Unfortunately, I made the biggest mistake of my life and purchased a home in West Rogers Park three years ago. The area continues to get worse with these gang bangers invading the west end of Rogers Park. I grew up in Rogers Park twenty years ago and it’s turned into sh-t! We can all face the fact that “demographics” is the culprit. Rogers Park is the dumping ground of the North Side and we can blame the corrupt mayor for that. Personally, there’s nothing to look forward to as a resident of this pathetic neighborhood. Since the housing economy collapsed, I think I’ll be stuck for another ten years; my home lost too much value. I’m praying for gentrification! Is this at all possible?
Can you specify what your complaint is? Cecil wrote about Rogers Park a year ago (admittedly the focus was east RP); see:
http://chicago.straightdope.com/sdc20090521.php
The upshot is, for all the complaining you hear, crime in Rogers Park is way down. I have friends who have lived in RP for years and I think all would say things were worse twenty years ago. It’s true lately you see more young black men on Ridge Avenue (and maybe points west). Is that your beef?
Yeah, actual crime in West Ridge (which I assume is what you’re calling West Rogers Park) and Rogers Park itself is way down from what it was 10 years ago. The city is spending oodles (perhaps too much) to spiffy up the roads, installing those nice new planters and brightening up the lighting, repainting, and generally prettying the place up. Sure, I didn’t much like Sullivan High School, and that’s the biggest reason we moved (to Albany Park, very equivalent to Rogers Park in many respects), but there’s Waldorf, Saint Margaret Mary’s, St. Scholastica and other good private schools for those who can afford them.
I do readily admit there are more brown (More Mexican than Black) people there than when my grandfather grew up there. Is that your problem?
Yeah, your home value is probably in the toilet right now. I don’t think there’s anywhere in the city that a house bought three years ago is valued at the same now, though. My brother-in-law’s taken a beating on his home in Lincoln Park, after all. It’s not the “demographic”, it’s the economy and the bursting of the housing bubble.
(By the way, that’s a great article, Ed. Thanks for sharing!)
Thanks for the information, but truth be told, I don’t see Rogers Park getting any better when you have uncivilized animals spreading the “disease” in a once great northside neighborhood (West Rogers Park/West Ridge). Yes, it was most definitely my choice, yet a regrettable one, to move to the most crime-ridden area of the northside. God willing, the housing economy will turn around where I will be able to sell and profit, as we watch these animals infiltrate Rogers Park, Evanston, Skokie, Schaumburg, etc.
Huh. Would you care to be more specific about who “these animals” are? Are the feral cats getting out of hand? The squirrels?
I will concede that the dang squirrels in Rogers Park always stole my empty yogurt containers out of the recycling bins. Stupid little furry ratsters probably built a condominium out of black market yogurt containers. But, now that I think on it, they did the same thing when I lived in Evanston.
…hey, maybe the animals ARE spreading their evil yogurt container thieving disease! And they’re coming this way!!! :eek:
I saw some rabbits there last summer. They multiply like rabbits.
Sure, all of those animals you guys mentioned are surely spreading 
Guys, seriously, Rogers Park, from Howard to Peterson and Clark to Kedzie (all of it) sucks as*!
It’s not a safe neighborhood to raise a family, and the housing collapse couldn’t have come at a worse time for those looking to leave. It’ll never be a Lakeview, Lincoln Square, Roscoe Village, etc.
Sorry, from the lake to Kedzie
I’m still trying to understand what exactly you think sucks as*. We’ve established that crime has generally declined. Property values have also gone down, but that’s true pretty much everywhere. Most people I talk to think the neighborhood has improved. This talk of “animals” makes me think you object to the presence of minorities. Is that your chief complaint? If not, what is?
We have a feral cat problem where I live in Tokyo, so I can sympathize with the OP in regards to the animals.
Animal control does nothing unless it’s a dog - they ignore cats. Nothing makes me quite so angry as smelling cat pee in my staircase and seeing cats rummaging through the garbage.
I reported the lady who was feeding the cats to the landlord and the problem has significantly declined, but it’s still not completely gone.
I recommend calling animal control, and I suspect they’re more active in the US.
Also, I think the OP hates black people.
Oops. Guess I should change my running route so I don’t spread my “animal diseases” to you, “neighbor”.
You could move to Bridgeport. You’ll not have to worry about “the wrong demographics” there!