California and Roosevelt: Thoughts? (Chicago, Ogden: 2015, crime, neighborhoods)

[FAReastcoast]

Anyone here familiar with the area around California and Roosevelt/Ogden? Is this considered Douglas Park?

Seems to be well positioned with the Park right there, and easy access to Medical District and UIC (sort of close) and Pilsen not too far, plus the highway.

I did a drive by of a couple buildings I'm looking at and seems ok during the day, and crime seems to be a bit of an issue.

LMK your thoughts if you are familiar with the area.

[chet everett]

Originally Posted by FAReastcoast

Anyone here familiar with the area around California and Roosevelt/Ogden? Is this considered Douglas Park?

Seems to be well positioned with the Park right there, and easy access to Medical District and UIC (sort of close) and Pilsen not too far, plus the highway.

I did a drive by of a couple buildings I'm looking at and seems ok during the day, and crime seems to be a bit of an issue.

LMK your thoughts if you are familiar with the area.

Not really much improved since this article was written: https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/2015...ets-gun-crimes

[FAReastcoast]

Originally Posted by chet everett

Not really much improved since this article was written: https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/2015...ets-gun-crimes

Thanks, I found that article as well. I guess my question is more; despite the Gang/Drug issues, is the area around California and Roosevelt/Ogden positioned for a brighter future, in the opinion of those familiar?

A big part of my business is investing in "border line" neighborhoods, and/or areas slightly outside where an upwardly mobile person would consider living. Just doing a bit of City Data market research....

[TBideon]

No. Even with Lagunitas and Riotfest, there is no evidence of the area having momentum. It's highly dangerous and disinvested, and at best borders borderline neighborhoods like Tri Taylor and Little Village -- and frankly those areas are barely borderline themselves.

[chet everett]

The whole corridor of Roosevelt west of Ogden does not have nearly the appeal of areas that have gentrification potential. The massive blight even east of Ogden has meant that the various expansions of UIC Medical Center, Cook Co courts, and the Chicago regional FBI center were done cheaply but it also destroys any potential for that area to have the sorts of smaller restaurants, night spots and boutiques that has given other areas "charm". I think even the most optimistic city planners understand and thus they are not "throwing good money after bad" it that area and instead concentrating on areas where the right scale /*mix of uses MIGHT make more sense...

BTW Despite the presence of the Chicago Park District "Douglas Park" that area is NORTH LAWNDALE and is known far and wide as among the most crime ridden areas in the world. The other end of the park, closer to Cermack is a whole different story. The scale of development spurred by things like the Lagunitas brewery and relative ease of getting to the Medical Center District via the Pink Line makes that section much more reasonable as "likely to improve"... Heck, the relative "safe for non-gang bangers" quotient of other areas like Homan Square is probably 10X better and even then there are crazy incidents -- Bystanders yell taunts as man beaten after car crash - Chicago Tribune For what is worth, I used to teach in CPS and I often did take some surface streets that other colleagues would avoid but even relatively fearless me in my beat-up inconscionspicous high mileage "teacher car" would NOT take any "short cut" along Douglas Blvd, just too much potential for something that even a flack jacket can't protect you from...

[andrew61]

I agree with Chet on this one. Try the area around Cermak and California instead. I've been over there and didn't feel at all uncomfortable.

[beaniemac]

I think roosevelt and western is kinda iffy. I certainly wound't want to live further west on roosevelt and california.