Many things matter about a neighborhood, but the first thing most people notice is the way a neighborhood looks and its particular character. For example, one might notice whether the buildings all date from a certain time period or whether shop signs are in multiple languages. This particular neighborhood in Chicago, the W 18th St / S Marshfield Ave neighborhood, has some outstanding things about the way it looks and its way of life that are worth highlighting.
Real Estate
The W 18th St / S Marshfield Ave neighborhood is very densely populated compared to most U.S. neighborhoods. In fact, with 32,493 persons per square mile in the neighborhood, it is more packed with people than 97.2% of the nation's neighborhoods. Being a walkable neighborhood can help increase property values for the simple reason that people enjoy it and value it. To put it plainly, despite our love affair with the automobile, American's enjoy taking to the streets, sidewalks, paths, and courtyards of a place to get a coffee, relax, and take in the sights and sounds. And, according to NeighborhoodScout's exclusive and first quantitative walkable score index, the W 18th St / S Marshfield Ave neighborhood is one of the most walkable neighborhoods in America.
In addition, corner bodegas, stores on the first floor and apartments above, former grand Victorian residences converted into apartments, three-deckers built shoulder-to-shoulder, duplexes. Such building types define the real estate of neighborhoods dominated by small 2, 3, and 4 unit apartment buildings. Many are in older core neighborhoods of Eastern and Midwestern cities, or historic town centers in their hinterlands. If you wax romantic about the look and feel of such neighborhoods, with fresh pizza, falafel and an independent florist at the corner, then you might find the W 18th St / S Marshfield Ave neighborhood worth a close look. This neighborhood is an absolutely outstanding example of the dominance of small 2, 3, and 4 unit apartment buildings compared to neighborhoods across the nation, as they make up a substantial portion of this neighborhood's real estate stock. In fact, no less than 53.5% of the real estate here is made up of such dwellings, which is higher than 98.7% of all U.S. neighborhoods.
Furthermore, do you watch 'This Old House' on Public Television? Do you love the idea of fixing up a Colonial or Victorian era home, complete with the charm of yesteryear? Do you like to stroll or drive streets lined with gracious older residences? If you found yourself nodding yes to any of these questions, you are going to be interested in this unique neighborhood. The W 18th St / S Marshfield Ave neighborhood stands out on a national scale for the sheer concentration of historic residences it contains: 73.0% of the residential real estate here was built from 1939 or earlier, some much earlier. This is a greater concentration of historic homes than 99.0% of the neighborhoods in the United States.
Modes of Transportation
If you like to ride the train to work, this neighborhood may be for you. NeighborhoodScout's research revealed that 29.7% of the W 18th St / S Marshfield Ave neighborhood's commuters ride the train to and from work each day, which is more than we found in 98.1% of America's neighborhoods.
People
One of the really interesting characteristics about the W 18th St / S Marshfield Ave neighborhood is that, according to NeighborhoodScout's exclusive research, it is an excellent choice in which to reside for college students. Due to its popularity among college students who already choose to live here, its walkability, and its above average safety from crime, the neighborhood is ideal for prospective or already-enrolled college students. Between semesters and during school breaks, you'll notice that the excitement here fluctuates with the college seasons. Despite the excitement however, parents of college-age children can rest easy knowing that this neighborhood has an above average safety rating. For each of these reasons, the neighborhood is rated among the top 4.8% of college-friendly places to live in the state of Illinois.
Diversity
Did you know that the W 18th St / S Marshfield Ave neighborhood has more Armenian and Arab ancestry people living in it than nearly any neighborhood in America? It's true! In fact, 5.1% of this neighborhood's residents have Armenian ancestry and 5.5% have Arab ancestry.
W 18th St / S Marshfield Ave is also pretty special linguistically. Significantly, 69.6% of its residents five years old and above primarily speak Spanish at home. This is a higher percentage than 97.3% of all U.S. neighborhoods.
