Should I have reservations about buying a condo near Irving Park and Kedzie? (Albany: apartments, crime)

[lisakf1]

I have searched the forum several times and there is not much of a discussion about Albany Park ever. I'm not sure if that should make me nervous or not.

The hubby and I have a limit of $200k, 2 bed, must accept cats/dogs, and have a washer/dryer in unit. Our search on the North side has produced a lot of places in Albany Park.

We are seriously considering putting in an offer at N Albany and W Irving Park.

My only reservations about this place is I'm not very familiar with the area and the L is a bit further than I'd prefer, but the bus seemed quick when we tried it out.

Is this place in fact Albany Park and does anyone have an opinion about it?

[Avengerfire]

That is Albany Park (if it is north or on the north side of Irving Park Road) right near the border (Irving Park Road) to the Irving Park neighborhood. If the condo is on Irving Park you sit right on the border.That part of Albany Park is MUCH MUCH better than most others in Albany Park in terms of crime.

I lived like 2 blocks south of there in Irving Park for two years. I would not have a problem personally with buying a condo near there. That area in Albany Park is getting better.

As far as access to a train that goes downtown-forget going to the Blue Line. Just take the Irving Park bus east to the Brown Line.

Check some of the threads on Irving Park. You will be in Irving Park just as much if not way more than Albany Park living at Albany and Irving Park.

Drover still lives in Irving Park he will help too with this.
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Is this place new construction or a rehab conversion?

[Venom]

I thought montrose was the border of Albany Park?

Nevermind I looked it up.

[lisakf1]

Originally Posted by Avengerfire

Is this place new construction or a rehab conversion?

It's a rehab conversion

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by lisakf1

It's a rehab conversion

You have to be REALLY careful with those. Many times all they will do is put in central heat and air (which the bills for get very expensive for-ESPECIALLY THE HEAT-forced air heat is very inefficient-radiator heat is the BEST),new windows,refinish the floors, "maybe" add new appliances,a new doorbell system and paint it. They usually will not replace old electrical wiring,plumbing,etc...They will leave in the old walls...

A gut rehab conversion is more often than not the way to go.

I will DM you a program that may help you.

[Lookout Kid]

Albany Park includes the VERY nice Ravenswood Manor neighborhood and the mostly nice Mayfair neighborhood. But you do have to pay attention to what block you're on. In the heart of Albany Park, I'm more comfortalbe east of Kedzie.

[Damage Control Freak]

Originally Posted by Avengerfire

That is Albany Park (if it is north or on the north side of Irving Park Road) right near the border (Irving Park Road) to the Irving Park neighborhood. If the condo is on Irving Park you sit right on the border.That part of Albany Park is MUCH MUCH better than most others in Albany Park in terms of crime.

Do you think Albany Park is that bad regarding crime at all? Ok, it has Blago, but it has pretty decent areas like Ravenswood manor and I'ver never felt unsafe at the "Seoul drive" part of Lawrence either. Also the surrounding neighborhoods are quite safe too as far as I know.

[Venom]

Originally Posted by Damage Control Freak

Do you think Albany Park is that bad regarding crime at all? Ok, it has Blago, but it has pretty decent areas like Ravenswood manor and I'ver never felt unsafe at the "Seoul drive" part of Lawrence either. Also the surrounding neighborhoods are quite safe too as far as I know.

It's safe. There's always people out.

There is gangs but I doubt they'd bother you.
There is a little bit of crime and vandalism.(Don't know how much compared to other places, but I don't think its that bad.)
There's this site which can give you an idea if you don't already know.

http://chicago.everyblock.com/crime/...s/albany-park/

It's much better then it is bad.
A lot of these "sketchy" places can change from block to block, they're scattered around.

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by Damage Control Freak

Do you think Albany Park is that bad regarding crime at all? Ok, it has Blago, but it has pretty decent areas like Ravenswood manor and I'ver never felt unsafe at the "Seoul drive" part of Lawrence either. Also the surrounding neighborhoods are quite safe too as far as I know.

Yes it can be in many ways. You are confusing neighborhoods within Albany Park the neighborhood with Albany Park the "community area" as a whole. My statement was about Albany Park the neighborhood not all the neighborhoods that are in the Albany Park community area.

[Drover]

I'm with Venom, Albany Park is a block-by-block basis, though none of it is particularly dangerous by urban standards unless you decide to take up with a gang. I looked for apartments there for a while before I ended up in Irving Park (the neighborhood immediately south). There were some apartments where I looked around and said "not a chance" but then only a couple blocks away I was perfectly comfortable. I think the quality of the landlords in and the tenants they attract is a lot more variable in Albany Park than just about any other neighborhood in the city, and hence its "patchwork" feel.

I also think it's a neighborhood that developers have tried to gentrify because of its Brown Line access (though some of it such as Blago's neighborhood, aka Ravenswood Manor, never really de-gentrified in the first place) but they've never been able to achieve the critical mass needed to transform the entire neighborhood. But what they did manage to do was stabilize it. Albany Park got pretty shaky for a while, but it has since been pulled back from the brink, even if it's not pretty from corner to corner.

Also, IIRC Albany Park has one of the best non-magnet high schools in the city. Can't think of the name of it off the top of my head but it has some kind of German-sounding name and sits near Kimball and Sunnyside. EDIT: OK, it's Von Stuben, and it's more like Kimball and Carmen.