More Space Than Some Single Family Homes: 4630 N. Drake in Albany Park
This 3-bedroom vintage unit at 4630 N. Drake in Albany Park was originally built during the height of a prior housing boom: 1927.
The size of the unit, 1750 square feet, is also reflective of the kind of apartments that were built during the time period. Families were expected to live there.
This unit seems to have all the bells and whistles. It has central air, an in-unit washer/dryer and a parking space.
It also has a fireplace, skylights and built in book shelves.
The listing says the property is just a few blocks from the Brown Line El stop.
Susan Wagner at Rubloff has the listing. See the pictures and a virtual tour here.
See the property’s website here.
Unit #3S: 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, 1750 square feet
- Sold in July 2000 for $183,000
- Sold in September 2002 for $265,000
- Listed in June 2009 for $289,000 (parking included)
- Currently listed for $289,000 (parking included)
- Assessments of $193 a month
- Taxes of $2818
- Central Air
- Washer/Dryer in the unit
- Bedroom #1: 14×13
- Bedroom #2: 12×11
- Bedroom #3: 11×7
- Living room: 20×17
- Family room: 14×13
- Kitchen 13×13
I know some folks hate this, but:
How did the ’02 seller get $265 for this place after paying only $183 2 years before?
Nice looking place, but the location is so-so. And the maple cabinets in the kitchen look out of place.
A condo in this hood isn’t worth $289K regardless of size. A similarly sized SFH at this price would be a stretch.
Well, at least its marginally safer than a SFH in this hood
“A condo in this hood isn’t worth $289K regardless of size.”
The 2/2 garden unit–1500 SF–is also listed–for $224k.
I actually live 2 blocks north of this unit. If you take public trans into town, you’re close to the Brown line here. If this unit is like mine, the parking spot is in a garage. Also, if this rehab is like mine, the storage area will be pretty big.
Albany Park condos in general are larger here than in a lot of neighborhoods. In that sense, you do get a lot for your money in AP. Crime here is lower than you think- certainly lower than Logan Square/Humbolt/Wicker/etc.
Obvious downsides would be lack of interesting things to walk to. Lack of shopping short of dollar stores. “Just Butch” is the only bar within walking distance.
I dont know if this hood has changed in the past 7 years, but its not great if you walk everywhere. And Roosevelt HS really doenst attract stellar students. I would like to tell a few stories of what happened to me in this “hood” back in the day, but it may not be relevant if the “hood” has changed since then.
The size is nice, 3rd bedroom is small but for the price i would rather get a single family home with an unfinished basmemnt for 50k less in a slightly better hood. yes its right by the brown line there is a $5 dollar hair cut place on montrose and kimball. yippe!!!!!!!
“a single family home with an unfinished basmemnt for 50k less in a slightly better hood”
Where are these $240k SFHs in better-than-AP city ‘hoods?
“Where are these $240k SFHs in better-than-AP city ‘hoods?”
look west you can get a nice starter home over by addison/belmont and cicero still not a good hood and you will be car dependant, but you will get a garage a big yard the same crappy schools same crappy dollar stores with walgreens thrown in the mix.
but thats apple’s and oranges comparing SFH to condo’s
West of Cicero by Belmont/Addison/Irving is like foreclosure central for the north side; look up the ‘deals’ in RedFinso many shortsales and foreclosures. But you’re right, if you’re going to live in a crappy area and be car dependent you might as well get a SFH for your money.
Groove77:
The hood has changed a little bit. I’ve seen incremental changes in the 6 years I’ve lived in AP. I’ve seen more and more professional types moving into the neighborhood, walking with me to the El in the morning & night, etc. I routinely walk home from work late & after dark, and have yet to have a problem. But, I’ll admit there are still some problems & dicey spots around.
And, sadly, you’re right about Roosevelt High School not attracting stellar students. However, the $5 haircut places you’re thinking of are closer to Montrose & Kimball – an area considerably more dicey than Lawrence & Kimball.
As a loyal reader of “secondcitycop” blog, I’ve concluded that there aren’t many “safe” Chicago neighborhoods anymore. Seems that gang activity is present nearly everywhere, that patrol cops are demoralized and less likely to pro-actively monitor their beats, and that street-crime and burglaries have increased significantly, even in traditionally “cop” neighborhoods like Jefferson Park, Mount Greenwood, and Edison Park. Tribune and Suntimes are consistently under-reporting crime – just compare their coverage of this year’s Taste of Chicago versus “secondcitycop” coverage of actual problems and crime occurrences.
We lived in Edgewater (west of Broadway/north of Ridge) ten years ago, attracted by the supposed “gentrification” that had already proceeded us. Our block looked nice, though we had two decrepit houses immediately adjacent to our home. (Still in decrepit condition today) We had a drug dealer house on the block, two apartment buildings damaged by fires, plus the teenager next door set fire to the other neighbor’s garage (destroying garage, two cars, and vinyl siding of adjacent house), regular street muggings, random gunfire noise, speeding cars down our narrow one-way street, etc. Two burglaries occurred at our building, both in daytime shortly after tenant left unit, w/very fit burglar climbing in transom window over kitchen door. After our children were born, we realized that our kids could never “just play outside” – because too much was occurring immediately outside. So much for urban living. Our friends who still live there note that nothing has changed, that is, nothing has improved. Drug dealers regularly hang out at Armory and Thorndale El stop, Senn kids still litter there way back and forth from school, and street crime continues unabated despite an active block group.
We moved to Oak Park, which truthfully is not much better regarding street crime and burglaries. I’d like to move back to Chicago, but can’t find the “safe neighborhood”, much less with reasonably affordable but nice quality single-family housing for a two-income household. Lincoln Park doesn’t meet my definition of “affordable”, nor does Lake View or North Center – a $800,000 house doesn’t fit description. I’m scanning the realtor sites daily, and obviously reading this blog too.
Architect, if you live in Oak Park and think crime is bad, then the only hope for you is probably moving way out to bumblestank. I hear Vermont and Maine and pretty crime free.
Oak Park has a fair share of urban crimes – yes, someone will steal your shit if you leave your garage door open like they will in most urban environs. However, Oak Park hardly has littered covered streets, significant gang activity (unless you count hordes of well to do teenagers making a ruckus at the Lake Street theatre a gang), and others types of crimes we regularly read about that take place east of Austin avenue.
Russ you need to go visit some of the “more interesting” parts of Oak Park then… Its not all Frank Lloyd Wright homes and 1 acre lots.
HD,
“West of Cicero by Belmont/Addison/Irving is like foreclosure central for the north side”
the foreclosures are insane in that area, i am a little south west of that. i go through that area on my jog and my hood and the cicero hood i see a lot of boarded up windows and for sale signs. i think my hood has more forclosures, (hence the reason i havent moved, cant compete with forclosure pricing).
rk,
I remember north of Lawrence being nice, is korinos pizza still there and the shoe store “rave”? the AP hood sounds like it got better if you feel safe walking around, the gang over there is the “Stones” i have been jumpped by them a few times but that was back in my younger years one time one of the gang bangers jacked me with brass knuckles over by kedzie, left a nice mark and a good concussion. but like i said that was like 17 years ago.
Architect,
dont read the cop blogs, dude that will freak you out so much you may never leave your house. Every city will have crime, every city will have gangs. even edgebrook had gang bangers. its a part of “urban living”, but there are some areas better than others. I lived in chicago my whole life, in many hoods around the city (except 2 years for college) and most hoods dont scare me that much. but there are a few that i will always stay away from. the “Wild Hundreds”, Albany Park, that whole Edgewater/Uptown/Rodgers park area. I love the mix of culture and race in Edgewater/Uptown/Rodgers Park, but it is that mix and all the rentals condensed into a small area that gets me.
I love Oak Park/River forest area the house’s have soul. even if some of the residents dont 🙂 it is surrounded by the bad part of austin and Maywood so i can see crime still being close to chicago. I feel your pain, i dont want to leave chicago at all but with the little one playing outside on his own and with not having enough $$$$$ or political connections to move into a good school district. Seriously there are only three good CPS grade schools in chicago that you dont have to test into and now good high schools that you dont have to test into. oriole park school is really good but even that hood is getting worse!!! Lincoln Park, come on if i have the cash to live in the Lincoln elementary district why wouldnt i just send the shorty to private school? Whats an average guy to do?
Well here i come naperville, my new honda odyssey minivan is on back order, cant wait for my new house with attached garage that looks like every house on the block, i will cover all my wife’s tattoo’s, my idea of arts and culture will be a sundance movie shown at AMC 30, and all independent thought will be packed in the attic. Oh naperville your calling me!!!!!!!!! (wow that was harsh)
I thought Russ lives in Oak Park, so he just might be familiar with it.
I recently heard someone complain about a big YOY jump in Oak Park crime, especially burglaries and armed robberies. Anecdotal, but they referred to crime stats.
“Well here i come naperville, my new honda odyssey minivan is on back order, cant wait for my new house with attached garage that looks like every house on the block, ”
LMAO! I used to have a coworker who lived in Naperville who drove a Honda Odyssey. Dude would always talk about how great the Naperville schools are (like I care) and try to deny that his 450k house had declined in value.
“Well here i come naperville, my new honda odyssey minivan is on back order, cant wait for my new house with attached garage that looks like every house on the block, i will cover all my wife’s tattoo’s, my idea of arts and culture will be a sundance movie shown at AMC 30, and all independent thought will be packed in the attic. Oh naperville your calling me!!!!!!!!! ”
hahahahaha! So true man, so true, but don’t forget your entertainment options… “So honey, I got a sitter, you wanna get drunk at Applebees or Chilis tonight?”
If naperville sucks then why do so many people live there? (For the record I think Naperville totally sucks – but – I’d move to Barrington or Inverness in a heartbeat if I could have a couple of acres forested land. I love the city too but I’d also love a mini-landed estate in the outerreaches of cook county too).
“there are only three good CPS grade schools in chicago that you dont have to test into”
What are those 3, in your opinion, groove?
btw, I don’t disagree with your point that houses in the attendance area of the good schools (how ever many there are) are too expensive.
“If naperville sucks then why do so many people live there? ”
Because there’s a lot of douchebags in Chicagoland? Beats me… I grew up around Naperville and i’d die inside if I had to live there.
“if I could have a couple of acres forested land. I love the city too but I’d also love a mini-landed estate in the outerreaches of cook county too”
If you had that kind of coin, and didn’t want to be in the city, why would you subject yourself to Cook County? I think about leaving the city sometimes, but if I do, it would take something really, really remarkable to make me stay inside Cook County (like that couple of acres of forested land + large house for super cheap–like $300k).
The problem is when you’re outside cook county, unless you’re directly over the border, you’re far away from downtown. I need to be able to commute to work downtown and from barrington that’s doable with the Metra but once you start reaching into McHenry County or Kane County the commute becomes almost unbearablely long even with the express trains. Plus, the far nw suburbs of cook are right off 90 for somewhat easy access downtown. I had to go to hoffman estates for the 4th and it took about a half an hour from the junction to get there with no traffic, considering my el commute is up to 40 minutes with the slow zones, 30 minutes driving nw isn’t too bad.
You can find a big house and a couple of acres in some remote part of the state no problem for $300k; it’s just that there are no jobs there, the drive is 4 hours from Chicago and the amenities suck.
The driving commute from the junction to St. Charles or Geneva is a solid two hours in the morning; to Waukegan is a tad over 50 minutes; Woodstock is about an hour and 45 minutes; skokie is about 20 minutes; Rolling meadows is about 40 to 50 minutes; Wheaton is about 45 minutes. The best thing about the city is proximity and walkability; My car (usually) is parked in front of my apartment 6 days a week and on Sundays I use it for grocery shopping.
My commute?
15 minute walk or 10 minute bus or train ride…
Why the hell do people kill themselves by doing that depressing commute? Is the extra yardwork, strip malls, and slightly better school for your kids worth it?
I had a summer job a long time ago where I woke up at 4:30 in the morning, to drive for an hour and a half, to paint in the blazing hot sun to be done early by 3:30, and then I’d get home by 5:00 and pass the hell out.
What a life… I can’t even imagine if I actually had something important to do.
“The problem is when you’re outside cook county, unless you’re directly over the border, you’re far away from downtown.”
Dude, if you’re buying wooded acreage in Barrington, with a big house, why the hell are you worried about commuting downtown? You either have the big $$ in the bank or you’re the boss, with much more time flexibility. It’s like talking about lakefront acreage in Lake Forest and complaining about drive time to 28th & Cal.
And, as our Naper boosters like to point out, the express train from Naper is like 35 minutes. Hinsdale’s a little less (yeah, not so much with the wooded acres) and Geneva (ie St Charles, etc) is 60 minutes on the train.
“and slightly better school for your kids worth it?”
I’m not a fan of the ‘burbs, but test scores at these suburban schools I think are more than slightly better than their CPS counterparts. And I’m not talking magnet CPS schools that one need to test into.
If your kid is average (and most kids are) the kind of crowd they are around can determine their personality as well as their future. If they wind up going to a crappy school and hanging out with crappy friends, their chances of being successful are much dimmer than if they are sent to a school of kids with the right attitude and demographics.
“slightly better school for your kids”
Mostly, it’s not just slightly better.
And there’s the crime. And (if you leave CC, too) the less graft-ridden politics. And the “people like me” factor. And 4 BR/3.5 Ba for the price of a 2/2. And proximity to work (there are a LOT of jobs in the ‘burbs. hig-paying ones, too).
Hate to break it to ya, but there’s plenty of crappy kids in the burbs too. Kids everywhere are bored and do stupid stuff. Its a fact of life.
Crime is there in the burbs, its just different than in the city.
And my god I would hate driving everywhere.
“And the “people like me” factor.”
Who, those fake ass soccer dads that are busy waxing their Toyota Camry and Dodge Caravan?
I prefer diversity and crazy stuff to the suburban doldrums. To each their own.
Also If i was to move to a suburb it wouldn’t be Chicago, it would be someplace warm.
“Hate to break it to ya, but there’s plenty of crappy kids in the burbs too. Kids everywhere are bored and do stupid stuff. Its a fact of life. ”
It is my suspicion that there are far more “crappy kids” in CPS, as evidenced by the rate of low income students as a percentage of the student body. Think gang problems, disruptive problems, kids from single parent households, etc. A lot of kids in the city it is my contention never had a chance and never will. The issue is will they drag your kid down with them.
Do these kids exist in the suburbs? Probably but in much smaller numbers. I think because in the suburbs you aren’t considered normal if you pump out kids out of wedlock and depened on the public dole to subsidize your family when your baby dada runs off or is imprisoned.
Unfortunately it remains a fact of life due to government policy that the city seems reserved for two kinds of families with kids: the upper classes who can afford the best schools and the lower classes who really don’t care. Aside from the magnet programs, I have my doubts about city living for middle class families.
““And the “people like me” factor.”
Who, those fake ass soccer dads that are busy waxing their Toyota Camry and Dodge Caravan?
I prefer diversity and crazy stuff to the suburban doldrums. To each their own.”
Dude, I agree with you. But there are a *lot* of people who don’t. Besides “people like me” is code for something else, altho what the something else is depends on who’s saying it.
Bob, you would really like aurora.
“i’d die inside if I had to live there.”
Agreed with all suburbs. I do think about it from time to time. Cheaper home, safer streets etc, but the minute I was all moved in I would hang my head and cry. The world would seem suddenly barren to me. Maybe it’s because I spent a few years growing up in a suburb? I have a friend or two who grew up in the city that really love their homes in the burbs.
There are neighborhoods even in the city that have residents that generally share my attitude and paradigm on a number of issues.
Curiously enough, these same neighborhoods are relative islands of stability and have much higher property values among the wild south side.
They know who contributes to crime and no amount of media blitz is going to pull the shades down over their eyes to reality because they live near enough to it.
there are some homogeneous areas of the city too. plenty of fake ass peeps everywhere … in lincoln park they drive jettas and bmws (which are much worse cars compared to camry, better than dodges though)
Sonnies,
hahahahah get drunk at chili’s heeeehehheeee. That should be a Visa priceless comercial (or is that Amex?)
Bob,
Yep a whole bunch of Honda minivans out there 🙂 I agree about your average kid thing. most kids are average and if your in the burbs below average kids some how test very well and get into good colleges.
so what would people like the smartest kid at the worst school, or the dumbest kid at the best school?
HD,
I dont think Naperville sucks, Its a great family community. an afforadble burb too. Its just not me, i dotn get it, or fit in. its too sterile and “follow the masses” for me. Its good burb for diveristy too. given its mostly lilly white people but i feel it has more diverity than say the north shore.
anon,
The three/Four schools in CPS (that you dont have to test into) You have Edgebrook Elem, Abraham Lincoln, oriole park, and Norwood Park. as for highschools well you out of luck and remember there are gang banger that are smart enough to test into good High Schools. Oriole Park is probably the only hood that affordable in that list, you are close to the blue line and 90.
IMO, when you decide to be a parent you decide to make a lot of sacrifice. Maybe even let parts of yourself die. Along the long road you’ve chosen, you may find yourself doubting the decision frequently. So why do it? By the time you are hit your mid-thirties, maybe its the DNA making you propagate. We are biological organisms, after all. Its like some pastel colored haze infects your brain and all you see are picket fences and swingsets. After the haze fades away, you find yourself in a beautiful house in Naperville, with a beautiful wife, and you may ask yourself, how did I get here? And there you stay, conforming or doing time until you can move on to the next stage of your life.
So I have one question for you suburbs haters. How many of you have school aged children?
Sonies: “i’d die inside if I had to live there.”
not me. If i move to naperville I’m gonna wear fubu out the wazoo so people know I have street cred.
“The three/Four schools in CPS (that you dont have to test into) You have Edgebrook Elem, Abraham Lincoln, oriole park, and Norwood Park.”
See, already four instead of three.
I think there are around a dozen clearly acceptable attendance area Elems*, with around another dozen that are likely to be acceptable** as the neighborhood young kids replace the variety of older kids from in and out of the attendance area–might not want my 6th grader there today, but a 1st grader will probably have 8 years of good experiences.
Not that 24 schools (or even 48) out of 534*** is a good ratio, but it’s more than 3 (or 4).
*Bell, Ogden, Blaine, Burley, Alcott, etc. don’t feel like looking right now.
**All the schools adjacent to the “clearly acceptable” areas and probably a couple in B’town, too. Oscar Meyer is a good example.
***number includes selective enrollment schools and schools that are *not* K-8.
City or burbs is an endless debate, but with the city insane housing prices latley and the fact most people want better for you kids than we had, the debate is getting a tad uneven now.
I am a product of the CPS, and i was a bad kid, got kicked out of a few schools. you dont want to know the % of my child hood friends that either did good later in life or ended up bad. i was lucky to have great parents the gift of bullshit and a very strong work ethic so I was able to hussle my way into a decent job later in life.
but what i have seen, done, and been “arms reach” too. when my son is going to High school (or even earlier) and is an average student or average athlete…. well i am up and out of Crook county. i know i will suffer for few years and die inside a little but he is going to have a fighting fair chance in life
“So I have one question for you suburbs haters. How many of you have school aged children? ”
As you prob recall from previous discussions, I do.
But I’m the first to admit that there’s a major decision point after 8th grade–if they aren’t in to a selective enrollment HS, we’re at least renting a place in the ‘burbs (barring a change of heart re private school + getting in).
Having children and moving to the suburbs is valid to me. You sacrifice for your children.
I just don’t get the singles wanting to be there.
“I am a product of the CPS…when my son is going to High school (or even earlier) and is an average student or average athlete…. well i am up and out of Crook county. ”
Your opinion as a product of CPS is almost unanimous. Everyone I know who went to CPS who now has kids did already or is planning to hightail to the burbs as soon as the kids hit school age or a certain level in school. That definitely tells me something.
anon,
I totally agree there are many, many other acceptable schools in chicago. Except High Schools!!!! but aceptable and above average are totally different. look at the north shore schools every single one of them places in the top 50 for illinois. look and BlahBrook i mean Northbrook and glenview. and all these burb schools they take any and ever kid in their district and still are in the top 50. Come on law of averages say there is alot of dumb kids and bad kids in those burb schools also. but yet all of there district schools are in the top 50.
so i say again. what would people like the smartest kid at the worst school, or the dumbest kid at the best school?
and anon i looked HEAVILY into the school thing once wifey said “you knocked me up you bastardd”
Bob,
It should tell you alot, but its also tells you a lot of the people who move and there commitment to COMMUNITY.
“but aceptable and above average are totally different”
“Clearly acceptable” to me means above average. Well above average. There aren’t very many just “acceptable” CPS schools; they’re all either pretty good or basically godawful. But SFHs in the attendance areas of those schools *are* way too expensive.
“what would people like the smartest kid at the worst school, or the dumbest kid at the best school?”
Depends upon what you want. Smartest kid at the worst school will get into much better colleges and get much more financial aid.
“Smartest kid at the worst school will get into much better colleges and get much more financial aid.”
You are assuming as a parent you have complete control over your kid and peers aren’t a factor in their development or decision making processses of your kid growing up. Let me tell you: they definitely are.
“You are assuming as a parent you have complete control over your kid and peers aren’t a factor in their development or decision making processses of your kid growing up. Let me tell you: they definitely are.”
Of course they are. I’m reading the question differently, not “assuming” anything else.
Most of the crime in Oak Park is of opportunity. People leaving garage doors open, windows unlocked, etc. Basically, a crackhead happens to walk by and see your brand new bike in the garage and decides to take ride back to Austin and Maywood. The increase in crime is burglaries for the most part. I am amazed at how many of my neighbors in OP leave their doors open and unlocked and then they wanna cry about crime. Oak Park is perfectly safe, but when you have clueless folks with absolutely no kind of street sense/smarts it makes for easy targets. It is easy to forget we are a stone throw away from Iraq, I mean Austin.
Oak Park is really just an extension of the city and like an intown neighborhood, so it ain’t gonna be all picket fences like the far out suburbs which honestly is why I like it.
Having kids certainly can change your perspective, but god knows I am gonnna fight it like no tomorrow. Having good schools from kindergarten through high school is a must for any area if they want to retain families. If Chicago was serious, the best thing they could do is figure out how to fix the schools so people wouldnt’ have the need to move once Junior comes along which is probably what every property featured on this site have in common – a kid’s room.
“If Chicago was serious…”
Its not a bureaucracy’s job to really serve its citizens. Its primary job is to preserve/perpetuate itself. Until there are real changes in Chicago, among which breaking the single political party grip on the city, there will be no real change.
_Zero_ sympathy from me for any of these families fleeing to the burbs that vote/voted the democratic party line. From a 25k ft view they are as much the problem as those commiting the crimes.
We have no interest in moving to DuPage or Lake Counties; our jobs are downtown and we have school-age kids. We like the look and convenience of Oak Park/River Forest. However, downtown Naperville has more charm than Oak Park-River Forest, strong independent (and upscale chain) retail and restaurants, beautiful streetscapes, and dozens of blocks of nice traditional neighborhood residential streets with beautiful vintage homes. Naperville is not all subdivision and McMansions, at least the in-town area deserves Naperville’s many commendations as “Best Places to Live”.
That said, we’ve been in Oak Park for a decade, and the uptick in crime is significant. (And I grew up in Chicago and went to school at IIT, so I’m not some whimp afraid of my shadow.) What’s going here? Muggings with guns, knives, fists, in broad daylight too. Kids thrown off their bikes during “bikejackings”; “wildings” by groups of black teens, men robbed and beaten while tooling around in their alleyside garages, house and garage forcible-entry burglaries including some home invasions (people home when it happens), etc. Add a thriving drug market at several Austin locations, where the suburbanites buy and then do their drugs in the McDonalds and other retail parking lots. Add gangs of kids overtaking parks and physically harrassing kids (like punching them in the mouth), and kids having their cell-phones, wallets, I-pods snatched.
Oak Park River Forest HS’ academic performance has slipped significantly over past decade, and there are serious discipline issues too. (OPRF HS itself admits that 5% of student body has enrolled by “address fraud”, coming from outside OPRF boundaries and relying on a relative for required residency documentation.) Much focus is placed upon underachieving minority students, to detriment of academically average students; it’s a HS where a quiet kid can get lost and the bureaucracy is nearly unpenetrable. Once you pay your $12,000 to $18,000 tax bill, you expect the schools to be stellar and your kids can get an excellent education. No sir; not here.
Add fact that Oak Park itself is out-of-money, and muncipal services have seriously declined. Snow plowing and salting was rationed last winter, with a big uptick in accidents.
We are not happy Oak Park residents anymore.
It’s not cheap to live on one of the “dozens of blocks of nice traditional neighborhood residential streets with beautiful vintage homes.” And even worse, the entire town is so damn liberal and full of itself that I’d seriously rather move 10 miles west on 290 and live in Dupage County rather than live in OP. Not that I’m about to do either of those things, but I’m just saying.
Question: How do middle-class college-educated Chicago parents address HS in Chicago? Answer: Catholic HS, unless by some miracle your middle-class child scores a 99% percentile on the entrance exam to Peyton or Northside Prep or Whitney Young. When I talked to parents this year, I kept hearing the same story – 99% percentile as cut-off for acceptance of white non-low-income kids.
From our acquaintances, none of them were able to place their HS kids in those top-notch CPS HS’s in past years, but for one several years ago, and that family had long-longstanding Daley connections and the parents both worked at City Hall.
Today I heard on WBEZ that CPS Adminstration has finally begun an investigation into irregularities regarding enrollment procedures at those same top HSs, motivated by parent complaints. No kidding.
Bellwood is calling your name HD… hahaha
My brother in law the carpenter believes that Bellwood and Maywood will be the next areas to gentrify: older homes, huge lots, cheap, easier access to city on 290 and blue line; short drive from shopping, near major highways…he claims that some areas of maywood have already started to gentrify but i dont know where exactly.
Anon
“Depends upon what you want. Smartest kid at the worst school will get into much better colleges and get much more financial aid” i always thought that too but a good friend of mine who graduated Valedictorian at a crappy CPS school went off to a state college and struggled so bad once she got there just to keep up failed out middle of her 2nd year. another friend of graduated top 5 of his class at a good CPS HS and failed out his first year (i still think its because he came out of the closet to his family and that put stress on his life and studying, but he says he was not prepared for the work load and felt way behind other students).
“i always thought that too but ….”
And I know private school kids who washed out and (bad) public school kids who excelled. The plural of anecdote is not data.
It’s highly unlikely either would be the case for anyone here anyway–as has been noted repeatedly, most kids are “average”–and of course, the “average” (typical is better, imo) kid will be much better off at the good school.
But if you have a kid who’s going to be the worst student at a good school, you’ve got a whole set of problems there, too. Problems that I would have no idea how to deal with. Where having the best student in a bad school does allow for some options–if the kid’s parents are saavy enuogh and pushy enough; hell, if nothing else you can move. With the dumb/lazy/bad kid, moving won’t help.
Groove77:
Korino’s Pizza is long gone. Gone before I moved to A.P. in 2003. The Rave closed just last year, and has been replaced by a cell phone store. Inexplicably, the Donut Doctor & Huddle House remain open. As does, “Just Butch.”
Very happy to see this thread hasn’t descended into a “this neighborhood sucks” debate. Albany Park has it’s problems, and it certainly is not for everyone. However, you do get a lot for your money condo shopping in A.P. (not everyone has or is comfortable with a $400K+ mortgage, people), and there are plenty of positives to living there too.
rk
korino’s pizza by the slice is gone, it real wasnt that good but for $3.00 i was happy 🙂 There used to be a pool hall were the shoe store was, the was an Vietnamese gang who kind of ran/let people in. i always found it strange they the let another gang play pool there (latin kings). it was fun place to play if you knew a person to let you in.
Albany Park is great hood if you are single, dont need a “STATUS” address, want to rent or condo for cheap use your $$$ to save or spend ath the admiral 🙂 and be close to the brown line.
A friend of mine just rented a room in the AP for $265/mo, not joking. When I heard that news I vowed to include the hood in my searches next time I’m getting the move bug.
bob,
i have read you posts in the past, Dude live a little, you are so tight with that wallet.
i bet when your buddy told about $265 for rent, you had to change your underwear. heheehheh i made a funny
sonnies and HD,
OMG bellwood, that place scares me
Anon,
i change my mind and agree with you having a smart kid at a bad school gives more options. and thats all i really want for my son is have as many options as possible.
Bellwood and Maywood have shooting fatalities on a regular basis. Here’s the newest fatality
http://www.pioneerlocal.com/maywood/news/1676335,maywood-shotbell-072309-s1.article
In addition these communities have corrupt governments, abysmal schools, high property taxes, gang problems, and poor community amenities. Housing values were superinflated (you could buy a cheaper house in Brookfield) and have dropped like a stone. You could not pay me to live in these communities.
this one is almost free..
like i said bellwood scares me i have a buddy i play bball with that lives there. i only pick him up if we are playing on the southside. its scary in the day time 🙁
hey I didn’t say it was gentrifying or even would but just giving an opinion of what my unemployed carpenter brother=in-law thinks.
Bob:
Looking for a place to rent in A.P. is a much different experience than what you might be used to in say Lakeview, Wicker or even Logan Square. I’ve seen flyers in my hood that read: “APT. FOR RENT. SECTION 8 ACCEPTED.” …and every single scrap of paper at the bottom has been ripped off. That apparently is all you need to rent a place in Albany Park.
Of course, having said that, the building next door to my condo is beautifully maintained, owner-occupied 3-flat. Like everywhere, there’s good and bad.
“I’ve seen flyers in my hood that read: “APT. FOR RENT. SECTION 8 ACCEPTED.” …and every single scrap of paper at the bottom has been ripped off. ”
Ever consider that someone who *really* wanted the apartment would rip off all the numbers? Or someone who didn’t want Sec. 8 neighbors would do the same?
“My brother in law the carpenter believes that Bellwood and Maywood will be the next areas to gentrify: older homes, huge lots, cheap, easier access to city on 290 and blue line; short drive from shopping, near major highways…he claims that some areas of maywood have already started to gentrify but i dont know where exactly.”
homedelete, your brother-in-law is probably referring to Forest Park, which is just east of Maywood. Better known for its cemeteries, Forest Park is known as the “affordable Oak Park.” It has a wonderful business district on Madison Street, (move over Andersenville) with great bars. Houses were a bargain here even five years ago. Both the blue and green terminate in Forest Park. Problems include spillover from Maywood (murder in Forest Park on 6/15/09 and a Forest Parker shot in Maywood on 6/14
http://forestparkreview.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=38&ArticleID=4151&TM=20120.57
nothing gets done about the crime but the politicians love to harass us citizens