Gresham, Chicago

I will not be recommending Gresham for anyone to be living in any time soon. For those of you who like the area (I have no idea who you could be) I'm sorry, but it isn't the safest part of the city. I don't know the crime statistics off the top of my head, but I have no doubt it's higher than average. That alone is enough to avoid the neighborhood.

One other reason to avoid Gresham is that there isn't much to see. I can't think of many reasons people would have for visiting. The lack of good stores and restaurants immediately put it at the bottom of my list of neighborhoods.

I'm not entirely sure that Gresham is the most dangerous part of the city, and there are certainly areas with a worse reputation, but I wouldn't feel terribly comfortable here even during the day. With Superman walking next to me

I first became aware of this neighborhood in 1969 when my cousins moved there. Back then it was a pretty nice neighborhood. Lots of families with kids, pretty nice-looking homes, well-maintained. My cousins lived a block from the main commercial strip on 87th Street which included several neighborhood convenience/grocery stores and fast food restaurants. I used to love going to visit them. But the decades have not been kind here. The commercial strip seems to be still surviving and thriving, but the homes have deteriorated. There are still some patches away from the beaten path that appear to be decent and safe. But getting to them can be a challenge – especially on public transportation. Since my cousins still live there, I still visit them. But not nearly as often as I used to, and only during the day. Even then, I feel like I have to watch my back.

Gresham is not considered a “bad” neighborhood. Its residents have their fair share of crime and foreclosed homes in the current economy. Quite a few people – like my cousins - have lived there for decades and are now raising there own families there. There is a certain comfort in knowing where everything is in your neighborhood. Beyond that, I’m sure there are bargains galore on housing. Most of the homes are over 50 years old and are ripe for rehabbing.

Auburn Gresham is a South Side neighborhood full of bungalows and featuring the city’s busiest bus port. As far as public safety goes, be on your guard. Crime has gone down here in recent years because of community development – but if you aren’t familiar with the area, I wouldn’t recommend going alone. Then again, I’m not sure what would bring you out here unless you already lived here. Housing may be affordable, but there are nicer neighborhoods in Chicago with affordable housing.
I’ve heard that the new bungalow housing units built in Auburn Gresham are pretty impressive, but the surrounding area is what kills it for me. There is little to no commercial activity – and what is there is not that great. A few years ago when the housing bubble burst, this was a place full of foreclosure notices.

As far as crime and gang activity are concerned, Auburn Gresham is not the most dangerous place – Roseland, Englewood and West Pulham are worse – but it’s not a nice neighborhood, either. Like I said, there are better Chicago neighborhoods even if you are on a pretty tight budget – like Ashburn or Chicago Lawn.