side on Sheridan road. North center, Lakeview, Lincoln Park, Logan Square, etc. would be alright. If your girl is coming up from Florida and I don't know how experienced she is with cities, but basically start out with a safe choice and she can figure things out for herself from there after she learns some things.
But let me reiterate, the way Chicago is laid out about every four or eight streets there is a really big, crowded, well-lit street, and in between there are a bunch of darker, residential, one-way streets where people are more likely to be alone and vulnerable. No matter where she is the important thing is to stay in the open where it's lit and stay alert, and I can basically guarantee she'll be fine anyplace she would bother to live.

[NSH]

Originally Posted by zionbaby

thanks NSH,

So as far as parking goes....do you think it would be safe/a problem?
do buses run regularly from this area?
also, what would be the closest quality hospital for this area?

I wouldn't say auto theft is at epidemic proportions in the area, but it is higher than average. So just be mindful and lock you car at all times.
Christ Hospital - Oak Lawn,
St Francis - Blue Island,
and Little Company of Mary - Evergreen Park,
are all within a five mile radius