Reason for Lakewood's Steady Population Loss?

[5Lakes]

Originally Posted by j_ws

Can someone elaborate on why this street is so terrifying? (https://www.google.com/maps/@42.0194...7i13312!8i6656)

A lot of commercial vacancy, it seems, but I wouldn't say it appears particularly rough. Looks to be very walkable whereas W117 is too wide and has had most of it's original architecture destroyed.

Howard Street runs through a rough area, even though it has pretty good building stock for the most part. There is even a bit of gentrification along some parts of it. The intersection you linked to is the nicest part of Howard Street (where a newer shopping plaza and apartments were built). The worst pocket is to the east of there in the neighborhood south of the cemetery - probably the most dangerous neighborhood on the north side of Chicago.

It's OK to walk around there during the day, but I would be leary at night. There is a good amount of gang violence and crime in the vicinity. Not as bad as Chicago or Cleveland's worst neighborhoods by any means, but enough to have a bad reputation none the less. W. 117th is ugly and auto-centric, but Howard Street is definitely sketchier.

[j_ws]

Is this the correct neighborhood south of the cemetery?

https://www.google.com/maps/@42.0221...7i13312!8i6656

https://www.google.com/maps/@42.0222...7i13312!8i6656

https://www.google.com/maps/@42.0193...7i13312!8i6656

Not trying to be contrarian or anything but it blows my mind that an area presents itself this nicely and is so bad.

Reminds me a lot of the denser apartment-heavy areas of Lakewood, just with more simple apartment buildings.

[5Lakes]

Originally Posted by j_ws

Is this the correct neighborhood south of the cemetery?

Not trying to be contrarian or anything but it blows my mind that an area presents itself this nicely and is so bad.

Reminds me a lot of the denser apartment-heavy areas of Lakewood, just with more simple apartment buildings.

Yeah, that's the one. I see what you're saying and why you would wonder this. Rodgers Park is kind of a crazy area that is block to block. It does not have a lot of dilapidated buildings or boarded up houses, and some streets can look quite nice. Sometimes this can be deceiving since a lot of these older buildings were well-constructed and still look good today, despite if they have become low-rent places. Walk around there and you'll see some sketchy activity though.

Here are some articles about that area:
https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/2017...dges-headboard

https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/2015...y-idiots-reign

https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/2014...orth-of-howard