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Chicago Members - Neighborhood Info

VMan

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So I make it down to Chicago quite frequently, but usually stick to the main attractions.

I am going to take a trip down there soon after my NYC trip. I want to branch out into the neighborhoods for some thrifting.

However, not being very familiar with the rest of the city, I don't want to wind up in a terrible neighborhood, as I have heard some parts of Chicago are rough to say the least.

Being an avid thrifter, I often find myself in semi-bad areas, and don't have a problem with that. I just don't want to be wandering around an extremely high crime area.

I would be appreciative if Chicago members would let me know which are the somewhat high-crime areas, and the areas I should definitely avoid. Thanks.

I tried to post a map to make this easier, but I can't find a decently detailed one of the city, online.
 

drizzt3117

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Parts of the south side, by Museum of Science and Industry, Chinatown, and IIT, can be very sketchy (near the Robert Taylor homes). I would also avoid Joliet.
 

whacked

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Off topic, but damn, you're quite the thrift hound. Please let me know when (or if) you come down to Texas so I can take pre-emptive measures.
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lol8[1].gif
 

Connemara

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Avondale sounds like it's full of rich WASPs.
 

avatar

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Originally Posted by VMan
These are some of the neighborhoods i may be in:

Lakeview
Noble Sq/Riverwest
Pilsen
Logan Sq
Bridgeport
Irving Park
Bucktown
Hermosa
Andersonville
Avondale


Be careful in Bridgeport. I lived near there at one point. Projects in all directions, Hispanic gangs in one area (west of Halsted), Italian mob controls the rest. If you are black, do not go to Bridgeport. I am not joking.

Parts of the south side, by Museum of Science and Industry, Chinatown, and IIT, can be very sketchy (near the Robert Taylor homes). I would also avoid Joliet.
As a Hyde Park resident, I take offense to the suggestion that the area near the Museum of Science and Industry is sketchy.

IIT is near Bridgeport, and a festering hellhole. The Robert Taylor Homes have been torn down for years.

The West Side and part of the Far North side (Rogers Park) can be shady too.
 

yachtie

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The West Side and part of the Far North side (Rogers Park) can be shady too.
Hey! Rogers Park is odd,sure, but very nice in its own way. Stay away from Howard St./Juneway Terrace west of Sheridan though.

west of Bridgeport ( McKinley Park) is not nearly as rough as it used to be (nicer than Pilsen). Still not the place for folks of the African-American persuasion ( as is Bridgeport).
Uptown ( Wilson east of Broadway) is still to be avoided.

And it's the Irish mob, not the Italian, that runs Bridgeport.
 

avatar

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Originally Posted by yachtie
Hey! Rogers Park is odd,sure, but very nice in its own way. Stay away from Howard St./Juneway Terrace west of Sheridan though.

Parts of Rogers Park are fine. Parts of it are to be avoided. Howard St. is one such part. Whatever the stop right before it is on the Red Line was sketchy too - Jarvis? Morse? I think it was Jarvis. Morse still has some hipsters.
 

yachtie

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Originally Posted by VMan
These are some of the neighborhoods i may be in:

Lakeview-OK
Noble Sq/Riverwest-OK
Pilsen- que habla espanol? no? then I'd avoid it.
Logan Sq- STAY ON LOGAN BOULEVARD
Bridgeport-see above post
Irving Park-fine all the way down
Bucktown- fine, trendy stay east of Western Ave.
Hermosa- Kinda rough
Andersonville- Trendy, stay west of Broadway and you'll be fine.
Avondale-generally okay

there's a lot of thrifts on Lincoln Ave (and you'll live to tell the tale)
 

yachtie

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Originally Posted by avatar
Parts of Rogers Park are fine. Parts of it are to be avoided. Howard St. is one such part. Whatever the stop right before it is on the Red Line was sketchy too - Jarvis? Morse? I think it was Jarvis. Morse still has some hipsters.

Morse is cool, depends on one's tolerance for wierdness. Jarvis is still too close to Howard for any after dark activities.
 

Gradstudent78

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Originally Posted by yachtie
Morse is cool, depends on one's tolerance for wierdness. Jarvis is still too close to Howard for any after dark activities.

I think Roger's park gets a bad reputation based on a few bad parts, off the Morse red line stop is a fine area.
 

uII II2007

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I go to UIC (tri-taylor) stay off the westside and southside. More the westside, I definitely suggest not visiting Austin if your not familiar with that area.
 

avatar

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Originally Posted by yachtie
Pilsen- que habla espanol? no? then I'd avoid it. Logan Sq- STAY ON LOGAN BOULEVARD Bridgeport-see above
1) Pilsen has the best Mexican food in Chicago, and just because there's Hispanics there does NOT make it dangerous. Chinatown is right behind dangerous projects, yet I don't see you warning him to stay away from Chinatown. (P.S. When the neat touristy Chinese places are closed, you have NO REASON to be in Chinatown. None.) 2) See above? Stay on Logan Blvd. in Bridgeport? What? I'd advise you to not go to Bridgeport. It's a poor white mob-controlled neighborhood that is bordered by poor black neighborhoods. There is tension. There's good stuff if you know when and where to go (I lived there). If you're black, I highly recommend staying out of Bridgeport (in the words of my black friend, "no Bridgeport for me man, I don't have a gun on me.") Actually, there is really no reason to go to Bridgeport at all (unless you are watching the White Sox, which I will do tomorrow.) (P.S. The "que habla Espanol? no? avoid." comment applies WEST of Halsted in Bridgeport, which is largely dominated by a Latino gang.)
Originally Posted by yachtie
Jarvis is still too close to Howard for any after dark activities.
ROFL, perfect.
 

yachtie

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Originally Posted by avatar
1) Pilsen has the best Mexican food in Chicago, and just because there's Hispanics there does NOT make it dangerous. Chinatown is right behind dangerous projects, yet I don't see you warning him to stay away from Chinatown. (P.S. When the neat touristy Chinese places are closed, you have NO REASON to be in Chinatown. None.)

yep, that's true, there are also a lot of gangs that just love to roll Anglos. What dangerous projects? The yuppies on Canal St? Your data is old.

2) See above? Stay on Logan Blvd. in Bridgeport?
Try see above POST ( added as I seem to need to make things painfully obvious)where Bridgeport is discussed.???Logan Blvd. is NOT in Bridgeport. Duh- Logan is on the north side, Bridgeport is on the South side- only about 50 BLOCKS AWAY

What? I'd advise you to not go to Bridgeport. It's a poor white mob-controlled neighborhood that is bordered by poor black neighborhoods. There is tension. There's good stuff if you know when and where to go (I lived there). If you're black, I highly recommend staying out of Bridgeport (in the words of my black friend, "no Bridgeport for me man, I don't have a gun on me.") Actually, there is really no reason to go to Bridgeport at all (unless you are watching the White Sox, which I will do tomorrow.) (P.S. The "que habla Espanol? no? avoid." comment applies WEST of Halsted in Bridgeport, which is largely dominated by a Latino gang.)
No, the "que habla" comment referred to Pilsen off of 18th St. Not to Bridgeport at all. Do you live here?
 

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