The "don't go north of Irving Rule" (Chicago: apartments, neighborhoods)

[Irishtom29]

Originally Posted by JBVirtuoso

Much of the bungalow belt is nice, but those areas sort of defeat the purpose of moving to Chicago in the first place.

Not everyone is looking for a youth ghetto lifestyle. Some people live in Chicago because they work here and they want a nice, quiet "old neighborhood" kind of life. There have been millions of such people.

[MannheimMadman]

Originally Posted by Avengerfire

Irving Park is the main border between the two neighborhoods.

Perhaps it was at one point, but I do believe Irving Park is encroaching. South of Montrose, you'll see the Irving Park community banners on the light post. Someone relatively important had to think that Montrose was the divy line.

[Drover]

Montrose is the dividing line between the official communities. For a while the "unofficial" neighborhood border was Irving Park, though I agree the perception of the "unofficial" border is aligning with the official community border as the Irving Park neighborhood gradually makes a name for itself.

[MannheimMadman]

Originally Posted by Drover

Montrose is the dividing line between the official communities. For a while the "unofficial" neighborhood border was Irving Park, though I agree the perception of the "unofficial" border is aligning with the official community border as the Irving Park neighborhood gradually makes a name for itself.

FWIW, the Irving Park house walk was today. Have you ever been to one Drover? There are some SERIOUSLY beautiful houses in Old Irving.

[LittleMartha]

Originally Posted by Irishtom29

Not everyone is looking for a youth ghetto lifestyle. Some people live in Chicago because they work here and they want a nice, quiet "old neighborhood" kind of life. There have been millions of such people.

Thank you. Tried to rep you, but I have to spread the love around.

The "Move to the suburbs" line is ridiculous. One can enjoy all of the amenities Chicago has to offer without living in the midst of the "action" (Lakeview, Wicker Park, et al.). I'm so tired of the insinuation that someone is "less" of a Chicagoan if he/she chooses to live in a more residential neighborhood.

[Tex?Il?]

Originally Posted by JBVirtuoso

As a transplant to the city, I will say that rules like this make a lot of sense, even if they're a bit uninformed and sometimes ridiculous. It's understandable to want to live in an urban and fun yet safe neighborhood. Much of the bungalow belt is nice, but those areas sort of defeat the purpose of moving to Chicago in the first place. A comparable lifestyle can be found for less money in the suburbs or in other Midwestern cities.

Very good point. There have been other threads on this, but you are right. If one is to live in a bungalow belt neighborhood on the far NW or SW side, then you might as well consider a similar lifestyle in Milwaukee or St. Louis. Chicagos bungalow belt generally stills feels a little more international than the aforementioned cities, but other than that, it feels similar.

[JBVirtuoso]

Just to be clear, I don't have anything against the bungalow belt. I might even live there someday when my priorities change. I also like the craftsmanship of those houses. And the bungalow belt does offer some advantages over living in a suburb, such as access to the CTA and proximity to the Loop job node. I don't want to start splitting hairs or get too off topic, but I did want to clear that up.

I also sort of unfairly stereotyped the typical transplant as a young person who is looking for an active and busy city lifestyle. I realize that these aren't the only people who move to Chicago. My main point is that rules like "don't go north of Irving" are understandable for people who want the hustle and bustle. More residential areas do provide a great quality of life, but they're not for everyone, just as the hustle and bustle isn't for everyone either.

[chitown85]

Compared to the middle of Nebraska or Arkansas, north of Irving is still hustle and bustle.

[Irishtom29]

Originally Posted by KardoulaMou

I'm so tired of the insinuation that someone is "less" of a Chicagoan if he/she chooses to live in a more residential neighborhood.

Yeah, especially as many people in residential neighborhoods have roots in the city that go back several generations; then you gotta listen to some rube from Iowa trying to tell you what's what.

Now I understand that cities change and that everybody came here from somewhere at one time or another. But when hayshakers come here (Chicago) and then get all snotty it bugs me. Hell, I betcha they never even played fast pitchin'.

[mas23]

Originally Posted by KardoulaMou

Thank you. Tried to rep you, but I have to spread the love around.

The "Move to the suburbs" line is ridiculous. One can enjoy all of the amenities Chicago has to offer without living in the midst of the "action" (Lakeview, Wicker Park, et al.). I'm so tired of the insinuation that someone is "less" of a Chicagoan if he/she chooses to live in a more residential neighborhood.

Ha! Now thats funny cause i know plenty of people who think the opposite lol
mas23