How's Tri-Taylor area by Western and Roosevelt? (Chicago, Lincoln: section 8, for sale)

[ninjamyst]

We are looking to buy a single family home in Chicago in a safe and growing neighborhood. We been looking at neighborhoods close to 90/94 between Belmont and downtown (Wicker Park, Logan Square, Lincoln Park, etc). There are not a lot of options for under $500k. We expanded our search a little and saw some new developments in Tri-Taylor area by Western and Roosevelt. How's that area in terms of crime rate / demographics / potential growth in resale value? Will it become the next Lincoln Park in the future?

[chet everett]

There is ZERO chance of this being the "next Lincoln Park" and frankly anybody that has spent more than a minute on either Roosevelt or Western ought to be able to tell that neither street will ever foster the kinds of developments that even Humboldt Park has seen...

Crime is certainly part of the factors, but overall land uses are just not comparable. Lincoln Park never had the kinds of blocks of wasteland that Roosevelt does, nor were any of the N-S thoroughfares in Lincoln Park (like Halsted...) EVER the sort of sketchy 'commercial corridors' that Western is...

Tri-Taylor, even in its most desirable, will never have Lincoln Park Zoo nor access to the Lakefront...

I suppose there are worse areas but if you don't have realistic reference points you can wind up really overpaying ...

[ToriaT]

If I were to move in that area I would pick something further east near UIC, the taylor street area known as University village.

[mt90945557]

If you move to Tri Taylor, move closer to the Illinois Medical District.

[BRU67]

Originally Posted by ninjamyst

We are looking to buy a single family home in Chicago in a safe and growing neighborhood. We been looking at neighborhoods close to 90/94 between Belmont and downtown (Wicker Park, Logan Square, Lincoln Park, etc). There are not a lot of options for under $500k. We expanded our search a little and saw some new developments in Tri-Taylor area by Western and Roosevelt. How's that area in terms of crime rate / demographics / potential growth in resale value? Will it become the next Lincoln Park in the future?

No, it will not become the next Lincoln Park, though if you want to come here and spend 1/2 million on a house, go for it! Generally, it's a cool place to live. It is very diverse, in terms of incomes and ethnicity. I think it's known as the most diverse neighborhood in Chicago. So if you're expecting Lincoln Park, you're going to be in for a huge culture shock.

Positives are it's very affordable for as close as you are to the Loop and public transit. The housing stock is cool (reminds me a lot of Brooklyn) but watch out for small rooms! Minuses is there is a lot of trash, cell phone reception is awful, the schools aren't very good, and there aren't a lot of things to do right in the neighborhood beyond Rick's Bar and Damenzo's Pizza. But then again, you're only about a mile from all the restaurants and bars on Taylor St. in Little Italy.

Crime hasn't been a concern for me and I think it's pretty safe for a Chicago neighborhood, though it can get dicey west of Western per the CPD crime maps. You can still see the effects of the 1968 riots west of Western in the form of vacant lots. But that area is starting to clean up a bit, and I see students frequently walking west of Western now. I don't think you would have seen that even 5 years ago.

[BRU67]

Originally Posted by mt90945557

If you move to Tri Taylor, move closer to the Illinois Medical District.

Good advice but Tri-Taylor is pretty small geographically and you don't see a lot of rentals or properties for sale. I live one block from Western and I have no issues, beyond trash of course. I wouldn't per se shy away from the south or western parts of the neighborhood.

[BRU67]

Originally Posted by ToriaT

If I were to move in that area I would pick something further east near UIC, the taylor street area known as University village.

Rents and housing prices skyrocket once you get east of Ashland. Truthfully, I don't know what this OP's budget would buy there unless he wants a condo or a townhome. The price difference between Tri-Taylor and Little Italy is pretty drastic. $400k in Tri-Taylor actually buys a decent SFH. That would probably get you a two bedroom condo in the heart of Little Italy.

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by BRU67

I think it's known as the most diverse neighborhood in Chicago.

Nope, but it's not un-diverse. The most diverse areas are, for the most part, in the far north part of town in areas like West Ridge and Albany Park, but this area probably ranks up there too.

[chet everett]

Originally Posted by BRU67

No, it will not become the next Lincoln Park, though if you want to come here and spend 1/2 million on a house, go for it! Generally, it's a cool place to live. It is very diverse, in terms of incomes and ethnicity. I think it's known as the most diverse neighborhood in Chicago. So if you're expecting Lincoln Park, you're going to be in for a huge culture shock.

Positives are it's very affordable for as close as you are to the Loop and public transit. The housing stock is cool (reminds me a lot of Brooklyn) but watch out for small rooms! Minuses is there is a lot of trash, cell phone reception is awful, the schools aren't very good, and there aren't a lot of things to do right in the neighborhood beyond Rick's Bar and Damenzo's Pizza. But then again, you're only about a mile from all the restaurants and bars on Taylor St. in Little Italy.

Crime hasn't been a concern for me and I think it's pretty safe for a Chicago neighborhood, though it can get dicey west of Western per the CPD crime maps. You can still see the effects of the 1968 riots west of Western in the form of vacant lots. But that area is starting to clean up a bit, and I see students frequently walking west of Western now. I don't think you would have seen that even 5 years ago.

The fact is the MEDIAN LIST is far below $500K, total sales are not all that robust, and median selling price suggests discounts are common -- https://www.redfin.com/neighborhood/...ago/Tri-Taylor Any decent real estate agent would take all these details into account when preparing an offer...

The new construction reminds me less of Brooklyn and much more of the typical "urban renewal" efforts that tend to carry a STIGMA because of the often weirdly easy to identify mishmash of materials that are required to meet Federal standards for "efficiency" while keeping the powerful trade unions happy. The choices that this forces will always make these kinds of homes stick out -- https://www.redfin.com/IL/Chicago/25.../home/79029578 Nobody (except maybe a HUD buyer or Section 8 renter, that has no real choice...) is gonna be happy with reminders that their home once the site of a burned riot. It will take DECADES before these places have the kind of mature landscaping that will make them feel less like forts on a barren frontier. Heck, the places that are unabashedly modernist at least honest about the fact there was a pile of ash where they were built -- https://www.redfin.com/IL/Chicago/25.../home/21958034

[BRU67]

Originally Posted by chet everett

The fact is the MEDIAN LIST is far below $500K, total sales are not all that robust, and median selling price suggests discounts are common -- https://www.redfin.com/neighborhood/...ago/Tri-Taylor Any decent real estate agent would take all these details into account when preparing an offer...

The new construction reminds me less of Brooklyn and much more of the typical "urban renewal" efforts that tend to carry a STIGMA because of the often weirdly easy to identify mishmash of materials that are required to meet Federal standards for "efficiency" while keeping the powerful trade unions happy. The choices that this forces will always make these kinds of homes stick out -- https://www.redfin.com/IL/Chicago/25.../home/79029578 Nobody (except maybe a HUD buyer or Section 8 renter, that has no real choice...) is gonna be happy with reminders that their home once the site of a burned riot. It will take DECADES before these places have the kind of mature landscaping that will make them feel less like forts on a barren frontier. Heck, the places that are unabashedly modernist at least honest about the fact there was a pile of ash where they were built -- https://www.redfin.com/IL/Chicago/25.../home/21958034

Those houses are west of Western Chet. Technically, they are still part of the Near West Side Community Area and the Tri-Taylor neighborhood, which ends approximately two blocks west of Western, at which time you enter the lovely East Garfield Park. But anyone familiar with the area knows that Western Avenue is a HUGE divider in terms of the quality of the housing stock in that part of Chicago. The areas west of Western were heavily impacted by the riots, so there are many vacant lots, which are gradually being filled by the types of homes you cite. So homes with addresses of 2399 W. _______ and below are in an entirely different league than 2401 W. ________ and above.

I'm not saying that these types of monstrosities don't exist east of Western. They do. But they are much less common and there is a much more cohesive feel to the blocks; e.g. the 800 block of S. Oakley. My block is virtually 100% 1890s row houses and looks great. It's still has a bit of urban grit to it, but it is a good looking neighborhood with plenty of mature trees.