The Clearing neighborhood got its start as a railroad 'clearing' yard, a destination for train car maintenance. Today, Clearing is mostly residential, and the local residents take great pride in keeping the area clean and safe. So much so that in addition to the services of Streets and Sanitation and the local Police Department, community members created their own patrol force called the Clearing Night Force to maintain peace and order along their quiet neighborhood blocks.

The neatly kept mini-lawns of the many brick bungalows and one-story homes of Clearing create a charming cottage ambiance throughout the community. Rows of cement driveways lead to small separate garages and secure parking spots. Some homeowners have fenced-in yards (to keep our four-legged family members from running about) and lovely little trees and shrubs to finish off the curb appeal of the uniformly designed streets.

There are a number of new construction developments cropping up in a few pockets of Clearing, many of which are multi-unit brick condos that compliment the preexisting 1960s contemporary style architecture. Just imagine yourself kicking back on your private balcony with a good book and cold drink on any given spring or summer day. Sounds nice, huh? Well you know where to start looking.

The average sales price for a one- or two-bedroom condominium or attached housing unit in Clearing is around $157,000. But shop around because units of this size range in price with some selling for as much as $340,000 and others listed at under $100,000. A three-bedroom unit in this southwest side Chicago neighborhood costs closer to $200,000 on average. The average price for a detached single-family home with three bedrooms around here is $260,000. Property with a little more space will likely run you closer to $275,000, although there are plenty of houses in Clearing that sell for between $300,000 and $400,000.