Southwest Minneapolis Comp

[paytonc]

Originally Posted by 3three3

Paytonc: thanks for the info! I think I must have just been in the wrong part of Logan Square when I visited.

Logan Square isn't perfect -- far from it. Honestly, I'm too young for how quiet it is here (although a few recent outposts of trendiness have emerged, it's not Wicker Park or Williamsburg by any means), and there are blocks with genuine safety concerns. I'll refer to some recent media about the neighborhood:
New Life in the Old Neighborhood
Chicago Reader | Logan Square Issue: History, Politics, Architecture, Restaurants, Bars, Shopping, and more

Next time you're here, stop by Boulevard Bikes and talk to the guys there; most of them live around here. Or, in a very Minneapolis-like move, the community just opened Chicago's only food co-op.

Directly west of UIC, and very convenient if you're at the west/medical campus, is Little Italy/Tri-Taylor. It has great historic houses, doesn't feel very campus-y, and might also be along the lines of what you're looking for.

[Drover]

Originally Posted by marothisu

lol, I wasn't doing the comparison part, but if you choose wisely...you can end up in an apartment (not condo) in the gold coast that is surrounded by housing and trees where you can't actually hear much traffic (which is kind of strange actually). "I want a place EXACTLY like this.." well sometimes there are alternatives that are close but not the exact same. You have to give people options. When I first moved here, I didn't want a place like this, but I am glad I ended up here because someone let me know the option actually was there.

Not only is the Gold Coast not exactly what he's looking for but it's so fundamentally different that it's not even worth bringing up. It's like directing someone who asked about the best place for Friday fish fry to a sushi place because, after all, it's still fish.

[shaman1204]

Sorry to revive an old thread, but the Bucktown neighborhood near Holstein Park would be nice. I have spent some time in the Uptown area of Minneapolis and personally I think this area of Bucktown would be what you're looking for. Lots of trees/greenery, vintage apartments at reasonable rates, there are a few low-key bars around and it is a very dog friendly area. Plus, you are within walking distance to a lot of trendy bars/restaurants that aren't filled with 22 year old kids.

[3three3]

Bringing up my old thread...

...so, everything is official and I'm moving to Chicago this summer (starting August 1st).

Based on the information I had gotten from this thread and a couple personal messages, I had set my mind on Logan Square. But, I've since made a few Chicago connections and I'm getting confused about some details. Some people tell me Logan Square is not safe enough and that I should look at Pilsen. Others tell me Pilsen is worse and to stick with Logan Square. My research on crime statistics have shown that Logan Square is ranked right up with with some of the worst areas around Chicago...which confuses me more. I can't seem to find any consistent opinions.

Everything I find about various neighborhoods that I've considered (Logan Square, Pilsen, Wicker Park) shows that things are safe on a block-by-block basis. I'm not a fan of this whole block-by-block measurement. That doesn't exist in Minneapolis. Here, there are good neighborhoods and bad neighborhoods - with the whole neighborhood either being one or the other. I hate the idea of being on a "good block", or a "good building" and wanting to walk my dog...but being limited to such a small area for fear of crossing into a "bad" area. Maybe that's just the way things are in Chicago, but it seems ridiculous to me.

So...I started considering Oak Park, because it seems to meet my criteria: affordable apartments, safe, green space, bike-friendly, community-oriented. But, the few people I've checked with (including a future professor) tells me it's "quite a trek" to campus (UIC). The CTA website says it's only a 20min ride, which to me is nothing at all. Is the website wrong? Why is everyone hating on Oak Park?

I've read every thread on here that I can possibly find on the city neighborhoods I was considering. I've seen people joke about how you're not "an official Chicagoan until your apartment gets broken into"...and, frankly, I don't care to meet that criteria. I've seen stories about serial rapists in Logan Square, high gang activity in Pilsen, frequent muggings, etc.

I'll be honest with all you strangers: I was attacked, almost 3 years ago, in downtown Minneapolis. The attacker carried me away, unconscious, and used my license and keys to find his(our) way back to my apartment. So, suffice it to say that I am a bit sensitive to these issues and having a strong sense of safety.

I know the message board for Minneapolis is filled with suburban people who speak like they know the city and really don't. I don't know if the Chicago board is the same...but, I'd really appreciate some honest feedback about the realities of city neighborhoods (and Oak Park). Please take into consideration my experience and my hopes for a safe, affordable area with green space and great community.

As always, your insight and help is much appreciated.

[Drover]

Here's the story on Logan Square: half of it is in the late stages of gentrification, while the other half is still gangland. Same goes with Pilsen for that matter. The general advice in Logan Square is stay east of Kedzie -- and I would add stay south of Diversey.

The ride from Oak Park to UIC will be a snap if you use the Blue Line; less of a snap if you use the Green Line but still manageable. The nicer part of Oak Park is up by the Green Line.

[stephei2000]

I agree the OP. I really think you will like Oak Park. The greenery is what attracted me to area and not the city. I always felt like Oak Park was a little Minneapolis with more accepting of interracial couples and progressiveness. However, I think Lakeview neighborhood in the city would be closest resemblance to Uptown specifically. Also, the green line is actually a little easier to get to UIC because all you would have to do is transfer to the Pink Line and you are directly there. As of the blue line you have to walk up through Rush Medical Center, and the time to walk the blue line platform and walk though Rush is about the same time to transfer to the Pink line from the Green Line. I use to work at UIC and I took this route all the time. I know this might be confusing. I really think you would like living around Oak Park Ave between Washington and Lake street. Let me know if you have any questions and you can pm me.

[paytonc]

Lakeview strikes me as a lot busier and trendier than Uptown Minneapolis. Uptown was a streetcar suburb once (hence the "Suburban World" theater), and to get that vibe in Chicago you need to head pretty far out.

Oak Park sometimes feels like UIC's long-lost college town -- plenty of faculty family and grad students live there, and its progressive politics certainly remind me of Minnesota. It is quiet, partially owing to a near-total lack of booze. (Some of the old blue laws remain, reminders that the town bored young Hemingway to tears.) For a good time, you cross the line west to Forest Park. North OP (by the Green Line) has more apartments and shops than south OP (by the Blue Line), which is pretty solidly detached houses.

I'd personally get sick of the train ride in every day, but it is fast and pretty frequent, and closer to UIC than the north side. If being around hotspots matters less than seeing the stars at night, then it'll work.

Originally Posted by stephei2000

Also, the green line is actually a little easier to get to UIC

Um, not for most of UIC. The Blue Line goes through south O.P. and stops right at the doorstep of the main/east/Circle campus, as well as in front of the Medical Center but yes, a few blocks from the UIC hospitals/med school/west campus. The Pink Line goes closer to the UIC hospitals, but it's not a good way to get to the main campus.