Is the N. Dover St. area okay at all? (Chicago: low income, apartment complexes)
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I found an apartment I am in love with, but I've been reading not-so-great things about the neighborhood it's in. It's on the 4300 block of N. Dover, east of Ashland and north of Montrose (which I understand to be a sketchy area). Does anyone have any experience in this area of town? Is it hard to find a safe commuter station? I'd read that the Wilson el station is kinda sketchy as well. Any help would be appreciated, thanks!
In general, what are some of the better neighborhoods for college students? Worse?
I've never lived over there but am fairly familiar with the area. It's not really an area most Chicagoans would consider dangerous, I don't think, more, as you say, potentially 'sketchy.' Maybe someone else here can give you some info about specific streets and the like. That's really on the southern boarder of Uptown, which, while troubled in some locales, has been rapidly improving and isn't IMO legitimately 'dangerous.'
I mean, my mom and I were walking around Uptown the other day, and she seemed fine : )
Hi there. I'm very familiar with the uptown area- which basically borders North of Irving Park and South of Bryn Mawr- East of Clark Street to Marine Drive. The area is well established, with very large homes wedged between huge condo complexes with high rises scattered throughout. Some of the landmarks include, the Green Mill, On Lawrence and Broadway. (the finest Jazz and occasional poetry slams) Truman College on Wilson and Broadway. The Jewel Shopping Center at Sheridan and Wilson along with the Health Club in the same Bldg. Carols Pub sits on Clark and Wilson (rough place with lotsa cowboy boots, country bands, and fist fights along with the visiting biker clan.)
The area is great in terms of transportation. The red line at Wilson and Broadway gets you downtown really fast and to the north shore to hook up with the Skokie swift. The Clark street, Sheridan Road, Marine Drive, and Broadway buses all get you down town and all over the eastern edge of the city) you can travel west on any of the buses at Irving, Montrose, Lawrence, foster or Bryn Mawr. Just so I mention all the transportation options, you can get a cab anytime and the Metra Station is on Lawrence Avenue just west of the Golden Nuggett and just East of Sears - that will take you downtown to union station or north to the North Shore Suburbs.
Whew! Ok now for the area itself. 20 years ago it was a real pit! You wouldn't want to be caught dead with the hookers on Sheridan or the Addicts at the Big Building on Malden. But today it is totally different. Many if not most of the slumlords got rich and turned all those apartment buildings into condos. Right away you saw a change with Pride of Ownership. Many of the remaining apartment bldgs. Have been totally rehabbed. The area is well kept. Most of the dive bars and the SRO's along Wilson Avenue have been shut down.
If you have a good head on your shoulders, walk with a place to go, don't flash your fancy gold chains, and keep your head up, you will be fine. You will probably run into a artsy farsty person before you will a druggie. But they are still around, just like any other area in the city.
You tend to see more homeless and other no-see-ems because many of the cities outreach programs remain in the area. There is a homeless restaurant on broadway, and quite a few free clinics (methadone) in the area. Those H'heads are more interested in getting to their appointment on time, they won't bother you, but you will see strangeness around you. Just keep on walkin.
I wish I had bought a building in that area 20 years ago. I would move there no problem. As far as Dover is concerned, that is the safest street in the area. Many great condo bldings, nice huge homes and they even have a Dover street association or something like that.
It's a great area with many amenities, but it's still on the upswing so some of the old scars remain. I would take that apartment in a New York minute.
I found an apartment I am in love with, but I've been reading not-so-great things about the neighborhood it's in. It's on the 4300 block of N. Dover, east of Ashland and north of Montrose (which I understand to be a sketchy area). Does anyone have any experience in this area of town? Is it hard to find a safe commuter station? I'd read that the Wilson el station is kinda sketchy as well. Any help would be appreciated, thanks!
In general, what are some of the better neighborhoods for college students? Worse?
I live just a couple of blocks east of that (west of Broadway). My verdict: Dover is by far one of the nicer streets in the area bounded by Montrose, Wilson (or you could even extend that to Lawrence), Broadway, and Clark. It doesn't seem to have any low income housing like some of the streets further east, and it's not close to any troublesome spots like the store in the strip mall near Magnolia and Wilson or the JJ Peppers near Lawrence (both of which are hotspots for loiterers). Despite these troubled spots, there are a lot of nice ones. Lots of nice places to eat including Baker and Nosh (new arrival to the area), Fontana Grill, Magnolia Cafe, and Anna Maria Pasteria. You'd be close to Target, Walgreens, Aldi, Jewel, and other stores.
Personally, I've taken the red line as late as 3am and never have issues at the Wilson stop. There are some less-than-spiffy looking people loitering about, and some are downright sketchy, but I've never had a problem. I think the alderman was recently assaulted by the Crazy Pigeon Lady near there, but I don't recall any recent incidents involving that stop. If the sight of loiterers or homeless people scare you, you may have issues. In that case, it isn't that long of a walk east from the Montrose brown line stop, so that's an option, along with taking the bus (a couple of the express buses from downtown will drop you off near Dover and Wilson. Time wise, it isn't that much slower than the train at times). Not sure what your long term plan is, but the Wilson stop is going to be revamped in the next year or so. This, along with some other projects like revitalizing the entertainment area off of Lawrence and bringing more shops to the area, should bring more life to Uptown and more life=more traffic=less loitering/sketchiness (hopefully).
A good blog to read about the latest news in Uptown: Uptown Update
As a side note, I do find it funny that at the corner of Wilson and Dover, there's a complex called "Reside Ravenswood" that seems to imply that it's located in the Buena Park are of Ravenswood: "A hip hub in Ravenswood. Reside Ravenswood has that mid century retro motel look, and it's right in the middle of Chicago's vibrant Buena Park neighborhood." Yeah, not correct.
As for your last question, honestly, that area isn't really popping with college students. There are a lot of families there and a lot of condos. What school o you go to? I think most Loyola students stick further north, near the school, and Depaul students stick further south in Lincoln Park/Lakeview. Students at the downtown colleges are scattered all about, but Uptown is a long trek north (speaking as someone who went to Columbia downtown while living in Uptown. Not a fun commute compared to when I lived in Pilsen). There aren't many, if any, amenities geared towards the college age group. Not many bars or clubs (I feel that the few clubs and bars in Uptown are geared towards a slightly older crowd), or cheap spots to eat. I don't think the average 18-22 year old college student is going to prefer Uptown over Wicker Park/Lincoln Park/Lakeview/Pilsen.
I live just a couple of blocks east of that (west of Broadway). My verdict: Dover is by far one of the nicer streets in the area bounded by Montrose, Wilson (or you could even extend that to Lawrence), Broadway, and Clark. It doesn't seem to have any low income housing like some of the streets further east, and it's not close to any troublesome spots like the store in the strip mall near Magnolia and Wilson or the JJ Peppers near Lawrence (both of which are hotspots for loiterers). Despite these troubled spots, there are a lot of nice ones. Lots of nice places to eat including Baker and Nosh (new arrival to the area), Fontana Grill, Magnolia Cafe, and Anna Maria Pasteria. You'd be close to Target, Walgreens, Aldi, Jewel, and other stores.
Personally, I've taken the red line as late as 3am and never have issues at the Wilson stop. There are some less-than-spiffy looking people loitering about, and some are downright sketchy, but I've never had a problem. I think the alderman was recently assaulted by the Crazy Pigeon Lady near there, but I don't recall any recent incidents involving that stop. If the sight of loiterers or homeless people scare you, you may have issues. In that case, it isn't that long of a walk east from the Montrose brown line stop, so that's an option, along with taking the bus (a couple of the express buses from downtown will drop you off near Dover and Wilson. Time wise, it isn't that much slower than the train at times). Not sure what your long term plan is, but the Wilson stop is going to be revamped in the next year or so. This, along with some other projects like revitalizing the entertainment area off of Lawrence and bringing more shops to the area, should bring more life to Uptown and more life=more traffic=less loitering/sketchiness (hopefully).
A good blog to read about the latest news in Uptown: Uptown Update
As a side note, I do find it funny that at the corner of Wilson and Dover, there's a complex called "Reside Ravenswood" that seems to imply that it's located in the Buena Park are of Ravenswood: "A hip hub in Ravenswood. Reside Ravenswood has that mid century retro motel look, and it's right in the middle of Chicago's vibrant Buena Park neighborhood." Yeah, not correct.
As for your last question, honestly, that area isn't really popping with college students. There are a lot of families there and a lot of condos. What school o you go to? I think most Loyola students stick further north, near the school, and Depaul students stick further south in Lincoln Park/Lakeview. Students at the downtown colleges are scattered all about, but Uptown is a long trek north (speaking as someone who went to Columbia downtown while living in Uptown. Not a fun commute compared to when I lived in Pilsen). There aren't many, if any, amenities geared towards the college age group. Not many bars or clubs (I feel that the few clubs and bars in Uptown are geared towards a slightly older crowd), or cheap spots to eat. I don't think the average 18-22 year old college student is going to prefer Uptown over Wicker Park/Lincoln Park/Lakeview/Pilsen.
Funny - Reside Ravenswood was where I was looking hahah
As for your other question, my boyfriend and I are looking for a 1BR together, but I go to Columbia and he goes to NEIU, so we are searching for something not too out-of-the-way for either of us. I think we are going to try for Lakeview, though. That seems to be the general consensus on these boards. I'm not a city person by any means, so I think I'd feel more comfortable with people of my demographic and with things to do. Thanks for your help, everyone!
The primary requirement for residing on the 4300 block of N. Dover is that you be dead, so I presume you mean the 4400 block.
It's closer to the Clark Street corridor than the Broadway corridor, the latter being the more problematic of the two. The Clark Street corridor along that stretch is just a little... I dunno, unsightly I guess? And yes, that is an area where a couple blocks can make a difference. I wouldn't sweat that particular location.
I wouldn't say this area is the greatest. Between roughly Thanksgiving of last year and January of this year, there were three separate shootings involving more than one victim right within a close distance of the Wilson red line stop. However, your particular area is okay. I had a friend who used to live off of Sunnyside, which is very close. Ravenswood is a better option. Up along the Berwyn or Bryn Mawr stops, the area isn't bad either.
By the way, the Berwyn stop is near Berwyn and Broadway (5300 N). The Bryn Mawr stop is near Bryn Mawr and Broadway (5600 N). The red line runs along Broadway just to the east.
Funny - Reside Ravenswood was where I was looking hahah
As for your other question, my boyfriend and I are looking for a 1BR together, but I go to Columbia and he goes to NEIU, so we are searching for something not too out-of-the-way for either of us. I think we are going to try for Lakeview, though. That seems to be the general consensus on these boards. I'm not a city person by any means, so I think I'd feel more comfortable with people of my demographic and with things to do. Thanks for your help, everyone!
I haven't heard anything, positive or negative, about Reside Ravenswood. I will say that, from the outside, the apartments are lovely (I just spent about 7 weeks in LA and those apartments remind me of some the LA style apartment complexes I saw). I just thought it was highly amusing that the site misidentified the area and the neighborhood both. IIRC, that's the Sheridan Park area of Uptown, not the Buena Park area of Ravenswood. I'm usually a bit suspicious of realtors/housing managements who aren't 100% upfront about locations. Yeah, Ravenswood has a better rep than Uptown, and yeah, it's close to the border of Ravenswood, but I see no reason to deceive potential renters about location. But like I said, this isn't a real critique of the apartments themselves.
It sounds like Lakeview would work out best for you. The commute is a bit quicker to Columbia and it's definitely less sketchy overall. Uptown is still very much "up and coming" and not right for everyone. Plus, it really is kind of boring/quiet on some levels in regards to things to do.
I haven't heard anything, positive or negative, about Reside Ravenswood. I will say that, from the outside, the apartments are lovely (I just spent about 7 weeks in LA and those apartments remind me of some the LA style apartment complexes I saw). I just thought it was highly amusing that the site misidentified the area and the neighborhood both. IIRC, that's the Sheridan Park area of Uptown, not the Buena Park area of Ravenswood. I'm usually a bit suspicious of realtors/housing managements who aren't 100% upfront about locations. Yeah, Ravenswood has a better rep than Uptown, and yeah, it's close to the border of Ravenswood, but I see no reason to deceive potential renters about location. But like I said, this isn't a real critique of the apartments themselves.
It sounds like Lakeview would work out best for you. The commute is a bit quicker to Columbia and it's definitely less sketchy overall. Uptown is still very much "up and coming" and not right for everyone. Plus, it really is kind of boring/quiet on some levels in regards to things to do.
Yeah, way to point that out. Realtors and landlords use all sorts of ways to deceive you into thinking you're in a different neighborhood. I constantly ran into this problem when looking for apartments last fall. West Wicker Park, East Humboldt Park are both different names for Humboldt Park. The seller is simply trying to market that area as Wicker Park or closer to Wicker Park. You'll occasionally see people refer to an area as Edgewater and/or Andersonville when it's actually West Ridge, Rogers Park, or Uptown. Whenever you're seriously interested in an apartment, make sure to do research on the community area boundaries. For instance, Lakeview's northern boundary is Irving Park Road, but sometimes people will try to stretch it up to Montrose or even Lawrence...which is a big difference. Just keep in mind that Sheridan Park is usually identified as between Lawrence and Montrose to the north and south and Clark and Broadway to the west and east. Just make sure to research because I had a couple friends grab a place (probably for cheap, I don't know) at California and Chicago. Just to the south is a massive railyard and to the north is Humboldt Park. It's not like they're living in Austin or West Englewood, but they clearly didn't do much research before moving in.
Another thing to note, if something about a place seems at all fishy or even unclear, just keep looking at other places. On top of the research that you do, it's fairly easy to tell if an area is safe by how you feel when you're walking around in it. Just keep in mind that areas hailed as "up and coming" or "gentrifying" are still usually places that have their problems, but depending on the exact location...they can be just fine. I guess my main point is to just research and, if possible, walk around these areas.
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Uptown's safest street = Dover
