Shooting in Wicker Park last weekend (Chicago, Ashland: apartments, rentals, countertops)

[Chicago76]

OP,
Crime can happen anywhere, and WP is generally quite a safe neighborhood. There have been a grand total of 2 homicides in Wicker Park proper (bloomingdale-Division and Ashland-Western) in the last 5 years. That's probably not a lot different than a "safe" town of 15K-25K surrounded by cornfields.

The immediate vicinity in which you live seems to be the seediest part of WP, however. I don't think this type of thing is very likely to occur anywhere in WP, but if I had to guess where someone might end up getting shot in WP, other than the main commercial strips after a night of too much drinking, I'd pick that area.

I don't think you should be overly concerned though. You know where the trouble properties are in the immediate area. Just use a bit of extra caution at night. By that I don't mean avoid that stretch altogether. If you see a decent sized group sitting out front and they appear to be in a bit of a confrontation with one another, I'd backtrack and walk down a different block to get to Division.

[rparz]

It's still the city, and you have to prepare and act like you're in the city.

Anyway you slice it, you're in once of the most trouble-free areas of the city. From your expectations of safety it appears you feel comfortable with, I'd suggest a move out to the suburbs.

[Aleking]

Originally Posted by rparz

It's still the city, and you have to prepare and act like you're in the city.

Anyway you slice it, you're in once of the most trouble-free areas of the city. From your expectations of safety it appears you feel comfortable with, I'd suggest a move out to the suburbs.

the west town area is certainly not one of the most trouble free but it is safe....but yeah, the suburbs would probably be a good fit.

[Alacran]

Originally Posted by Chi-turtle

I don't live in englewood.

And we don't live in Wicker Park.

[Chicago South Sider]

Originally Posted by Chi-turtle

I just moved to Wicker Park (Wolcott and Potomac) and my first week in the new place a gangbanger got shot right there on Wolcott. What's really scary is that me and my friends walked up from some bars on Division at that exact spot 5 minutes before it happened that night. The 5 gunshots were soooo loud. Niether of us had ever heard gunshots before, let along that loud, so we went outside to see what it was and we looked around the corner to see a guy lying there bleeding and two of his buddies standing over him. They then turned and saw us and started screaming at us and running toward us so we booked it back to my apartment.

I've been in Chicago 6 years and been very lucky to have not seen any acts of crime up to this point. Does this sort of thing happen often in Wicker Park? I moved there because I thought it was a nice neighborhood. I realize now it's not too far from Humboldt Park which is pretty rough...

You went outside after hearing gunshots? You're lucky that you didn't catch some hot lead yourself.

[jwaiter]

I heard of a shooting on RR8 down by Chillicothe, it's not safe on them rural routes! I wouldn't live out there in the sticks, I hear Billy Joe Bob got shot near the crick, too.

Face it ppl, shootings happen everywhere.

[Dream Chaser]

That's bad but bad things happen everywhere.Hell last year Time Square had incident with a bomb but it don't persuade people from going there. Early this year,there was a shooting in Beverly Hills. It's understandable to be frighten ,but don't let few incidents scare you out the neighborhood.

[urza216]

Originally Posted by Chi-turtle

I forgot to mention there is a "government housing" building on the corner of Divison and Wolcott. I didn't notice it until that night because there were about 8 gangbangers hanging out infront of it at 1 AM that night when we walked home. They left us alone and everything, didn't even look at us funny

But it sounds like you were staring and looking at them funny.

How do you know they were gangbangers? Did you recognize the colors they were wearing or something?

As for the housing project, prove it with a link. They are tearing down projects not approving new ones.

[rparz]

Originally Posted by urza216

As for the housing project, prove it with a link. They are tearing down projects not approving new ones.

Either the Logan Square hipsters are now packing heat, or this could be an explanation:

CHA Scattered Sites
Individual Development Page | Chicago Housing Authority

[urza216]

Originally Posted by rparz

Either the Logan Square hipsters are now packing heat, or this could be an explanation:

CHA Scattered Sites
Individual Development Page | Chicago Housing Authority

That isn't a housing project. Section 8 vouchers live in regular apartment buildings.