East Avondale - Between Chicago River and Expressway (houses, yard)

[Avengerfire]

The problem is this part of the description is major sugar coating and not accurate in terms of crime. The fact of the matter is as the neighborhood has become increasingly "Latino" crime has jumped with it.

Originally Posted by Chi-town Native

...There are lingering gang problems/shootings, but for the most part there aren't too many that spill on to the streets, as the turf was settled decades ago. Latinos are the majority, and they are largely family-oriented & very nice folks, I'd wager most of them don't care for gang problems any more than anyone else. I am certainly comfortable walking around (and do) late at night by myself, my wife has never had a problem doing the same, either....

I am not saying Avondale as a whole is horrible but the post almost seemed like a sales pitch.

Furthermore the "turf" was not settled decades ago. There were not very many "Latino's" in Avondale decades ago.

[Venom]

It's not bad.
People overexagerate.

[chet everett]

For sugar coating that is pretty thin...

Basically I agree that any neighborhood where not "too many" gang shootings "spill onto the streets" is NOT the kind of place I want to take a chance on!

The problem is that outsiders need to understand that Avondale, like a lot of other neighborhoods, involves a certain "risk tolerance" -- way more likely that some one will break into your car or house than in suburb of similar costs / value, but still far safer than parts of the city where there are no Dominicks or racial diversity...

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by chet everett

For sugar coating that is pretty thin...

Basically I agree that any neighborhood where not "too many" gang shootings "spill onto the streets" is NOT the kind of place I want to take a chance on!

The problem is that outsiders need to understand that Avondale, like a lot of other neighborhoods...

Chet I am not an outsider by any means. I am in Avondale on a regular basis. I used to live a few blocks away from Avondale in Irving Park.

Many gang problems that used to be present in parts of Logan Square,Irving Park,Lake View, and Roscoe Village are now present in a majority of Avondale.

This thread is about the eastern portion of Avondale. With that said, that portion is much better than the western portion.

[chet everett]

You misunderstood -- I did not mean to imply YOU were an outsider, just that threads that mention "gangs's turf" and such are easily misconstrued by anyone that does not realize Chicago's shifting population has driven the such activity into some pretty narrow corridors.

The folks that have been priced out of neighborhoods that you mention are now living right up against some hard core types that used to be a lot more spread out! I don't doubt that CTN feels OK with this, but I suspect few other folks would -- how many college kids and people moving from rural areas would be better off sticking to Lakeview and other FAR more heavily policed areas of Chicago??

[Avengerfire]

Ok I get what you said now.

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by Avengerfire

^ Thinking of selling your house in the next few years aren't you? That was one of the biggest loads of spin I have ever read.^

I don't think there's anything terribly innacurate in that post. He does gloss over the crime a little bit, but Avondale isn't some kind of ghetto with daily shootings. It does have crime issues though. And gangs. To me it's a similar crime level to Albany Park--bad for the North Side, but not for the city as a whole.

[Avengerfire]

^The crime and gang portions are not portions one should gloss over though. The rest of the post I really do not have a problem with.^

[Lookout Kid]

I'd actually consider buying property in Avondale if it were a nicer looking neighborhood. To me it's mostly drab and unappealing with a stock of sub-standard buildings. I think it's one of the ugliest neighborhoods on the North Side.

[Venom]

It's beautiful.