Lansing Is going Down the dumps... (Chicago, Naperville: good credit, loans, to buy)

[skyeINIL]

Humboldt, I feel like I keep repeating the same facts over and over and over again, but you keep saying the same damn wrong things over and over and over again.

The crime stats are not bad. Lansing is a safe town. There are no facts to back up that "Section 8, riff raff, ghetto black people, moving in" bull****. Every town in the Chicagoland area and beyond is using that urban myth crap. There has been no appreciable rise in crime in Lansing.

The high school is a mess (no one has denied it), but the grammar and junior high schools are good.

For a town that you have no interest in and that you have little firsthand knowledge about, you really seem to have a hard-on for putting it down.

[Humboldt1]

Lansing is representative of what is wrong with the south side of Chicago and what is the future for many declining communities. I view Lansing as a case study of what happens when riff raff gets forced from one area to another. Lansing and it decline that is already happening will make for a nice study in urban sociology classes in 10-20 years.

You have Harvey (the worst) and then Calument City (which is currently worse than Lansing) and then areas like Tinley Park (better than Lansing) and Orland Park (way better). The whole southside and how some areas (Beverly) are able to stay nice while others (Englewood) are not is fascinating.

I told you my mother worked as a social worker in Gary in the 1960s and 1970s. Perhaps I got my interest in sociology from her, though I am more blunt.

[area55]

shut up nasayers. going on three years in lansing and could not be happier. its not perfect but it belongs to us. remember if there are enough people who care lansing will never fail!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[skyeINIL]

Just found out that there will be a Buffalo Wild Wings on Ridge Road. It's going where the now-closed Tortilla Grill is located. Now my husband will never want to move.

Also, a new Aldi on the corner of Ridge and Wentworth. Very cool.

[At1WithNature]

Originally Posted by Humboldt1

I get that people have different opinions but trashing someone for their grammar and spelling because they have had a negative experience living in Lansing is childish as best.

Very few times when white flight happens does an area improve. Oak Park has been successul as it has been able to price itself out of the poor market, though there are some areas as you approach austin that are crappy. The whitest parts of Oak Park as you approach River Forest by Harlem are the nicest.

Even an "integrated" community such as Oak Park is segregated by race and income. There are rich blacks who live in the nicer parts of Oak Park but most of them want nothing to do with the poorer less educated blacks over by Austin. They feel more comfortable around their rich white neighbors.

Lansing does not have the affluence to keep the riff raff out that are being displaced from the city.

In 10 years it will be another Calumet City. Whites and the businesses that have left are not moving back anytime soon.

And regarding the developer who sold to black families in foreclosure that may be more a function of them buying at the height of the market than anything else. Blacks, however as a whole have far worse credit than any other group. Some of this goes away when you account for income but there is still a large gap between blacks and whites. Hispanics have only slightly better credit as a group than blacks. Banks redline now using credit scores even with programs such as the CRA which force banks to invest in poor minority neighborhoods (humboldt park included) where our losses are much higher.

Just curious of those defending Lansing and attacking the original poster, how many of you are white/black? This debate seems to be divided somewhat along racial lines.

interesting post. i do agree that within 10 years time lansing will be just like Cal City. look at its' neighboring town, how could it not go to hell in a hand basket?

plus, when i drive through it appears to have a drug/prostitute problem that one would be accustomed to seeing in a town like chicago heights, not Lansing!

[LIS123]

It'll take more than a new BW3 and Aldi to boost Lansing's reputation. If I'm not mistaken, Aldi is not necessarily a positive sign as it is has been said that Aldi's official currency is food stamps. It has a bad rep in NW Indiana, though Schererville (where one of the stores is located) is a nice town.

[skyeINIL]

Originally Posted by LIS123

It'll take more than a new BW3 and Aldi to boost Lansing's reputation. If I'm not mistaken, Aldi is not necessarily a positive sign as it is has been said that Aldi's official currency is food stamps. It has a bad rep in NW Indiana, though Schererville (where one of the stores is located) is a nice town.

I'm searching my post to find where it says this is going to "boost Lansing's reputation". Oh wait, I didn't say that. I just think it's cool and assume other Lansing residents will think so too.

Also, you and your neighbors' views (in Dyer?) of Aldi certainly are not the majority. The Aldi stores in Highland, Schererville, and Griffith(?) seem to do well with the white residents (that is who we're talking about, right?) of those towns. And I'm sure the white people in Lansing will flock to this one, too. The only currency I use, and have seen others use, is cash, so I can't speak to the food stamp statement.

[At1WithNature]

Places like Lansing and Matteson, Richton Park, are still very nice compared to other southern suburbs where there is no doubt gang activity, crack sales, and prostitution running rampant (Chicago Heights-head north on Wentworth Ave. from Rt. 30 or head south on Division Ave. from Rt. 30) and you can just see the graffiti claiming GD or 4CH. however, places like Matteson, Richton Park, and Lansing are up in the air. Will they be pretty good places to live like they are now, compared to their neighbors? or will they go the way of Cal City? time will tell. but one could certainly do A LOT worse than Lansing!

[Humboldt1]

There are certainly areas worse than Lansing but there are also a lot of areas much better. Long-term, I think Lansing will experience similar declines seen by areas such as Calumet City.

Humboldt Park is also getting a new Aldi. Do you see me bragging about it? No, instead I wish they would get something better but then again Aldi may be the best grocery store to service Humboldt Park's mostly poor and working poor population. A better question would be when is the last time Lansing got a new Jewel or Dominick's and how are they maintaining the ones that are there. Would a Whole Foods ever think of coming in? I highly doubt that.

I think you can do worse than Lansing, but its bad neighbors will drag it down with them as well. I see little hope for communities such as Lansing. They will not be another Oak Park and resist all the crap around them (even Oak Park has bad areas as you approach Austin).

[Mamama Mia]

Originally Posted by Humboldt1

There are certainly areas worse than Lansing but there are also a lot of areas much better. Long-term, I think Lansing will experience similar declines seen by areas such as Calumet City.

Humboldt Park is also getting a new Aldi. Do you see me bragging about it? No, instead I wish they would get something better but then again Aldi may be the best grocery store to service Humboldt Park's mostly poor and working poor population. A better question would be when is the last time Lansing got a new Jewel or Dominick's and how are they maintaining the ones that are there. Would a Whole Foods ever think of coming in? I highly doubt that.

I think you can do worse than Lansing, but its bad neighbors will drag it down with them as well. I see little hope for communities such as Lansing. They will not be another Oak Park and resist all the crap around them (even Oak Park has bad areas as you approach Austin).

Wow, you cannot begin to compare Humboldt Park with Lansing. HP is dangerous, Lansing is still a quiet community with well maintained homes and a strong sense of community.