I have lived in Avondale, the eastern part of it (the east side and west side of Avondale differ greatly), and the neighborhood is booming. There are condos going up everywhere. This neighborhood has always been known to be very family friendly, and calm as well with no traffic. It seems it is changing now that people from Lincoln Park are moving in. I am going to post some pictures later on of all the developments that are going on, but in the meantime here is an article (i know it;s a little old) that talks about Avondale in general. This article was from the Chicago Tribune.
Late bloomer
Spring housing market starts slow, but warms up quickly
By Mary Umberger
Tribune staff reporter
Published April 17, 2005
This year, to hear the agents tell it, the spring market arrived in ... spring.
Many agents say that, yes, they're still seeing multiple offers on houses, though usually not while the ink is still wet on the listing contract, which was often the case in the last couple of years.
They say buyers seem more circumspect about their decisions. Many of the agents say there aren't enough houses on the market to meet demand. Several reported that they're seeing homeowners undertaking major remodeling rather than moving, because though they might net a dandy profit by selling, everything they might buy, in turn, seems so expensive to them.
And, perhaps surprisingly, most of the agents say buyers don't seem particularly concerned over the specter of rising interest rates, with the possible exception of first-time, entry-level buyers.
Karen Kelly, Schwind Realty and Development: "Condos are very active here, and there are a lot of condo conversions where you're getting first-time buyers. There are also new-construction single-family homes, and those are selling like crazy. The single-family homes are being bought by people who are selling condos and moving up.
"Condos in Avondale are generally $199,000 to $399,000. A lot of people say they're moving here from Lincoln Park because of the congestion. They find it very affordable, compared to other city prices. It's also very accessible to public transit.
"People will do rehabs, if they can get a price, and they re-do the kitchens. The must-haves are granite counters and stainless appliances."
Avondale: Stability amidst change
By Dean Geroulis
Special to the Tribune
Published April 6, 2003
For more than 80 years, the three steeples of St. Hyacinth Church have stood tall over the rooftops of Avondale and served as a marker for the community that Margaret Heneghan can see from her home, from work, even when she rides the bus through the neighborhood.
The church drew Margaret and her husband Patrick to Avondale 35 years ago. It's where eight of their nine children attended elementary school and where they remain active members.
As Irish-Americans, the Heneghans stood out in what for years was a predominately Polish neighborhood. But in the tightly knit Avondale community, where neighbors all knew each other and could be counted on to watch out for each other's children, those differences didn't matter.
Avondale's demographics have changed. Along with an aging Polish population there is a growing mix of Hispanic and a few Asian residents, but that sense of community remains.
"My husband walks around the neighborhood," Margaret Heneghan said. "He's like an ambassador. He really knows everybody and helps anytime he can."
Avondale doesn't have the glitz or distinctive architecture of a Wicker Park, Bucktown or Logan Square. This Northwest Side neighborhood of about 43,000 residents is made up largely of simple two- and three-flats and frame houses built over the last 50 to 100 years. You'll also find some scattered in-fill housing and a few newer condominium and townhouse developments mixed in, according to Felix Ruiz, managing broker for Fermar Realty on Belmont Avenue in Avondale.
One project under construction on Kimball Avenue near Milwaukee Avenue will add about 30 condos to the Avondale housing stock.
One thing Avondale does offer is stability and convenience. "Some of the reasons Avondale has been going up are because it's a stable neighborhood, and transportation is good," Ruiz said, adding the property values have been on the rise and in some cases have doubled over the last 10 years.
Avondale is bounded by Diversey Avenue, Addison Street, the North Branch of the Chicago River and Pulaski Road. Between Belmont and Diversey, the neighborhood extends west of Pulaski to railroad tracks. The Kennedy Expressway bisects the community and residents have access to the CTA Blue Line at its Belmont and Addison stops as well as at nearby Logan Square, making it easy to reach the Loop or O'Hare.
Avondale also boasts a vibrant neighborhood business district along Milwaukee. Moving northwest from the busy Milwaukee/Diversey/Kimball intersection, the street offers a commercial mix that includes national chains, small retail stores, medical and law offices, ethnic Polish and Mexican restaurants, Polish delis and bakeries, and one of the city's premier pet stores, Animal Kingdom at 2980 N. Milwaukee.
"There are very few vacancies and when vacancies do occur they're filled quickly," said Cece Drazek, executive director of the Economic Development Commission of Greater Logan Square. One example is the site of the former Orbit Restaurant at the corner of Milwaukee and Central Park Avenues. Drazek said new owners of that two-story building plan to open a new restaurant and banquet hall on the first floor and convert the second floor to condos.
Drazek said more building owners are also making improvements to their aging buildings, most of them built by the 1930s.
Perhaps because of the escalating cost of housing in the trendier neighborhoods to the south and east, Avondale has become a popular destination for a diverse group of renters and buyers.
That's what Larry Ligas believes. "Many people we deal with are new to the neighborhood," said Ligas, a real estate broker and developer who co-founded Logan Square Concerned Citizens. "They're upset with what happened to them in Wicker Park and in Bucktown because rents pushed them out."
Larry Garrett, a local business owner and founder of the West Logan Square/Avondale Block Club has seen similar trends.
"I've noticed that the people who move here are the people who don't want to pay $1,500 a month for rent but want to live in a nice apartment in a nice neighborhood," said Garrett, who moved to Avondale from the Far Northwest Side in 1989 and 10 years later relocated his alternative wellness center to Avondale as well.
Properties in Avondale come in a wide range of prices. Ligas found 81 houses sold in 2002 ranging from $110,000 to $545,000. That same year he said 158 two-, three- and four-unit buildings closed for $153,000 to $497,000, and 60 condos/townhouses sold for $123,703 to $369,500.
Ligas and Garrett agree that the movement of new people into the neighborhood initially threatened its stability. In the late 1980s and early 1990s residents saw an increase in crime and gang activity, which eventually led to creation of community groups like Concerned Citizens of Logan Square and Garrett's block club.
"We've got a great area," Garrett said. "We've really cleaned it up."
Garrett believes his neighborhood has regained its stability without inviting gentrification, keeping the area safe and affordable for seniors while attracting newcomers who can always count on people like the Heneghans to make them feel welcome.
"Everybody still knows their neighbor," Margaret Heneghan said. "We' re not so big that you don't know your neighbor."
(The demographic breakdown of Chicago's Avondale neighborhood as published has been corrected in this text.) Avondale
Population: 43,080, up 21.2% from 1990
Demographics:
White -- 29.6%
Black -- 1.6%
Hispanic -- 61.9%
Asian -- 2.2%
Other -- 4.7%
Median income: $36,677
Median home price (4th quarter 2002) -- $288,000> |
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