Pro: The Local Cuisine Is Incredible
One of the huge perks of living in the Chinatown neighborhood of
Chicago is all the number of delicious restaurants in the area, easily noticeable by the mouth-watering smells that fill the streets.
A couple of the most popular restaurants that are sure to please include Minghin Cuisine, known for their seafood and Dim Sum, as well as Go 4 Food, an Asian Fusion restaurant you’ll fall in love with at first bite.
Con: You May Face A Language Barrier Occasionally
Over half of the residents here self-report that they speak English not well or not at all, with variations of Chinese, specifically Cantonese being the most popular first language. If you happen to exclusively speak English, there’s a good chance you’ll have trouble communicating with many of the local residents.
Pro: Chinatown Is Super Safe
While Chicago has become known for its violence in recent years, the Chinatown neighborhood has quite a different story to tell. With only 2,655 reported criminal acts per 100,000 residents, things are a lot safer in Chinatown than the rest of the Windy City, which has roughly 4,000 reported acts per 100,000 residents as a whole. One place you’re sure to feel a little safer walking the streets a night, your chances of becoming a victim in Chinatown is much lower than in the rest of the Chi.
Con: The Parks and Recreation Here Is Limited
One area that Chinatown is a little lacking in is their community’s parks system. While this area is home to the very cool Ping Tom Memorial Park, a 17-acre green space featuring a pagoda-style building and a riverfront location, this is really about it. Fortunately, there are tons of parks spread throughout Chicago that are also easily accessible by a short commute, they’re just not super close.
Pro: The Housing Is Really Affordable
While most Americans probably hear the word “Chicago” and think “expensive,” certain neighborhoods like Chinatown deliver a much better bang for your buck. With the exception of detached homes, every other type of housing you’ll find in Chinatown is significantly more affordable than what you’d find in the rest of the city.
For example, the most popular type of housing in the area consists of apartments in buildings with five or more units, making up roughly 36 percent of the housing landscape. While these tend to hold a city-wide average of roughly $308,337 each, in Chinatown they’re only $202,228 This price differential is seen in all multi-unit housing options in the area. Interestingly, homes are also much newer in the Chinatown area compared to the rest of Chicago, with most of the construction taking place over the last 50 years, compared to the rest of the city where most homes were built prior to World War II.
