neighborhoods that are the safest?? (Chicago, Irving: apartments, crime, safest neighborhood)

[mscbrown]

Most of my family lives in chicago and my uncle just told me how dangerous it was and he grew up there and still lives there, but IDC because every time I come here it feels like I'm home. I can't explain it....

What are the safest neighborhoods that won't break the bank? I am a "poor college student" and im sure the hipsters have gentrified some of these neighborhoods lol

[ToriaT]

Logan Square, Bucktown and Wicker Park would be places to start.

[marothisu]

Wicker Park and Bucktown are NOT cheap anymore. The best you're going to do in those neighborhood is probably $900/month with roommates right now. What is a realistic monthly budget for you?

If you want relatively safe neighborhoods for a college kid then I'd look at areas like Bridgeport, Edgewater, Albany Park, Avondale, parts of Logan Square (definitely increasing in rent), Ukrainian Village/Noble Square general area, Pilsen, Rogers Park, Irving Park. You could probably consider Hyde Park too, parts of Kenwood, and neighborhoods like McKinley Park, Archer Heights, Garfield Ridge, Beverly, etc though those are fairly sleepy but still safe. You could also consider parts of East Humboldt Park near Ukrainian Village though it can still be hit or miss depending on where you are. Where you are attending school would really dictate where you want to position yourself too. Chicago is a big city. If you are going to Loyola or something, you aren't going to want to live near Midway for example.

Also, while there's unsafe neighborhoods in Chicago, there's many safe or relatively safe ones. Your viewpoint of Chicago is going to depend on where you live, hangout in, but also the types of people you hang out with. Your uncle may very well live in a not so safe neighborhood and that's his reality. Or perhaps he lives in a fine neighborhood and doesn't actually realize how many normal areas of town there actually are along with what's on the media.

[chet everett]

Given both the high relative cost / difficulty of commute /sharp lone that fall outside the protection of the University there is no way I would recommend Hyde Park or any part of Kenwood to some "poor college student" unless they were attending UofC.

Similarly the insular nature & relative distance of Beverly from any part of Chicago that folks like the OP ever consider makes that a flat out bizarre choice. Similar problem with the recommendations of Garfield Ridge, McKinley Park and Archer Heights. Honestly these are not the kind of neighborhood that any recent college grad is likely to find the least bit appealing.

Places like Pilsen are probably less off-the-wall as far as being attractive to hipper recent college grads and still less costly though the recently publicized brazen day light armed robbery on the Orange line might make think twice about safety.
Similar flare-ups of violence in places like Logan Square / Avondale should also should make anyone considering these areas be sure to triple check crime reports. Truth be told the pitfalls the OP's uncle warn of are in fact more truthful than the mindless boosterism that some folks spout about the wonders of Chicago and anyone looking for a bargain is almost certsinly at risk of finding the hard way that the cheapest building / neighbor is almost certsinly the most crime plagued!

While there are some fairly priced apartments to be found in Edgewater or Albany Park there are also some "hotspots" that would be no bargain when factoring in the gang bangers...

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by chet everett

Given both the high relative cost / difficulty of commute /sharp lone that fall outside the protection of the University there is no way I would recommend Hyde Park or any part of Kenwood to some "poor college student" unless they were attending UofC.

Similarly the insular nature & relative distance of Beverly from any part of Chicago that folks like the OP ever consider makes that a flat out bizarre choice. Similar problem with the recommendations of Garfield Ridge, McKinley Park and Archer Heights. Honestly these are not the kind of neighborhood that any recent college grad is likely to find the least bit appealing.

You completely missed the point - I was merely naming off areas of town that are inexpensive and relatively safe (though certainly not all of Kenwood is extremely safe). I also mentioned that these areas are sleepier, which if the OP has half a brain would realize means family, and might not be more akin to what they're looking for. However, they should be mentioned because it's stupid to put everybody who's in college or recently out of it into the same stereotype. But again, they're cheap and should be mentioned as places so the OP is aware they actually exist. I also mentioned that it depends on where they're going to school or working, or whatever they may be doing logistically, which was stated clearly.

Furthermore, the OP asked for areas that won't break the bank - not "areas that won't break the bank but are specifically fun for college kids." While I agree that obviously you want to be near your ilk, people who realize they may not be able to afford it will sacrifice some things to live normally.

Similar flare-ups of violence in places like Logan Square / Avondale should also should make anyone considering these areas be sure to triple check crime reports.

Flare ups of violence in Logan Square and Avondale? I don't know what you are talking about - though Logan Square has had a few more homicides this year than in the last small handful of years, it's still mainly a safe place in most areas (not all, but most). You could say the same about most of Avondale right now.

While there are some fairly priced apartments to be found in Edgewater or Albany Park there are also some "hotspots" that would be no bargain when factoring in the gang bangers...

If you're talking about Albany Park, then it depends on where it is in Albany Park. There are certainly cheap options that have nothing to do with gangs. Just because something is cheap in those areas doesn't mean it's flooded with gangs. You can still find relatively cheap places in both of these areas in decently safe parts.

[jwuk45]

Originally Posted by marothisu

Wicker Park and Bucktown are NOT cheap anymore. The best you're going to do in those neighborhood is probably $900/month with roommates right now. What is a realistic monthly budget for you?

.

There are rooms available in those areas for $500-600 if you look on craigslist.

[CCrest182]

Logan Square, East Humboldt Park (East of the park, for a safe neighborhood), Bridgeport and Pilsen are all pretty safe place and affordable for college students and really anyone.

[BleedCubbieBlue]

Originally Posted by CCrest182

Logan Square, East Humboldt Park (East of the park, for a safe neighborhood), Bridgeport and Pilsen are all pretty safe place and affordable for college students and really anyone.

Yup completely agree. These are neighborhoods where you'll be close to restaurants, nightlife, and public transportation but you wont be paying an arm and a leg. And most importantly you'll be very safe.