Neighborhood of 18th and Michigan Ave (Chicago, Bridgeport: real estate, apartments, condos)

[john_t_chitown]

Hi,

I am interested in place on 18th st and Michigan avenue, the areas looks nice with a lot of new condo high rises.

However there are some big old building on 20th steet and Michigan and 21st street and Michigan that brought my attention. Anyone knows what those buildings are, looking from outside it looks like public houses.

Anyone knows what those building are? How safe is the area?

Thanks,
John chitown

[mycrows]

Originally Posted by john_t_chitown

Hi,

I am interested in place on 18th st and Michigan avenue, the areas looks nice with a lot of new condo high rises.

However there are some big old building on 20th steet and Michigan and 21st street and Michigan that brought my attention. Anyone knows what those buildings are, looking from outside it looks like public houses.

Anyone knows what those building are? How safe is the area?

Thanks,
John chitown

Don't know what buildings you might be talking about but I believe the nearest public housing is the Harold Ickes homes at State and 23rd, and then more at State and 28th (if those are still occupied).

The area is fairly safe but it gets very desolate at night.

[hank0604]

I'm not sure I would live there. The apartments/condos are beautiful, but the area is just very remote: not easily accessible by public transportation, so there just isn't a lot of activity in the area.

[eehtaht]

You may be referring to Prairie Shores.The same management owns Lake Meadows on 33rd/King Drive area.Neither are not public housing.Just very outdated residential buildings.

[eehtaht]

I would recommend asking anyone walking down the street who happens to live in the area.They would no more than anyone about the safety stats.

[eehtaht]

Actually Prairie Shores is on King Drive too,just farther North.Next time I'll do my research before I open my big mouth.An older brother lived on 15th/Michigan a few years ago.He's into real estate.He knows you can two different hoods with the same zipcode.A little farther South was the infamous nightclub E2(called the Clique in my heyday)

[john_t_chitown]

I am actually refering to the building on 20th and Michigan and seems to be 2101 S Michigan. I remember the 20th building is called long grove house.(When I drove by I saw a sign)

Maybe those are old buildings but since most residential buildings around are so new, those 2 looks odd in that neighborhood.

[Irishtom29]

Originally Posted by hank0604

The apartments/condos are beautiful, but the area is just very remote: not easily accessible by public transportation, so there just isn't a lot of activity in the area.

Remote from what? You jump on the Michigan Ave bus or the Red line and you're downtown in no time. When I buy books I jump on the #3 or #4, ride it to Randolph then walk over to the Borders at State and Randolph. I ride the Red Line home to Roosevelt and State. The Roosevelt Rd. bus runs up Michigan down there and will take you west to Whole Foods, Manny's, UIC, Taylor St. and the Medical Center.

No doubt that south of 18th St. the neighborhood is slower than farther north, I seldom wander south of 18th (I live at 14th and Michigan). But it seems fine to me. There's a nice cafe at 18th and Indiana with outdoor seating, my wife and I stop for a latte there (yes, gruff old boilermakers drink lattes ) after our bike rides along the lake, which is very near and easily reached by a ramp over the tracks and tunnel under the Drive at 18th St. Sometimes at night I go a nice tavern at 16th and Michigan called the Weather Mark.

Another thing the neighborhood is close to Chinatown and the "regular guy" neighborhoods of Bridgeport and McKinley Park with Dominicks and Jewels that are larger, have a better selection and are CHEAPER than the ones closer to the Loop on Roosevelt. Not to mention Healthy Foods, the Mexico Steak House, Schaller's and Sox Park. South Loop is a good neighborhood in which to enjoy both new and old school Chicago.

[Manigault]

I guess a person could ask the mayor about the area since he lives very close to there.

[hank0604]

At 14th, you're a lot closer to Roosevelt than the OP would be at 18th. And there is a huge gap in train service to the area: the green line has a stop at Roosevelt, then not another one until 35th. At the intersection of 18th and Michigan, you're at least 6-7 blocks from a train stop. Sure, the area is well covered by buses, but I wouldn't want to have to catch a bus to the el every morning to get to work.

Of course, I could just be spoiled because of where I am now, just a block from the Damen stop. I hate my apartment and want to move so badly, but I don't want to give it up just for it's proximity to the train.