The Cabrini-Green housing projects that defined one of Chicago’s most dangerous neighborhoods are almost entirely gone. The area, located on Chicago’s Near North Side, is now a mixed-income neighborhood with median home values around $499,000 and a median household income of $127,000, both nearly double the citywide average. It is broadly safe, though a few specific blocks still require awareness, particularly at night.
What Cabrini-Green Used To Be
For decades, Cabrini-Green was synonymous with the worst failures of American public housing. The complex once held thousands of residents in high-rise towers and row houses stretching across Chicago’s Near North Side. After World War II, nearby factories closed, jobs disappeared, and the city pulled back on services and maintenance. What followed was a spiral of poverty, gang control, and violence that made national headlines repeatedly.
Gang activity was so entrenched that individual gangs controlled specific buildings, and residents often felt pressured to affiliate with one simply for protection. New Year’s Eve celebrations routinely involved gang members firing guns into the air, prompting police to block off surrounding streets. In 1970, two Chicago police officers were fatally shot from an apartment window while crossing a baseball field inside the complex. In 1981, eleven gang-related killings drew national attention. The 1992 sniper killing of seven-year-old Dantrell Davis, shot while walking to school with his mother, became one of the most devastating symbols of the complex’s dangers. The area’s violent reputation stretched back even further: a 1931 map labeled a nearby intersection “Death Corner,” noting it as the site of roughly 50 murders.
The Demolition and Redevelopment
Chicago began tearing down Cabrini-Green’s high-rises in the late 1990s and continued through the 2000s. The demolitions were part of a broader city plan to replace concentrated public housing with mixed-income developments. By the mid-2000s, many of the towers were gone, though some row houses along certain blocks remained occupied.
As of 2025, new development continues on the former Cabrini-Green footprint. The Chicago Housing Authority and development partners plan to build roughly 450 apartments across four buildings, with at least 180 units subsidized for lower-income residents. An additional 75 or so condos and townhomes are also planned. The goal is a neighborhood that blends market-rate and affordable housing rather than concentrating poverty the way the old projects did.
How Safe the Area Is Now
The Near North Side, which encompasses the former Cabrini-Green site, receives a “safe” overall rating when compared against Chicago’s 76 community areas. It is the most densely populated neighborhood in the city, with over 40,000 people per square mile, and ranks among the top areas for home values and household income. Crime rates are broadly in line with citywide averages, though the area does have somewhat higher rates of pedestrian-related crime (theft, robbery) than the regional norm.
The transformation is dramatic compared to what the neighborhood looked like 25 or 30 years ago. Most of the surrounding blocks now feature newer townhomes, apartment buildings, retail, and a nearby police station. The area sits between some of Chicago’s most desirable neighborhoods, including Old Town, Lincoln Park, and the Gold Coast.
Blocks That Still Need Caution
A handful of the original Cabrini-Green row houses near Chicago Avenue remain, and these blocks are the main exception to the area’s overall safety. Residents report that the row houses still see occasional violent crime, including shootings. The park near the fire station can also see activity at night. Police presence is consistent: officers are frequently stationed at both ends of key streets near the remaining row houses.
The practical advice from people who live in the area is straightforward. Daytime walking through most of the neighborhood is fine. At night, avoid the remaining row house blocks (particularly along Cambridge Avenue near Chicago Avenue) and stay on the more developed, better-lit streets. These are the kinds of precautions common in many urban neighborhoods, not the all-hours danger that once characterized the old Cabrini-Green complex. The area is not a place most people would feel unsafe during normal daily activities, but it benefits from the same situational awareness you would use anywhere in a large city.
Living in the Area
If you are considering moving to the neighborhood, the housing stock is mostly new or recently built. Prices reflect the Near North Side’s desirability, with median home values close to $500,000. Rental options range from subsidized units in mixed-income buildings to market-rate apartments. The neighborhood has good transit access and is walkable to grocery stores, restaurants, and parks.
The contrast between the Cabrini-Green of the 1990s and the neighborhood today is one of the starkest transformations in any American city. The name still carries weight, and a few pockets of the old complex remain, but the area as a whole functions as a typical urban neighborhood on Chicago’s affluent Near North Side.