it's called preference and everyone's opinion on this will be different.

Whether true or not this statement is a common one about Chicago, "I know that the south side has a reputation for being one of the less desired areas.but where exactly does this start? :p (really), kate that's a skewed point of view.the south side is a vast area that's as large as the north side.sure there are neighborhoods that i would not want to live in there, nobody said there wasn't. The guy didnt come on here bashing the southside, he came on here and was pretty clear about what he heard of the area. That's faster than the red line from anywhere north of the Sheridan stop. I actually exchanged a few PMs with the guy and he has been completely friendly and genuinely thankful for the help. I'm a northsider, who loves the Northside. It all depends what you want out of a neighborhood and what you want to be close to. These areas like my 'hood have certain sketchy blocks, but overall are now pretty safe. What the hell is wrong with this city? Every time someone came in with one of those maps, I knew I was going to get something rented.How many times have you heard of things like this: In Detroit don't go here., in St. Louis, this isn't great, in LA, keep away from Every state has an area that people say not to go to.Once people live here a while and if they venture out they'll discover what works. I've lived in lots of neighborhoods in Chicago and Hyde Park was the best. I wish people would stop stereotyping the south side of Chicago. There are also a variety of ethnic groceries all around the neighborhoodunfortunately none of them seem to have the refried beans I like, arg!

I grew up not to far from Co-op City, Williamsburg section. Good analogy D.K.Technically anything south of Madison is the south side of the city. Who am I kidding?

"Yeah, my husband is a Jeffersons addict, so I know these things. Enjoy Humboldt Park, shitbird.I'm a nice guy, you should have stopped with the thread from the beginning. A drug dealer or?

I just moved out of humboldt park. I don't think people should be judged on what neighborhood they live in. ]HIGHLY disagreeLogan Square is my absolute favorite neighborhood in the city by far.

HP is a Puerto Rican neighborhood, btw..Anyway, I'm partial to that whole area of the city, Northwest. You can find affordable rent near both the Brown and Blue Lines.

The Western Blueline stop is in Bucktown, a neighborhood that sits between Logan Square and Wicker Park, with WP being the most expensive of the three.

im racist..get a fucking dictionary. So if you're young and professional you're a yuppie. You might also like South Shore neighborhood, not expensive either. Maybe a map that sorta outlines what's "safe" or what's not, whatever, but my question isI know that the south side has a reputation for being one of the less desired areas.but where exactly does this start? The south side has some great places to live - so do your research and I would suggest you visit here a few times if you are seriously considering a move here.

nevermind, I already know. i'll check all these websites out.i guess i didnt start this thread with the right wordskeep in mind, im hispanic, im from LA, i was raised in what are considered horribly unsafe places to live (pico-union) and have lived in both good and bad neighborhoods of LAso i didnt mean anything by anythingjust wanted to get an idea of general stances.like I can generally say certain things about some neighborhoods in LA, nothing wrong with that, but I can also say that i grew up in pico-union, south central, took buses, walked home, was never mugged, etc well, except for the occasional "WHERE ARE U FROM ESE?" In otherwords, Chicago is a city.

I'm happy to leave, but will miss it at the same time.

Wicker park sucks. Where do you live so he stays a good distance away?

it can be quite yuppyish at times, but is also full of older hipsters and people who's families have lived in the hood for generations. Albany Park has come a long way, but that's getting pretty far north and west, so depending on where you're working and so forth you may want to consider the commute from any of these places. There are places on both sides of town that I wouldn't move to. Based on how you started it, it will just be full of sarcasm and anti-racist lecturing.Just do a search for "best neighborhood" and "moving to Chicago".

"Logan square is not even cheap anymore. For example, gang violence is very high in my neighborhood but there are virtually no robbings, muggings or rapes. or good ethnic grocery stores around the areas of logan square, etc?

Jose where are you going to work? Lock your doors, look people in the eye, etc.You can check crime rates at chicagocrime.org but even those aren't going to tell the whole story. As a life long North side people, we just bought a home on the South side of the city, great place not far from the lake and the uncrowded bike paths, just east of Sox parkgoing to walk to games now. For me the north side is around Diversey.A fun site with photos of neighborhoods and a map:neighborhoods.chicago.ilOr:en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NeThe wiki site has a lot of info. I was a bit of a smart-ass in my resposne, although I was also giving you real input since most out-of-town professionals DO locate on the north side, so if you're looking to socialize with coworkers from a downtown job, not all, but a lot of them will live on the north side and if you're looking to be transit-dependent (that's not a bad thing - I've been voluntarily car-free for 10 years now), then living near people you're going to want to socialize will make socialization easier.

enjoy the city despite the fact that you've managed to arrive during the quintessential humid heat that is summer in the city! Also it said he "may" be moving. Logan square doesn't offer much. Moving on.Not sure what this means, but it's never a bad idea to pay a little mind to your surroundings, and not get too comfortable. i say live in Hegewisch. You can search by neighborhood, Ward (there are 50), zip code, etc. These questions get asked 4 times per week. I've lived here for the better part of 15 years and I have to completely disagree with you on that. I feel more like I live in the "city" than when I lived in Logan Square, and for the same rentMind you, I share an apartment with a husband, which helps. What is with Yelp today? Really.

Cabrini Green is a public housing project, well, a mixed income attempt I believe. The Humboldt Park Community Area, which many statistics about the area refer to, is west of that area; its borders are the Belt Railway on the west, just east of Cicero Avenue; the Union Pacific tracks to the south, along Kinzie Street; Bloomingdale Avenue on the north; and Humboldt Boulevard, Humboldt Park, and Sacramento Boulevard on the east. well everybody! Can I ride a hippogryph there?

the fact that you are a hispanic doesnot give you some moral authority to make absurd comments you don't represent all hispanics racism can be internalized, and this unfortunately seems to be a genuine case. Hegewisch?

Things I considered: somewhere to put my car, proximity to dog parks, wrigley, music venues, public transportation, bars, restaurants, etc.

Rhonda, I'm talking safety.

5 minutes ago Tina B. says:Jose, you came on here asking a bullshit question in the most ignorant, racist way, promoting stupid stereotypes and basically pissing all over a massive part of a city you don't know shit aboutAre you kidding me? Welcome to the side of Chicago with valet parking. Copyright 20042022 Yelp Inc. Yelp, , and related marks are registered trademarks of Yelp.

[Logan square doesn't offer much.

Jose, if you're looking for crime stats google "chicago crime stats". Those are my favs and rent is still affordable in those areas and there's plenty to do. Each neighborhood is it's own little community.

The wiki link I posted has a pretty good description of Humboldt Park:"In conventional use, the neighborhood's borders include Western Avenue to the east, Pulaski Road to the west, Armitage Avenue to the North and Chicago Avenue to the south. Joe, I realize you're joking, but get this:I moved to Chicago and lived in South Shore for a year and a half, and was mugged for the first and only time at Michigan and Adams after leaving work late. Lincoln Park is a gentrified, relatively expensive and non-diverse neighborhood. You really have to do your research.Also, much is based on personal opinion and really what you're looking for in a neighborhood. There is a Polish community just West of Logan Square. Found it:K-townJune 20, 2007K-town / KAY-town/ 1. n. What West Siders often call the stretch of the city between Pulaski and Cicero. crime statistics are incredibly misleading on various levels. it is my favorite neighborhood name in chicago, so that automatically makes it cool. Maybe your question should be..Which neighborhoods have the lowest crime ratesthere are websites for thattry thischicago.everyblock.com/c. :). I'm kidding, it's a nice area and I can't wait to get there!

Few Mexicans live in HP (fact); although more young single whites have been moving in steadily as gentrification is taking place. the rent there is greati am going to take a trip in early june to check out many of these neighborhoods in person and hopefully book a place before i come back to LA and pack. I've given you mine - I think the way you have worded most of your statements in this thread is fucked up, including the overuse of capital letters and the return key .

"But I always had a "bad south side vibe" when I first came here. JoseWhat the south side's "reputation" is and what reality is are two different things.EVERY corner of this city has bad neighborhoods and every side of this city has desireable neighborhoods.

I think anyone no matter what they do if they are doing well enough to make a shit load of money then they're professional at what they do. Jose,This shows you the various neighborhoods in Chicagoapartmentpeople.com/myApHere are some approximate rent ranges by neighborhoodapartmentpeople.com/myApI wouldn't suggest using the Apartment People service (although it is free aside from a $50 signing fee if you find a place), as they generally show you shitty places and one nice place for higher rent than you want to pay. Fulton Street Market is really cool, reminds me a little bit of the meatpacking district in NYC (but with fish, and a Midwestern interpretation) -- it's a big of an island on the west side, just west of downtown.

some 44% of Hyde Park residents aged 24 and over are college graduates, compared to about 28% holding four year degrees, nationally). North of downtown, south, northwest, west, etc.

Remember this is a big city, this isn't Ogden, Iowa.

I was under the impression that anything south of the 290 was something I should stray away from, but then I found out that Hyde Park is way south and it's supposedly a good neighborhood. Some would say that Humboldt is pretty dangerous itself Ummmmthis is going to be an awkward thread. "I worked at a high-rise rental building in the Gold Coast for a few years, and the most common thing that would happen when someone from out of town came in was that their friends or co-workers would tell them that they need to be within certain borders of the city. There were once a lot of "projects" on the south side, but they were also on the north side west of the loop. Maybe we should be more understanding and give Jose some slack?We can all be defensive about our cities. If it's safety you're worried about I'd start there and narrow down the list of potential neighborhoods from there. They jjust carry the basics, no junk food: meat, produce, pan, tortillas, etc. So then if you make a shit load of money and aren't a professional, what are you?

This conversation is older than 2 months and has been closed to new posts. Humboldt Park is kinda similar, although less arty. Both of those should be both fairly affordable and diverse. thanks for the welcomes. Be aware. They are safe and similar in their polulations to Logan Square and Albany Park.

I walk around by myself often and while I don't think the area is booming I don't think it's bad or unsafe.

Done. "Walking home alone in the middle of the night should not be an issue in any area in which you choose to live, seriously. But good for you, you and Jose can be buddies. It happens no matter where you are. They can sell their little dime bags all they want.and I can walk my dog at midnight! There are some neighborhoods that MOST people wouldn't live in due to the crime levels.

Actually I live in Albany Park according to a map of neighborhoods I found weird. You should stay away from it for sure and you should also stay away from those dirty Mexicans and Puerto Ricans on the westside too, nothing but trouble over there.In fact, don't even come here at all. Humboldt Park is great b/c it is relatively inexpensive, but still super close to Ukrainian Village, Wicker Park, and Bucktownbest places to hang out.

I like living in Evanston. I loved it there. Eleven miles out, that gave Chicago the "K" streets.

.If you're totally new to the city and like something a little less busy (meaning, compared to Lincoln Park/Lakeview), I would suggest Lincoln Square, Ravenswood, Rogers Park, etc. It doesn't matter whether or not you are Hispanic or not, I find that to be a fucked up statement. The feel/vibe you want. Alright Alright I understand how this is a loaded question. @ Double R uh, his name is Jose C. Please ixnay on the exicanMay You seem very angry with him.

Funny thing is my current place is an area that many people say is "safe" and where I'm headed they say not as safe.Yes, I will concede the stats are a bit higher where I'm headed, but not by much. and parts of humboldt park can be more dangerous than many parts of the south side. I don't live as far south as Hyde Park but the South Loop (1900 South) is a fantastic place to live and have never had any issues.

It really varies. West Logan Square is an ok neighborhood, I lived at Armitage and Kedzie for a while. Anyway, to clear a few things up, based on others' comments:Humboldt Park is predominately Latino; specifically, it is traditionally Puerto Rican (since roughly the 1960's). The suggestion of everyblock.com is a good one. like many cities, you will have a nice area with a good feel, walk 5 blocks and it seems to suddenly change. yesterday was my first "real" night in chicago.some people here make this North vs South thing worse than the worst gang rivalryjust relax.

I don't think that anyone planning to move to Chicago should rule out border suburbs just because they are technically different cities. So true Majel. But I always had a "bad south side vibe" when I first came here. So named because more than 30 north-south streets there begin with the letter "K." Among them: Kedvale, Kenneth, Kenton, Kilpatrick, Knox and Kostner. I suggest doing a little Google search for "Chicago neighborhoods" and research a little about where you'll want to live before asking for input here -- it's really a loaded question.

The nightlife leaves something to be desired, however, you can be there in a 15 minute train ride depending on your taste. Argyle street, Uptown, is home to many Southeast Asians. Fulton Market is also popular with artists (painters/fine arts). im gonna tell u where i think u should live because it's as simple as thatunderstanding that crime can happen anywhere.goddamn. Hence the term: young urban professional. immigration, probation, parole, ect.) and you're still going along with your interpretationagain, in more words, and with more spcesI heard the west is considered not too gooda lot of hispanics, etc..translation:THIS IS WHAT I HEARD. Ignore that mention. As with any neighborhoods, it's spotty, but you would be close to the Blue Line in these areas and many bus lines as well, I live in Logan Square and feel perfectly safe. It dosen't help published guidebooks all write-off the South Side with the words "avoid it completely," because there's a few unsavory neighborhoods, just like the West and North Sides may have. When did yelp become such a pessimistic shithole?

Because we all know teachers are so well paid. That should help.

(Cabrini Green) They got shut down and in 10 years the northwest loop is completely different.Live where it's convienent for you to get to work and the things you like.

Not necessarily, actually I'm just a fan of experiencing the whole city of Chicago, something most of the neighborhood centric people around here don't appear to know shit about. hey everyone,OP checking in! Any help or resource you guys can offer will help! Jose, you came on here asking a bullshit question in the most ignorant, racist way, promoting stupid stereotypes and basically pissing all over a massive part of a city you don't know shit about, but you still want some free assistance, not thinking for a moment that maybe you are asking for help from the people you've just insulted. I would say look into Ukrainian Village, Logan Square, Lincoln Square. I could walk to the bus, Brown or Red trains -- it was a great intro to the city. I try to get most of my stuff from smaller places.

If you just realized that Hyde Park is down south that sort of tells me that you haven't looked into anything at all and really aren't going to benefit from strangers telling you why you should move into the area that they personally prefer.

If you can visit the city before you move (I couldn't, so I understand your dilemma), do so -- take a walkabout! There is a website out there (can't think of it right now) that will give you crime types and locations by neighborhood, zip, etc. "sticking by the water" has no bearing on much. the economy has played a big role here too. Irina - "South" is a general term. K Town? The neighborhood is one of the most ethinically diverse in the country. Isla - they are related to some extent. You can make a butt load of $ and still not be a professional. I have a personal relationship with the gang bangers on my block, they leave me alone and I do the same. Yuppie white town for the most part.

I touched Destry's shit-stained sim card the other night. Takes some exploration. The area from Midway to Harlem is solid and safe, as well as Mt. Lock your doors, look people in the eye, etc.] I lived in Logan Square and while my street was sketchy, one block south of me was freaking nice and had brand new condos and lofts, etc. Alayna - Hyde park is not almost like a suburb.

Higher rent doesn't necessarily depict safer. It's a great area that has really come up in the world. i like damian's suggestion. i didn't even know, ha!

Now we're in the bigleagues, there's no turning back!

To answer your question about grocery stores, the big chain stores seem to be way over-priced: jewel, dominics, etc. Wha???? There has to be a starting point for the grid system here.However, anyone that lives west of State, isn't considered living on the west side, same of the north/south borders. If you're really concerned about crime rates and such, call neighborhood police departments. Logan Square also. Most of us do provide very detailed help sometimes, but at the same time overly broad questions that don't reflect much prior research on the part of the question-asker aren't going to get the most constructive responses. Oh, and the f*cking homeless.

Pilsen is a mainly hispanic neighborhood on the South Side, consider that? Personally, I've had really really bad experiences in Humboldt Park (being held up at gunpoint being one of them), so I would never live there again. Oh well, now your going to tell me the Jefferson lived in Lincoln Park. im settledfirst night..logan square :), "lots of hispanics, etc (I am hispanic). " Cities produce crime. After those obvious areas the names of the neighborhoods aren't as defined by their location as you move away from the city.What's the north side to one isn't the same as to another and so on. (i.e.

People get robbed in Lincoln Park all the time, and I live on a street with gang members in Humboldt Park whom I've never had a problem with so far. [*almost* like a suburb in some ways]didn't say it wasn't a part of the city. West Town is not the West Side! Jose I love that you updated us. This has the potential to be the best thread ever.Or not.

You'll see what you're comfortable with. Clearly you only wanted a specific opinion. You threw a grenade in here and we went with it. you can live on a perfectly nice block and one block away it's like a war zone. . Didn't mean it like that. [Oh come on! First and foremost, sorry for the painful game 7 loss to boston :p I might be moving to Chicago by July or August and am looking into the neighborhoods (i love the rent prices!).

Andrea ask Carly F., about K-Town, I never heard of it until here.

hegewisch is a great example of a very safe neighborhood on the south side of chicago. And my apologizes if it appeared that way. God, this shit is all so fucking stupid.

Life does go on South of 290! Just wiki'd it. Gary E.,I think a lot of the yuppy bashing on yelp is actually done by yuppies. It's really hard to say which areas are "bad" because in Chicago it can vary from block to block, even in a 'good' neighborhood. I lost a lot of good tenants after a couple of years because as people discovered other neighborhoods and how much money they could save they were gone.As far as which side north vs. south. I am not too familiar with Hyde Park, but I've heard the area is not the best, but there may be some better parts of it, also U of Chicago is there.

Oh, hoping this devolves into a neighborhood-baiting thread. 290 has nothing to do with anything as far as dividing safe/unsafe. Used to be that no one lived in the South Loop, then folks started moving to Printer's Row and the development slowly started to move south . "good times was set on the north side, not south side.

Wasn't Chicago rated like the most violent city in America? There are certain parts of Humbolt that I probably wouldn't go to alone at night.As far as the South side goes to answer your question, yes there are some areas south of the city that are not ideal as far as crime rates gohowever Hyde Park is very far south of the city and *almost* like a suburb in some waysit's around 4700 South and "downtown" ends around 290 (which is about 400 South) I'm not as familiar with South side neighborhoods aside from some delicious restaurants so I couldn't give you much help there.

If you have a car these are all very easily accessible, if not it depends where you live. you just never know.

You dont go to many bad neighborhoods and find that the majority of the population are well educated nor do you necessarily find "good" values - however, values are subjective anyway. that might make Humboldt Park (with higher (non-white-collar) crime rates) more appealing on some levels. I was told by a few police officer friends that the 2nd district is the worst district in the city.

Stay away from the South Side in general its boring and overall it just kinda sucks!! Yep. . You are brave to come back to the thread, Jose, and I think its reasonable to ask about safety, however, when you start attaching race or ethnic background to anything there is going to be some controversy. . If you're smart and use your head you'll be fine no matter where you live. Too much watching Good Times I guess.The truth is, there are some very nice places all over the city. :). Dane - let's compare - only boring hoods I can think of on the N side are up near O'hare, which border the northern burbs.

]Don't tell us how to comment on your public forum. Also, northwest has hispanic neighborhoods.

Do you know how many false perceptions there are about MY side of town?

That's not to say I don't thoroughly enjoy other neighborhoods, but I wouldn't rather live anywhere else.Jose, as far as grocery stores around Logan Square goStrack and Van Til on Elston has some awesome prices, Aldi on Clybourn is great for what they have. "I live west (as far west as you can go probably)"You live in Hawaii? Jose, don't pay any attention. The only thing the SS has goin for it seems to be ample parking.

Every single neighborhood has good and bad areas.

Omg. What part of the city was it that recently mail carriers stopped delivering mail due to all the shootings? yea. And it's not that nice You get a lot of space for your money out in Logan Square, and if you live close to one of the Blue Line stops (California or Logan Square, I guess maybe Belmont counts too?)

Loop being the circle the el tracks make around the downtown area - Wells/Jackson/Wabash/Lake streets. But I want to know if it is ok to look for places south of the 290.Thanks.

There is one exception with you consider the small Mexican Grocery at the California Blueline stop. Certain areas are now at Kedzie and even Kimball.Chicago is really a block by block thing even within a neighborhood. You're asking for a headache that no amount of Excedrin will be able to cure.

Also, a lot of neighborhood stores (including ethnic). You're asking for trouble dude.

I grew up in Humboldt Park also. No, I'm not kidding. in an effort to be funny, people are just fucking ridiculouslearn how to not always be funny and instead try informative, smart, helpful, friendlykdone. Go to "Everyblock Chicago". I think if you're looking for a completely safe neighborhood, I would suggest not moving to Chicago.

I feel extremely safe here. The majority of the South Side is lamea big reason why it's more expensive to live on the North Side.Where can it possibly be exciting on the South Side? You all know there are some neighborhoods that most people wouldn't live in within this city just like every other city on the globe]yes, i wouldn't live in Wrigleyville. We've got a bunch of asian places in Uptown near Argyle.

Mostly families, a couple neighborhood bars, older peoplemy advice: visit and check out the scene..don't pick where you live based on what we have to say or some map you find online of the "safe" areas. There are exceptions to every rule, of course, but asking people to redline their own city is kind of an obnoxious way to start a thread so expecting high-caliber responses after that is overly optimistic.Along that line, you also should realize we get a lot of people who are moving here and asking more or less the same questions. Sorry, I really haven't heard of this. Greenwood, but that's painfully far away.

I'm pretty sure that no place is. Oak Park has the metra and green line stations. Maybe you were kiddingI love this area; it still has diversity and a mix of incomes and people, but is stupid close to downtown.