Quote: (08-28-2014 04:00 PM)jamaicabound Wrote:
Quote: (08-28-2014 01:26 PM)thirty-six Wrote:
@ Jamaicabound
Are you still looking in Pilsen? What kind of building are you looking for?
I really like the area around 18th and Ashland though I'm open to areas. Preferably as far east as western as possible as it seems the closer to western the worse the area.
As far as SFH, duplex, apartment building, etc. I'm really pretty open just looking for a good deal. I wouldn't be opposed to say a small retail sotrefront with a few apartments above it or would even get a condo if they were desirable and association dues weren't too high. Basically planning on renting it for a year or two, maybe moving there myself for a year or two after that and then continuing to have it as a rental. I'm hoping the area continues to get hipsters moving in as much as I'm not a fan of hipsters lol and property values rise so I'm not only making money on rent and building equity but hopefully property values rise as well.
Just out of curiosity you have any thoughts about area near united center? people always say its gonna be nicer its gonna be nicer but its super hood and personally I don't see it getting any better in the near future.
18th and Ashland is real solid. I like Pilsen. I think it's been "up and coming" for about the last ten years, really. I remember hanging out down there 7-8 years ago and it was already a hip spot. So it's not like it's a hidden gem, but these neighborhoods can easily take like 20 years or more to gentrify, and I think it will remain on the upswing.
As for around the United Center it really depends. It can be a game of inches (or blocks) sometimes. It's been hood forever and if you go west, forget about it. You've got the old 'jects right there on Damen from Van Buren to Adams. Everything over to Western and up to Lake is not where I'd want to be. You've got the Kinzie industrial corridor just north of all that. No thanks. But if you go East it's a different story.
Take a ride down Jackson from Ashland to Laflin, that one block, and you're not going to believe it. You're probably not going to be able to buy there either, because it's baller status brownstones with wrought iron in front and trees lining both sides that hang over the street--real picturesque. Go north from there up to Union Park, and you can head up Ogden all the way to the tracks and you'll find cool places and nice spots to live.
It's all about your vibe, too. If you're a young player, you've got bars and restaurants, nightclubs, places to see live shows, hip spots sprinkled all around. Not so sure if it's a place to settle down with a family. So, in my opinion I think staying east of the UC in the neighborhood between Ashland and Halsted is a much better bet than staying right on MJ's ass. It will still be a little gritty, no question, but that can be part of the appeal, too.