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Not quite in Boystown, but it's not a bad a idea to follow the gays - their flowers/yards are fabulous, which increases the vaule of the entire neighborhood.

You want a picture of my ass? Why didn't you just ask?

Housing Market
 

*sniff* I miss Chicago. Uh, except for the weather. And the lack of any sunshine whatsoever.

Your ass in chaps, baby.

Truth to tell, I know nothing about housing prices in Lakeview. I rented, and it was a long time ago.

Housing Market
 

2. I live in Montrose in Houston, and the yard of the month competition can be cutthroat. Note: never cut your gay next-door-neighbor's vines.

I bought this book for Christmas for my sister who lives in the Mission District in San Francisco. It's sort of a look at bohemian neighborhoods and it focuses specifically on Wicker Park in Chicago. I may end up stealing it from my sister.

Housing Market
 

If it's in "West Lakeview" (i.e., around Ashland or Damen) then it's a strong growth area that's really only in the early stages of gentrification. That makes the five-year appreciation potential huge. Negatives are you might not want to do much walking around at night until you get a good feel for the neighborhood, and there is not nearly as much public transtportation. My brother lives near Barry and Damen and he drives downtown because it would be over an hour commuting by bus to the el.

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I think we get a decent amount of sunshine. Of course, it's 12 degrees right now, so who really cares.

I'll PM you a picture of my chapped ass.

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It's unbelievable how much better a well-landscaped 12x12 front yard makes a street look, especially when they are all beautiful.

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Not quite that far west. In fact, it's on Racine.

Housing Market
 

Then you're pretty much golden. Housing prices will drop in that area about the same time Thurgreed does NFH. And posts about it.

No, but if it does it'll be up rather than down.

Cool. Thanks.

I wanted to buy in a more up-and-coming area, but that's b/c I can walk anywhere at night w/out really being worried. Sequels cannot.

When I got here a year ago, theoretically with hip young family in tow, Lakeview was the neighborhood the agent I was working kept pointing me to, despite it being kind of outside his normal region (which was Lincoln Park, the area one of the partners thought would be "just perfect" fro me - apparently under the mis-impression that my firm pays associates $300,000 a year).

So if you're looking for a fairly safe neighborhood that is moderately hip but will transition you into early parenthood (if that's in your future), you're probably in the right place.

I don't really care about hip. I really just need safe and somewhat quiet (but not the suburbs). River North aint that quiet.

When I say "hip," I mean that there's interesting stuff to do around. There are some decent places to eat around there; some nice shops, etc.

As for River North, tell me about it.

Housing Market
 

Not that this matters to Coltrane, but South of Belmont and west of the tracks, this may be true, but from Belmont to Irving Park, Ashland to Western, the gentrification is nearly complete. Teardowns on my block have recently crossed the $500k barrier. And "West Lakeview" has been almost completely supplanted by Roscoe Village and St. Ben's/North Center for those neighborhoods. Haven't heard of anyone having any problems walking around at night in the last 4 or 5 years other than the stuff you get anywhere on the northside.

South of Belmont, while I know people who live there happily with kids, I wouldn't buy yet because of (i) the still crummy neighborhood elementary school and (ii) the proximity of the Lathrop Homes. I just don't understand spending $400k+ on a condo or $800k+ for a house directly across the street from a large-ish public housing project that isn't going away. But hey, it's their money.

In any case, 2 (or 4 or whatever) on not worrying about a value crash for property on/near Racine--especially since you aren't buying the most expensive place on the block, you can count on it staying ahead of the market as a whole.

Actual Salary News...
 

Certain Chicago firms have begun bumping 1st year salaries to $135k from $125k, after almost 6 years of stagnation.