Woodlawn

Woodlawn is starting to become gentrified, but still maintains is essential Southside spirit. From the golf course to Daley's it has most if not all you are looking for. The area between the Metra and Greenline is ideal (east of Cottage Grove). The schools are concerning, but the Chicago Lab schools are walkable if you can get in and there is another UChicago charter school in the area. Recently a lot of $600K+ homes have been sold in the northeast area and things don't seem to be slowing down.

UChicago is currently building a south campus and the area may get a lot more undergrads, but for the time being it is very quiet with virtually no traffic. The area is patrolled by both the Chicago and UChicago police, so its very safe. The Obama Library and Tiger Woods golf course are soon to be built, so the neighborhood is adding some amenities outside of Robust Coffee. The current golf course isn't that bad in its current state and the beach along Jackson Park is also surprisingly nice. Woodlawn is great especially if you live north of 63rd and east of Cottage Grove. This is essentially the good part of East Woodlawn, but West Woodlawn will need some work. There is virtually no nightlife or great restaurants, but Daley's is amazing if you like a neighborhood diner feel. Though the green line doesn't have a proper station the train is always parked there with its doors open so you don't have to stand in the cold and wait for the train to leave.

Woodlawn is one of the best kept secrets of Chicago. If you look at the crime map, the access to the CTA, and housing prices its really a no brainer especially if you live north of 63rd or 65th street. There is a serious lack of restaurants and businesses here, but being on the green line pretty much solves that issue. There is a lot of new developments and modern condos going up right now in addition to a new grocery store and a bunch of hipster cafes. The public schools here are bad, but at least there are some exceptional private schools within walking distance. I currently live in a 6 unit condo where every unit is occupied by law or med students so its quite nice, business school students tend to live downtown. Crime isn't much of an issue, but it really helps that most of the neighborhood is within the UChicago police's extended patrol area, also explains all the grad students living in the area. I hope it stays affordable especially for the sake of the grad students.

I am a resident and property owner in in the eastern part of Woodlawn. My wife and I specifically picked out the area as it's affordable, quiet, and a good location for both of us in terms of work.

I agree with abramb who reviewed back in May of 2018 - the neighborhood has come a long way, and continues to be on that path. There is a very active community that is very involved in making it a great neighborhood. I think it is important to take serious the perspectives of those who actually live in Woodlawn, because too many see it from the outside - see a couple news reports - and totally write off a place. I too have never felt unsafe in my neighborhood - day time and night time.

Honestly, when you look at the crime it is of par with Hyde Park. I think what additionally may turn some off is the limited restaurant and shopping opportunities. Though personally, I view some of this as a benefit. We don't have to deal with the extra traffic, parking issues, and noise that comes from having a bustling "downtown" - like in Hyde Park. Also, we don't have to deal with ( at least not yet) Hyde Park home prices/property taxes/rent prices - yet we have easy access to Hyde Park amenities. Though I would like more grocery store options (the new Jewel on Cottage Grove is taking a while to be built).

Things that people who don't live in Woodlawn sometimes don't see are:
1. Bunch of little play parks for kids,
2. Number of community gardens where you can grow your own produce,
3. Home to the ONLY southside dog park - Jackson Bark,
4. Easy access to Jackson and Washington Park, close to the Museum of Science and Industry ,
5. 63rd street beach,
6. Metrosquash,
7. Southside YMCA,
8. Saturday Farmer's Market on 61st,
9. Two great locally owned coffee shops - Robust Coffee and Greenline Coffee
10. Great public transit access - CTA and the Metra (63rd Street stop)
11. La Rabida Children's Hospital.
12. Close to the South Shore Cultural Center
13. Easy access to Lake Shore Drive, and Lakeshore Trail for bikers and runners.

Lastly, returning to crime. I think unfortunately for some there is a level of prejudice, given that Woodlawn is predominately a Black neighborhood. I invite you to look up the stats for other neighborhoods that don't have the bad rap. For example, last year Logan Square had more burglary and robbery incidents than Woodlawn. Also, according to Trulia, Old Town had 62 robberies while East Woodlawn (which is a larger area) had 90.

I am giving Woodlawn five stars to help improve the average. Is it perfect? Definitely not. It is getting a lot better, though, ... and fast. I have lived here for 1 year owning a condo in the northeast quadrant. It's improving daily. You see it everywhere. A new Jewel Osco, a new Green Line station, a new U of Chicago Charter School, new coffee shops, a farmers market, new U of Chicago Dorms on 61st.

I have never felt unsafe here but you do need to be aware of your surroundings like a lot of neighborhoods of Chicago.

What I really like about Woodlawn is the strong community organizations and access to public transportation. Woodlawn has a lot of active community groups, nonprofits and corporate entities working to improve the neighborhood. There's 1Woodlawn, POAH, U of Chicago, The Obama Library, Blacks in Green, MetroSquash, etc. There is a lot of conversation happening about the future of the neighborhood. The conversation is helping from what I see.

Woodlawn has the Green Line, several convenient bus lines including the #2 Express Bus to downtown, and a Metra stop. On top of that, unlike a lot of Chicago neighborhoods, you can still buy an affordable home here with lots of space that comes with parking and does not come with a ridiculous HOA fee. The Logan Arts Center within Woodlawn with its cafe and free performances and events is also a very nice perk.

The South Side neighborhood of Woodlawn has made noticeable improvements in recent years, but it’s not quite there yet. Although it’s not as bad as Englewood (which is the worst of the worst in Chicago), it’s still not great. I don’t feel particularly safe in Woodlawn, but I also don’t feel as threatened as I would in Englewood. In spite of its checkered past, which includes being home to one of Chicago’s worst gangs, Woodlawn keeps trying to get better and is having some degree of success.

In that way, I have respect for the community leaders and residents of Woodlawn for refusing to give in to its past and continuing to strive for better. A focus on education is helping to improve schools slowly but surely, so I think the future of Woodlawn will certainly be better. Would I visit Woodlawn? Probably not because there really isn’t much going on for non-residents, but I do think there is a world of potential here.

I see Woodlawn as a neighborhood full of determination. Its spirit is undeniable, which is why I think it will eventually rise above its negative reputation and prove itself to be an important Chicago community. It just may take some time to get there.

Woodlawn has the University, but other than that there isn't much going on. The area, because of it's University feel offers reasonable housing and has a pretty active social life, but overall there is nothing going on that would make the masses run to the area. Because of it's college credentials the residents tend to be transient and don't really worry much about how the neighborhood looks and feels. It is doubtful that a group will suddenly come into Woodlawn and turn it into the new hip neighborhood to be in, but it isn't the worst you can find.

The area is rough and crime is not particularly uncommon. I wouldn't sit outside at 2am and have a cigarette, but I wouldn't feel the need to clutch my bag close to me at high noon either. There is talk that some improvement are coming, but there has been talk for years from what I understand and little has been done to improve the area. The eats are cheap, because of the college crowd, but mediocre at best and the shopping is basically non-existent. It would not be my first, second or third choice.