Subscribe: 
Each red dot on the above map represents a foreclosure filing in ZIP code 60629, encompassing parts of Chicago’s West Elsdon and West Lawn neighborhoods.
You can read more about the source and significance of the map at LISC Chicago’s New Communities Program site, and watch of video of Senator Dick Durbin explaining the import of it at a recent hearing on mortgage foreclosures at the Senator’s site.
Related posts:
{ 8 comments }
That’s Marquette Park Joe. No one has said anything good about Marquette Park since the mid-50s. There’s a lot of high-density housing, and the general malaise of the south side. It’s not a good situation, and the crime statistics support this.
uicstudent,
Only the southern and eastern parts of this map are Marquette Park. All of it’s within the areas I stated.
UIC Student,
there was plenty good to be said about “Chicago Lawn” or Marquette Park well past the 1950’s. It certainly had a well deserved reputation as having some issues regarding ‘race’, but overall was a decent area.
There is also not that much high density housing around there. Virtually all SFH, with some 2-3 flats. Now on main streets you do see buildings with more units, but even those tend to be 3 stories tall.
That area probably was only considered “high density” in the 50’s and 60’s when you would have seen some very large Catholic families around there.
As for the problems today they are real and getting worse.
Between 59th and 67th, California to Western, at least half of the “homes” are Apartment buildings.
Take a look at google maps streetview of the area in question. You’ll see plenty of boarded up buildings, lots of SFH, some 2 flats and even most of the apartment buildings you speak of are 2 stories tall. Most of the “units” may be in apartment buildings, but most of the buildings are SFH or 2 flats.
I know you like to “speak” in absolutes, but I guess it depends on the definition of “high density”. I think of high density as meaning highrises. This area I would call medium density.
If the CTA would run a new branch of the Orange Line down Western Avenue, it is clearly wide enough, it would help this area.
With all the boardups down there even calling it medium density might be generous.
IrishPirate,
When I first came to Chicago in the mid-70s I’d often go to Marquette Park to visit two elderly aunts who were nuns. One was an administrator at Holy Cross Hospital and the other taught at Maria High School.
Saying the area had “some issues regarding race” is equivalent to saying Hitler had “some issues regarding Jews.” As ugly a scene as I’ve ever seen.
Joe,
that’s a fair point. I should have stated it more strongly.
Okay, high-density is the wrong term and medium density fits better. Though I would bet that many of the medium-density apartments are higher-density now with the influx of Hispanics to the area and their extended families sharing the same roof. East of California is predominantly black, but west, you have a lot of Hispanics sharing. The majority of the blacks in the area are below the poverty line and because of that, I’m sure you’d find a lot more doubling up as well.
Comments on this entry are closed.