Best and worst neighborhoods-crime wise-Need advice! (Chicago, Venice: safe area, median income, living in)

[The French Maid]

Ok all,

I might be moving to Chicago soon with my husband. However, being that I am originally from Los Angeles and I have had a gun held to me twice, I would prefer not to have it three.

That being said,

Please tell me the relatively safe areas (I know in a big city its impossible) and tell me the areas to totally stay away from.

Thanks in advance!

[Drover]

http://www.city-data.com/forum/searc...archid=1886187

http://www.city-data.com/forum/searc...archid=1886202

[The French Maid]

Neither one of the links work. It says "Sorry - no matches. Please try some different terms."

[BRU67]

You don't really need a link. Just browse the forum and you'll run across about a bizillion threads on this. It has been beaten to death. Generally, the north side has more nice neighborhoods than the south and west sides -- though it isn't fair to over generalize and just say that South and West = Bad and North = Good as some like to do. Also check the median income of the community area you're looking at. The higher is usually better from a safety and amenity standpoint (though higher income areas will be more expensive of course). If it's below $30k or so, the chances of it being a good area are slim.

[Manigault]

Why don't you decide which amenities you are looking for and those attractions you want to see and then see if they are in areas in which you would feel secure? Pointing out the worst areas of the city seems a little like cyber-slumming. In my opinion.

[Milliano]

Just search Google or the CPD site. There is a huge amount of info easy available, conveniently mapped out. BRU67 is right... in Chicago especially there is a very significant correlation between income and crime. You can also use the US Factfinder site to see maps plotting income levels by census tract or even block group. If you're going to move to a new city, IMO it's best to do a lot of research yourself, because it's so important and you aren't going to get great info by simply asking others. Chicago's complex and very dynamic with regards to its neighborhoods.

[Scribbler]

In MOST, if not ALL, communities there is a very significant correlation between income and crime.

[Drover]

In addition to reading through the numerous threads in the Chicago forum that discuss the relative merits of countless neighborhoods, you can also check out crime stats at chicagocrime.org: Chicago crime database where you can manipulate the data to get very specific crime info in specific areas. The benefit of using that site versus CPD's own website is that CPD's data is only available for the prior two weeks, whereas chicagocrime.org goes all the way back to November 2005 and accumulates data from that point rather than erasing old data as new data comes in. Plus it uses CPD's database to build its own, so the data is "official."

[jDiem]

Well living in both LA and NY, I really dont bealive theres a city east of Nevada more dangerous then LA...I lived in the roughtest parts of the 2, NY was cool it was that pride in your community thing but LA, you feel parinoid just leaving your front door....

Ive never been to Chi Town but i couldnt imagine anything worse then LA especcially now a days!

[mel2000]

I lived in Los Angeles for many many years. The day before I left I heard several shots from an alley in Venice and looked out my window in time to see a hispanic gangbanger stagger and fall. I don't know if he died or not. That said, I recommend that you avoid the south side of Chicago. I fear some of those neighborhoods more than anywhere I lived in LA.