Are Rogers Park and Humboldt Park now fully gentrified? (Chicago: to live in, prices)

[Just1Fan]

Originally Posted by Drover

... kwitcherbitchin'.

#@%!Classic.

[xavier xerxes]

Originally Posted by Drover

They obviously play a huge role in the visible gentrification of the neighborhood, along with Square Bar, Dragon Lady Lounge, Jai-Yen II, Orbit Room, and Urban Belly. Throw in the forthcoming Honey Butter Chicken in the former La Finca space for good measure. These places are leading the sort-of "cultural-business" gentrification (or at least hipsterization for now) of the neighborhood. And they're all within a two-block radius of the Belstifornia intersection. (I think I should trademark that sh*t before the area gets super-hot and license it to developers after it does.)

Responding to your question has actually helped me answer my own. The reason why the most visible hipsterization/gentrification of Avondale has centered around Belstifornia is because the built environment around there is more amenable to the type of business/retail streetscape that hipster/gentrifiers look for: zero-lot-line and mostly attached storefronts. That's not universally true since many of the businesses mentioned are actually in detached buildings. But compare to the retail development near the Blue Line stop which is mostly postwar-style mini-complexes with mini-parking lots and a big-box complex with a big parking lot, the kind of thing gentrifiers eschew. Furthermore, the strip of Kimball south of the station is almost entirely residential so that limits how much streetcape-storefront critical-mass can be achieved near there absent serious zoning changes.

So I see the gentrification of Avondale playing out in two separate and slightly disconnected phases: the cultural-business gentrification happening around Belstifornia with residential gentrification around there following; and then later, residential gentrification happening around the Blue Line stop.

Yes, correct Drover excellent description of what is going on in Avondale. Too bad Belstifornia isnt closer to the Blue Line.

But hopefully the area around Kimball and California will become more interesting as the proximity to the Blue line L stop EVENTUALLY should drive some better "zero lot line" development some day.

[westender]

Originally Posted by TBideon

Didn't the city actually remove the green line tracks by Jackson Park and Stony Island to promote gentrification (in addition to that wacko minister and his constituents wanting silence during their rituals). That seemed/seems awfully counter-intuitive.

IIRC, the U of C wanted the last mile or so of the green line removed. Train service east of Cottage Grove stopped in the 1980s I believe. That neighborhood, Woodlawn, was going to be the next gentrification push for the south side. Of course, all of the effort has been made instead between Kenwood and the Loop.

Hyde Park was itself the subject of a major gentrification push in the 1960s (what was then called urban renewal).

[westender]

Just to clarify, at the time these decisions regarding Woodlawn were made (1970s and 1980s), El service was seen as a barrier to gentrification, not a benefactor toward gentrification.

[Lookout Kid]

Speaking of that "Belstifornia" intersection, has anyone been in that old neo-classical bank that's now some kind of ballroom? I've always been curious about that place. If the architectural details are intact, it could be converted in to something awesome.

Calbelston?
Belfornston?
El Calmont?

Elcluster****montia?

[Drover]

^^ Careful now, Chi-Town Native has sternly informed us that we are not allowed to make up "cutsie-poo" names for parts of his neighborhood, because presumably that will make it about you and not about him.

Anyway, there probably won't be quite the same sort of vibe around Belmont and Kimball (Bel-ball?) as there is around "Belstifornia" because the built environment is a little different, with a major big-box shopping complex, post-war strip malls, and the like. The strip of Belmont west of Kimball has some potential though. It will be interesting to see how the new NEIU campus will impact the development of the area if they ever get around to breaking ground on it. (Weren't they supposed to get started on that last year?)

As for the Green Line demolition west of Cottage Grove, it wasn't UC that wanted it, it was "community activists" who wanted it, citing the elevated structure was a blight on the streetscape below it that inhibited development. But it's interesting to see how there are businesses clustered around the King and Cottage Grove stops whereas the rest of 63rd Street through Jackson Park and Woodlawn -- L tracks or not -- is a strip of abandoned desolation. Those businesses around the L stops may not be the most attractive or desirable types, but with the possible exception of a problem liquor store here or there it seems better than the litter-strewn abandoned lots that line most of 63rd. That said there did appear to be a smattering of residential redevelopment happening along 63rd east of Woodlawn last time I drove through there, but the rehabbed tracks didn't go that far east anyway.

[Attrill]

Originally Posted by Lookout Kid

Speaking of that "Belstifornia" intersection, has anyone been in that old neo-classical bank that's now some kind of ballroom? I've always been curious about that place. If the architectural details are intact, it could be converted in to something awesome.

Yep - Michelle's Ballroom. I've been in there a couple times. It's not a bad space, but not exceptionally ormate. I got the feeling that it was never exceptionally ornate, and they've seemed to preserve a lot of the wood moulding and such. It's nothing at all like the old banks at Damen/Milwaukee or Division/Milwaukee.

[xavier xerxes]

Originally Posted by Larry Siegel

Rogers Park is going to have trouble ever becoming fully gentrified because of the housing stock. There are an awful lot of rundown buildings full of tiny apartments. They do not attract the big renovation money. Stranger things have happened (look at west Lakeview where whole blocks have been completely redeveloped), but I wouldn't count on it.

Humboldt Park, at least east of the park, is in better shape physically although maybe not socially, but those are good conditions for renovation/redevelopment.

Regarding Rogers Park and their rundown buildings with tiny apartments.

Flats Chicago renovating 7722 N Ashland, large courtyard building

BJB renovating Astor House 1246 W Pratt, large late 20's apt building

Reside on Morse redid a large four plus one at Morse and Glenwood

James Pritzker has many apt buildings he is fixing up in Rogers Park, the largest being the Farcroft.

Loyola doesn't just build new buildings, they also rehab them too, the four plus one at Northshore and Sheridan was rehabbed by them after a failed condo conversion.

Will more large buildings be rehabbed?
Slowly but surely, yes.

[Plzeň]

Originally Posted by Lookout Kid

"Belstifornia"

No.

The end.

[Plzeň]

Originally Posted by Drover

^^ Careful now, Chi-Town Native has sternly informed us that we are not allowed to make up "cutsie-poo" names

No scare quotes necessary. Cutesie-poo was a kind term for that kind of retardation. And he wasn't informing you of anything that you shouldn't have already known before typing that stupidity.