Even in the 70s, Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood was dealing with a multitude of housing issues.
1974 news footage from WBBM Channel 2, documents the North Side neighborhood’s struggle with rampant building code violations and widespread abandoned properties; including a building at 4045 North Kenmore Avenue (pictured above), which no longer exist.
At the time, community leaders were addressing the difficulties and the rising cost of insuring “slum buildings”.
Photo and video courtesy of FuzzyMemories.TV.
It's an area "in transition." Just like Wicker Park is really coming along. A real estate agent took me to Uptown AND Wicker Park 15 years ago in an effort to get me to buy some good "long-term" property. As soon as he got me back to my car, he was fired!
ReplyDeleteThey've improved the housing stock. Dilapidated buildings torn down and condos built. However, all the Section 8 and halfway homes have produced problems of their own. Uptown has been sold as an up and coming place for maybe the last twenty years. It might have come to pass, having a nice location, but the kind of people the government brought in made sure it wouldn't happen.
ReplyDeleteThey should rename Uptown to Bumtown, and Wicker Park to Hipster Park. Then annoying people will know where they should live.
ReplyDeletePhoebe's Agent - that realtor didn't pull you by the ear over there. He showed you numerous listings in different areas that you were interested in on your $2.59 hipster wannabe budget and that's what you chose to see. So you settled for a cage to rent or buy in Rogers Park, Edgewater or Uptown thinking you'd try to be a hipster there, didn't fit in (or your "artist" career didn't take off) and you are still unhappy.
ReplyDeleteMy bets are the realtor ditched you.
Whenever someone hears "up & coming," they need to realize it's code for, "shitty now, but probably won't get worse."
ReplyDeleteI've told realtors more than once I don't want to buy somewhere "up & coming," but rather I will spend my money in areas that have already arrived. Call me once Uptown has "come up." I won't be holding my breath for that call.
When I was planning my relocation to Chicago, my connection here told me that Uptown was a great place to live and was "turning around" and in the same breath said his 2 gay friends just "FINALLY sold their condo and were so glad to get out". He lived here his entire life and got us lost in Cicero too. Thank God for GPS.
ReplyDeleteI took a look at "turning around" Uptown and decided it had alot more spinning to do.
Use your own best judgement. So Glad I Know.
Uptown won't turn around unless the numerous apartment buildings are torn down and single family homes are built in their place. Single family homes are easier to get a loan for than condos. There are only so many available condo buyers in the market and they are choosing trendier areas.
ReplyDeleteI see by the counter on the lower right that you've passed 2 million pageviews.
ReplyDeleteCongrats, CNR, keep up the good work!!
CNR's Faithful Followers, thank you for noticing! I started to make a deal about it, but I changed my mind. :-)
ReplyDeletei lived next door on kenmore, my first apartment out of college - i could see the aragon brawl-room from my balcony, $425 for a one-bedroom that included head. i grew a big bud tree in my bedroom window and used to sit with my homeboys on the porch watching the police take down the crack dealers at rockwell and lawrence. once, when my landlord wouldn't finish the job of replacing my fridge (he left it on my back porch), we did him a favor and threw it over the 3rd floor balcony! ahhhh - the good old days. once i was sitting on the sidedoor stoop of the aragon listening to the live pantera show i didn't have the cash flow for, and ran home real quick to grab sumptin sumptin, and when i got back, found out security let all the folks hanging out by that door into the show, but i missed it 'cause i left?!?!?! oh well, the breaks - that was before they fixed the lawrence platform even :) :)
ReplyDeleteWere social service agencies putting their loonie tunes in Uptown in the 1970s?
ReplyDelete