Why is Chicago losing population? (Berwyn, Manhattan: real estate, 2009, loft)

[Chicago60614]

^ LOL! Oh please....

[NearWestSider]

Is this rant some back to the future thing? Dude, that is SO 100% 1957. Do you have plastic covers on your sofas? I'll bet you like Elvis and the Rat Pack, too, don't you?

[CarolinaBredChicagoan]

Originally Posted by 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.

Please. First of all, there's not a bit of difference between Park Ridge and say, Edison Park, which is in the city. Anyone from the inner ring burbs is hard pressed to claim seperation from the city, as there is often little difference between the burb and the neighborhood just on the other side of the city line. Not to mention the fact that you claim "less noise" when you are in O'Hare's back yard....

There was a time when Chicago was at risk of becoming the next Detroit. We diversified the economy and weathered that storm (for now, anyway). I trust we can continue to do so.

Just as many people move out of the city, many people also move into the city. I moved here because I want to live in Chicago. If I ever decide to move to a suburb, I'll move to one that's warmer and closer to my family, fresh oysters, salt water, and Chick-fil-a.

[aragx6]

And cheaper! To me the added expense of (the city of) Chicago is worth it, but if I were going to live in a typical white bread suburb, I'd live in a cheaper part of the country!

[via chicago]

Originally Posted by 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.

You are so completely oblivious to the renaissance this city has undergone in the past 15-20 years its not even worth continuing this conversation. Or you've just forgotten that in the 70s and 80s Chicago really WAS on the verge on going the way of Detroit, and we are so removed from that period now it isnt even recognizable.

[Drover]

Every urban city, especially east of the Mississippi, was in danger of becoming the next Detroit. The 80s were pretty scary times because the inner cities had been deteriorating for two decades and there was no indication that this trend was ever going to slow down. but then the 90s came, and did it ever slow down, and then reverse. Not just here, but in many cities across the country.

[Tanya1521]

I am currently trying to relocate from chicago myself, the reason why like everyone said is because of gentrification, and monthly rent is too high for the people here. I have lived in chicago my entire life, and this is the worst year of my life, I had to move out of my two bedroom apt of five years because they kept putting the rent up 100 each year, I had to move in a hole in the wall studio just to survive, food is too expensive. I am graduating in two weeks and hopefully it will open new doors for me, but it still doesn't change the fact that poor people are unable to survive, most jobs are only paying barely minimum wage, and rent and food are too high, bus fare keeps going up, and the poor are paying a fourth of their wages on transportation to and from work, I deliever food to people downtown, and I live on the the northwest side of the city, I see the rich having someone bring their steak to them, and could only hope they would give me a few dollars to feed my own children out of a can, I know I sound bitter, I am only sad that I cannot survive here, I am willing to give up the great beaches, entertainment and attractions, and diversity, just to have chicken for dinner. I hope it helps, but yes, the upperclass found it more desirable to live in the city against original plans of raising children in the suburbs, when they came back they built huge beautiful condo buildings dead smack in the middle of poor neighborhoods, a landlord for the poor, had no choice to raise rent because the value of the area went up so poor people had no choice and had to relocate where the government could supply cheaper rent in NOW undersirable areas for the rich. It's crazy I know, I am so sad, and wonder what this world is coming too.
What's for dinner?

[NearWestSider]

I would have to disagree with that, Drover. The major decline of Chicago began in the late 40's (the post WW2 era), and the resurgence of Chicago began with the redevelopment of Old Town (mid 60's) and the Sandburg Village.

In the 70's, New Town sprang to life, as did Lincoln Park, and the rest is history.

The thing to remember about Chicago is that this city has been at the forefront of the whole back to the city movement, a trend that is now 40 years old. Chicago is a leader, if not THE leader, and we tend to forget that when we compare ourselves to other cities.

It is not that other cities are not undergoing the same kind of renaissance. It is just the fact that it has been going on longer here.

[aragx6]

Originally Posted by Tanya1521

I am currently trying to relocate from chicago myself, the reason why like everyone said is because of gentrification, and monthly rent is too high for the people here. I have lived in chicago my entire life, and this is the worst year of my life, I had to move out of my two bedroom apt of five years because they kept putting the rent up 100 each year, I had to move in a hole in the wall studio just to survive, food is too expensive. I am graduating in two weeks and hopefully it will open new doors for me, but it still doesn't change the fact that poor people are unable to survive, most jobs are only paying barely minimum wage, and rent and food are too high, bus fare keeps going up, and the poor are paying a fourth of their wages on transportation to and from work, I deliever food to people downtown, and I live on the the northwest side of the city, I see the rich having someone bring their steak to them, and could only hope they would give me a few dollars to feed my own children out of a can, I know I sound bitter, I am only sad that I cannot survive here, I am willing to give up the great beaches, entertainment and attractions, and diversity, just to have chicken for dinner. I hope it helps, but yes, the upperclass found it more desirable to live in the city against original plans of raising children in the suburbs, when they came back they built huge beautiful condo buildings dead smack in the middle of poor neighborhoods, a landlord for the poor, had no choice to raise rent because the value of the area went up so poor people had no choice and had to relocate where the government could supply cheaper rent in NOW undersirable areas for the rich. It's crazy I know, I am so sad, and wonder what this world is coming too.
What's for dinner?

Where are you planning to move to? If you are used to city life and also want to have access to plenty of jobs, I would look at some of the less expensive midwestern cities like St. Louis, Kansas City etc. I absolutely agree that this is a very hard city to be poor in.

[LakeShoreSoxGo]

You also have the fact that the suburbs have officially become much cheaper than the city.