Lansing Is going Down the dumps... (Chicago, Tinley Park: trip , work, home)

[bigman123]

When the BIg Box stores come to any town, the Ma & Pop stores suffer. I do not shop at Walmart. But many people welcome Walmart to their towns. In areas like the S. Suburbs, Walmart usually requires huge tax breaks to open a store. Add that to the tax dollars lost when the smaller stores close, what you get is exactly what is going on in Lansing.

An effort must be made to support local merchants.

[rubber duck]

Originally Posted by skye1974

I've seen the empty stores and I've also seen a few new ones coming in their place. When the weather is good, I walk/jog down Ridge Rd. for exercise. Blacks were in Lansing long before these stores shut down. Also, one of the insurance agents closing is moving because of a reorganization of their sales district. You can't blame everything on black people. The economy is bad and people all over are suffering, including small business owners.

The educational state of the schools in Lansing are a big deal to me, too. I have a daughter at Coolidge (the greatschools website only has three reviews for Coolidge and they are all old, but positive) and a son starting there in the fall. In my opinion, my, and my husband's, involvement in my children's education is what will help to make it a success. I went to a crappy elementary school and a nearly crappy high school and came out with a good education because my mom stayed involved with me, my teachers, and the administration. So, I'm not really worried about test scores. Now, if TF South becomes overrun with gangs and my children's lives would be in danger, that's a different story.

If we were talking "in general", I would have to agree with you about of the decline of the south suburbs. Towns like Harvey, Dolton, Calumet City, and Riverdale have suffered. However, we are talking specifically about Lansing, which in my opinion has not suffered.

I am not blaming black people, I am making a statement based on what happens to towns when you have a sudden fluctuation of whites moving out. You can't deny it, this is not the first town this has happened to in the south burbs, nor the second, third, fourth, or fifth etc.

[skyeINIL]

Originally Posted by rubber duck

Lansing housing and property taxes are not cheap.

Because I don't know how to let things go, I had to comment on this. If Lansing is truly going down and becoming just another south suburban casualty, then why aren't property values plummeting? If whites were moving out in droves and bad blacks moving in, why doesn't the housing cost reflect this?

[rubber duck]

Originally Posted by skye1974

Because I don't know how to let things go, I had to comment on this. If Lansing is truly going down and becoming just another south suburban casualty, then why aren't property values plummeting? If whites were moving out in droves and bad blacks moving in, why doesn't the housing cost reflect this?

Property taxes are high because this is Cook County, and our taxes just went up even more due to the huge addition they put on TF South, I guess because when a school is floundering the best way to help it is to add more windows, the same goes for Memorial Jr. High.

Also property values might not be neccessarily plummeting in Lansing, but they sure as heck aren't going up as fast as they are in nicer areas. Also with so many houses for sale in Lansing, people are willing to give their house away to get out quick. This also affects your property value, because there's your property value and then there's what someone would actually pay for it. My family has already experienced this, first in Roseland, then again in Dolton.

[skyeINIL]

Originally Posted by rubber duck

Property taxes are high because this is Cook County, and our taxes just went up even more due to the huge addition they put on TF South, I guess because when a school is floundering the best way to help it is to add more windows, the same goes for Memorial Jr. High.

Also property values might not be neccessarily plummeting in Lansing, but they sure as heck aren't going up as fast as they are in nicer areas. Also with so many houses for sale in Lansing, people are willing to give their house away to get out quick. This also affects your property value, because there's your property value and then there's what someone would actually pay for it. My family has already experienced this, first in Roseland, then again in Dolton.

This is info from City-Data itself. Again, does it really look like Lansing is going down the dumps? Property values are rising; not as much as in say, Naperville or Oakbrook, but no one would have ever confused Lansing (even in your heyday when it was ALL white) with Naperville. Crime has not risen dramatically. Violent crime is rare. There are 356 houses for sale in Lansing (no "so many" after all).

Estimated median house/condo value in 2005: $182,000 (it was $118,700 in 2000)

[rubber duck]

Originally Posted by skye1974

This is info from City-Data itself. Again, does it really look like Lansing is going down the dumps? Property values are rising; not as much as in say, Naperville or Oakbrook, but no one would have ever confused Lansing (even in your heyday when it was ALL white) with Naperville. Crime has not risen dramatically. Violent crime is rare. There are 356 houses for sale in Lansing (no "so many" after all).

Estimated median house/condo value in 2005: $182,000 (it was $118,700 in 2000)

If you're basing your perception of Lansing on the information here at city-data you're in for a surprise.

[skyeINIL]

Originally Posted by rubber duck

If you're basing your perception of Lansing on the information here at city-data you're in for a surprise.

As I have said in several posts in this topic as well as in another topic where you and I debated, I live in Lansing. I'm basing my opinion of Lansing on facts (which are available for anyone to view) and my experience in this town. There is nothing to be "surprised" about. I have had nothing but good experiences in Lansing. Great neighbors, great parks, great downtown, safe area, etc.

[area55]

I am so tired of you people debating wether or not lansing is a bad place to live. I am white and moved to lansing 2 years ago and i could not be happier. I came from the north side of chicago where there was alot of punks alot of traffic and lots of crime. that was the harlem and belmont area. lansing is much better than where i came from. i wont lie lansing does have problems just as every community does. but why kick it when its down? instead of moving, stay. if your worried about crime get involved in the community. if the schools suck demand more from the trusties. do some thing don't just leave. that is the problem with our disposable society when something does not work like it should we just throw it away. Lansing is still a great place to live. to me lansing is like mayberry, a nice little town full of imperfect people with lots to give. And for those of you who live in lansing, who is going to want to move here if all you do is talk about how bad it is. talk about the good and we will get good people. And for those of you who don't live here be quiet and mind your own business.

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by area55

...I am so tired of you people debating wether or not lansing is a bad place to live. I am white and moved to lansing 2 years ago and i could not be happier. I came from the north side of chicago where there was alot of punks alot of traffic and lots of crime. that was the harlem and belmont area. lansing is much better than where i came from...

Lansing is better crime wise than Belmont and Harlem??? Are you kidding?

[skyeINIL]

Originally Posted by Avengerfire

Lansing is better crime wise than Belmont and Harlem??? Are you kidding?

Crime rates aside, I feel much safer walking around Lansing with my children than I would doing the same around Belmont and Harlem. I've never felt threatened or remotely unsafe in the five years that I've lived in Lansing.