Living in Downtown Chicago?

Question

What are prices in downtown Chicago these days, for residential real estate? I've heard the poor are moving out of the city entirely to Chicagoland as that's all they can afford? Are there any remnants of the old city left or is Chicago a different place than it was in the eighties?

Answer 1

yes, it is different since the Robert taylor homes, Cabrini Green and other housing projects have been torn down.

You want retro?  Try Brighton Park, McKinley Park, Bridgeport.  Canaryville used to be but they gentrified it also.

Answer 2

There's "downtown" and there's the neighborhoods downtown. Two different livign areas. Many of the areas outside of downtown have many affordable residences. The area INSIDE downtown is pretty expensive; very few rental units, mostly condos. It's expensivve because you're living close to where you more than likely work and are close to the major entertainment. Outside of downtown, there are plenty of places where you can find a decent one or two bedroom for anywhere from $650 to $900 a month. Are there neighborhoods being "rennovated" and turned into condos? Sure. But lots of the "old city" still remains, though I'm not sure what that means.

Answer 3

No the poor aren't moving out of the city, they're just being pushed as far away from downtown as possible.  Ten years ago neighborhoods like Cabrini Green, Logan Square, Pilsen and Wicker Park were some of the worst neighborhoods in the city...especially Cabrini Green which borders both Old Town and Lincoln Park.

But Cabrini has been the slowest of those neighborhoods to turn over.  Logan Square, especially the old mansions along the Blvd are not affordable to most people in the area.  Wicker Park is sort of affordable, but now full of "Art College Douche-Bags" who seem to stay out until 4am and not work the next day.  Pilsen is going to be taken over by University Village and people with money who grew out of the lifestyle in Wicker Park...

Cabrini Green on the other hand, give it a good 20 years.

But basically if the neighborhood is like 15 minutes from downtown, it's getitng a face lift, and all of the poor people are getting pushed to the extreme north side of the city, or the south burbs.