Segregation question (Chicago, Riverdale, Washington: 2013, apartment, crime)

[BRU67]

Originally Posted by emathias

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I'm not entirely sure why, but Chicago gets called segregated more often than many other cities, but statistically it's not that much more segregated than New York City, and is not terribly different from other northern, industrial cities that became destinations during the Great Migration. W

If you want a mostly-black, middle-class area, you can find that. If you want a very racially mixed, professional-class area, you can find that. If you want a white, working-class neighborhood, you can find that. If you want a heavily hispanic area, you can find that. If you want a mostly East Asian area, you can find that. If you want a mostly South Asian area, you can find that. Hopefully your perception isn't that everyone in Chicago lives in either a 99% black or a 99% white neighborhood, because that's not the case. .

With all due respect, this comes off as delusional at best. Some examples (2015 numbers):

Garfield Park: 91.28% African-American
Austin: 83% "
North Lawndale: 89%
Oakland: 92.59%
Fuller Park: 89.38%
Grand Boulevard: 90.62%
Washington Park: 95.98%
Woodlawn: 84.70%
South Shore: 93.47%
Greater Grand Crossing: 96.07%
West Englewood: 93.16%
Englewood: 94.98%
Chatham: 96.61%
Avalon Park: 97.4%
South Chicago: 74.10%
Burnside: 100% (?!?)
Calumet Heights: 93.47%
Roseland: 92.90%
Pullman: 82.76%
West Pullman: 93.39%
Riverdale: 94.16%
Auburn Gresham: 96.86%
Washington Heights: 95.77%

These 23 community areas represent nearly 1/3 of our total 77 community areas. What's almost worse than the segregation is the median income in these areas. As a general rule, it's terrible.

There are some more integrated AA neighborhoods such as Kenwood (67.70% AA), Morgan Park (65.98% AA), Hyde Park (29.9% AA), and Douglas (70.68% AA). But those are unique. Kenwood is a wealthy area with huge homes near the Lake. Douglas is benefiting from the growth of the neighboring South Loop and proximity to the Lake. Morgan Park gets some spillover from Beverly. Hyde Park is Hyde Park. The vast majority of African-Americans who live in Chicago live in one of the highly segregated and economically disadvantaged Community Areas I mentioned above.

Can you cite to a "white, working-class neighborhood" that isn't made up of City workers? Those are about the only blue collar workers left around here who still get a decent wage and didn't run off due to the crime and monopolitical culture.

Hispanic neighborhoods are just as segregated. See Archer Heights (76.2%), New City (60.88%), West Elsdon (80.14%), Gage Park (92.25%), West Lawn (80.60%), and of course South Lawndale (85.24%). Those with a mix, such as Logan Square, Lower West Side, and Humboldt Park, are clearly in transition. It's delusional to say otherwise.

I love Chicago but we have some serious work to do in terms of providing opportunities to people who do not have a college degree in finance, law, accounting, or trade. Ignoring the racial and economic segregation we have is not the way to get it done.

[Va83]

So if I was making $48,500 as a single person could I afford to live in a neighborhood like Hyde Park or Uptown?

[personone]

Originally Posted by Va83

So if I was making $48,500 as a single person could I afford to live in a neighborhood like Hyde Park or Uptown?

Probably. It would also depend on debt, how much you are saving monthly for retirement, other monthly costs/benefits, if you will have a car, lifestyle, etc. But assuming you don't have a lot of debt/fixed monthly expenses (outside of rent), you should be okay in Uptown (not as sure about Hyde Park).

As a general rule, the downtown core neighborhoods (Loop, River North, West/ South Loop, Streeterville, Old Town, parts of the Gold Coast) are pretty expensive because the majority of apartment housing are modern/new model, luxury with lots of amenities. There are exceptions, but because of that most 1BR apartments are starting around $1700-1800 (some starting upwards of $2000 depending on the building) before you add in parking,cable, utilities, etc. On the flip side, even though it is expensive, this is where you will find the largest concentration of young professionals, and it is very integrated. You will see any and all races out and about at restaurants, shops, nightlife, etc. Plenty of interracial couples and nobody blinks an eye. There are also a good amount of tourists in this area, so one negative is that these core neighborhoods feels less like traditional Chicago "neighborhoods" (which have more independent charm, and neighborhood restaurants, shops, bars, etc.).

Chicago is one of the most diverse cities in the country in terms of all the spectrums of different races/ethnicities but not the most integrated. The outer neighborhoods (away from the downtown core) are where you start to see more segregation based on race. I've been to Uptown a few times but have not really focused on demographics. Hyde Park is pretty integrated from what I know.

As far as integration, as I mention, the downtown core neighborhoods are where you will find most of that, especially among the young professional population, but given your budget, Uptown or Hyde Park would likely work better for you. Those seem to be fine, and while Chicago is a neighborhood-centric city, those neighborhoods are close enough where you can enjoy the social life in many other parts of the city outside of your immediate neighborhood.

[Chicago60614]

If you want to walk around in the city and wonder how many races you'll see, it would normally be the black neighborhoods that are the most segregated on the ground. When you're in those areas they tend to have the highest % of residents from one race, and the highest percent of people going about their days who happen to be of one race.

Living in Lincoln Park and Lakeview, by no means would I only see white people walking around on the streets, even though the residential population of those areas are 75%+ white. Constantly in Lakeview I was curiously surprised at the huge number of black, asian and hispanics on the street. You would think the areas are quite diverse. The density in those areas is large, and the sheer number of retail, bars, schools, restaurants, shops and businesses with employees and patrons of all races coming into those areas means it's not really like so many of the suburbs, where it's just white white white.

[mjtinmemphis]

Originally Posted by Va83

Is interracial dating considered taboo or acceptable for black women in Chicago?

Once again, I think it depends on your point of reference. If you are coming from the coast then no. I do know Black women who date outside their race in Chicago, but none are married. I personally don't see Chicago as being as open as DFW or MSP with IR dating. Places with established Black American communities are not as open to IR relationships as cities where Blacks have recently migrated to in the past 20 years like Vegas where I live now.

Originally Posted by Va83

So if I was making $48,500 as a single person could I afford to live in a neighborhood like Hyde Park or Uptown?

Yes! If you rent. Buying may be a little harder. Also, it depends on your budgeting skills. I know many who make it on your income in Uptown and Hyde Park.

[stephei2000]

Originally Posted by mjtinmemphis

Once again, I think it depends on your point of reference. If you are coming from the coast then no. I do know Black women who date outside their race in Chicago, but none are married. I personally don't see Chicago as being as open as DFW or MSP with IR dating. Places with established Black American communities are not as open to IR relationships as cities where Blacks have recently migrated to in the past 20 years like Vegas where I live now.



Yes! If you rent. Buying may be a little harder. Also, it depends on your budgeting skills. I know many who make it on your income in Uptown and Hyde Park.

To the OP. Listen to mjtinmemphis. If you are black, educated, and do not have family in Chicago. I would not waste my time, you might have a hard time fitting in. But it depends what type a person you are and what environment suits you.

You would be better somewhere on the coast where IR dating is pretty popular. I live in LA now and wish I would have made the move earlier.

I can PM my experience as AA female in Chicago who lived in the suburbs, Edgewater, and Lakeview/Lincoln Park before my move to California.

[OKParker]

Originally Posted by Va83

So if I was making $48,500 as a single person could I afford to live in a neighborhood like Hyde Park or Uptown?

Easily. And I recommend Uptown if you want to be tempted to spend lots of money at restaurants nearby.

I love using hotpads.com to look at rentals for this kind of question. If I was looking for a place in your situation, I would look at this place: https://hotpads.com/917-west-eastwoo...ce=0-1000&z=14 - it will only cost you $1000 a month so you'll be able to live well. Tons of places at the $1200 / 1 bedroom price range as well.

[Va83]

Originally Posted by stephei2000

To the OP. Listen to mjtinmemphis. If you are black, educated, and do not have family in Chicago. I would not waste my time, you might have a hard time fitting in. But it depends what type a person you are and what environment suits you.

You would be better somewhere on the coast where IR dating is pretty popular. I live in LA now and wish I would have made the move earlier.

I can PM my experience as AA female in Chicago who lived in the suburbs, Edgewater, and Lakeview/Lincoln Park before my move to California.

I’m not an engineer or anything. I’m a massage therapist and esthetician. I make decent money but have to work hard for it. What attracts me to Chicago is that the cities on the coast are way too expensive and I don’t do roommates. I also prefer to not go too far South like I m not attracted to Atlanta.

My closet city is DC. Any thread on this site that mentions DC and dating will tell you how hard it is for women in general to find a man due to even the losers have so many women to choose from. Also DC is a hustlers paradise. As in people come to work make as much money and experience as possible and leave. Your career is who you are in DC. It’s not a bad thing but I’m not pulling any rank there or fitting in so to speak.

[Va83]

Originally Posted by OKParker

Easily. And I recommend Uptown if you want to be tempted to spend lots of money at restaurants nearby.

I love using hotpads.com to look at rentals for this kind of question. If I was looking for a place in your situation, I would look at this place: https://hotpads.com/917-west-eastwoo...ce=0-1000&z=14 - it will only cost you $1000 a month so you'll be able to live well. Tons of places at the $1200 / 1 bedroom price range as well.

I actually like the aesthetic of the older buildings. So I wouldn’t mind living there if it’s safe. (Even though there’s no dishwasher or washer dryer lol I’ll live)

[smegmatite]

Originally Posted by Va83

I’m a black older millennial woman. I was reading and watching YouTube videos about Chicago recently. From this I’ve gathered that the city is mostly divided with mostly white people in the NE and mostly everyone else to the West and South. Than again this maybe changing due to black people leaving the area and us millennials moving in. What is your opinion as people who live there currently? Please no racism.

if you're wealthy you're welcome in the north and NW sides... pretty much only poor people live in the further out west and south/SW sides

If you stay in the nicer more educated neighborhoods they are way less racist than if you live somewhere like Bridgeport or like Beverly