Help me break my irrational fear of the south side... (Chicago: home, neighborhoods)

[Manigault]

Originally Posted by kawaii1

If you want to see some really nice houses and historical neighborhood there is a nook on about 72and stony island on down toward the lake and lakeshore drive. Can't remember the name though.

The Jackson Park Highlands go from 67th to 71st st between Stoney Island and South Shore Drive. Much of that area, that is. I think Jesse, Jr. lives there.

[Manigault]

Originally Posted by Lookout Kid

Garfield isn't for newbies either!

Its changed a lot in the last two years.

[oakparkV]

Originally Posted by trax

My dad grew up in Pullman, and later Harvey, from the 50s to the mid 70s, around the time that industries were leaving and that area was experiencing severe white flight. His last memories of the area are of his parents and friends' parents losing their jobs. Whenever I've asked him about visiting the south side, his response is usually along the lines of "that area is just bad news... stay out".

My grandma grew up in Pullman, so I (also a college-educated twenty-something) wanted to check out that area. Sadly, your dad is pretty much right... I took my car down there during the daytime, and while I was fine driving around with locked doors, there was nothing "positive" to see. Most of the buildings were boarded-up and had burn marks, there were flashing blue lights everywhere, trash in the streets... Pullman has really taken a sad turn for the worse...

With that being said, however, there ARE cool areas on the Southside worth seeing. Chinatown is awesome, easy to get to by train, and safe to walk around alone. Beverly is an absolutely beautiful area. The area surrounding Midway is pretty safe overall. And if in doubt, just ride the L down to some of the southside neighborhoods, and check out the area surrounding each stop.

Sometimes, you can't get over (or confirm) your fears till you see for yourself what exactly scares you. For example, this weekend my boyfriend convinced me to bike home from the Loop to our place in Oak Park. We took Lake Street thru the Westside, and while we went through some pretty seedy areas, nobody bothered us, and I got to see the Westside from a completely different perspective. It ended up being pretty cool

[ajolotl]

A few great outdoor places to go hang out and get a feel for how interesting the south side can be:

The Point (55th and the Lake).
63rd Street Beach
South Shore Cultural Center (entracnce at 71st and Jeffrey)

These places are all beautiful and extremely safe. Population is very diverse in all imaginable ways. Once you see how nice south side can be you can then start to explore more inland areas -- it is true that a good bit is blighted (though I seriously doubt it is at all dangerous to pass through -- I don't know anyone that has ever had any trouble) but there are also sizable areas that are quite beautiful, safe, and interesting.

You do want to add Beverly/Morgan park to your list, probably Pill Hill also.

[GMarshfield]

If you drive around the southside during the work day, or on a Sunday morning, you will be just fine

Literally tens of thousands of trucks, commuters, etc. of all races drive these streets daily. You can drive up and down Stony Island with no problems whatsoever. Drive back and forth on 87th, 95th, or any of the major cross streets.

I would avoid driving after dark on any street that is not a major thoroughfare, that's all. Do not roll-your-window-down and ask for directions from a male 18-35 either, at any time.

The southside is rough, but it's not Johannesburg.

[Manigault]

Originally Posted by GMarshfield

I would avoid driving after dark on any street that is not a major thoroughfare, that's all. Do not roll-your-window-down and ask for directions from a male 18-35 either, at any time.

I live on a southside street which is not a major thoroughfare and I come home after dark all the time. Like last night. What do you suggest? Moving is out of the question.

[MannheimMadman]

Originally Posted by Manigault

I live on a southside street which is not a major thoroughfare and I come home after dark all the time. Like last night. What do you suggest? Moving is out of the question.

[Mr Downtown]

Start by walking around the Calumet-Giles-Prairie historic district between 31st and 35th, just west of King Drive. Then drive or bicycle streets like Wabash, Indiana, and Michigan between IIT and Washington Park. Next, visit Jackson Park Highlands and the highrises of South Shore Drive.

Once you develop the ability to distinguish real danger (quite rare) from cultural differences such as porch sitting, hanging out on the corner, and trash talking, you'll realize that very, very little of the South Side is really threatening in any sense. Personally, I'd restrict that list to chunks of Englewood, Hamilton Park, and Roseland.

[jessie9er]

Bring your bike on a Metra train from LaSalle and VanBuren to Beverly, and bike around Longwood Drive. It's a sleepy neighborhood with little foot or vehicle traffic, spacious lawns and big old homes.

Get off at 91st, go one block west to Longwood and head west. Travel the residential streets meandering south of Dan Ryan woods.
Stay out of the woods, and dont go east of Ashland.

At 99th there's a coffee shop just east of Wood St. At 103rd and Longwood there's a Starbucks.

Go west up any hill from Longwood Drive to tour the hood -- just houses, lawns and quiet, a nice break from the traffic always present on the North Side.

You can also walk in Beverly but biking is preferable because this mainly residential area can get boring.

Also, bike south on the lakefront paths to South Shore Country Club. Stop off at the Marina Harbor Cafe, 6401 S Coast Guard Dr., for lunch or dinner.

[city414]

is there a chicago type map that shows good areas of the south side and bad areas i have been doing my research before i decide to move to the chicago and found some good rent prices(700 1 bd rm) but the areas seem iffy...