Any info on the Austin neighborhood? (Chicago, Cicero: apartments, renting, high crime)

[mikemoses]

I may be moving to the neighborhood known as Austin in the near future. Near the corner of Potomac and N. Massasoit Ave. Any info would be much appreciated!

Thanks
Mo

[oakparkdude]

Although there are some stable pockets in Austin, the majority of the neighborhood is poverty-stricken and crime-ridden. Lots of drug dealing going on, murders are not infrequent. Unless I had a very good reason to live in the neighborhood, I'd live elsewhere.

If you insist in living in the neighborhood, check out the areas around the Lake street el near Oak Park (Lake and Austin) as well as the surrounding blocks. This area is part of the Austin historical district with better maintained property as well as some new construction. Austin is gentrifying slowly, but its got a ways to go.

[Drover]

Stay away.

I know an acquaintance who lives there. He lives five blocks from the L that he takes to work. His wife drives him the five blocks to the station because the walk is that risky.

[mikemoses]

I did a quick drive through this neighborhood when in Chicago for a very short visit a couple of months ago. The homes seemed nice and well kept and I did NOT see any signs of crime, although a few blocks away were quite different.

[oakparkdude]

I'm curious why you are choosing this neighborhood? Are you renting or buying?

I live about half a mile away in Oak Park. Yesterday, on the way home from work, I drove through the neighborhood out of curiosity. Most of the residential buildings do look okay (not immaculate, but not terribly run down). Its definitely not a freefire zone, and I've seen worse in the Chicago area. That being said, there are reports constantly in our local crime blotters about people being mugged walking on Austin boulevard. "Drug markets" are constantly being raided in the Austin neighborhood. Eastern Oak Park suffers from property crime due to Austinites coming across Austin Blvd to find valuables to steal.

Did you notice the "blue light specials" on North Ave and Division St? These are police cameras placed in high crime neighborhoods (they can zoom in on the sound of gunfire).

You might also want to check out (http://www. chicagocrime.org). Its a graphical representation of police reports. You can zoom in on your neighborhood of interest. So far this year, there have been 5 homicides within 1 mile of your intersection.

You may still want to live in this neighborhood. I'm sure there are many honest, good people who live there. Prices are probably low, and there is the possibility of gentrification. You just need to make sure you know what you're getting into.

[BRU67]

Galewood is also in Austin folks. That's a good area. I seriously considered it when I was looking for a house a few years ago.

Of course, Galewood is a tiny isolated part of what is indeed a crime ridden and troubled area. It'll gentrify at some point and all of us will eat our words but that's probably about 20-25 years from now.

[mikemoses]

If I move to this neighborhood I will be working & living in the same location. Just looking for some advise, the place I will be at is very near the old St. Angelas Catholic Church, which now seems closed. Thanks for your replies!!

Mo

[MarquettePark]

The Lake Street Corridor, Austin Neighborhood, The Home of the most famous Pimp in America, and personal instructor to Snoop Dog, Under no circumstances would I even go near that hood, and Im a Cable Guy, who spends most of my workday in Southside projects, The Austin hood, is world famous for pain, suffering, and death even gang members from St Louis dont go there.

I highly recommend you dont live in that area, esp if your married, have kids, or White

Sorry to be so blunt, but I make my living, going to every hood, burb, and village in Chicago, and I never go there

WOW

[curtsylocke]

Marquette Park is hysterical. You might want to check out the southwest corner of Austin locally known as the "Austin Island" which is underneath the Eisenhower Expressway and lies along Cicero and Oak Park. Also take a drive down Adams between Austin Boulevard and Parkside (along the north side of Columbus Park.) As suggested, also check out the Galewood section (northern Austin) and Midway Park.

[tricia2466]

I live in the austin neighborhood on washington and pine. my husband and 4 children have lived there for 11 years and I have seen some improvement. We own a 2 unit building and have had the same tenant for 5 years (which is pretty good). On our corner there are "blue light specials" I don't know if they have dettered crime or not b/c there was a shooting on that very same corner a week ago. There are new buildings being build and homes that are being rehabbed. I would suggest to you to drive by the area you are interested in living day and night (especially night, on a warm night) and check out the noise level, children out w/o parents and drug activity. There is plenty of noise on my block b/c of the apartments that are across the street. My husband and I are in the process of buying a house in the west lawn area b/c of the ongoing gang activity, police slow to response and drug sells.