Comments on: Man Shot, Killed Last Night 5200 Block Of Kenmore

By: Turbo60640

Turbo60640 — Thu, 24 Jul 2014 14:37:00 +0000

I lived in the 5300 block of Winthrop for 7 years. The neighborhood was respectable when I moved in, but over the last 2-3 years it got much worse VERY quickly. Large groups of “youths” brawling on the street in the afternoons, homeless people setting up a daily junk bazaar outside of the Berwyn L stop, constant drug dealing on Winthrop and around Ollie’s (plus the gang fighting and shootings that go along with the drug trade). Most people in the area refuse to acknowledge the ever-present criminal element, or even admit there is a problem. I finally had enough and got the hell out.

By: MD

MD — Wed, 23 Jul 2014 22:11:00 +0000

My best friend was living at 5225 about 6 years ago. Somebody was fatally shot in the head out front of her place. Some people just refuse to believe they live in a bad area, until the violence affects them directly.

By: MD

MD — Wed, 23 Jul 2014 22:06:00 +0000

If your block is so great, why are you calling the police “all the time”? For what it’s worth, I didn’t attempt to state facts about your area; I only commented on my experience with people living in the same area seeing different things (this couldn’t have been more explicit either – see my 2nd sentence).

By: Lite Man

Lite Man — Wed, 23 Jul 2014 21:46:00 +0000

I live in Edgewater and I find it to be a wonderful place to live. When you live in the city there are going to be some levels of crime but I don’t feel the least unsafe here. The citizens are involved and the police are responsive. I’ve lived here for about four years and this is the second shooting I’ve heard of. However the police do seem to be less concerned with the black people here. In general they look at us like dirt and I know I am a good guy who loves his neighborhood and appreciate my good neighbors but the police are a bit skiddish towards us. It’s still better than the south side where I am considered too white. I wish Chicago could just lose the SKIN GAME all together. ENOUGH ALREADY!

By: Chgosaint

Chgosaint — Wed, 23 Jul 2014 20:59:00 +0000

I lived at 5217, 12 years ago. I was there for less than 6 months. Newly renovated condos at the time. It was crime infested then and it is good to see that nothing has changed. The alderman truly does care more about speed bumps. stop lights and stop signs than about safety. Uptown crime rolls into Edgewater and the cops do nothing.

By: meghan

meghan — Wed, 23 Jul 2014 03:49:00 +0000

Oh I call police all the time MD. I have a dog and walk it regularly and I am very observant. But on that block, it is rare to see that stuff. I’m not saying it doesn’t happen. You admit you don’t know the area so maybe let someone who actually lives there state facts. It’s not crime free but something like this is thankfully not indicative of that block.

By: MD

MD — Tue, 22 Jul 2014 21:53:00 +0000

I just wanted to agree with you, Tread. I don’t live in this immediate area so can’t comment about its safety (I’m west of Glenwood at Foster), but when I lived at Clark/Ridge a few years back, I saw all sorts of sketchy things that I brought to the attention of my building mates – kids selling crack rocks on our front porch in broad daylight, gang fights, guy beating up his girlfriend in the street out front, drug dealer getting arrested in our front yard, people doing drugs in their cars parked out front, etc. They all insisted I was crazy, that none of that actually happened and that we lived on an awesome block. I think the disconnect there is just a matter of how observant people are; I watch people like a hawk so I see things others don’t. Meghan probably just hasn’t honed in on people to the degree you have.

By: GranvilleBeauty

GranvilleBeauty — Tue, 22 Jul 2014 21:01:00 +0000

but they dont question ANY race.. that wouldnt be a profile. How can you tell the difference between someone who is standing on the corner, being up to no good, versus someone on the corner waiting for their wife to meet them there..

By: Tread

Tread — Tue, 22 Jul 2014 20:11:00 +0000

It’s also a shady landlord problem. There are a handful of landlords in the area that will rent to anyone without any sort of background check, etc.

Meghan, I lived in the neighborhood for 3 years and regularly saw drug deals going down on Winthrop and Kenmore between Bryn Mawr and Foster. Just because you close your eyes to it, doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.

By: Pete in Edgewater

Pete in Edgewater — Tue, 22 Jul 2014 19:56:00 +0000

I live on Winthrop now and have done so for the past seven years. The drug dealing, etc… was an issue when we first moved here. It is not much of an issue anymore. I wish people would stop misrepresenting the street I live on.

By: Scott Cooper

Scott Cooper — Tue, 22 Jul 2014 19:55:00 +0000

I think an obvious part of the solution is to post more police at the L stops. If they do nothing more than monitor the comings and goings of the people. I think that one of the reasons these corridors are hot spot is because of the artery of transportation. It’s the same way on Howard Avenue and at the Morse L stop. Up the police presence at the stops and I think you’ve got a step in the right direction.

By: FedUp

FedUp — Tue, 22 Jul 2014 19:07:00 +0000

Every time someone gets shot the Alderman says he has reached out to the police, blah blah blah. While the problem is obviously more than just a neighborhood issue, maybe it is time for him to come up with a new response. To the commenter saying his is “very aware and active” on this issue. I don’t know if that is true, but what I do know is that his “awareness and activity” on this issue, be it high or low, has failed. It seems to me the problem is getting worse, not better.

By: Claire Zulkey

Claire Zulkey — Tue, 22 Jul 2014 18:02:00 +0000

Thank you! See you tonight maybe at the social at Cedar Lot.

By: Claire Zulkey

Claire Zulkey — Tue, 22 Jul 2014 18:01:00 +0000

That is weird. I live right there, where my husband and I walk our dog several times a day and take our son to daycare/the playground and that is not what we see.

By: Steve

Steve — Tue, 22 Jul 2014 17:46:00 +0000

Lived there and saw the same thing….