Oakland (the chicago neighborhood) (Oakwood, Woodlawn: condos, homes, neighborhoods)

[ChiMack]

that area is north of kenwood and i remember reading about it once in the paper and it said it was a struggling community, has it changed i would think sosince its right by kenwood

[ajolotl]

Yes, it has changed a lot, and it will keep improving in my opinion. UofC police patrol was extended north to 39th street. There is also the new lakefront park under construction, tons of rehabs, new condos, entire new community developments just across LSD. Most of the visible drug dealing of the 70s-90s is long gone. It's still rough around the edges (at least) and a bit pioneering, but it's not longer a secret and I think it's future is very good. Being on the lake and a few miles from the Loop is just too good a location.

Originally Posted by ChiMack

that area is north of kenwood and i remember reading about it once in the paper and it said it was a struggling community, has it changed i would think sosince its right by kenwood

[Lookout Kid]

I remember a local article a few years back touting "Oakland-Kenwood" as the new up-and-coming neighborhood (as though this were one neighborhood) Does anyone else have any memory of such an article?

[ajolotl]

Not a local one, but a few years back the NYT did a story on the rapid gentrification of the neighborhood. I recall that they focused in part on how unusual it was that an upscale supermarket opened on 47th near Woodlawn. Of course since then it went out of business.

This might be the one I was thinking of (though I had sworn it was 2003 or so):

A Suburbiascape Grows In Inner-City Chicago - New York Times

Originally Posted by Lookout Kid

I remember a local article a few years back touting "Oakland-Kenwood" as the new up-and-coming neighborhood (as though this were one neighborhood) Does anyone else have any memory of such an article?

[JanuaryGirl]

Originally Posted by Lookout Kid

I remember a local article a few years back touting "Oakland-Kenwood" as the new up-and-coming neighborhood (as though this were one neighborhood) Does anyone else have any memory of such an article?

I remember that. The article I'm thinking of was probably in the Trib and featured profiles of people that had bought in those neighborhoods in the 80s-90s, roughed it out through the bad times, and were renovating their delapidated old homes and building huge equity.

[Manigault]

Oakland has a lot of new construction since it used to have a lot of vacant lots. 47th street between Lake Park and Woodlawn used to be bars, beauty parlors, a funeral parlor and a driveup liquor store. Now it looks much better.

The neighborhood has improved vastly since they dynamited the projects there in '98 (a move Obama supported). Now the new places are quite expensive and the folks that held on are having to upgrade and renovate their residences. The neighborhood is almost totally residential and depends on HP-K for stores and transportation.

[ChiMack]

is it a predominately african american community?

[ajolotl]

From everything I can gather new people moving in are about 50/50 black/white. It's not cheap so these are mostly professionals with some new affordable housing mixed in. Almost all of long-time residents are black, but I do know a few professors who have lived near King high school for a long time.

Originally Posted by ChiMack

is it a predominately african american community?

[mel2000]

The Oakwood neighborhood is quite nice for those used to southside ways and culture. But it is still too rough to be ready for move-ins by northsiders.

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by mel2000

The Oakwood neighborhood is quite nice for those used to southside ways and culture. But it is still too rough to be ready for move-ins by northsiders.

That was a pretty honest post.