Altgeld Gardens is a modest, easy-going Chicago neighborhood less than a 20-minute drive from the Loop. Located in the southern stretches of the city and surrounded by suburbs, Altgeld Gardens has all the convenience of a Chicago community without the hustle and bustle of city living. The neighborhood park provides residents with a little bit of green space and the perks of an onsite gym, swimming pool, assembly hall and local basketball leagues. Summertime gospel festivals, neighborhood barbecues and annual parades round out the community events in Altgeld Gardens which makes this far south side section of Chicago a tight-knit group.
On the cusp of Chicago city limits and the suburb of Riverdale, Altgeld Gardens was first pioneered by European immigrants in the mid and late 1800s. Vastly marshland and on the very southern tip of Chicago near the Illinois/Indiana state border, Altgeld Gardens land proved affordable and available. In addition to a price tag that pleased the frugal, the territory was desirable for its proximity to the Calumet River, which borders the neighborhood on the south. The river was a convenient means of transportation and allowed for easy access to other waterways which led to the emergence of Altgeld Gardens as a center of industry. U.S. Steel, the Ford Company, and Pullman (the train car manufacturer) all built factories close to the river and encouraged the development of residential housing and commercial property in the nearby vicinity. The localized industry helped Altgeld Gardens mature into a strong-willed working-class neighborhood.
In 1945, the first public housing projects in America were created. Altgeld Gardens and the Murray Homes consisted of almost 2,000 units of two-story row houses sprawling over 157 acres. The self-contained complex, which has been renovated in recent years, includes not only housing, but also schools, maintenance staff, and onsite social services and medical staff. A comprehensive renovation of the two developments began in 2005 and is scheduled for completion in 2009.
Through the years, Altgeld Gardens has brought forth several celebrity citizens. Tim Hardaway of NBA fame was raised in the neighborhood and famous journalist Scoops Jackson, writer for ESPN and other notable publications, made Altgeld Gardens his home as well.
Altgeld Gardens facts
Location: About 20 miles south of the Loop Bordering Neighborhoods:West Pullman Boundaries: 130th Street to the north, South Cottage Grove Avenue to the east, the Calumet River to the south and Indiana Avenue to the west Crime Statistics: Go to CLEARMap to search specific streets and areas for crime incidents
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Altgeld Gardens Real Estate
While Altgeld Gardens is about as far south as you can get without leaving the Chicago city boundaries, the neighborhood is quite accommodating with very affordable real estate prices and many modest single-family dwellings that offer both living space and yard space. Up and down the winding Altgeld Garden neighborhood streets you’ll find a mixture of split-level homes, raised ranches, and one-story half-duplex units. In the past several years the area has undergone comprehensive renovations to improve both the functionality of homes as well as their aesthetic value.
Generally speaking, housing options in the Altgeld Gardens neighborhood start around thirty or forty thousand for a two- or three-bedroom unit or shared duplex, although the price can reach up to $85,000 for something in better condition. Single-family homes are also quite affordable with one-stories starting at under $50,000. Two-story houses tend to be more expensive with the high end ranging between $150,000 and $180,000.
The average sale price of a home in Altgeld Gardens is represented by the chart to the right. The red line indicates the average price based on the total time frame selected in the drop-down window. The blue line indicates the average sale price for the particular month within that time frame. For more detailed information on Altgeld Gardens sign up for the trends report below or contact your Dream Town broker.
The average number of days a home in Altgeld Gardens spends listed for sale is represented by the chart to the right. The red line indicates the average number of days based on the total time frame selected in the drop-down window. The blue line indicates the average number of days a home spent on market during the particular month within that time frame. For more detailed information on average market listing times in Altgeld Gardens sign up for the trends report below or contact your Dream Town broker.
The average sale price of a home compared to its listing price in Altgeld Gardens is represented by the chart to the right. The black line indicates the baseline listing price for homes during the time frame selected in the drop-down. The red line indicates the difference between the average listing price and the average sale price during the particular month within that time frame. For more detailed information on Altgeld Gardens sign up for the trends report below or contact your Dream Town broker.
The total number of listings in Altgeld Gardens is represented in the chart to the right. The red line represents average number of days based on the total time frame selected in the drop-down window The blue bar represents the current number of listings during the particular month of that time frame. For more detailed information on Altgeld Gardens sign up for the trends report below or contact your Dream Town broker.
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