Inexpensive but safe: I'm looking at these neighborhoods (Chicago, Berwyn: 2014, renters)

[BleedCubbieBlue]

Give East Humboldt Park a shot. Area bounded by North Ave - Division, California - Western. Still some good finds there and it is very safe and close to the busy surrounding areas.

[stevedl]

Damn, this forum is awesome. Thanks everybody:]

So it sounds like the neighborhoods starting at ukrainian village/wicker park and extending up through Logan Square to Avondale are pretty decent i.e. not too dangerous, walkable, bikeable etc.? (some being more affordable than others obviously)

Pilsen is really close to downtown, how is it so affordable?

Also, nobody mentioned East Garfield Park...its more affordable than a lot of the other ones...is it a bit seedy?

Originally Posted by SubconsciousMe

I was about a block from the Pink line when I lived in Pilsen While the pink line may not run 24/7 it stops about 1/130am and picks back up at 4/430am.

Is the sad face because the train kept you up at night or...?

[rvernsey]

Originally Posted by stevedl

Damn, this forum is awesome. Thanks everybody:]

Pilsen is really close to downtown, how is it so affordable?

It's predominately Hispanic and in my opinion has a commercial/industrial feel at least in the immediate surrounding areas. I like it down there though.

[nicko3371]

Originally Posted by stevedl

Just looking for some opinions on safe yet relatively inexpensive neighborhoods in Chicago. I'm a typical "starving artist" (lol) and I have no problem living in low income neighborhoods. I've lived in many, and know that "low income" does not always mean "dangerous". I just want to avoid the actual dangerous neighborhoods...just researching chicago it seems like the neighborhoods to avoid are on the south side. Is that accurate?

I'll looking for a studio between $500-$750...with that budget I don't have a ton of options but I'd like to live somewhere with some life and good energy...people out and about (and not shooting at me)...a coffee shop or two...cute girls waiting for a nice guy to be brave and say hi;]

Right now I'm looking at East Garfield Park, Logan Square, Uptown, and Rogers Park. Opinions? Suggestions? Thanks :] -s

In the places you are looking uptown is no doubt the best, close to Lakeview and lincoln park and surrounded by good areas.

This is my order.

1. Uptown
2. Rogers Park-Dangerous depending on where you live in the neighborhood, some places are very safe but boring cause there are not as many stores as in other neighborhoods, uptown doesnt either but is safer. east of the train station on a map is where it is known to be most dangerous.
3. Logan Square. The east side has a lot of weird people walking around and the west side when you get closer to cicero is about as bad chicago ghettos get in some places, so definitely a no.
4. East Garfield Park is a really dangerous neighborhood, garfield park in the west is kind of what Englewood is in the south. Forget the south west comparison, some neighborhoods in the west are as dangerous as the south, i have seen it with my own eyes as i used to work in the west side.

Either way i think Uptown is a better choice then Pilsen because the northside as a whole is more exciting and you are close to wicker park which is kind of the artistic district these day.

[lycos679]

Originally Posted by stevedl

Damn, this forum is awesome. Thanks everybody:]

Pilsen is really close to downtown, how is it so affordable?

The median income in Pilsen is $42K vs $73K for the Chicago metro. Since people have less to spend the housing stock reflects the demand for that particular area. As the other poster mentioned, Pilsen is heavily Hispanic and Chicago tends to be very segregated which is the main reason imo.

Assuming this data is current, about 52% of Pilsen residents have no more than some HS vs 5.2% for Lincoln Park.

Pilsen Demographics & Statistics
Lincoln Park Demographics & Statistics

[UC18]

Originally Posted by Freefall18

I would also suggest Pilsen and Bridgeport for your price range. You may find Uptown and Logan Square to be too expensive for you.

I didn't think about Bridgeport. That's also a good call. It is starting to get more of an artist scene in recent years as East Pilsen gentrifies, also.

[UC18]

Originally Posted by stevedl

Pilsen is really close to downtown, how is it so affordable?

Older housing stock, long-time stigma against anything on the South or West sides (which has been slowly disappearing in recent years for areas close to downtown) and a very long history as a port of entry neighborhood for immigrants. Also, until a decade or so ago it had a pretty high crime rate. The things that you're seeing are the reasons it is gradually becoming less and less affordable, but for now it's still far more affordable than many places.

[chet everett]

Originally Posted by UC18

Older housing stock, long-time stigma against anything on the South or West sides (which has been slowly disappearing in recent years for areas close to downtown) and a very long history as a port of entry neighborhood for immigrants. Also, until a decade or so ago it had a pretty high crime rate. The things that you're seeing are the reasons it is gradually becoming less and less affordable, but for now it's still far more affordable than many places.

...the raised streets mean that "garden apartments" are often below the levels of the sewers...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXg37f4Ku6o

[UC18]

Originally Posted by chet everett

...the raised streets mean that "garden apartments" are often below the levels of the sewers...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXg37f4Ku6o

True, though I wouldn't want to live in a garden apartment anywhere in Chicago, for this reason and others (poor natural light, poor security, etc.)

[Larry Siegel]

Originally Posted by nicko3371

In the places you are looking uptown is no doubt the best, close to Lakeview and lincoln park and surrounded by good areas.

This is my order.

1. Uptown
2. Rogers Park-Dangerous depending on where you live in the neighborhood, some places are very safe but boring cause there are not as many stores as in other neighborhoods, uptown doesnt either but is safer. east of the train station on a map is where it is known to be most dangerous.
3. Logan Square. The east side has a lot of weird people walking around and the west side when you get closer to cicero is about as bad chicago ghettos get in some places, so definitely a no.
4. East Garfield Park is a really dangerous neighborhood, garfield park in the west is kind of what Englewood is in the south. Forget the south west comparison, some neighborhoods in the west are as dangerous as the south, i have seen it with my own eyes as i used to work in the west side.

Either way i think Uptown is a better choice then Pilsen because the northside as a whole is more exciting and you are close to wicker park which is kind of the artistic district these day.

I have some problems with the above. Most of Uptown is fine but the core of Uptown around Wilson and Broadway still has a high concentration of social services, criminals, and crazies. Pick your block and building carefully.

Logan Square is a large area but it doesn't extend as far west as Cicero. The east part of Logan Square is the nice part and it has become a red hot real estate market. You can spend $750,000 on a house there. I don't see weird people walking around.

Agreed East Garfield Park is terrible.

I like Ukrainian Village, Wicker Park, Bucktown best for what the OP is looking for. That's the artsy part of the city, although prices have risen substantially.