Moving to Chicago and I need your help. What do you know about the near

tomroy1980 · 12-21-2007, 09:40 PM

South Side / Chinatown / Bridgeport? I am considering moving into a place on the corner of Canal and Archer. Is this nieghborhood safe? I am not scared of diversity and I know what it takes to be smart in a big city however, I will be living there with my girlfriend who is from a very small town. I need a place where she can travel to and from work and not have to worry about it. Can anyone help?

manonthestreet1 · 12-21-2007, 11:11 PM

Depending on how much money you plan to spend, you couldn't have picked a better/worse time. There is new condo conversion going on all over the South Loop, Chinatown and Bridgeport areas. Lofts and condos are popping up all over those places and with them come slick restaurants, bars, coffee shops, etc. If you've got some deep pockets you can live in a great neighborhood. If you don't have that much money, you might have to settle for the yet-to-be-developed areas of those communities. Either way, none of them are too bad. South Loop used to be sleezy (flophouses, dingy bars, greasy spoons), but as I said, they're converting everything to condos. Chinatown used to be the place to live but only if you were elderly and Asian, but younger people are moving in and fancy restaurants are following. And Bridgeport used to be a rough area with a lot of tough Italian gangs (the Daley family is from there and so are a lot of "connected" guys). But it's being gentrified rapidly. All along Halsted street are condos and lofts, even art galleries. In fact, there is a big condo going on right on the intersection of 35th and halsted, which is the epicenter of Bridgeport.

You're girlfriend shouldn't be too scared, but she should still be a little careful at night. Like I said, the neighborhoods are changing but they aren't completely yuppified yet. Canal and Archer is kinda out of the way. Not a lot of development there yet I don't believe. But it's pretty quiet. If you can, you should make a little weekend trip to the city and check it out for yourself, as well as take a look at other neighborhoods. But those areas changing so not sure what they are evolving into.

As far as transportation, it depends on where she will be working. There's a bus line that runs along Archer Ave. all the way to downtown. It's pretty well used so there's always a lot of people on there. You may also be near the Orange Line train station (which also runs along Archer Ave.). The train and the bus run 24/7

thejoker0105 · 12-22-2007, 12:21 AM

Canal and Archer is Chinatown. Great safe neighborhood, awesome culture, terrific food. You have access to 2 train lines in the area-Orange Line (at Halsted/Archer), Red Line (at Cermak-Chinatown). Youre not very far from the Museum Campus and youre about 10 mins south of the Loop. Im not sure about how many bars/clubs are in Chinatown...but youre like down the street from my favorite Chicago place of all--US Cellular Field. Welcome to Chicago!

Marc W · 12-22-2007, 01:16 AM

Canal and Archer is very close to the heart of Chinatown (where Wentworth Avenue and Cermak meet) and close to the Red Line L stop. The area is pleasant enough, but gentrifying - in other words, there are some iffy areas in and around Cermak Avenue, but for the most part it's safe. Bridgeport (along Halsted near 35th) is the same thing - nice areas, but some iffy areas. Also, Bridgeport has this odd thing with not particularly liking outsiders, unlike Chinatown, which welcomes them. The South Side varies - the area around State Street north of Cermak is becoming very nice, but south of Cermak gets a little dicey in areas. So you'd really have to go and see, but Canal and Archer is relatively safe overall.

steffo · 12-22-2007, 01:16 AM

yse, it's a relatively safe neiborhood. It's near White Sox Stadium, and can get congested during game days, but it's nice around there. Mayor Richard M Daly grew up around there, and up until a few years ago, still lived around there.

gingben · 12-22-2007, 03:21 AM

I live in Bridgeport at 26th st and wallace. it is safe place to live.

Sunshine · 12-22-2007, 03:21 AM

I live in Bridgeport and I love it. This is my first safe neighborhood that I have ever lived in. No gangs, no shooting. On one side of Halsted towards Lituanica Ave it is rough. The neighborhood looks run down. There is allot of section 8 buildings on that side. The other side of Halsted toward Emerald is very good. Very friendly people. Allot of moms walking around pushing their babies. Rent is relatively high. Its anywhere between $700-1200.

12-21-2007, 09:40 PM	#1 (permalink)
tomroy1980 Newbie Join Date: Dec 21st, 2007 Posts: 1	Moving to Chicago and I need your help. What do you know about the near South Side / Chinatown / Bridgeport? I am considering moving into a place on the corner of Canal and Archer. Is this nieghborhood safe? I am not scared of diversity and I know what it takes to be smart in a big city however, I will be living there with my girlfriend who is from a very small town. I need a place where she can travel to and from work and not have to worry about it. Can anyone help?

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12-21-2007, 11:11 PM	#2 (permalink)
manonthestreet1 Newbie Join Date: Dec 21st, 2007 Posts: 1	Depending on how much money you plan to spend, you couldn't have picked a better/worse time. There is new condo conversion going on all over the South Loop, Chinatown and Bridgeport areas. Lofts and condos are popping up all over those places and with them come slick restaurants, bars, coffee shops, etc. If you've got some deep pockets you can live in a great neighborhood. If you don't have that much money, you might have to settle for the yet-to-be-developed areas of those communities. Either way, none of them are too bad. South Loop used to be sleezy (flophouses, dingy bars, greasy spoons), but as I said, they're converting everything to condos. Chinatown used to be the place to live but only if you were elderly and Asian, but younger people are moving in and fancy restaurants are following. And Bridgeport used to be a rough area with a lot of tough Italian gangs (the Daley family is from there and so are a lot of "connected" guys). But it's being gentrified rapidly. All along Halsted street are condos and lofts, even art galleries. In fact, there is a big condo going on right on the intersection of 35th and halsted, which is the epicenter of Bridgeport. You're girlfriend shouldn't be too scared, but she should still be a little careful at night. Like I said, the neighborhoods are changing but they aren't completely yuppified yet. Canal and Archer is kinda out of the way. Not a lot of development there yet I don't believe. But it's pretty quiet. If you can, you should make a little weekend trip to the city and check it out for yourself, as well as take a look at other neighborhoods. But those areas changing so not sure what they are evolving into. As far as transportation, it depends on where she will be working. There's a bus line that runs along Archer Ave. all the way to downtown. It's pretty well used so there's always a lot of people on there. You may also be near the Orange Line train station (which also runs along Archer Ave.). The train and the bus run 24/7

12-22-2007, 12:21 AM	#3 (permalink)
thejoker0105 Newbie Join Date: Dec 22nd, 2007 Posts: 1	Canal and Archer is Chinatown. Great safe neighborhood, awesome culture, terrific food. You have access to 2 train lines in the area-Orange Line (at Halsted/Archer), Red Line (at Cermak-Chinatown). Youre not very far from the Museum Campus and youre about 10 mins south of the Loop. Im not sure about how many bars/clubs are in Chinatown...but youre like down the street from my favorite Chicago place of all--US Cellular Field. Welcome to Chicago!

12-22-2007, 01:16 AM	#4 (permalink)
Marc W Newbie Join Date: Dec 22nd, 2007 Posts: 1	Canal and Archer is very close to the heart of Chinatown (where Wentworth Avenue and Cermak meet) and close to the Red Line L stop. The area is pleasant enough, but gentrifying - in other words, there are some iffy areas in and around Cermak Avenue, but for the most part it's safe. Bridgeport (along Halsted near 35th) is the same thing - nice areas, but some iffy areas. Also, Bridgeport has this odd thing with not particularly liking outsiders, unlike Chinatown, which welcomes them. The South Side varies - the area around State Street north of Cermak is becoming very nice, but south of Cermak gets a little dicey in areas. So you'd really have to go and see, but Canal and Archer is relatively safe overall.

12-22-2007, 01:16 AM	#5 (permalink)
steffo Newbie Join Date: Dec 22nd, 2007 Posts: 1	yse, it's a relatively safe neiborhood. It's near White Sox Stadium, and can get congested during game days, but it's nice around there. Mayor Richard M Daly grew up around there, and up until a few years ago, still lived around there.

12-22-2007, 03:21 AM	#6 (permalink)
gingben Newbie Join Date: Dec 22nd, 2007 Posts: 1	I live in Bridgeport at 26th st and wallace. it is safe place to live.

12-22-2007, 03:21 AM	#7 (permalink)
Sunshine Newbie Join Date: Dec 22nd, 2007 Posts: 1	I live in Bridgeport and I love it. This is my first safe neighborhood that I have ever lived in. No gangs, no shooting. On one side of Halsted towards Lituanica Ave it is rough. The neighborhood looks run down. There is allot of section 8 buildings on that side. The other side of Halsted toward Emerald is very good. Very friendly people. Allot of moms walking around pushing their babies. Rent is relatively high. Its anywhere between $700-1200.