Why is Chicago losing population? (Park Ridge, Lincoln: neighborhood, public school, landlord)

[Preaching2thechoir]

Originally Posted by fine_where_I_am

Are there any large urban areas in the USA that don't have rampant corruption, budget shortages, high taxes, rampant gangs, bad schools, underfunded hospitals, and a huge number of illegal aliens?
I mean this seriously. I cannot think of any.
If you want top class urban areas, go to western Europe. Otherwise, you just have to keep things in perspective. Ask yourself how much those negatives personally affect you, and keep you from enjoying life in the city.

It wasn't a comparison, just my reasons for no longer living in Chicago, or Cook County.

[miserylovesco.]

I'm moving from one corrupt city to another, I guess it's in my blood.

[scongress1234]

Originally Posted by fine_where_I_am

I know what you mean, though personally I have no clue why anyone would move to places like Miami, Atlanta, Austin, or Las Vegas for the weather. Do people really enjoy the outdoors when the heat index is over 90F? Maybe they do, but it seems foreign to me. The only part of the country that you won't have either numerous uncomfortably hot or uncomfortably cold months is the west coast... and the California coast is already built up (overpopulated, expensive) while many find the northwest to be too dark and rainy.

Moving for the weather means nothing, unless you are a retiree. I'm not recommending moving to the sahara or polar regions, but, weather is one out of a zillion factors per moving. Vegas, florida, phoenix, and much of texas pay awful wages, and are non-union to boot. Not to mention the cultural stuff, which all those cities are 100% devoid of as well.

[Careless]

Originally Posted by muer

I never really thought about it, but why move somewhere cold. before it was because the cold places were near the mountains had natural resources, or had a large railroad network to deliver goods. In this information age, manufactering jobs are gone. How many types of jobs are pinned down to specific regional locations now?
From what I see they are mostly local jobs, police, fire, schools, power generation, etc, not really industry unless it's because of legacy (that's where the company was founded).

So why not move to Tuscon, Miami, Las Vegas, Atlanta, Austin? People move to those places without jobs, How many people (law-abiding) move to Chicago without jobs?

There's also the fact that heating technology is thousands of years old, but air conditioning is a product of last century.

[Drover]

And more to the point, only in the last half-century has it become efficient enough to make widespread development of the south and desert southwest practical. Until recently, the cost outweighed the benefits. Not anymore.

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by Drover

And more to the point, only in the last half-century has it become efficient enough to make widespread development of the south and desert southwest practical. Until recently, the cost outweighed the benefits. Not anymore.

IDK-water is going to cost alot more for them in the not too distant future so it is possible the trend will reverse.

[crbcrbrgv]

Originally Posted by pandabear

Okay gentrification is definatly a reason. Chicago like LA and New York, has suburbs that are more affordable than the city. But mexicans having LESS babies and affording their own places? I don't think so. Ask someone who is white and living in Dallas or San Diego if it seems to him mexicans are having LESS babies. Your gonna get laughed out of existance talking that nonsense.

I live in Houston (former Chicagoan) and guess what? Mexicans are having less babies. I'm married to one, she is 30 and we have one child. Perhaps people such as myself are leaving the Chicago area is because of people like you.

[urbansagacity]

the gentrified neighborhoods have gained population, but the outskirt neighborhoods have lost significant numbers of residents. it seems people tend to only look at the hip and upcoming 'hoods as the city, but there is way more to the city than downtown, wicker park, lincoln park, etc. that's why chicago has lost numbers. not due to the central city, but to the outlying neighborhoods!

[fine_where_I_am]

Originally Posted by urbansagacity

the gentrified neighborhoods have gained population, but the outskirt neighborhoods have lost significant numbers of residents. it seems people tend to only look at the hip and upcoming 'hoods as the city, but there is way more to the city than downtown, wicker park, lincoln park, etc. that's why chicago has lost numbers. not due to the central city, but to the outlying neighborhoods!

Even neighborhoods such as Lincoln Park have supposedly lost over 5% of their population at the 2005 estimate, compared to the 2000 census. It doesn't seem accurate.

To me, more interesting statistics than population change would be: the number of housing units, people per household, and percentage of housing units vacant. I don't think declining/increasing population tells as much as the change in demographics of the population. A population increase isn't necessarily good, if it involves smaller working/middle class households leaving and being replaced by larger households of poor illegal immigrants (as in LA for instance).

[marcin25]

The city lost its population due to large numbers of people moving out to suburs. They want to escape the dirt, traffic, lack of parking space, ugly homes and buildings (except downtown), bad if not terrible public schools, bad neighborhoods, HIGH TAXES, and the lovely Mayor Daley who just loves raising taxes. Chicago will eventually become another Detroit. Not now, but maybe in next 20 - 30 years in my opinion.
I live in Park Ridge (northwest of Chicago) and those areas here are booming. Lots of people moving out to suburbs (at least here) from Chicago. The burbs north & south of Chicago are a lot better place to live than an average Chicago neighborhood. Wider streets, less traffic, less noise, cleaner air, nicer people, everything is cheaper especially gas.
As for immigrants, they are everywhere - legal or illegal. Without them the population of Chicago wouldn't be more than 2 million and you'd pay a lot more for the BigMac at McDonald's.