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Old 07-03-2009, 07:32 AM
 
Location: Chicago: Beverly, Woodlawn
1,966 posts, read 6,044,922 times
Reputation: 705

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Quote:
Originally Posted by Chicagoland60426 View Post
All you have to do is look on google streetview map. The boundaries are clear. Midway separate Hyde Park from Woodlawn on 59th. Woodlawn really starts at 60th

I don't need Google to see the Midway -- it is one block from my condo where I am currently sitting.
The UC Law School, two undergraduate dormitories, the SSA building, NORC, New Graduate Resdidence Hall, the Toyota Institute -- I never heard of these being referred to as being in Woodlawn. Seems strange to me. The neighborhood really changes dramatically in look and feel at 61st. Doesn't mean that Woodlawn doesn't officially start at 60th, but it's not a natural boundary.
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Old 07-03-2009, 10:48 AM
 
968 posts, read 2,649,423 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ajolotl View Post
I don't need Google to see the Midway -- it is one block from my condo where I am currently sitting.
The UC Law School, two undergraduate dormitories, the SSA building, NORC, New Graduate Resdidence Hall, the Toyota Institute -- I never heard of these being referred to as being in Woodlawn. Seems strange to me. The neighborhood really changes dramatically in look and feel at 61st. Doesn't mean that Woodlawn doesn't officially start at 60th, but it's not a natural boundary.
South Campus was designed to be a boundary of sorts , w/ the orignal line of demarcation being 61st Street . This is why some streets that originally went through 60th were terminated. it's a different era now, but during the late 60's thru the 80's, The University was not seen as a welcome presence in Woodlawn ( thank Leon Finney and The Woodlawn Organization) . It would have been unthinkable to propose U of C police patrols south of 61st ( where the last 'white phone' was located) during that era . So, a line of demarcation was institutionalized.
In fact, as entering students, it was grilled into us that south of 61st was NOT a place to ever venture without risk of being beat up or robbed ( which did happen..not just a 'boogey-man' thing) . As an example, the Jackson Park EL ran all the way to Stoney, and had a stop at 63rd and Kimbark. This stop was well within walking distance of campus, but it was stressed that the 55th street stop and the 55th street bus was the route one was to take if using the CTA..
Looks like times have changed for the better, but the physical remains of past problems are still around ..
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Old 07-03-2009, 11:23 AM
 
8,438 posts, read 12,113,860 times
Reputation: 4882
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chicagoland60426 View Post
All you have to do is look on google streetview map. The boundaries are clear. Midway separate Hyde Park from Woodlawn on 59th. Woodlawn really starts at 60th

There's campus buildings, the law school, the art center two or three dorms and the coal plant south of the midway (and south of 60th street), yet they are all part of the university. Its not a big deal but 60th street is not the dividing line. If you ask anyone who has lived on 60th street, they will certainly tell you that Woodlawn begins at 61st street.
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Old 07-03-2009, 11:46 AM
 
Location: West Columbia, SC
393 posts, read 1,211,169 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Manigault View Post
There's campus buildings, the law school, the art center two or three dorms and the coal plant south of the midway (and south of 60th street), yet they are all part of the university. Its not a big deal but 60th street is not the dividing line. If you ask anyone who has lived on 60th street, they will certainly tell you that Woodlawn begins at 61st street.
I have two friends who lived on 61st, one as a native and one as a UofC employee, and they always said they lived in Woodlawn.
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Old 07-03-2009, 12:58 PM
 
Location: Chicago
2,884 posts, read 4,953,783 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Chicagoland60426 View Post
All you have to do is look on google streetview map. The boundaries are clear. Midway separate Hyde Park from Woodlawn on 59th. Woodlawn really starts at 60th

Have you ever spent any time in Hyde Park? Manigault, ajolotl and snoylekim are right. I lived in Burton -Judson Court right on 60th for 2 yrs and worked at the Law Library for a year after I graduated in the early '80's. 60th Street is part of U of C and thus rightfully, Hyde Park. The Midway does seems from a satellite view to be a natural barrier, and in the winter a cold and windy one, but it's not the real dividing line. As snoylekim wrote, it was pounded into our heads back then that we should not set foot south of 60th. (Snoylekim, did we overlap on campus?) I knew where every white phone was along my normal routes walking back to the dorm. I remember one night walking home by myself and a young african american man came up behind me concerned that I might be walking to Woodlawn who offered to escort me to my destination.

To get back to the OP, if you are looking for a more "neighborhood" environment, I would suggest HP over the South Loop. I think it's more what you are looking for. If you're not going to be working in the Loop, but someplace farther north. I would probably reconsider and look at north side neighborhoods. I lived in Ravenswood and Lincoln Square in the '90's and loved them. There's even more to love there now. I really don't think you would have an issue there, they may not be quite as diverse as HP, but they're definitely not totally white bread, either.
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Old 07-03-2009, 01:09 PM
 
Location: West Columbia, SC
393 posts, read 1,211,169 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by knitgirl View Post
Have you ever spent any time in Hyde Park? Manigault, ajolotl and snoylekim are right. I lived in Burton -Judson Court right on 60th for 2 yrs and worked at the Law Library for a year after I graduated in the early '80's. 60th Street is part of U of C and thus rightfully, Hyde Park. The Midway does seems from a satellite view to be a natural barrier, and in the winter a cold and windy one, but it's not the real dividing line. As snoylekim wrote, it was pounded into our heads back then that we should not set foot south of 60th. (Snoylekim, did we overlap on campus?) I knew where every white phone was along my normal routes walking back to the dorm. I remember one night walking home by myself and a young african american man came up behind me concerned that I might be walking to Woodlawn who offered to escort me to my destination.
I was born and raised in Hyde Park, and 60th Street is the boundary. This is backed up by EVERY OFFICIAL SOURCE OUT THERE.

http://www.city-data.com/neighborhoo...hicago-IL.html <--even City-data.com

http://egov.cityofchicago.org/webpor...s_WOODLAWN.pdf

http://books.google.com/books?id=vmc...+of+Chicago%22 <-explains some of the story of the UofC's expansion into Woodlawn.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodlawn,_Chicago <--not official

Last edited by Intergalactic; 07-03-2009 at 01:28 PM..
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Old 07-03-2009, 01:21 PM
 
Location: Chicago: Beverly, Woodlawn
1,966 posts, read 6,044,922 times
Reputation: 705
I can accept that. Assuming that 60th is the official boundary it is just another example of the meaninglessness of the community areas. Morgan Park and Kenwood are two other good examples. The official boundaries cut very similar areas socio-economically into pieces that have nothing to do with each other.
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Old 07-03-2009, 01:23 PM
 
Location: Chicago: Beverly, Woodlawn
1,966 posts, read 6,044,922 times
Reputation: 705
You must remember in the early 80s that the locals would only let you to the north side of 61st. Thus we though of everything north of 61st as the same neighborhood.
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Old 07-03-2009, 01:31 PM
 
Location: West Columbia, SC
393 posts, read 1,211,169 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ajolotl View Post
You must remember in the early 80s that the locals would only let you to the north side of 61st. Thus we though of everything north of 61st as the same neighborhood.
I'm a local from the 70s, 80s, 90s and 00s, and I say that it's 60th. 60th. 60th. 60th. I challenge you to find one reliable source, newspaper, book, or anything that says otherwise.
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Old 07-03-2009, 01:34 PM
 
Location: Chicago: Beverly, Woodlawn
1,966 posts, read 6,044,922 times
Reputation: 705
Quote:
Originally Posted by Intergalactic View Post
I'm a local from the 70s, 80s, 90s and 00s, and I say that it's 60th. 60th. 60th. 60th. I challenge you to find one reliable source, newspaper, book, or anything that says otherwise.
Did you even read what I wrote?
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