Is ASHLAND/DIVISION/MILWAUKE still considered WICKERPARK, how is living here, safe? (Chicago: apartment, rent)

[Lookout Kid]

Just be careful. Take cabs after dark when the streets are more quiet. Don't go off the beaten path after dark. Dont' walk around talking on your cell phone or texting people.

Would a young 20-something woman who goes out at night be safer in a doorman highrise in East Lakeview? Yes. But the area you are looking is not terrible, and has many young, professional women living around it. And that area has tremendous potential to get better, IMO. Not that you're likely to stay there five or ten years to see it happen...

[via chicago]

Originally Posted by Lookout Kid

It's definitely getting better. The stretch of Milwaukee Avenue just northwest of there still has a bunch of abandoned storefronts with cool vintage signs. It's almost frozen in time, and I don' know why the Wicker Park retail can't sweep further south.

I LOVE that gritty stretch; its got so much character and really is a time warp. The signage is incredible. Kind of fun trying to count all the furniture stores too (seriously, how have they all not cannibalized each other yet?) Im glad it hasnt been swept over. Unfortunately I dont think many of those places are long for this world.

[5Lakes]

Originally Posted by sarahchicagoapt1

5 lakes- thanks for your advice, i think it sounds like the division stop is really not too bad comapred to many others in chicago, you just need to use some street smarts. when you lived on cleaver, compared to your residents now, were you ever afraid of crime while parking your car at night or walking home from teh blue line? did you move becuase of the safety concern at the cleaver location. I am interested b/c i think the apt we applied for is located right where you use to live.

That stretch looks grittier than say Wicker Park proper or Lakeview, but I doubt it’s considerably more dangerous at this point. I agree with what Lookout Kid said above about the situation - use common sense. I don't know how familiar you are with that area, but Division Street to the west has exploded over the last 5 years as a trendy hangout spot. It’s probably the best street in the city for sidewalk patios in the summer. Cleaver Street is a bit removed from that action, but it has also improved during that time because it's close to Wicker Park and that Blue Line stop. If you look around you will notice several newer condo buildings around the surrounding streets north of Division, as well as a giant Mercedes dealership a few blocks north.

I did not move because of safety reasons, nor did I feel a threatening presence on that street. Then again I'm a 6'4" male. Things can feel sketchy south of Division along Milwaukee, but I never noticed those elements north of those public housing buildings. When I lived there about half of my building was single females in their 20's. Although, that park was kind of annoying in the summer because of noise and loitering. Not in threatening way, but I still would not want to live right across from it due to constant noise from the kids who come to use the park pool.

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by via chicago

I LOVE that gritty stretch; its got so much character and really is a time warp. The signage is incredible. Kind of fun trying to count all the furniture stores too (seriously, how have they all not cannibalized each other yet?) Im glad it hasnt been swept over. Unfortunately I dont think many of those places are long for this world.

Yes, it definitely looks cool. The lights still work on many of the signs (or at least they did in 2005 when I lived in the area). I remember watching a rap video get filmed there. That cracked me up.

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by 5Lakes

It’s probably the best street in the city for sidewalk patios in the summer.

Very true. Division Street was blessed with some very wide sidewalks. It's unusual to see such a large area given over to pedestrians in this city.

[latikeriii]

To clarify, The Noble Square Co-op is NOT Public Housing. The high rise has 1 and 2 BD units and the red buildings are townhomes with mostly 3 BD units. Some have yards, others have huge terraces. Check out the website, deposits just to move in are very high, unless the deposits are being subsidized, then I would assume that it houses mostly lower-middle class residents. Yes, its predominately African American and has been since it was built in 68 but has never been very dangerous. I actually grew up there and have family that still lives there. I moved in the late 80s but it was nice for a long time until mismanagement, tenant screening declined, and former Cabrini residents started moving in during the late 80s. There were some scary fires there though, I think the fall after I moved(89), there was a huge fire there that made national news. Now, it has been improving since the early 2000s.

The Division stop definitely has some shady characters but it isn't primarily because of Noble Square. The area could seem desolate at night but I would rate it along with Bucktown, Lakeview, etc in terms of safety. Of course, don't have a false sense of security because anything and happen anywhere. I remember those storefronts on Milwaukee being filled with wig stores, shoe stores, banks, a Long John Silvers, and mostly crappy predcessors to dollar stores. It has potential, maybe Wicker Park and Bucktown will spill down there. That Jewel is crowded and quite expensive though.

Anyways, things are getting better and last summer, I hung out in my Aunt's yard and saw quite a few young whites walking past Noble Square comfortably. It isn't bad in Noble Square and Clever street has improved. Clever Street was a big Latin King area in the 80s. I went to school right down the street at St. Stanislaus. To conclude, there are shady characters in the area so just like in all city neighborhoods, so use common sense at all times and you'll be OK. Not the liviest area but you're right between Bucktown, Wicker Park, and West Division(that area has come a looong way too). You can take the 70 Division bus down to Clark if you want to party over that way too.

Good Luck

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by latikeriii

To clarify, The Noble Square Co-op is NOT Public Housing.

Yeah, there are subsidized Co-ops like this all over the city--including at least two in East Lake View. They usually get HUD grants and have an ownership component, but they typically limit the equity and sales prices that "members" can get when they leave.

I'm not sure what the structure of ownership is for the low-rise housing along Milwaukee is, but they are not public housing either. But there definitely seems to be some sort of subsidy involved, and the residents appear to be primarily African-American.

[latikeriii]

Originally Posted by Lookout Kid

Yeah, there are subsidized Co-ops like this all over the city--including at least two in East Lake View. They usually get HUD grants and have an ownership component, but they typically limit the equity and sales prices that "members" can get when they leave.

I'm not sure what the structure of ownership is for the low-rise housing along Milwaukee is, but they are not public housing either. But there definitely seems to be some sort of subsidy involved, and the residents appear to be primarily African-American.

The original loan granted to Noble Square was subsidized, basically a below-market interest rate which was popular during the dreaded Urban Renewal Days. A lot of old housing with primarily Polish residents were torn down to build Noble Square. It is possible that they accept Section 8 vouchers these days, i'll need to ask my aunt because she used to complain about the new residents. The high rise and low-rises are the same development but the low-rises are 3 BD units. Noble Square Coop . Membership fees go up to $7,500 so I doubt that many could afford that unless there is some subsidy program paying those fees. Ugly architecture as most Urban Renewal housing was built. The residents are very nervous there of being "bought-out" and replaced but since a HUD loan is involved then I doubt if it'd happen in the near future. I wonder if management has improved since I moved from there.

[jwaiter]

I live right across the street from the Noble Square Coops and I almost never feel, for lack of a better word, *unsafe* walking around there. But the OP is a 24 yo female, and I'm well, I'm older and male.

But, yea, they aren't bad.

[paytonc]

Hmm, I know someone who's moving out from Division/Cleaver... maybe it's the same apartment. It's across Cleaver from a fancy private school (http://www.nnms.org/generalinformation/tuitionschedule.php - broken link) and across Division from Holy Trinity church. The intersection itself is pretty dirty, but I've stood out there at all hours and find the pigeons/homeless people completely harmless.

Originally Posted by Lookout Kid

The stretch of Milwaukee Avenue just northwest of there still has a bunch of abandoned storefronts with cool vintage signs. It's almost frozen in time, and I don' know why the Wicker Park retail can't sweep further south.

Oh, it's coming. Been to the new Filter?

PS: there's no need to double-post, much less triple-post.