The Next “Hot” Neighborhood (Chicago, Joliet: evictions, student loans, houses)

[Master Jay]

WestSideMillennial, I AM Latino, And I am ok with having ethnic neighborhoods, as well as the preservation of different languages and cultures.

But when we see certain areas (of WHOMEVER), and the area becomes cleaner and safer, I just don't know HOW anyone can call that a bad thing?

[BRU67]

Originally Posted by Master Jay

WestSideMillennial, I AM Latino, And I am ok with having ethnic neighborhoods, as well as the preservation of different languages and cultures.

But when we see certain areas (of WHOMEVER), and the area becomes cleaner and safer, I just don't know HOW anyone can call that a bad thing?

I've found that it is usually college students and recent graduates brainwashed by their professors into thinking capitalism and white people are evil and true socialist believers who drive anti-gentrification protests. Most people who actually live in lower income neighborhoods like to see signs of gentrification, as it means increased property values for owners, lower crime, and more amenities. This is based on years of personal observation.

[Master Jay]

BRU67, good morning.

One of my buddies (who is an older white man), who I brought down to Chicago for a bike ride a couple of weeks ago, posted on Facebook different ethnic groups and how they celebrate. For the White group, there were pictures of Skinheads and such.

And I replied, "Now THAT is not fair!"... I have seen the processions for Croatian-Americans and German-Americans in Chicago that celebrate their heritage and I did not witness one drop of racist propaganda or attitudes.

As I said, I fully support Latinos in Chicago that want to teach their children Spanish, cook and sell delicious Hispanic food, paint beautiful murals, etc. But the gang mentality has got to go! If anything, it holds my people down in so many ways.

[BRU67]

Originally Posted by ConawayDouglas

Hi everyone, here's my two cents on Garfield Park: What makes Garfield so desirable to creatives to live in or visit is not just affordability, but the danger, and if that's where you live, you get a sort of artists' street cred, for what that's worth, lol. A Logan Square or Bucktown artist will be the one that respects an Avondale or Humboldt artist, and Humboldt and Avondale artists yield to Garfield Artists, as do Oak Park artists. I have known many to level up through these sort of tiers over time, moving from safe to unsafe hoods, and now, so many artists who have moved to East Garfield Park, that by my standards, it is actually already too nice for me, as rough as it still may be. The rents are unreasonable too, at least from my quick craigslist searches.

)

I've heard this "street cred" thing in the past and I think it's bunk. If that were true, we'd have artists in West Garfield Park, Austin, and North Lawndale. Yet we don't.

Personally, what I think's happening is that young and mostly white investors are renovating the buildings they're buying and then marketing them to these artists (and students and recent college grads). Or, relatedly, they're flipping them and the next owners are doing the same thing. Some are biting because the apartments and buildings - until you see all the vacant lots anyway - look very nice, and rent is a lot cheaper than it is a mile or two north or east. Plus, their landlord is someone they can relate to.

Some are taking that to mean artists are organically gentrifying EGP, which isn't really accurate. It's all built on speculation and marketing, kind of like Cabrini 20 years ago but on a smaller scale. The increased violence may put negative pressure on this. It'll be interesting to see!

[BRU67]

Originally Posted by Master Jay

BRU67, good morning.

One of my buddies (who is an older white man), who I brought down to Chicago for a bike ride a couple of weeks ago, posted on Facebook different ethnic groups and how they celebrate. For the White group, there were pictures of Skinheads and such.

And I replied, "Now THAT is not fair!"... I have seen the processions for Croatian-Americans and German-Americans in Chicago that celebrate their heritage and I did not witness one drop of racist propaganda or attitudes.

As I said, I fully support Latinos in Chicago that want to teach their children Spanish, cook and sell delicious Hispanic food, paint beautiful murals, etc. But the gang mentality has got to go! If anything, it holds my people down in so many ways.

Yeah, I hear you Master Jay. I've encountered no issues whatsoever from any of my neighbors in Little Village. The gang issues are frustrating, however, and deeply entrenched. The solution to this is economic opportunity.

[Sunbiz1]

Originally Posted by Master Jay

dlong1991, ANY place with Mexican food will be GOOD food

Gotta put Elgin on your to visit list then, Mexican BBQ right here; at it's finest.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fxrYm8on2s

[Master Jay]

Sunbiz1, I wanted to eat my phone. Lol. Thanks for sharing. I've never been to Elgin. I have a Tae Kwon Do associate there, but I have never been.... excuse me while I chew my phone!

[CCrest182]

Originally Posted by dtcbnd03

I said for at least the next 10 years...not forever. Covid has dramatically changed consumer behavior. Everything has shifted online and outdoors and to areas with more space like suburbs and mid tier cities. Numerous retailers have declared bankruptcy as shopping shifted online. Many more hotels and airlines would have filed bankruptcy if not for the government loans. I highly doubt Macy's Michigan Ave or State Street stores will exist in the next few years. The biggest thing affecting city demand will be remote work people will gradually move to mid tier cities where the price of a single family home with a yard can be had for the same as a condo in a big city.

Many years before covid there was always event level demand outside of the UC for 82 home Bulls and Blackhawks games plus concerts...yet nothing was built there. Why? Because investors ran the numbers and clearly there wasn't the demand outside of event days. Businesses need more than 82 nights of traffic to stay open. Wrigley has an affluent neighborhood surrounding it and Clark street can be packed any day of the year. Yet go down to Comiskey and what do you see...parking lots. Given the West Loop / Fulton market advance west has halted that has halted any UC development.

It may take 2 years for a vaccine...add onto that Illinois unemployment rate is 15%...add onto that it took 10 years to climb out of the 08 recession and you have a long wait to see westward development continue to UC. The perfect example that sums up just how fast things can change is that despite the crazy building boom in Chicago the last 10 years...all the new office buildings, cranes, highrises, etc....the Chicago spire site is still sitting empty with an expected groundbreaking of 2021....we'll see if that happens now.

I feel like you're jumping to conclusions far too quickly to declare how things will be like for the next entire decade.... it's only been a little over one month since things got to open back up.... the reason so many people are shopping online and many businesses have closed in recent times, is because of the COVID lockdowns. These are not going to happen every single year for the next decade. In fact, there's reason to believe we won't even see that happen again this year, though maybe some very specific, non-essential things may be closed down again. But even then, nothing at all like what we saw in March and April.

I highly doubt demand is the reason nothing has been built there. There was definitely talk of some retail/dining complex outside the UC a few years ago. But now I think reality of that is even more plausible now, with the Atrium built, the Advocate center built, a new CTA station slated to be built, and gentrification pushing west. Things appear to be lining up for some sort of development.

As for event level demand, I do believe that is the overall point of having those complexes right outside of the building. But as I said, gentrification *will* push west, naturally thanks to the West Loop/Near West Side. There's already plenty of well-off people living just east. That, plus CTA access, plus Bulls/Hawks games, plus concerts, plus whatever else is happening at the UC..... it's hard to see how something like that wouldn't have potential.

The Staples center is a good model for what I'm talking about.... and I definitely could see it working, especially with all those parking lots taking up space.

[OKParker]

Originally Posted by dlong1991

EGP wont gentrify in 2030. I think 2040 - 2050 is more accurate. Sounds like a long time, but nothing has been happening there. The green line at Damen is nice, but if the city was really forward thinking...they would also put a green line stop at Western. Western has a 24 hour bus line, that would be a great connection. When I used to work downtown, I would take the green line alot. I always wished they had a western stop for that reason...connects you to the rest of the city!

Just because the West Loop is popular doesn't necessarily mean it will spill over west. Once you go west of Ashland, even around the United Center, it is so boring and dangerous. I'd go somewhere dangerous if it wasn't so ugly and boring! I think West Loop people would first spill into Pilsen...just follow the Pink Line.

In Chicago, gentrification happens in Latino areas first. Black neighborhoods are a last resort. Theres already an abundance of affordable rent in much nicer areas. Until people are priced out of those neighborhoods, not gonna happen.

I'd put my money on the Archer corridor gentrifying before EGP. I'd rather live in McKinley, Brighton Park, Archer Heights. I'm a little biased since i've lived on the SW side/SW suburbs my whole life.

I'd almost even put my money on Back of The Yards ahead of EGP. There's alot of Mexican people who were priced out of 18th street now going to 47th street. Theres a big hip brewery there and lots of small businesses and good food.

True BOTY could gentrify, but its pretty far from the city. The archer corridor will do pretty well, but once you get to Brighton Park, it loses its transit access to the orange line. Brighton Park doesn't have much real estate near the orange or else I'd say it would gentrify faster.. but its lots of small-units in the McKinley Park/Bridgeport style that command low rents and aren't pleasant to live in - it will take time especially without transit. Archer heights has a very low chance of gentrification with how industrial it is - so unpleasant that I won't live there. The smell is bad and I see that as being a working class area for far longer than 2050 given how many other parts of the city there are that are already in nicer shape (NW side). Not sure if being 1-2 stops to Midway is a huge draw for anyone. People are willing to uber there.

[dtcbnd03]

Here's an article from NPR on how city dwellers in NYC are flocking to the suburbs for more space. This is why there will not be a next "hot" neighborhood in Chicago for a while. Consumer behavior has dramatically shifted.

"We are seeing 20 offers on houses. We are seeing things going 30% over the asking price. It's kind of insane," Horowitz says. About 12 miles from New York City, Montclair is the kind of suburb that even appeals to demanding New Yorkers. It has yoga studios, restaurants locals can walk to, art galleries, even a film festival. It's always popular, but now on a completely different scale. "Every last bit of it is COVID-related," Horowitz says. New Yorkers aren't the only big city dwellers who have been decamping for suburbs, smaller cities and rural areas..."

https://www.npr.org/2020/07/08/88758...rs-may-be-next