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Many of the types of places you mention are not too much above McDonald's in price although the quality can be better, sometimes much better, other times worse.
Old Country Buffet? Are you serious? The food there is on par if not worse than McDonald's. Do you have any idea what kind of stuff is in most of the food there?
Thanks urza216 for the rep! But this is almost funny now. I did not think this would turn into a back and forth fight. To clear up I love steak, but I guess my problem is not always the food it was just something stated out of frustration, but more so the attitude of the people.
Let give everyone a little background. I came from the City of Detroit, had a great upbringing (two parent household college educated parents), surrounded by and went to school bougie African Americans which drove me insane!, and graduated from Michigan State gasp! I loved it at Michigan State because everyone there was so outgoing, friendly, and down to earth. When I came to Chicago, I guess I had the same expectations because everyone told me how great Lakeview, Lincoln Park etc neighborhoods would be and a lot of people were from Michigan State so I was excited. At first I did not move there because I did not want to live in a vintage building. I could not afford a modern apartment at the time. But at least I thought, I can hang out there and have a good time socializing like in school. However, to my disappointment most of people except for maybe a couple of bars were pretenious and clicky. That was and is still hard for to accept because I am a minglier and not clicky. I just feel like these people feel that they are better because they live in their cool neighborhood, take the L and have they cushy loop job.
As I get older, I hang out more in the South Loop and Hyde Park now. However, I have always been frugal with money and prefer to spend on things like travel or trying different things like kayaking instead of outfits. I feel like the only way I would get attention in areas like this is have the right outfit, clothes and hair. I do not like that because it will be a front for awhile and the real me would come out.
The people in these neighborhoods make me feel bad about myself and like I need to match up to get their attention. It is getting old and that is where you posters are hearing the frustration. I never felt this way until I moved here. I guess I feel upset because I feel like I do not fit in anywhere in Chicago. What is wrong with wanting to find down to earth educated driven people, and I do not always mean a piece of paper from a university
Also please do not say hang out in the hood or something crazy like that. I guess I thought Chicago "white collared educated class" and be more down to earth, and yes their have been a select few but that is not enough for me.
So if you are a high-income individual, are you automatically a yuppie?
No, I feel it is definitely more attitude. I actually prefer rich people versus people who are high income or much better than average which these people tend to have the most attitude. I would know before college all I dealt with was upper middle class people who thought they were God's gift because they were doing much better than the average person.
To the OP, sorry for messing up your thread. If you always wanted to experience urban city life than the West Loop would be better. If you are more suburban and do not mind a more family oriented urban-suburban neighborhood then the Oak Park would suit you fine.
Assumptions, stereotypes, classifications, that was so 20th century.
I recall seeing a painter (obvious by the clothes) at a sushi bar while he was on his lunch brake. I know truck drivers who eat at expensive restraints, but live in a trailer. The best is seeing a person who has the hottest new car at a drive thru at McDonalds because they can not afford to eat anywhere else. Our world today allows us to choose what we want as an individual, and where labels no longer apply across the board.
Assumptions, stereotypes, classifications, that was so 20th century.
I recall seeing a painter (obvious by the clothes) at a sushi bar while he was on his lunch brake. I know truck drivers who eat at expensive restraints, but live in a trailer. The best is seeing a person who has the hottest new car at a drive thru at McDonalds because they can not afford to eat anywhere else. Our world today allows us to choose what we want as an individual, and where labels no longer apply across the board.
But is does determine what type of guy will give you the time of day.
Even gyros joints, Harold's Chicken Shacks and pizza-by-the-slice places are more upscale than McDonalds. There are delicious Mexican restaurants where you can get a good meal for less than five dollars. These types of restaurants are harder to find in upscale neighborhoods, even if Burger King is readily available.
True but thats not sayin much.
Quote:
Originally Posted by tonythetuna
Many of the types of places you mention are not too much above McDonald's in price although the quality can be better, sometimes much better, other times worse.
Old Country Buffet? Are you serious? The food there is on par if not worse than McDonald's. Do you have any idea what kind of stuff is in most of the food there?
Arby's is another one. Old country buffet does not seem that bad.
Arby's is another one. Old country buffet does not seem that bad.
I'm not saying Old Country Buffet tastes bad. What I am saying is do you know what most of that food is loaded with? You are almost better off eating McDonald's.
Thanks urza216 for the rep! But this is almost funny now. I did not think this would turn into a back and forth fight. To clear up I love steak, but I guess my problem is not always the food it was just something stated out of frustration, but more so the attitude of the people.
Let give everyone a little background. I came from the City of Detroit, had a great upbringing (two parent household college educated parents), surrounded by and went to school bougie African Americans which drove me insane!, and graduated from Michigan State gasp! I loved it at Michigan State because everyone there was so outgoing, friendly, and down to earth. When I came to Chicago, I guess I had the same expectations because everyone told me how great Lakeview, Lincoln Park etc neighborhoods would be and a lot of people were from Michigan State so I was excited. At first I did not move there because I did not want to live in a vintage building. I could not afford a modern apartment at the time. But at least I thought, I can hang out there and have a good time socializing like in school. However, to my disappointment most of people except for maybe a couple of bars were pretenious and clicky. That was and is still hard for to accept because I am a minglier and not clicky. I just feel like these people feel that they are better because they live in their cool neighborhood, take the L and have they cushy loop job.
As I get older, I hang out more in the South Loop and Hyde Park now. However, I have always been frugal with money and prefer to spend on things like travel or trying different things like kayaking instead of outfits. I feel like the only way I would get attention in areas like this is have the right outfit, clothes and hair. I do not like that because it will be a front for awhile and the real me would come out.
The people in these neighborhoods make me feel bad about myself and like I need to match up to get their attention. It is getting old and that is where you posters are hearing the frustration. I never felt this way until I moved here. I guess I feel upset because I feel like I do not fit in anywhere in Chicago. What is wrong with wanting to find down to earth educated driven people, and I do not always mean a piece of paper from a university
Also please do not say hang out in the hood or something crazy like that. I guess I thought Chicago "white collared educated class" and be more down to earth, and yes their have been a select few but that is not enough for me.
I think you are falling victim to what a lot of transplants fall victim to. I know I knock on transplants here, but I think what I say is the truth. People come to Chicago with unrealistic expectations from other Midwest cities.
Lots of people from Michigan and Ohio move to Chicago after college looking for the top white collar job, meeting the wealthy spouse, and enjoying all the entertainment.
The problem occurs when an individual does not get the best job, meet their wealthy spouse, and that turns them off from the entertainment options.
The transplants who do "make it" or become $50,000 millionaires certainly let everyone else know that they have "made it." Even as a native Chicagoan they always are ask me, "Why don't you go to this restaurant, bar, activity, etc, etc?"
Most of Chicago is not Lakeview, Lincoln Park, the Gold Coast, and Wicker Park. I think transplants do not like to leave these areas because when they do, they are not experiencing the Chicago that they have envisioned. This is why when the time comes and they don't get promoted or they want to start a family and they don't want to move to the suburbs or another area of the city, a lot leave.
I think you are falling victim to what a lot of transplants fall victim to. I know I knock on transplants here, but I think what I say is the truth. People come to Chicago with unrealistic expectations from other Midwest cities.
Lots of people from Michigan and Ohio move to Chicago after college looking for the top white collar job, meeting the wealthy spouse, and enjoying all the entertainment.
The problem occurs when an individual does not get the best job, meet their wealthy spouse, and that turns them off from the entertainment options.
The transplants who do "make it" or become $50,000 millionaires certainly let everyone else know that they have "made it." Even as a native Chicagoan they always are ask me, "Why don't you go to this restaurant, bar, activity, etc, etc?"
Most of Chicago is not Lakeview, Lincoln Park, the Gold Coast, and Wicker Park. I think transplants do not like to leave these areas because when they do, they are not experiencing the Chicago that they have envisioned. This is why when the time comes and they don't get promoted or they want to start a family and they don't want to move to the suburbs or another area of the city, a lot leave.
I love this post! It is extremely insightful. But with me you can replace the white collar job with being a self-employed model and instead of finding wealthy husband it would be for flirting with attractive white collar men. For entertainment it was going dancing a hot bar or lounge a couple times a week and dating often. However, I am not ready for marriage and none of the above has happened. I found out dating for me is more stressful than fun and Chicago is such a bar culture city which can be annoying at times.
Nothing is wrong with sitting around a bar having a drink and good conservation every now and then but not all the time. For my night going to a bar is the starter and not the entire evening. It is just boring to me, and the clickiness of the people in the bars makes things worse. To clarify, I was never a bar person even at Michigan State. I always went to the one dance club they had and the best times of my life because of the energy of people. I knew everyone and it was like family. Lastly if I did go to bar night there was always a great DJ and great dancing. I can not just stand around and have a drink.
Also, I did come to Chicago with unrealistic expectations of making big money and it has not happened yet, but I was never planning to stay pernamently just because I do not like urban environments and Chicago did not have enough greenery and trees for me. Lack of greenery makes me depressed. Furthermore, I was never an art, museum, fine dining type. I am more of an athletic, sporty runner type. I think I would belong more in a Denver type of city.
I figure I could let this go if I made enough money and traveled, but that has not happened. Also when I travel to smaller cities and I am bored but has the scenery I am looking for. For me L.A is ideal because it has a suburban and beautiful hills, but all the action of a city without the gritty urban environment. If I had the money that is where I would live right now.
Also you are right about when a transplant discovers the non trendy areas of the city I was disappointed but I do love the variation of Chicago. However, once I left socializing the "cool areas" of the city. I thought this is it. Parts of the southside look just like Detroit and the hip areas do not seem like anything to me now. I do not even hang out in them now.
The funny thing was I thought Chicago was only just a bigger Detroit and boring because when I was a kid I only when to southside with normal lawns and homes to visit family. This was back in the 80s. So when I cam to visit 17 years later, I had no expectations and of course downtown exceed everything and then became addicted to visiting the city and this was just downtown. I did not even know anything about the cool northside neighhorhoods. This is when my expectations of Chicago became overblown because I went from thinking this is lame rust belt city to amazing. But over the years, I feel like a lot of Chicago experience is hype and I fell completely for it. But it might be different for someone who truly enjoys urban environments. I learned for my next city do not have too high expectations.
Last edited by stephei2000; 11-21-2010 at 09:24 AM..
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Old country buffet does not seem that bad.
