Keep The Faith

I know my blogging friend ChiKat isn’t too hopeful about Woodlawn’s status as an “up and coming neighborhood” but I say banish those nagging thoughts.

With the University of Chicago is making nicey and the rate of new residential development in the ‘hood, I think Woodlawn will become what the Uptown neighborhood is now---nice enough that the real estate prices are through the roof but still with that funky urban edge.

You see I used to live in Uptown in the late nineties and left in 2001. Note: I loved my neighborhood but wanted more space and knew it was time to move on to greener pastures. Had I stayed my little piece of heaven would have been worth a tidy little bundle. Can you say retirement money and cabana boys?

So nuts to the people who won’t stick it out, nuts to the people who think a neighborhood that’s been plagued by crime and neglect will turn around in a year and nuts to the people who don’t believe in the south side.

Good riddance.

I left Uptown before the Borders, The Uptown Lounge, Crew, Soggy Paws and the Sushi Restaurant took residence. There is not a day I don’t kick myself for not having faith in my good decision to live in what was at the time a “sketchy” neighborhood with beautiful old housing stock.

To the active, community involved urban pioneer go the spoils.