johnf36

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.