Hyde Park dangerous??? (Chicago, Cornell: best neighborhood, neighborhoods, purchase)

[Southside Shrek]

Originally Posted by Sbudsky

Hyde Park is one of the safest areas in the city, but it is diverse and urban and IMO that's what makes people so uncomfortable. See Ms. Hyde Park: On O'Reilly and Why He's Wrong about the South Side of Chicago OR Ms. Hyde Park: Time Out Chicago wants to know: What's the matter with Hyde Park

Saying that Hyde Park is one of the safest neighborhoods on the South Side of Chicago is not saying a whole whale of a lot. I think diverse neighborhoods are fine and I can live with that quite easily when there isn't a lot of crime going on in the area and the schools are good.

[j_cat]

I'm in Lincoln Park, which is just paradise, but I have family members in Hyde Park and when I visit them I feel safe, but it's not the same kind of inherent safety I have on the north side, where the streets are brightly lit and big crowds of well-behaved people surround me at all times. The safety down there depends much more on the dedicated police presence. It's very quiet at night, and being something of a free spirit, I think that would just put too much of a damper on my lifestyle. It fits well, though, with the high-achieving bookworm UChicago lifestyle.

I would really like to add that the 2 and 6 express buses are both very safe, almost as fast as Metra, and many, many times more frequent in their arrivals and departures. Plus they're cheaper and you can use your CTA card.

[JBVirtuoso]

While we're on the subject, I thought I'd share this "guide" that was just released by some UChicago students. It's a bit of a tl;dr, and much of it is only relevant to U of C students, but it includes some interesting views on Hyde Park's history and future. It's written by a leftist group of students who claim to be fighting "the forces of gentrification."

[paytonc]

Originally Posted by JBVirtuoso

It's written by a leftist group of students who claim to be fighting "the forces of gentrification."

Oh, I've seen "disorientation guides" by similar students dating back to the mid-90s. Thanks for the link, though; better reading than the alumni magazine...

And shrek, space and time really change things. Hyde Park in 2010 is worth a visit; you know not of what you speak.

[Chicagoland60426]

Originally Posted by Southside Shrek

Saying that Hyde Park is one of the safest neighborhoods on the South Side of Chicago is not saying a whole whale of a lot. I think diverse neighborhoods are fine and I can live with that quite easily when there isn't a lot of crime going on in the area and the schools are good.

The reported crime that goes on in Hyde Park is on the same level as Lincoln Park. You can thank the high amount of polices who patrol the area and the First Family's home is nearby.

You can visit spotcrime.com and compare

[Southside Shrek]

Originally Posted by paytonc

Oh, I've seen "disorientation guides" by similar students dating back to the mid-90s. Thanks for the link, though; better reading than the alumni magazine...

And shrek, space and time really change things. Hyde Park in 2010 is worth a visit; you know not of what you speak.

The last time I was in Hyde Park was back in the late 60s. My little puppy dog ate my new Mustang convertible steering wheel while I visited with a friend. Things always seem to go wrong when I visit Hyde Park.

[PeterNewsman]

Okay, so as someone who lives there, but not as a *College* Student, i'll tell you the basic rules:
Stay south of 53rd street after dark, unless. I don't know about the south side of Hyde Park, but follow, and stay north of 63rd, it's what they are saying. Hyde Park is very easy to get out of, but the busses are often crowded.
Watch out north, it's where the "bad" stuff happens. Kenwood Academy is down there, stay away from north of there after dark, especially if you're alone. Also, don't go in any of the parcs at night, basic city stuff. Stay on the main streets. It's a VERY nice neighborhood during the day.
Now, just so you know, the worst thing that can happen within Hyde Park is you getting mugged for your wallet, but you should know that every time I got mugged, the cops decided they didn't have to show up. So use common sense. Stay clear of alleys, but streets are fine, no dangerous corners or anything.
There ARE murders in Hyde Park, but it's always gang-related, and very rare. No random mugging that turned bad. Also, the "gang" members stay clear of college kids most of the time. Most of the trouble comes from high school kids from around Hyde Park and within.
If you take the L (red line especially), make sure you are within rush hours, because outside of those, it can get dangerous very quickly.

All of this was told from a first hand experience of Hyde Park.
And, when it gets hot, expect to hear sirens 24/7.

[kam15]

What's wrong with Kenwood Academy?

[meatpuff]

Anyone else see this shooting at/around 57th St. beach come down the newswire? Holiday, heat bring out violence - Chicago Breaking News

The next shooting happened about 11:15 p.m. on the 5700 block of South Lake Shore Drive, police said. Preliminary reports stated a 22-year-old woman was walking with her friend to the 57th Street Beach restrooms when they heard a group of males arguing, Kubiak said. They heard shots and took off running. When the victim's friend look behind, she saw her lying face down on the ground.

Another victim, a 17-year-old boy also was shot at the same location, police said. He collaborated the witnesses' account. His mother took him to Provident Hospital of Cook County with a wound to his leg.

The woman is in very critical condition at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. Police earlier erroneously reported that she had died.

To you Hyde Park residents and regulars, is this a little too close for comfort? Or are all bets off since it was parkland, after dark, outside of the street grid (and a warm weekend holiday night besides)? Is this an aberration or not too surprising? And where was the police presence?; was this a fast developing incident that slipped through the net, or do the University cops not pay too much attention to areas east of LSD?

If the unfortunate girl happened to be connected with UChicago, I'm sure we'll read more about this incident soon. Otherwise, sad to say, probably not.

Also, how is 57th St beach these days, on busy days, during the daylight hours? Is there a feeling of safety and order generally?

[ERS-One]

Originally Posted by meatpuff

Another victim, a 17-year-old boy also was shot at the same location, police said. He collaborated the witnesses' account. His mother took him to Provident Hospital of Cook County with a wound to his leg.

I don't have anything useful to add, just that the word that should be used is corroborated, not collaborated. Bad writing.