DO you feel safe in Chicago? (Evanston, Berwyn: sale, condos, house)

[frimpter928]

90% of the time I have felt safe. I have lived here 30 years never been jumped, beat up or anything like that. Same with my close family and friends who have lived here for quite some time.

Now, on rare occasion I feel a little less safe or uneasy. Like when I am walking alone at night around 11PM and I don't see anyone, I might feel uneasy, or if there is a mentally unstable person acting up on the train. Those are situation that I tend to feel uneasy/unsafe, but outside of that I am totally fine.

Living on the northside, danger is not common.

[marissamay]

Originally Posted by Vlajos

What? There was no incident with over 30 people dead in Roseland. Roseland doesn't even have that many homicides in total.

The Roseland neighborhood sees a lot of crime just like other “south side” areas of Chicago. Poverty, gangs, gun violence, boarded up homes, and much of what is on the local news pertains to those areas. The incident that was on the news I remember was a burst of gun violence across a few neighborhoods that ended in Roseland where the total body count was near 40. Roseland may not be the worst, but it’s mentioned on the news often for armed robberies and other violent crime. A friend of mine is a cop, and if you think the south side of Chicago is safe, he has some stories for you.

Most don’t have a reason to go to the south side, and they just avoid it if they can.

[noid_1985]

Originally Posted by marissamay

The Roseland neighborhood sees a lot of crime just like other “south side” areas of Chicago. Poverty, gangs, gun violence, boarded up homes, and much of what is on the local news pertains to those areas. The incident that was on the news I remember was a burst of gun violence across a few neighborhoods that ended in Roseland where the total body count was near 40. Roseland may not be the worst, but it’s mentioned on the news often for armed robberies and other violent crime. A friend of mine is a cop, and if you think the south side of Chicago is safe, he has some stories for you.

Most don’t have a reason to go to the south side, and they just avoid it if they can.

I think most people on this site are familiar enough with the south and west sides, they’ve been talked about at nauseam about how bad they are blah blah blah. I’ve been to Roseland plenty of times without incident, inversely all of my incidents in the city were either downtown or the Northside.

[Vlajos]

Originally Posted by marissamay

The Roseland neighborhood sees a lot of crime just like other “south side” areas of Chicago. Poverty, gangs, gun violence, boarded up homes, and much of what is on the local news pertains to those areas. The incident that was on the news I remember was a burst of gun violence across a few neighborhoods that ended in Roseland where the total body count was near 40. Roseland may not be the worst, but it’s mentioned on the news often for armed robberies and other violent crime. A friend of mine is a cop, and if you think the south side of Chicago is safe, he has some stories for you.

Most don’t have a reason to go to the south side, and they just avoid it if they can.

I completely agree with the bolded. I was just pointing out that whatever incident you were referring too did not occur or you have the facts wrong.

[marissamay]

Originally Posted by noid_1985

I think most people on this site are familiar enough with the south and west sides, they’ve been talked about at nauseam about how bad they are blah blah blah. I’ve been to Roseland plenty of times without incident, inversely all of my incidents in the city were either downtown or the Northside.

The thread question asked if we feel safe here, and while you need to be aware of your surroundings and think about self defense, I feel safe in my neighborhood and in the loop or anywhere north of downtown. I would not feel safe in the south (and southwest) sides of Chicago, but I never go there. Crime statistics speak loudly.

[dcisive]

so sorry to hear that Roseland ended up in the dumper. Way back in my childhood my family used to go downtown Roseland for shopping. They had some very classy stores and we got our first dog there in one of their pet shops. This was a very long time ago and one I prefer to remember it as, such as about 1963-65. So many areas have become harbingers of crime, gangs and worse. The neighborhood I grew up in (Jeffrey Manor) was yet another of the many that completely lost it. Crime back in those days was minimal to non existent most of the time. And as far as feeling safe that was a complete non issue. But then I'm talking about a time when there was no such thing as a "Drive By" in those neighborhoods. There were no real gangs and the only one known well was the Blackstone Rangers in the Hyde Park area, about the most despicable sub humans on the planet who murdered many an innocent person including a guy that was a Holocaust survivor from WWII who ran a well known toy store in the South Shore, yet another area that used to be so very clean and upstanding. I stop by the Chicago forums from time to time but I have to admit it pretty much is an exercise in depression to read the crap it's turned into. Oh well.......darn good thing one can have decent memories.

[Hiruko]

Originally Posted by Vlajos

I get around the city. I have done business in Englewood, North Lawndale, Washington Park, Roseland, etc. Never felt unsafe. Granted, this is during the day.

Originally Posted by Vlajos

That's my point. I don't feel unsafe in those areas, during the day at least.

Exactly. Unless you are in a gang, you shouldn't have trouble much of anywhere in Chicago. This is Chicago, Illinois, not Sao Paulo, Brazil or Johannesburg, South Africa.

[noid_1985]

I think it’s a given one wouldn’t feel safe in a bad area as opposed to a “good area”....I could be wrong but isn’t this thread about the your overall feel/ experience in Chicago?

[Master Jay]

As an out of towner, Ive been to North Lawndale, South Lawndale, and Pilsen and Humboldt Park. These areas are known for gangs and drugs and shootings. But they also have families, working people, religious places of worship, etc. Ive never felt uneasy. I go in giving people respect. And I get it back. There's a lot more to Chicago than worrying about bad reports heard on the news. I'm not saying to deny that bad things happen. But I also think some people are focusing too much on negativity. I invite them to do a little reflecting. Master Jay in Milwaukee

[marissamay]

Originally Posted by Master Jay

As an out of towner, Ive been to North Lawndale, South Lawndale, and Pilsen and Humboldt Park. These areas are known for gangs and drugs and shootings. But they also have families, working people, religious places of worship, etc. Ive never felt uneasy. I go in giving people respect. And I get it back. There's a lot more to Chicago than worrying about bad reports heard on the news. I'm not saying to deny that bad things happen. But I also think some people are focusing too much on negativity. I invite them to do a little reflecting. Master Jay in Milwaukee

It’s not negative to consider your safety, and those people with families are at risk too. What is reflecting going to do in an armed robbery or a stray bullet from a drive-by?

What do you go to North Lawndale for, as a visitor? It’s one of the higher crime areas in the city but not as bad as Riverdale or Fuller Park.