West of Western Rule? (Irving, Avon: apartment, rent, home)

[Gino1203]

Anyone have any insight on this area West of Western Ave, East of California Ave, North of North ave and South of Armitage Ave?

N Western Ave to N Western Ave - Google Maps

I've heard not to go West of Western. Is this still true? In this area?

Thanks.

[chirack]

Originally Posted by Gino1203

Anyone have any insight on this area West of Western Ave, East of California Ave, North of North ave and South of Armitage Ave?

N Western Ave to N Western Ave - Google Maps

I've heard not to go West of Western. Is this still true? In this area?

Thanks.

Yes, the areas west of western are still rough on the whole. The western burbs are really your best choice.

[Jesse69]

It's livable and bearable. I see more white people there even at night when I drive home down North Ave from night school. Maybe the rent is cheaper than Wicker Park and Bucktown, yet you're close by. Wicker Park in the 70's and 80's were like that and I survived as a kid. It's not that bad.

[rparz]

It's really block by block over there. Overall, not TOO scary.

Generally, anything withing walking distance of an el stop is usually pretty good.

As you go further north and into Logan you can go further and further west, following a radius around the el stops.

[long101]

In the area you outlined it is fine, IMO. The closer to Armitage and the Western Blue line it is fine. There are a few areas I wouldnt want to go West of western, but North Ave isnt one of them

[ChikidII]

You will be fine. That area is perfectly fine. In terms of the northside being west of Western is perfectly fine, until you hit North Ave and go south from there. Neighborhoods like Logan Square, Avondale, Irving Park, Jefferson Park are all very safe neighborhoods and mostly west of western. Western is such a long street that you can't apply it to everywhere.

Now the specific area you are talking about, I would avoid going east of California. Again, not quite horrible, but I wouldn't feel that comfortable living there.

[ChikidII]

Originally Posted by rparz

It's really block by block over there. Overall, not TOO scary.

Generally, anything withing walking distance of an el stop is usually pretty good.

As you go further north and into Logan you can go further and further west, following a radius around the el stops.

Agreed.

[Larry Siegel]

West of Western is fine if you're north of Fullerton. Between Armitage and Fullerton, the area around Palmer Square is pretty nice, and improving. I would avoid points south, but they too are improving and if you have the mindset of an urban pioneer, you should do OK.

[rparz]

Originally Posted by Larry Siegel

West of Western is fine if you're north of Fullerton. Between Armitage and Fullerton, the area around Palmer Square is pretty nice, and improving. I would avoid points south, but they too are improving and if you have the mindset of an urban pioneer, you should do OK.

Upside of 'urban pioneer' is you can bag a pretty sweet apartment on the cheap as well.

Trade-offs.

Furthermore I have associates (35 y.o woman) who have lived off Kedzie and Hirsch (Far beyond Western, even California) and didn't have many issues to speak of. Not anything that affected her directly.

I almost pulled the trigger on a place just west of Spaulding on Evergreen, and there they had this sketchy little bodega on the corner where it looked like things could 'get exciting' from time to time. A few doors down there was a middle aged white woman and I stopped to ask her about the neighborhood. (Plus side of going around in the day) She lived there for more than a few years and her take was that it was a fairly decent, working class area, and as far as the element on the corner 'as long as you don't deal in commerce with them, they'll leave you alone.' (Her words)
Something to consider.

[LDurbin]

I live west of western, one block east of Cali, one block south of division and I like it. Some loud car stereos seem to be the biggest nuisance. Sure, there's some shifty-seeming characters from time to time, but that's the same with every neighborhood that's actually affordable. The above poster is right: generally, you mind yours and they mind theirs.