CHICAGO | General Developments

[Vlajos]

Originally Posted by LouisVanDerWright

Also, has anyone else seen the construction fencing that went up around the lot at Elston and North with all sorts of Sterling Bay Lincoln Yards branding on it? Brags about Bloomingdale Trail and Transportation Hub and "Jobs"... Must have been for Amazon...

Yeah, was at Vin Chicago over the weekend and was wondering about that.

[the urban politician]

Originally Posted by LouisVanDerWright

Awesome for Bronzeville. I also noticed the other day that someone broke ground on a new SFH in that cute little pocket of Victorian cottages just SE of Ogden and Western in Tri Taylor. Slowly starting to encroach on the IMD lands!

Tri-Taylor is another one to watch. It was just starting to see development before the Great Recession.

We will see if the evil gentrifiers return, or if the neighborhood will remain shitty and forlorn

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by LouisVanDerWright

Awesome for Bronzeville. I also noticed the other day that someone broke ground on a new SFH in that cute little pocket of Victorian cottages just SE of Ogden and Western in Tri Taylor. Slowly starting to encroach on the IMD lands!

There's been a number of new buildings permitted in the last year or so in Tri Taylor. There's an entire new block of homes on Grenshaw west of Campbell that was or is half way to some train tracks..and in the last few weeks a bunch new permitted to the tracks to fill it in. Also a few new retail buildings issued permits for around Damen and Ogden last week..some more here and there. They are in my map.

[KWillChicago]

Is that boom supposed to keep traveling south?

[mark0]

Originally Posted by marothisu

There's been a number of new buildings permitted in the last year or so in Tri Taylor. There's an entire new block of homes on Grenshaw west of Campbell that was or is half way to some train tracks..and in the last few weeks a bunch new permitted to the tracks to fill it in. Also a few new retail buildings issued permits for around Damen and Ogden last week..some more here and there. They are in my map.

Nice Map. What do you think about East Garfield?

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by mark0

Nice Map. What do you think about East Garfield?

My personal opinion is that EGP is decently located and has good public transport access in areas, and had some real nice building stock some places. At the same time, there has not been a ton of action in the form of new construction in the last few years. There has been some renovations but not as many as Bronzeville, Woodlawn, South Shore, and even parts of North Lawndale and Austin. I'm working on a map for this right now (2017 to present), but it's hard to pick out the actual renovations so it'll be a few more weeks until it's ready for viewing..

I personally like the location of egp, but at the same time I feel like it's an even larger work in progress than Bronzeville. I also feel like the image of Bronzeville is better now than a decade ago which makes people more open to living there, whereas egp has an image that's not necessarily as positive. I think Bronzeville has had at least decent PR in the last handful of years that EGP could take lessons from.

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by KWillChicago

Is that boom supposed to keep traveling south?

With the Obama Library coming up, I'd think so. We've seen a small amount of new construction in Woodlawn lately too and more renovations than you'd think. I've been keeping track of sales numbers from fall 2017 from realtor.com by month. South Shore is doing relatively a lot better than most people realize. I think it has beaten out areas like Lincoln Square. Not hard to see why...South Shore is a nice area in many residential areas. I think from that perspective, its one of the most underrated parts of town. Some people know that already. I'm sure more will figure it out once the Obama Library opens and some people start exploring Woodlawn and even South Shore.

[gebs]

I don't know if this article deserves to be on this forum, but I've read enough posts here hating on Dallas and Houston that I had to share:

Unoriginal 4th place Houston gets its own bean sculpture... whatever [Chicago Tribune]

Yeah, it's snarky and not newsworthy, but I was laughing throughout the entire read.

"Installed Monday outside the Glassell School of Art, Houston’s version of The Bean differs in one respect from Chicago’s: the uptight Texas bean is designed to stand upright, not lie on its side like the chill Illinois bean.

If being surrounded by a cultureless abyss insufficiently communicates to confused tourists that they are in Houston, the bean’s verticality will therefore act as an additional reminder of their poor life choices."

Burn.

[HomrQT]

Originally Posted by gebs

I don't know if this article deserves to be on this forum, but I've read enough posts here hating on Dallas and Houston that I had to share:

Unoriginal 4th place Houston gets its own bean sculpture... whatever [Chicago Tribune]

Yeah, it's snarky and not newsworthy, but I was laughing throughout the entire read.

"Installed Monday outside the Glassell School of Art, Houston’s version of The Bean differs in one respect from Chicago’s: the uptight Texas bean is designed to stand upright, not lie on its side like the chill Illinois bean.

If being surrounded by a cultureless abyss insufficiently communicates to confused tourists that they are in Houston, the bean’s verticality will therefore act as an additional reminder of their poor life choices."

Burn.

That's just sad. They seriously could not have put the time, effort and money towards something unique to themselves?

[Arm&Kedzie]

Originally Posted by mark0

Nice Map. What do you think about East Garfield?

I am renting in Logan Square and have been looking for a new place with more space. We looked in Humboldt Park and East Garfield Park. The decision was easy. Humboldt still has tons of deals and good space for the $$ and is close to Armitage and California ave Bars and Restaurants. The 606 and the Park are easily accessible from most of the neighborhood, and Wicker park shopping is a short bus ride down North ave. East Garfield Park, while having some nice properties tucked away on side streets... seems completely cut off from anything 'happening' in the city. Until Humboldt Park turns more into Logan Square and the United Center Area becomes a commercial district with quality of life amenities, I don't see East Garfield Park doing much. I think maybe the second half of the next big cycle will finally get there.

[the urban politician]

Originally Posted by Arm&Kedzie

I am renting in Logan Square and have been looking for a new place with more space. We looked in Humboldt Park and East Garfield Park. The decision was easy. Humboldt still has tons of deals and good space for the $$ and is close to Armitage and California ave Bars and Restaurants. The 606 and the Park are easily accessible from most of the neighborhood, and Wicker park shopping is a short bus ride down North ave. East Garfield Park, while having some nice properties tucked away on side streets... seems completely cut off from anything 'happening' in the city. Until Humboldt Park turns more into Logan Square and the United Center Area becomes a commercial district with quality of life amenities, I don't see East Garfield Park doing much. I think maybe the second half of the next big cycle will finally get there.

Come to Avondale! PM me if you want to check out some newly rehabbed apts

[Arm&Kedzie]

Originally Posted by the urban politician

Come to Avondale! PM me if you want to check out some newly rehabbed apts

Signed yesterday on a 3rd floor - 2 bedroom 1300 s.f. place on North Ave directly across from Humboldt park for only $1600/mo. Just underwent a full gut rehab and has a free gated parking spot.

[left of center]

Originally Posted by Arm&Kedzie

Until Humboldt Park turns more into Logan Square and the United Center Area becomes a commercial district with quality of life amenities, I don't see East Garfield Park doing much. I think maybe the second half of the next big cycle will finally get there.

EGP's future growth will come from gentrification coming in from the east. But the booming West Loop will always be confined to the east side of Ashland unless the United Center parking lots are redeveloped into something that brings residents and activity to the major east-west arteries, Madison in particular. The neighborhood is too bombed out and without adequate anchors (such as cultural sites, hip retail or congregating spots like restaurants and bars) for development to jump over the parking lots. The land north of Lake is all industrial, and 290 forms a southern barrier, so really the lots are the only outlet for development to move west.

As for Humboldt Park (rather East Humboldt Park), its already seeing quite a bit of new residential development, with a good number of bars and restaurants along California and North Ave. The progress will continue because its too close to Wicker Park for it not to. Price pressure alone is pushing people outwards from there, and for the longest time it was northwest along the blue line. The blue line shifts over to the median of the Kennedy Expressway after the Logan stop however, and the neighborhoods northwest of Logan don't look as attractive to the young crowd as compared to EHP, with its proximity to Wicker, Bucktown, and short commute to the Loop.

[Steely Dan]

Originally Posted by left of center

The blue line shifts over to the median of the Kennedy Expressway after the Logan stop however

Don't forget about the belmont stop. The first expressway median stop isn't until addison.

[IrishIllini]

I think it'll gentrify, but the commute to/from East Humboldt Park is neither short nor convenient in my experience. Traffic gets bad on North, Division, and Chicago. If only the North Avenue branch of the modern blue line had survived...we'll never get that back.

[left of center]

^ The problem with the old Humboldt Park branch was that it was just a short segment that terminated on a minor street (St. Louis Ave IIRC). If they had extended to to at least Pulaski (as was the original intent, and eventually further west than that) then it could have probably been a viable line that would have survived to the present. It also faced competition with the busy North Ave streetcar line. Unfortunate that's also gone as well.

[the urban politician]

I usually try to buy property within a reasonable walk (no more than 10 min) from a transit stop because as you go further west in West Town, the lack of an L stop becomes a hindrance. I have something out in Ukrainian Village that has sometimes posed a problem getting renters for this reason.

[the urban politician]

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

Don't forget about the belmont stop. The first expressway median stop is addison.

Exactly. Really Avondale is where the gentrification wave ends in the northwesterly direction.

[LouisVanDerWright]

Originally Posted by the urban politician

Come to Avondale! PM me if you want to check out some newly rehabbed apts

Come to Little Village and rent an even cooler apartment with cathedral ceilings and stained glass from the 1880s... Oh wait those sold out in a week even at Humboldt Park/Avondale rents...

[ardecila]

Originally Posted by left of center

EGP's future growth will come from gentrification coming in from the east. But the booming West Loop will always be confined to the east side of Ashland unless the United Center parking lots are redeveloped into something that brings residents and activity to the major east-west arteries, Madison in particular. The neighborhood is too bombed out and without adequate anchors (such as cultural sites, hip retail or congregating spots like restaurants and bars) for development to jump over the parking lots. The land north of Lake is all industrial, and 290 forms a southern barrier, so really the lots are the only outlet for development to move west.

The Kinzie Corridor is actually the key, IMO. You've already got hipster businesses like Metric Coffee and Rhine Hall west of Damen now, and even places like Chicago Flyhouse (trapeze/fly rig gym for actors) all the way at Sacramento. Not to mention many breweries (and Intelligentsia) between Ashland/Damen. The more these businesses grow in the Kinzie Corridor, the more people will want to live in surrounding neighborhoods.

To the extent that production facilities can also be neighborhood anchors - breweries, coffee roasters, distilleries that serve what they produce - it will make these areas more attractive to higher-earning tenants.