Moving to Chi June 1 (Chicago, Oak Park: transplants, crime, neighborhoods)

[cajunlibra]

Just checking to make sure. I'll take that as a no.

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by cajunlibra

Just checking to make sure. I'll take that as a no.

Some people have different ideas on what they are comfortable with. I would not move to either of the last two locations you mentioned. Just MO.

[cajunlibra]

You seem to have good credibility so I thank you. My bf thanks you also since he won't be living with me till March and he'll be worrying about me until then.

I was going to transfer a retail job from a store near Oak Park. There would be times when I'd be leaving the store as late as 2am. Which Shopping Ctr would you recommend: NOrth Riverside on Cermak, Harlem-Irving Plaza, or 171 s Il-83, Elmhurst, IL(Next to Plunket Park). Or are they all fine? I don't mind a 20-25 min drive.

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by cajunlibra

You seem to have good credibility so I thank you. My bf thanks you also since he won't be living with me till March and he'll be worrying about me until then.

I was going to transfer a retail job from a store near Oak Park. There would be times when I'd be leaving the store as late as 2am. Which Shopping Ctr would you recommend: NOrth Riverside on Cermak, Harlem-Irving Plaza, or 171 s Il-83, Elmhurst, IL(Next to Plunket Park). Or are they all fine? I don't mind a 20-25 min drive.

I would go with Harlem and Irving. I am not too familiar with the one in Elmhurst, but I do not think it is bad as far as I know. I would stay away from North Riverside.

[oakparkdude]

For actual crime statistics in Oak Park, check out this link.

Oak Park, Illinois Village Departments -- Police Department

It has crime data from the OP police department depicted geographically.

[oakparkdude]

Regarding Lyman and Harrison:

Harrison street between Ridgeland and Austin has a fair bit of retail and restaurants (and soon a live theater), so there's more foot traffic than most other residential areas. This makes it a bit safer (IMHO).

[Drover]

I'd go with Harlem & Irving just because it's the closest and easiest to get to and it's in a pretty good area. Well, the Cermack is probably a little easier to get to, but the Harlem/Irving area is a little nicer. Elmhurst is typical white-bread suburbia so it's a pretty low-crime area, but further away.

[Lookout Kid]

There are more apartments on Austin Avenue itself, but that's cutting it a bit too close for many--since the "urban hell" neighborhood is literally across the street. I had a couple of friends who rented a place on Austin in the late 90s and they didn't have any trouble at all. However, they were across the street from Columbus Park--which serves as a bit of a buffer. I do, however, remember using that gas station on Austin near the Ike at midnight one time, and it was a bit scary to say the least. But I survived it and am here today.

My feeling is that anything west of Lombard is generally alright in Oak Park. There isn't a noticeable difference in crime levels until you get quite a bit further west, so there's not point griping about a block or two difference, however.

[NearWestSider]

Originally Posted by cajunlibra

You seem to have good credibility so I thank you. My bf thanks you also since he won't be living with me till March and he'll be worrying about me until then.

I was going to transfer a retail job from a store near Oak Park. There would be times when I'd be leaving the store as late as 2am. Which Shopping Ctr would you recommend: NOrth Riverside on Cermak, Harlem-Irving Plaza, or 171 s Il-83, Elmhurst, IL(Next to Plunket Park). Or are they all fine? I don't mind a 20-25 min drive.

The people in this forum border on hysterically paranoid about crime, so take it all with a grain of salt. I read some of these posts and I wonder if they are even living in the same universe, much less city, as I am.

The good news is that these are people who a generation ago would have told you you were taking your life in your hands by living "downtown", so the fact that people this fearful can even exist in this city is tribute to the fact that crime overall, and violent crime, in particular is way down.

FWIW, they have given you good advice about Oak Park. That is probably your best choice in the Western suburbs. But recommendations about staying away from North Riverside Mall are ridiculous and display the kind of ignorance I am talking about.

Keep in mind: These are North Siders. They do NOT know the West Side very well, not ONE of them has ever lived in Cicero, Berwyn, or Oak Park (much less Pilsen), and consequently not one of them has the slightest idea of what life is really like in that neck of the woods. They will tell you they have friends or know people, but that is not the same thing. The fact is, they have been there once or twice in their lives, and that's it.

[mendelman]

Originally Posted by Drover

Maybe that's because nobody has ever claimed that a street physically stops criminals from crossing from one side of it to the other. It's an acknowledgment that there is some very nasty parts nearby and you might want to keep a buffer zone between you and those nasty parts. Ridgeland has been a convenient benchmark for determining how much buffer to keep between you and Urban Hell...

At the risk of sounding childish....No Duh! My comments were sarcasm dripping in irony.

Using the term "urban hell" is terrible and very misleading. Austin is not the South Bronx of 1978.

At the OP's price point ($750/month) being east of Ridgeland in Oak Park will afford her the perfect balance between location and price. She should at least live here first and experience the place and develop prejudices from personal experience, rather than take the opinion of people on the internets.

As for the locations she mentions - I would go with the Lyman/Harrison location. You're right near the Austion stop on the L's Blue Line and Harrison street is very nice. Plus, you can get to the daily services on Roosevelt very easily, and Columbus Park is nearby and a very nice park.