Any info on the Austin neighborhood? (Chicago, Berwyn: crime rate, how much, home)

[oakparkdude]

Originally Posted by motoveloz

Do you think the white people that live on Race are going to stay there? There are huge beautiful homes on Race and Midway Park just a block away from where I want to buy. Do you know if Columbus Park is safe?

That's the historic district. Lots of beautiful homes at bargain basement prices. YoChicago did a picture tour (Austin > Chicago neighborhoods > West / Southwest > New Home Notebook (http://newhomenotebook.com/neighborhoods.aspx?nhid=1008 - broken link)).

[motoveloz]

Originally Posted by Avengerfire

A major reason that gentrification is not happening in Austin is the lack of quality schools. I am not a big fan of Oak Park,but I must say that the schools in Oak Park are better than in Austin by a very large margin.

And as far as I know, there are not a large number of quality private grammar schools in close proximity to Austin (or high schools) that have enough space for a huge influx of yuppies with children.

I now see that Drover basically wrote what I wrote. But I will leave my comment as conformation of his statement.

There are also yuppies that do not have children and will probably not have any. Gay and Lesbian couples for example, or busy professionals...

[JoeyPants]

Originally Posted by oakparkdude

Austin has not benefited from the teardown of all those CHA highrises. A lot of former CHA tenants have migrated to the neighborhood, and while not all CHA tenants are criminals, arguably a disproportionate number are.

Unfortunately many former CHA residents have been steered towards the South and West Side and are being concentrated in select neighborhoods. There have been multiple stories printed about this practice, but that's a completely different topic. Yes, a disproportion number of CHA tenants are criminals, and the few that are not have family members or friends who are. CHA tenants at the very least are trouble, if not criminal, definately ghetto. This holds especially true for former Robert Taylor and Cabrini Green tenants.

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by motoveloz

...Gay and Lesbian couples for example, or busy professionals...

Many people of these natures want to be close to the "action." Oak Park is not exactly known as having a huge amount of "action."

And busy single professionals want to be close to their jobs in many cases.

[JoeyPants]

Originally Posted by Avengerfire

Many people like that want to be close to the "action." Oak Park is not exactly known as having a huge amount of "action."

Oak Park however does have a pretty big and active gay community. Although most of the gay couples I've met in Oak Park tend to be older.

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by JoeyPants

Oak Park however does have a pretty big and active gay community...

That is true, but it ain't a huge percentage like it is near the lake.

My point is I do not think there are enough gays in the Chicago area to gentrify (or that would want to) half of Austin alone.

[motoveloz]

Originally Posted by oakparkdude

That's the historic district. Lots of beautiful homes at bargain basement prices. YoChicago did a picture tour (Austin > Chicago neighborhoods > West / Southwest > New Home Notebook (http://newhomenotebook.com/neighborhoods.aspx?nhid=1008 - broken link)).

Great slide show- thanks

[motoveloz]

Originally Posted by Avengerfire

That is true, but it ain't a huge percentage like it is near the lake.

My point is I do not think there are enough gays in the Chicago area to gentrify (or that would want to) half of Austin alone.

Well Austin is pretty big and I do not think it will gentrify completely- Perhaps the historic district. I may be alone in this... but I really would like to see the area come up. It's true that the gays like to be near the "action"- my friends' reaction to me deciding to move to austin/oak park was " it's so far from the bars" as if I ever go to boystown.

[BRU67]

Originally Posted by motoveloz

It's just hard to believe that Oak Park being just one block away will not spill over. The blocks are filled with beautiful homes- it would be a complete waste!!! Is it really impossible to imagine that people from oak park and other areas will see the historic homes just on the other side of Austin Boulevard and decide to take advantage of the low costs and close proximity to Oak Park and turn the area around? I will definitely look at homes in North Austin as well thanks for the tip.

Historically, it's been the other way around, with the spillover in the form of crime going from Austin into east Oak Park. Positive spillover the other way hasn't really been there. There are nice houses in parts of Austin but everyone hitting it correctly in that it will be quite the gamble.

If you're set on the area and like vintage architecture, you should also check out Berwyn and Forest Park, which are considerably cheaper than Oak Park but much safer than Austin, and have better schools, which means that they may stand a better chance of ultimate gentrification than Austin does. I'd even put Cicero ahead of Austin in terms of gentrification odds.

[Drover]

Berwyn's schools are lackluster at best, and Forest Park is in the Proviso East district -- which is probably the only thing keeping it from becoming Oak Park II.