I moved here in 2007 & I love the area & feel very safe. I live in the 5th Ward, which also includes some of Hyde Park. Food for thought: South Shore is the largest community in Chicago & is divided into 3 Wards: 5th, 7th(including South Works) & 8th. So this one community is divided into 3 wards with 3 different alderman; no other community in Chicago is in 3 different wards. Those 3 wards also include other adjoining communities. So is this elevated crime occurring in one of the wards, in which this community is mapped or 2 out of 3 wards , or all 3 wards ? So to say that Southshore “isn’t a super safe place to visit or live” &/or “the ‘crime rate is a bit elevated” is blanket statement, similar to saying Chicago “isn’t a super safe place to visit or live” &/or “the ‘crime rate is a bit elevated”, hence “Chiraq”. There are areas struggling with ecomonic blight in every city, especially Chicago, but that does not make an entire community a bad place or crime ridden. I also lived “pre-gentrification” in South Loop, Wicker Park, West Town, along with Brooklyn (Bay Ridge) & Harlem, NYC. Prior to gentrification the consensus was those were crime ridden communities with nothing to offer, occupied by immigrants & people of color. Also, when I lived on the “North Shore”, in the mid- 1990’s people were being carjacked on the Edens. My Point is, If you want an honest answer regarding crime, please check out the Chicago Police Department crime maps post on the CPD website. My advice is to be smart , aware of your surroundings & not place yourself in potentially dangerous situations regardless of where you are in the city of Chicago or anywhere you find yourself in the world.
