<p>Does anybody know if the neighborhoods around University of Chicago have improved during the recent real estate boom (and now bust)? It seems to be a short hop to the pricier downtown Chicago areas.</p>
<p>The less desirable neighborhoods around Columbia are in the process of regentrification (perhaps hastened by soaring real estate prices elsewhere in Manhattan). From what I read, Harlem isn't what it used to be.</p>
<p>The large endowments of these schools (5 billion for Chicago and 6 billion for Columbia) ought to make an impact on the surrounding areas through building campaigns and purchasing neglected properties.</p>
<p>its definitely true that Harlem isnt what it used to be, but then again its also true that NYC as a whole isnt what it used to be..its now the fourth safest city of 500000 or more in the country.</p>
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The common person on the street isn't going to recognize UChicago. Hell, I know a guy who went to UIUC for undergrad and he never heard of UChicago. When I mentioned it, he thought I was talking about UIC. Not fair, because it is one of the best universities in the world, but the truth is the average person probably never heard of the school.
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That's true, but what matters is the guy who's going to review your resume/grad school application, not the person on the street.</p>
<p>Hyde Park has a range of homes and a range of prices-- I saw a home that's a block from campus that was going for 1 milllion-- many single homes approach that price range, while the apartments tend to stay in the 2-300k range. As a result, the neighborhood of Hyde Park has enough housing for the upper class (Carol Moseley Braun, Barack Obama) as well as more affordable housing for professors/administrators and students who rent.</p>