Austin Chicago Beau (Cicero, Oak Park, Broadview: 2014, crime, transfer)

[Jbeardmba]

I am a 32 year old Austin resident who loves my neighborhood. Let me give you some of my background. Lived on Cicero and Chicago Ave in the 80's and went to a neighborhood school then transferred North to Dever in a Polish neighborhood. It was a diverse school but mostly white.

Then I moved to A near west suburb called Broadview. It was nice but I love the city. When I graduated college I moved back to Austin in a beautiful mixed neighborhood called the Island. I loved this place it made me believe in urban gentrification and showed me how great the city had become.

Anyway now I live on Jackson by the golf course of Columbus and I love it. I just don't understand why so many people hate this neighborhood. I'm guessing its race and crime!? Honestly I've lived in Austin for 10 yrs and never felt unsafe... Maybe I'm just streetwise! Some of the crime stats are unfair because it's over 100k plus people that live here and it's the cities largest and most populous.. It's Chicago we are talking about..

Why are so many people negative about this area???

[chet everett]

Get real -- when a neighborhood averages more than two motor vehicle thefts PER DAY, more than TEN thefts & robberies per day and eye popping arrests for prostitution & narcotics and prostitution it does not take a paranoid "safety Sally" to understand why this is not a nice place -- Austin -- Crime in Chicagoland -- chicagotribune.com

Even if you try to slice and dice the data based of size and poverty factors it really does little to help explain away the horror of Austin -- http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/13/us/chicago-crime-gap/

[Jbeardmba]

So the size of the neighborhood isn't a factor? It's the largest neighborhood so wouldn't the stats be higher then all the others. It's also such a large neighborhood that it has neighborhoods inside of it like the island and galewood. Please do diligent research so we can have a more informed conversation. Let's not compare apples to oranges.


If it's not north or downtown most Chicagoans really have no clue!

[chet everett]

Listen PAL, I have friends that grew up in Galewood and dad used to own a commercial property in Hermosa.
You can't "explain away" these kinds of crime statistics. They are horrible.

[holl1ngsworth]

Originally Posted by Jbeardmba

So the size of the neighborhood isn't a factor? It's the largest neighborhood so wouldn't the stats be higher then all the others. It's also such a large neighborhood that it has neighborhoods inside of it like the island and galewood. Please do diligent research so we can have a more informed conversation. Let's not compare apples to oranges.


If it's not north or downtown most Chicagoans really have no clue!

I commend you for loving your neighborhood, but most people on this board aren't talking about total crime counts -- they're talking about rates. Rates account for the differences in population and make it easier to compare neighborhoods, apples to apples.

Austin -- Crime in Chicagoland -- chicagotribune.com

[BRU67]

Originally Posted by Jbeardmba

So the size of the neighborhood isn't a factor? It's the largest neighborhood so wouldn't the stats be higher then all the others. It's also such a large neighborhood that it has neighborhoods inside of it like the island and galewood. Please do diligent research so we can have a more informed conversation. Let's not compare apples to oranges.


If it's not north or downtown most Chicagoans really have no clue!

If you look at the rate it'll be higher in Austin too. Rate is the number of crimes that happen to X number of people per 100,000. So that is an accurate predictor of how likely you will be victimized. Austin also lacks amenities, good schools, curb appeal, and pretty much every other aspect people who pay big money for property look at.

[Jbeardmba]

And what I'm trying to tell you all is that I live a stone throw from Oak Park 2 blocks. There are really nice parts to Austin. The stats do it no justice when you are clumping together such a huge neighborhood. It's so big one side of the neighborhood can be completely different then the other. It's the size of like 4 or 5 city neighborhoods.

Please look up Galewood and/or the Island.

They really should break Austin up into smaller neighborhoods! It's too confusing for the google centric vast majority to understand.

[TBideon]

I'm sure there are some happy places in Baghdad and Mogadishu; doesn't mean they aren't overwhelmingly troubled areas

[Jbeardmba]

Well welcome to Chiraq!!! It's tough for a young urban professional in Chicago especially when ur black and I don't wanna live north. I want to stay by my family who lives in Broadview and mostly west.

[dlong1991]

I was looking at moving to the far reaches of Austin about 2 years ago. Looked at the Island, and areas between Austin and Central. Never followed through, but I know what you are saying.