In our quest to find a neighborhood that was affordable and still offered a decent amount of space, my husband and I ventured to Woodlawn.
We’d heard that there were lots of condo conversion projects going on in the neighborhood and we liked the fact that it was close to stunning Jackson Park where we could walk our imaginary dog, play tennis when we learned how and just generally chill out.
So one afternoon we caught the el from our respective offices (he works in the Loop, I work on the North Side, not far from Lincoln Park) to check out some townhomes on 61st Street. I got off the train at Cottage Grove, I think, from memory, and walked the long blocks back to 61st Street.
It took me more than one and a half hours to get to my destination; not my idea of the ideal commute. As I walked the long blocks to 61st Street I noticed that there was little lighting and few shops, and I wasn’t sure how comfortable I would feel making the trek after dark. As I walked past a bunch of locals, one remarked: “Damn, it’s Rocket Girl.” I was later informed that Rocket Girl is some kind of fruit-loving videogame
ass-kicker whose main weapon appears to be an oversized strawberry.
My husband met me with, “So how was the walk from the station? Apparently I look like a newsreader from CNN.”
We checked out the townhouse. It was cheaply-made and although it was on three levels, the bottom level was basically the garage and a small powder room.
There are definitely some bargains for young homebuyers in Woodlawn: We’d heard that there were three-bedroom new-construction and converted condos in Woodlawn selling for the same price as two-bedroom condos elsewhere.
I’d also heard that the University of Chicago planned to expand its south campus and that it might bring the shops and restaurants that the neighborhood desperately lacks. But I was hungry right there and then. So we said goodbye to Woodlawn and caught a taxi home.