Urban Decay: Am I the only one who can't take it? (Chicago: house, living in)

[BRU67]

Originally Posted by TootsieWootsie

I checked out Chicago a few years ago for a year to see if I would love to come back there again, but the urban decay was just too much for me. Chicago is dirty, filthy and old, old, old. Just too much urban decay. TOO MUCH! And for all winter and most of fall, a good 6 months of GRAY, GRAY, GRAY! Boo!

Try Palos Hills, Palos Heights, Orland Park. All of your troubles will be solved if you move there.

[CarolinaBredChicagoan]

Originally Posted by BRU67

Try Palos Hills, Palos Heights, Orland Park. All of your troubles will be solved if you move there.

Did they put in some sorta artificial sun down there?

[aragx6]

RGB123 you didn't think London was gray?

Of course Chicago's not perfect. I can't imagine there are too many people on this forum who would be so ridiculous as to say it is, but I love it. It's all a matter of opinion of course, but I wouldn't want to live anywhere else. If I did, I would move there, period. And if it's feasible, I suggest everyone do that. There's no sense in spending your life somewhere where you are unhappy.

[rgb123]

London and Amsterdam, Paris, etc are gray in a weather type way......but the cities themselves are so vibrant, and they do not get as cold....there is less distinction between the haves and have nots.....especially true in holland. And that few degrees makes a difference, you can comfortably ride a bike in holland all year long....and the grass stays green.

From a cloudy sky standpoint....yes they are quite gray. But they dont' have the sort of vacant, ghetto sort of issues we have here, not to the same degree anyway.....london may be the worst in that regard (so I heard but never saw it with my own eyes....never had to really fear walking alone at night, not like I do here) but I cant really explain it...those cities have so much warmth even when its gray just because of their old and well maintained buildings, and well, truly it is a bit warmer and that makes a difference. I'm sure there is more to it, but this is just what I can come up with now. I'm not saying those cities are so much better than Chicago.....just saying its pretty hard to compare those old, more mature cities to Chicago......Chicago is still recovering from its turbulent start, which to me explains the "grayness" that is so prevalent in a landscape sort of way......well that and the weather itself.

[TootsieWootsie]

2 things:
1. FYI I lived in the Gold Coast a few years ago. Yes, I hung around Lakeview and Lincoln Park, but I was not blind to the filth of the local subways/els either or the filth in the streets further west of that area or the old, raggedy buildings further away from that area.
2. Talking to Chicagoans about Chicago is like talking to Texans about Houston: "this is the best city in the world and it has NO faults." Maybe this is one reason why the State of Illinois is in such horrid condition financially? Ironically, I have lived for great lengths of time in both cities (15 years in Chicago totaly and 22 in Houston), so I do know whatof I speak.
Next thing, all of you will be screaming how wonderful your city of Chicago government is or how SAFE the city of Chicago's streets are and how we all should be walking around on them at night...yeah, right...

[CarolinaBredChicagoan]

Actually, most Chicagoans are all too aware of the city's faults. We discuss them internally ad nauseum. What Chicagoans DON'T like is for someone from outside of the city to trash it. Rubs folks the wrong way.
Furthermore, every neigborhood is different. Spend a few hours with me in my neighborhood, and there's no way you'd say that it was gray or raggedy or dangerous.

You'd be hard pressed to find anyone on this board or in Chicago who thinks the gov't here is great. As for the streets? I don't know if you SHOULD walk around on them at night. All I know is I do walk around on them at night. No problems so far.

[via chicago]

Originally Posted by TootsieWootsie

or how SAFE the city of Chicago's streets are and how we all should be walking around on them at night...yeah, right...

its called having street smarts. not all of us live in perpetual fear in our own neighborhoods. if i need something from 7-11 at 2AM? no, i dont have second thoughts about running out the door for it.

[TootsieWootsie]

I was RAISED in Illinois, started my career in Chicago, transferred later to Texas. I consider myself 1st, last and always a Chicagoan before anything else. I lived there a few years ago, and had to move due to a family emergency with an elderly parent, but am still driving distance from Chicago now. All my relatives live innercity Chicago. This is not someone who is from "outside of the city" and with no knowledge of Chicago.
However, even when living innercity in the Gold Coast, I still felt that the city was not safe, dirty for the most part and gray one too many days.
And I guess: I AM THE ONLY ONE HERE WHO FEELS THAT WAY. So, I concede and wish you all the best this coming year!

[BRU67]

Originally Posted by TootsieWootsie

2 things:

Next thing, all of you will be screaming how wonderful your city of Chicago government is or how SAFE the city of Chicago's streets are and how we all should be walking around on them at night...yeah, right...

On second thought, Sycamore.

[rgb123]

I am also a native, more like a lifer who leaves for periods of time.