How is Broadway/Lawrence intersection in Uptown? (Chicago, Naperville: income, living in)

[jlawrence01]

Originally Posted by IAmEverywhere

It's also a good area for transportation, as the Red Line is just to the east. Also, if you drive, you're not far from Lake Shore Drive and parking is relatively easy.

Safety isn't awful right at Broadway and Lawrence from what I've seen. Still, it's best to be aware of your surroundings and to have basic street smarts. This is primarily because adjacent areas are not as nice. The neighborhood completely deteriorates almost immediately as you go south from there. The areas east of there are also less nice. For example, see this thread: SRO @ 1039 West Lawrence Ave - Uptown...bad area? Conversely, the areas to the north and west are comparable or actually better.

Agree completely with this post. I head down into that neighborhood to attend theatre, hit the Green Mill, enjoy Tank Noodle on Argyle, and Sun Wah BBQ for their great duck and pork dishes. At night, you will NOT be bothered on the main drags - Lawrence Ave. and Broadway. However, as you head EAST, the area gets pretty bad pretty quickly. I do not like walking around the red line station at night.

The neighbor clears out pretty much by 10 pm on weekday nights..

Parking is readily available.

[lenniel]

Originally Posted by ChiNaan

Yeah, east of there you run into a martini lounge, a major concert venue, and a sushi place. After you pass the Starbucks, that is. Scary!

Yeh, you don't want to pass up the mental health clinics, SROs, halfway houses and finally, all the bums sleeping/camping in the park at Lawrence and Lake Shore Drive. Such a scenic area.......

[ChiNaan]

Originally Posted by lenniel

Yeh, you don't want to pass up the mental health clinics, SROs, halfway houses and finally, all the bums sleeping/camping in the park at Lawrence and Lake Shore Drive. Such a scenic area.......

Meh. I refer back to the Starbucks, sushi place, etc. It's clearly a gentrifying area, and as I said earlier I've known several young single women who have lived there with no problem. If you're afraid of the mentally ill or homeless people, it's not for you, but then neither are most places in the city.

[eevee]

Originally Posted by lenniel

Yeh, you don't want to pass up the mental health clinics, SROs, halfway houses and finally, all the bums sleeping/camping in the park at Lawrence and Lake Shore Drive. Such a scenic area.......

Dude, it's not like you're walking through a haunted house at a carnival. They're not going to jump out from the shadows, go "oogga booga", and grab you. I've passed more bums and homeless people just walking down Michigan Ave in the Loop. There are more bums "camping out" at that little park across the street from the Harold Washington Library.

[lenniel]

Originally Posted by eevee

Dude, it's not like you're walking through a haunted house at a carnival. They're not going to jump out from the shadows, go "oogga booga", and grab you. I've passed more bums and homeless people just walking down Michigan Ave in the Loop. There are more bums "camping out" at that little park across the street from the Harold Washington Library.

I think the OP was asking about the safety of the area. I agree, the area immediately around Law/BW isn't bad and with some work by the alderman, could reemerge as an even better entertainment destination. But, once you get east of there, especially east of the L stop, it aint nice and for 95% of people, probably wouldn't be considered a safe area.

The unfortunate truth is (whether you want to admit it or not), when you have that many social service organizations condensed into a small area, you're going to attract a certain element of the populace that may have some sort of criminal element or substance dependency.

My rec to the OP was that if you're just looking for a studio, there are better, safer, nicer options on the northside where you could seriously decrease the risk of being victimized.

[eevee]

Originally Posted by lenniel

I think the OP was asking about the safety of the area. I agree, the area immediately around Law/BW isn't bad and with some work by the alderman, could reemerge as an even better entertainment destination. But, once you get east of there, especially east of the L stop, it aint nice and for 95% of people, probably wouldn't be considered a safe area.

The unfortunate truth is (whether you want to admit it or not), when you have that many social service organizations condensed into a small area, you're going to attract a certain element of the populace that may have some sort of criminal element or substance dependency.

My rec to the OP was that if you're just looking for a studio, there are better, safer, nicer options on the northside where you could seriously decrease the risk of being victimized.

Oh please .

Uptown has some crime issues, no one will argue that, but the "bums" aren't the cause of it. If "bums" were the sole cause of the crime in Uptown, other places with with high homeless populations like the Loop would also be unsafe.

Unlike you, I LIVE in the area. I walk down Lawrence nearly every other day when I'm taking the pup to the beach or Puptown. I've actually spoken with a lot of those "bums". I know, so scary . 99% of them won't bother you beyond asking you for change. A couple are quite pleasant actually (a couple don't hesitate to reach out and pet Bella and ask questions. Obviously dog owners and lovers in a previous life). No, Uptown isn't as pretty, yuppified, and homogenous as Lincoln Park, but don't pretend that the main source of crime are the SROs. Nope, the crime in Uptown is mostly the result of the same elements found in other 'hoods: gangs. Compared to the far more aggressive homeless people in the Loop, the ones in Uptown are harmless. It's the non-homeless people you have to look out for and even then, you're highly unlikely to become a victim of gang crime if you aren't in a gang or associate with them.

We get it, Uptown scares you. So why even bother replying to Uptown related threads? I have zero desire to live in Portage Park so don't bother with those sort of threads. Your "chicken little" act on these threads are becoming quite tiresome.

[Vlajos]

Originally Posted by eevee

Oh please .

Uptown has some crime issues, no one will argue that, but the "bums" aren't the cause of it. If "bums" were the sole cause of the crime in Uptown, other places with with high homeless populations like the Loop would also be unsafe.

Unlike you, I LIVE in the area. I walk down Lawrence nearly every other day when I'm taking the pup to the beach or Puptown. I've actually spoken with a lot of those "bums". I know, so scary . 99% of them won't bother you beyond asking you for change. A couple are quite pleasant actually (a couple don't hesitate to reach out and pet Bella and ask questions. Obviously dog owners and lovers in a previous life). No, Uptown isn't as pretty, yuppified, and homogenous as Lincoln Park, but don't pretend that the main source of crime are the SROs. Nope, the crime in Uptown is mostly the result of the same elements found in other 'hoods: gangs. Compared to the far more aggressive homeless people in the Loop, the ones in Uptown are harmless. It's the non-homeless people you have to look out for and even then, you're highly unlikely to become a victim of gang crime if you aren't in a gang or associate with them.

We get it, Uptown scares you. So why even bother replying to Uptown related threads? I have zero desire to live in Portage Park so don't bother with those sort of threads. Your "chicken little" act on these threads are becoming quite tiresome.

This, unless you're a giant wuss, 95% of Uptown is fine to very nice.

[ChicagoMeO]

Originally Posted by eevee

Oh please .

Uptown has some crime issues, no one will argue that, but the "bums" aren't the cause of it. If "bums" were the sole cause of the crime in Uptown, other places with with high homeless populations like the Loop would also be unsafe.

Unlike you, I LIVE in the area. I walk down Lawrence nearly every other day when I'm taking the pup to the beach or Puptown. I've actually spoken with a lot of those "bums". I know, so scary . 99% of them won't bother you beyond asking you for change. A couple are quite pleasant actually (a couple don't hesitate to reach out and pet Bella and ask questions. Obviously dog owners and lovers in a previous life). No, Uptown isn't as pretty, yuppified, and homogenous as Lincoln Park, but don't pretend that the main source of crime are the SROs. Nope, the crime in Uptown is mostly the result of the same elements found in other 'hoods: gangs. Compared to the far more aggressive homeless people in the Loop, the ones in Uptown are harmless. It's the non-homeless people you have to look out for and even then, you're highly unlikely to become a victim of gang crime if you aren't in a gang or associate with them.

We get it, Uptown scares you. So why even bother replying to Uptown related threads? I have zero desire to live in Portage Park so don't bother with those sort of threads. Your "chicken little" act on these threads are becoming quite tiresome.

I've lived in Uptown (Margate Park) and I have your same experience. I went to that one church Uptown Baptist and there were alot of people hanging out at the McDonalds that looked pretty rough, however, no one bothered me even for money. I did get hassled downtown in the loop by a drunk homeless guy in a bad way who threatened me because he didn't like me staring at him. however, he was saying some craptastic thing and i was trying to see what he was saying and he was putting his hand on another guy's back asking him for money. this homeless guy said some things that almost made me wanna puke, very dirty mouth. I'm saying just be reasonable in any neighborhood, just have your street smarts on in the big city of chicago.

[Aleking]

classic lenniel...he just trolls all Uptown threads

[andrew61]

Originally Posted by Aleking

classic lenniel...he just trolls all Uptown threads

Why is it trolling? Maybe he just has a different perspective.