Clearing
The region of Clearing takes its name from the railroad term “clearing yard,” a spot where incoming trains are broken down into individual cars and outgoing ones are assembled. Clearing includes about half of Midway Airport, and is bounded by 65th Street to the south, 59th Street to the north, Harlem to the west, and Cicero to the east.
Clearing has a respectable number of businesses, restaurants, and shopping in the area, in large part due to its close proximity to Midway. The members of the community are very active, with a neighborhood watch group called the Clearing Night Force that patrols the neighborhood to keep it safe and clean.
Since 1988, homeowners in the Clearing neighborhood can take part in the Southwest Home Equity Assurance program to insure against their home’s value diminishing. Program members can have their homes appraised for a one-time charge of $125. If a member sells a home for a price lower than the appraisal value, the assurance program pays the difference. Homeowners must be in the program for five years and it is funded by property taxes in select locations, the average taxpayer pays about $20 a year.
Condos in Clearing cost from $124,000 to $129,000, though less expensive housing can be found. Townhouses throughout the area can be bought beginning at about $79,000. Older brick bungalows are also accessible, which would cost $99,000 to $140,000, based on factors such as improvements and the size of the property’s lot.
The opening of the CTA Orange Line has made the area even more reachable and a number of police and firemen choose to live in Clearing because it is close to downtown.
