i lived in rogers park for almost 2 years on marshfield, about 4 houses away from jonquil and i just have to say, be careful in that neighborhood..... we would look out the window almost every night in the summertime and see cops arresting kids, gang violence including watching people get mugged and beat up, shootings and many drivebys, garbage being thrown out of cars, drug purchasing (on one occasion we even gave the cops plate numbers and still nothing was done to arrest the little neighborhood felons that lived next door to us), we would look into our alley and see dumpsters lit on fire, we never could find a place to park after 9 pm, my boyfriend got a gun pulled on him one time, and he had to meet me at the howard red line every night to walk me home from work because i would get harrassed.
we even talked to joe moore about it and he had very shady politically correct answers to say ...like "go to the caps meetings..."
in about a year and a half of living there and calling the police on so many occasions and being annoyed during all hours of the night because the kids/gangs ruled the streets, we moved. and as much as i love rogers park for the diversity and the restaurants (luzzat and ethiopian diamond are our favorites!), i can finally get a good nights sleep without hearing sirens and gunshots.
Added Jul 07 2011
So...what was the point of this post? I think you could replace any Chicago neighborhood in this post, and it would be accurate. Look at the news...mobs beating up individuals in Streeterville, mobs beating up individuals in Boystown/Lakeview, toddlers almost getting abducted at North Beach Ave.
Stay inside! Carry a gun! Don't live in Chicago! I'm trying to stay within the boundaries of being respectful, but I'm not quite sure this helps community members or even prospective community members.
You make Rogers Park sound much worse than it really is. I don't doubt some of your experiences, but their frequency sounds a bit over the top. Those of us who live in Rogers Park know what goes on and of course their are some bad pockets, but that's every neighborhood in Chicago. Most, in fact, are much worse. You must have mived to the suburbs, because I don't believe you could find a better neighborhood than Rogers Park.
well everyday i get posts about shootings and should i move to rogers park etc...? this is my response... and i have lived all over chicago and i never felt like i was watching the show "cops" outside my window. maybe all the people who hear gunshots and see the violence should actually call the lousy alderman everytime and annoy him so he'll actually get off his fat hiney and do something for a change. why is howard street so messed up and why doesnt he care? why is there never parking? why is it ok to have garbage everywhere and feel unsafe? this is NOT an average chicago neighborhood... maybe its equivalent to the southside.
well jonquil and marshfield is an extremely bad pocket indeed. and all i said is true... if you dont believe me, walk from the howard stop to there... and i moved to st thomas, virgin islands actually:") i would never live in the burbs!
Just for the record- that is THE WORST place you could have chosen to live in RP. There are many fine areas in RP. Also for the record- Joe Moore is useless. I could write pages upon pages about what a horrible Alderman he is. But I wont.
@Neighbor--Understand that people post comments about aberrations in the neighborhood. In fact, that's why they're posted, because they're unusual. You'll find that on any everyblock neighborhood in Chicago and most major cities. If you look at the statistics, Rogers Park is one of the safest neighborhoods in Chicago, if not the safest. If you didn't want to watch a cops show, then perhaps you should have moved to a better spot in Rogers Park. How do you know that Joe Moore doesn't care? What could he do about parking? I hate the garbage too, but you won't find a neighborhood in Chicago where litter is not a problem. You're ridiculous if you want to compare Rogers Park to the southside in general.
I don't understand why you would go on an old neighborhood board to complain when you don't even live here. It's for neighbors.
well i moved about a month ago and i still get the crime updates and i thought i'd put in my two cents because i can and its valid. sorry that you dont want to hear it but its true.
http://travel.usatoday.com/cruises/post/2010/07/shooting-death-of-cruiser-in-st-thomas-comes-as-killings-on-island-soar/99978/1...murder in St Thomas. Glad I didnt move there!
It's good that someone tells it as it is. The typical reactions to these problems try to be politically correct but that is nothing more than an illusion. Rogers Park has gotten worse and not better under the uninspiring leadership of Joe Moore.
@neighbor__Your two cents isn't worth anything. You should unsubscribe to Rogers Park updates.
once again, glad i moved!
maybe you're one of the problems jesse, not very enlightened nor open minded neighbor i'd say.... i was just telling my story there, to not admit it is just burying your head in the sand. maybe people like you who are passionate for change should do something about it and not be angry on a message board over someones experience.
Jesse only offers the typical "hot head" denial response and nothing of any real value. Is that the best he can do?
@Neighbor--My head is not buried in the sand. I've seen a lot of bad things in Rogers Park, but more out of it. You make it sound as if your experiences are typical of all of Rogers Park and they are not. And for your information, I do play my part in change. I devote about 20 hours a week as a volunteer at a local college tutoring ESL and ABE, while going to school AND working a job. Don't lecture me on taking action.
We're all so proud of you, Jesse. Now, moving on to important things........
right, well dont tell me what to do please mr "i dont like what im hearing". its my experience and i can share it anywhere i want, its your call to tune in or tune out.
I don't think anything posted content-wise here is out of the ordinary when it comes to anonymous message boarding. I do think that 'glad I moved' as a subject line was probably meant more to get reactions than to provide anything useful, and it definitely accomplished that. Had the same content been stated in a post whose subject was: 'Be wary of living next Jonquil and Kenmore...' and then followed-up with stories/facts/instances/anecdotes of why someone would be wary, this would not have gotten off-topic.
If your point was to inform others that Rogers Park may not be the best place to live based on your experiences, you got your point across, albeit in a less than intelligent way, and in a way that could easily be construed as directly slighting people who currently have chosen to live there or those who are reaching out and plan to. It's easy for people to feel miffed when someone says the place you live in is not a good place to live.
With the internet providing anything you wish to find, it's easy to just validate statements with a link to a URL, like this one, that states that crime in the Virgin Islands, particularly St. Croix and St. Thomas, are fairly high. http://www.vimovingcenter.com/island_living/crime.php
"fairly high" considering the amount of people living on an island means like a handful compared to chicago. not concerned. and i once again, loved my apartment being huge and loved the restaurants but hated the neighborhood. its just my opinion and its mine to express. you can like it or not. i dont care.
I'm pretty sure 'fairly high' refers to rate not absolute number. Therefore, if the rate is high and the population is low your chance at being a crime victim is thus more likely relative to a higher population. Given you are on an island makes the likelihood you are closer to someone who would commit a crime even more likely. I'm no crime island statistician, though.
not concerned at all. this island is lovely and super friendly! loves it!
You are absolutely 100% incorrect. You are right, you are no statistician. You couldn't have been more wrong logically.
Hey everyone, just a reminder about our comment policy. http://www.everyblock.com/about/comment-policy/
Thanks.
I am sorry for your problems, but I can't help but wonder if you couldn't have discovered these problems before you moved in. I look at places in that area, and to me, it as apparent that it was not as safe an area as I wanted.
Richard D., I think this was the purpose of the original post ... so that others do not put themselves in a dangerous situation that neighbor did.
And .. for those who consistently excuse the issues in our community including crime, corruption, poverty and violence by saying "It's the city, deal with it" or "It's the Chicago Way".. you are part of the problem, not the solution.
There is not room for this kind of behavior in Rogers Park, even if it has been this way for about 20 years.
@Damen Morse Division-- I feel like a complete A$$. I was reading your last comment while walking on the way to work from my phone and not only did I think it was from Neighbor, I also misread it. Not all of it showed up on my phone. I wish I knew how to delete my own last comment. I am so sorry for my tone. And Becca I apologize if I crossed the line. It won't happen again.
Thanks for apologizing, Jesse.
Well two years isnt that long, I wouldnt have expected alot of changes in that area in two years. If you cant handle the heat then get out of the kitchen.
I see that the exercise stations in the Triangle Park are up and look awesome. North of Howard is still Rough, but nothing like it used to be, some buildings need to turn over to be sure, just like Reside on Morse building used to be the pits, 2 four plus ones were emptied out and repurposed, thats 110 units, it happened in 2008, what a difference that made with Morse.
Same thing needs to happen on Howard and Jonquil and Juneway.
Takes time.
I have noticed that the people going to the Dominicks on Howard has improved dramatically as the new Apt dwellers at the new Luxury APT building on the Evanston side of Howard have moved in. So while one person will kvetch and complain, there are many in that area that are pleasantly surprised by the improvements.
The improvements will continue, You have the EL, The LAKE,
proximity to NW and Loyola, an emerging retail area on Howard.
Jeff,
Just curious, what does "2 four plus ones" mean?
Thanks
I live at Glenwood & Albion while my girlfriend lives at Paulina & Jonquill and I must say the differences between the areas are night & day.
I've spent a lot of time at her place and the things I have seen have literally been mind blowing. For example just the other day I looked out my alley window to see a kid squatting next to the telephone poll and leaving me a nice odor blowing into my bedroom. This is on top of numerous urination's i have witnessed and "heard" as well. Publicly urinating during mid day on a public sidewalk says a whole heck of a lot about a community IMO.
Of course there is all the normal activity such as drug exchanges, gun shots, fights, ridiculously loud screaming, littering etc.
All in all this place is a dump and the people who live there don't care so it will stay a dump. Progress doesn't need to take 20+ years to show positive signs. Every time I walk down a city street I pick up liter and even sort out the recyclables. This is not a complicated thing to do, but in all my years (33) living in this city I have only seen maybe 1 or 2 other people who could be bothered to do the same.
Obviously this does not represent all of Rogers Park as like I said earlier I too live there and in my area there is only a fraction of these problems. I am doing everything I can to make sure she gets out of that place ASAP for the betterment of herself and her daughter. In fact we are leaving the wretched city altogether.
i do have to say, sorry for the uproar. i do miss certain things about living there.. my apartment was huge and awesome and i miss the restaurants etc... but i personally talked to the "alderman" and the police on many occasions to seeing nothing happen. ive seen the police call the little neighborhood drug dealers names too boot. im just saying that area of rogers park is totally messed up but my old apt is for sale if you want an awesome apt with a view of crime at night-
http://www.redfin.com/IL/Chicago/7714-N-Marshfield-Ave-60626/home/12702707
@Nolen
http://forgottenchicago.com/features/defining-the-four-plus-one/
@Neighbor- you couldn't pay me to live at that intersection, but $109,000 is pretty cheap for a 3 bedroom/2 bath with garage parking, central air, low taxes and a $95/month assessment fee. If only that area was a bit safer...
It was bought in 2004 for $280,000 and sold in 2009 for $50,000. It does look very nice, looks like they just rehabbed the entire place,
Thanks Chris...never knew those buildings had a name.
@neighbor, I don't mean to pile on, but seriously... I am amazed that anyone would rent an apartment let alone buy a condo anywhere without spending some time in the area to see how things are. Walk around, talk to people, both day and night. It is called due diligence and you shouldn't blame your neighbors if you don't like what you find after you've made an investment.
@ Nolen- Me neither- I had to look it up. I love Chicago history. My dad loves to tell me stories about Howard Ave back in the Late '40s and '50's.
@matt, i was a renter in this condo, my landlord is the one who is trying to sell it. the condo is gorgeous, just the neighborhood is unsafe.
I lived on Howard and it was scary, but as long as I was with my husband it was ok. You keep to yourself. I drive through there everyday and the remodeled Howard station and Dominick's made it look better.
RP closer to Loyola is a lot better.