city girls, do you feel safe?

BlondeBeachBride08 · March 2010

Just curious if you feel safe in your neighborhood.

I feel safe right now but we're about to move so I know there's going to be a period of acclimation before I feel totally secure in my new neighborhood (Uptown). I think having a helpless baby with me will make me feel a little more nervous in a new place.

Just curious if anyone else is thinking about this more as delivery approaches.

BabyCopper · March 2010

Where in uptown are you moving? We moved from wilson & dover about 5 years ago.

I feel safe in my neighborhood, but I'm also a police officer and pretty much take my gun with me wherever I go, so I know I have a skewed sense of safety, I guess.

madgeypadgey · March 2010

We moved from Uptown to Rogers Park about a year ago. There are times where I probably wouldn't go outside alone, but I've never felt threatened. I never felt threatened in Uptown either, just annoyed with bums. I lived on a bad bad corner, however (Montrose and Sheridan- it was tough at the time- but the new Target will help a lot I think!)

Get yourself a pepper spray keychain! I feel safer with mine, even though I know i'll probably never use it.

BlondeBeachBride08 · March 2010

I'll be at Lawrence and Clarendon. I can see the bums getting annoying, especially around the El stops. I'm hoping the Target will bring good things to the community as well. Not sure when it's opening though! this fall?

BabyCopper · March 2010

The sad truth is that anything can happen to anyone in the city now a days, no matter if you live in Lincoln Park or Uptown.

Just try to remain observant. Look people in the eye when you pass them. Make mental notes. Don't go out with a huge purse when you are just taking the baby for a walk - take your id and $ and keep in your front pocket. Keep your cell phone handy. And don't be afraid to cross the street if you see a bunch of well, unsavory characters (ala the movie Crash). Not because you necessarily fear them. Most gangbangers won't even give you a second glance, especially with a stroller. But fear their enemy. If they are a target, you don't want to be in close proximity and also become a target. There was a shooting at Wilson and Broadway not too long ago. I'm pretty sure the idiots were aiming at a rival gangbanger, but hit a girl in the leg instead.

And if you do get pepper spray, be sure you know how to use it. Feel it in your hand without looking at it. If you have to fumble with it and look at it in order to operate, it does you no good.

And if the panhandling bums get too close or get to be too much, don't be shy in saying, "no" or "get the hell back" or "get the fark away from me."

Good luck.

BlondeBeachBride08 · March 2010

Thanks.

Excellent point about staying out of the line of fire. I hadn't thought about that.

Mabmin · March 2010

I live in Lakeview and feel relatively safe depending on the time of day and where I am. I always try to remain aware of my surroundings though. I think the worst thing you can do is get too comfortable because many people who do forget that they are living in a big city.

aeonish · March 2010

I'm in Ravenswood (Lawrence and Hermitage) and I absolutely love it. I've been here for almost 2 years, after moving downtown from the western burbs. The area where I live seems to be mostly residential, with single family homes (complete with lots of kids and bunnies) so I hardly ever feel unsafe walking alone. I try to avoid walking down Lawrence at night if I can because I had an incident once that scared me, but that's the only time I feel nervous about walking by myself.

We renewed our lease before I found out I was PG so we're going to be here (stuck in a 1 bedroom apartment) until LO is 9 months, but after that we're going to move to a bigger place. I'm going to be sad if we move out of this neighborhood.

JJ1973 · March 2010

It is the city and things happen no matter where one lives and usually when one least expects it. I had a friend who got mugged right on Lakeshore (Lakeview area) a couple weeks ago...in the middle of the day (lunch hour...beautiful sunny day)...somebody put a knife to her neck. I've had other friends who have had break ins in Lincoln Park and everywhere else. We live in Ukrainian Village and I've been here since 1996 (minus a two-year stint in Michigan). I love it here, though it has changed a lot (not always for the better, in my opinion, with all the crazy gentrification). My husband was mugged just down the street when he got off the bus at Western (few years back). Outside of that, things have been pretty good and I feel relatively safe. I have pondered how having a baby will probably change my attitude on things a bit and I'll probably be more paranoid/weird/irrational about safety things. I'm actually more worried about how worried I will get, believe it or not:) I know myself too well.

BlondeBeachBride08 · April 2010

I think that the baby coming has just changed my perspective a little bit. I understand the city has a level of danger regardless of neighborhood.

I also live in the ukranian village (technically Noble Square) and everyone I know who lives in this general area (between Chicago and Armitage, Western and Ashland) was broken into in 2008. One friend's apartment was broken into twice.

None of us have moved because we love our neighborhood and for the most part we all still feel safe. We've upgraded our security though.

I also think a part of my nervousness is leaving the comfort zone of the neighborhood I've been living in for the past 5 years.

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