How "North Shore" is Evanston?

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by ajolotl

I always took that to characterize a certain type of North Shore resident -- they view Evanston as slumming it.

Funny observation... Evanston does have a couple of slightly slummy areas (I won't call them outright slums), but I doubt this woman lived anywhere near them! And I wonder how long they will hold out with the rampant gentrification in Evanston. Probably longer now with the real estate meltdown...

[edsg25]

Originally Posted by Lookout Kid

Funny observation... Evanston does have a couple of slightly slummy areas (I won't call them outright slums), but I doubt this woman lived anywhere near them! And I wonder how long they will hold out with the rampant gentrification in Evanston. Probably longer now with the real estate meltdown...

Now let's put that gentrification into context. This is 2009. Peripheral real estate is losing its cache. Closer to the core, already desirable in a lifestyle sense, now takes on practical, economic, pure nuts and bolts desirability.

Real estate is about location, location, location and if Evanston had it before in considerable amounts, it is not practically bursting with it. It is not only on the North Shore, smack dab next to Chicago, but its transit infrastructure couldn't be better to get you into the city that will, once again, be the true economic engine of a Chicagoland far less dependent on cars and spread out jobs.

Anyone who looks to the future has to see that betting on Evanston is a fairly sure thing. And the areas to the west side of Evanston in question will unquestionably be debated as a prime site for expansion of CTA service by reopening the old North Shore station on the yellow line at Dodge. Kid is right that the economic melt down puts all this on hold. But it is that very meltdown and the causes that have created with that, when the hold is off, will pump inexpensive property to be developed as its value becomes more and more apparent to the market. Doing so in a socially responsible way will be the real challenge, very much like Chicago's well known struggle to do the very same thing in the Cabrini Green area today.

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by edsg25

Now let's put that gentrification into context. This is 2009. Peripheral real estate is losing its cache. Closer to the core, already desirable in a lifestyle sense, now takes on practical, economic, pure nuts and bolts desirability.

Real estate is about location, location, location and if Evanston had it before in considerable amounts, it is not practically bursting with it. It is not only on the North Shore, smack dab next to Chicago, but its transit infrastructure couldn't be better to get you into the city that will, once again, be the true economic engine of a Chicagoland far less dependent on cars and spread out jobs.

Anyone who looks to the future has to see that betting on Evanston is a fairly sure thing. And the areas to the west side of Evanston in question will unquestionably be debated as a prime site for expansion of CTA service by reopening the old North Shore station on the yellow line at Dodge. Kid is right that the economic melt down puts all this on hold. But it is that very meltdown and the causes that have created with that, when the hold is off, will pump inexpensive property to be developed as its value becomes more and more apparent to the market. Doing so in a socially responsible way will be the real challenge, very much like Chicago's well known struggle to do the very same thing in the Cabrini Green area today.

Oh, I agree that Evanston's long-term prospects are rosy. It's a great town!

[cubssoxfan]

I always took that to characterize a certain type of North Shore resident -- they view Evanston as slumming it.

Nah, my childhood town of Skokie was the "other side of the tracks", the "armpit" of the North Shore
When taking the entire town into account Skokie is the "low-rent" district, even though Evanston has some areas that are "slummier"-by "North Shore standards".
Now when looking through a broader perspective, Skokie is decent to nice.
Ford Heights is truly slumming it.
Oh and back to original question, yes Evanston is definitely part of the North Shore. I define North Shore as any town north of Chicago and having areas east of the Edens and adding Glenview and Northbrook. Others may say east of Waukegan Rd. or even east of Green Bay Rd./Ridge Blvd.

[ajolotl]

I completely resonated with evanston. It was an awesome place to live. Was dead-set on moving there but it was just too far from the things I need to be near.

Originally Posted by Lookout Kid

Oh, I agree that Evanston's long-term prospects are rosy. It's a great town!

[chitown85]

Evanston is a great blend of urban and suburban. Def. one of the top cities in Chicagoland!

[Chicagoland60426]

It's barely North Shore. If I could live in the North Shore suburbs, it would be Evanston.

[US-Traveller]

Evanston is very North Shore and people really should stop pushing the "diversity" characterization because we all know (at least folks that know Evanston) that it is more segregated than the City of Chicago. In Evanston you'll rarely find African-Americans and Hispanics living side by side with Whites and Asians in the affluent areas to the southeast, central, north, and northwest parts of town. Wealthy Evanstonians typically partake in the same activities that wealthy Winnetkans do. Many Evanstonians are members of the Kenilworth Club and golf at Westmoreland, etc. In that sense Evanston does have a connection to those other North Shore communities. You also must not forget that Evanston does have governmental relationships with other North Shore communities. (1/5 of Skokie has Evanston schools, Wilmette and Evanston share Fire Department staff and resources, all of the North Shore communities have a single library network, and I'm sure there are other relationships that I haven't mentioned.) I think if you study Highland Park and Highwood you'll find many similarities with Evanston.

[tully]

Originally Posted by edsg25

Evanston can actually be seen this way, with part being itself and parts sharing traits with three neighboring communities:

Central Evanston, the lakefront and NU: Pure Evanston

North Evanston: very much like Wilmette in the size of homes that grow bigger when one goes up the North Shore from these first two towns

West Evanston: Skokie like in post WWII tract homes, many with little architectural distinction from each other or even having architecture in the first place

South Evanston: two and three flats are an extension of Chicago

Very well said.

South: you could also add row-upon-row of 4-story 1920s brick walkups in the south beach area as an extension of chicago