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I have once painfully longed to live in Chicago, but I'm becoming more disappointed and disillusioned with the place day after day... I had never had an awfully keen eye for Chicago, but the price of living in New York City is off the charts and living in Chicago seemed comparable to NYC in many ways.
But I've looked around, friends. Crime is pounding the city; the people are reeling from despondency and a loss of hope. I have had my pipe dream of Chicago broken: neighborhoods that were once glorious are now a homeland of sad avatars, of fallen souls; burned-out apartments and boarded-up flats sandwiched between empty grass lots and vast ornate courtyard buildings that used to serve a public dream that now simply are subservient to economics and get subdivided into post-war rooming houses and hideaways for the disenfranchised. For every tree-lined Lincoln Park or Lakeview there seem to be four ugly, sprawling industrial Austins and Englewoods and Bronzevilles. Dead men dreamed light and life into these towns and neighborhoods and communities, and they are being brought into the ashy remains of urban decay.
Looking at Chicago neigborhoods with google's street view really breaks my heart. It truly gives me that impression. Has razing the projects been any good?
I have never been to Chicago, but the place had never struck me as a murder capital?? Gangs, drugs: will the city recover? Is it really worth living here? Should I look at other places? Please prove me wrong, Chicago! I need to live someplace! Can Chicago be beautiful? Do you love Chicago?
You say you've never been to Chicago, walked its streets, visited its neighborhoods, talked to its people, felt its vibe and yet you make some pretty strong assertions. May I ask where you get your information and impressions?
You say you've never been to Chicago, walked its streets, visited its neighborhoods, talked to its people, felt its vibe and yet you make some pretty strong assertions. May I ask where you get your information and impressions?
I know . . . I'm essentially clueless because I have never been to Chicago or been allowed to study the people and culture. But I've studied it a lot over the course of a few months. I have visited many websites, bought a few books about the city, looked at neighborhoods with google and of course read many posts on this forum. My impressions come from the voices of Chicago that have blanched me with their bluntness, almost serving as a collective anti-thesis to the glazed vision of Chicago that I have been fed. I know that the crime element of any city is always blown out of proportion, but when you live in NYC, there's always a lot of space... Crime just seems expedient. But in Chicago, everything seems incredibly compressed, at least in comparison to New York. Crime-ridden neighborhoods seem to be on the verge of bordering middle and upper-class enclaves in Chicago. Please enlighten me about the state of Chicago, cobolt; you probably have a much better idea of what Chicago has to offer than the cold factuality of any crime map or bar graph.
Well I grew up in Chicago although I'm not there right now. I'm not as "up" on the pulse of the city, but that being said, I also understand her, growing up in the city. Chicagoans are pretty realistic about the state of their city, neighborhoods, politics, etc. That's one of the things I love is that you may not like what a Chicagoan has to say, but they always shoot straight and from the hip. Living in other states in the US as I have, you come to appreciate that. Certainly there are folks on this site who can give you more up to date info than I ever can.
What I would suggest is that you come out for a visit. I personally would never move anywhere sight unseen. You can't really grasp the full spectrum of a place as a visitor, but you certainly can get a better picture and put some of the perceptions, biases, and stereotypes into perspective, Ya know?
Chicago is a city of small neighborhoods, be friendly ,walk the streets listen to sounds smell the air .It's a city thats being rebuilt as we speak. You'll love it . Look up Harold Washington library vistor info. I worked in and around the city for 40+ years .
It's March 12,2008 not April 1st( April fools day)
I have never been to Chicago, but the place had never struck me as a murder capital??
Mistake #1- You have never been here and you've already made up you're mind.
Mistake #2- You're asking people on a message board to prove you wrong!!
It's not a murder capital. It's a regular big city. Let go of your "internet fears" man and live your life!!
To be honest Chicago murders have been decreasing for the last 10 years. I'm proof of that, I'm not dead........yet- LOL. No seriously, they are decreasing!
I see little old ladies ridding the subway man LOLOL. You can't tell me a young tuff stud like you, is going to let granny out do you are you? LOL
I wake up pretty early in the morning and I step outside to breath the air and I always see WOMEN jogging at 5am by themselves. I'll bet if it's as bad as you say it is they WOULD NOT be jogging at 5am. Not to mention, Chicago women are tuff!! Like N.Y. women,gotta lovem for that :-)
Is there crime ,yes. Can you avoid it, Yes. Use your head and you won't end up dead. That's anywhere you live.
Not to mention Chicago has dozens of neighborhoods to live in. What's so hard about selecting an area that DOES NOT have crime. Gee-whiz dude it's the BIG CITY. It's exciting,it's fast, it's filled with successes and failures! Get here and get in where you fit in. Keep an open mind and you'll be happy you made the move!
Gangs, drugs: will the city recover?
Even Nacy Regan will admit Just Say No was useless! Drugs are not going anywhere anytime soon.
Recover from what? Last time I checked many cities have drugs. The cities have crack and weed. The burbs and rural areas have Meth. Are you planning on smoking some crack?LOL. If not no need to worry about that. For all I know my boss might be smoking crack. Who cares? I don't. If he's happy I'm happy for him. Get over the drug thing man!!
As far as gangs are concerned, usually they are in certain areas( where you will not be living and working and having fun) so no need to be worried about that either. I'm not. It's dark outside as we speak and I'm going to be leaving out in a few to go have a few beers. No big deal man.
Is it really worth living here?
Heck YES! We got a place for you man! Right here in Edgewater. My building has a few apartments available. Tell Adam(Apt. Manager), Ron told you about the building!
Should I look at other places?
That's your god given choice!
Please prove me wrong, Chicago!
We can't do that. It's like playing poker, The dealer can't control what cards you get. Once you get those cards it's up to you to play your hand the best way you know how. It's up to you to prove yourself wrong,at this point. Reason being, you seem to be filled with doubt. Make it happen if this is what you want.
Myself, I'm a leader,handsdown. I don't wait for anyone. I make things happen!! If you're coming to Chicago dude you gotta bring your "A game" like Lebron James and Kobe. You gotta to be a champion!!!
Chicago is not kind to losers!!! I know you're not a loser so no need for you to worry about that, correct??? :-)
I need to live someplace!
Chi-Town is the place!
Can Chicago be beautiful?
It is beautiful man( that goes for the women too)
Do you love Chicago?
ABSOLUTELY!
I really don't have time to go through your post line by line, all of which I would like, but I will say YOU CANNOT make any type of logical decision based on internet site maps and message boards. So with that being said plan a few trips and check the place out. You may find you love the place. Even if you don't like it after your visit(s), oh well. It's not a crime to dislike the place!
Hey dude, whatever you need just post a question or 2 or whatever. I'll do my best to help a brotha out.
I would love to write you a much better post but I gotta go out for a while( to have some fun...........and NO, I won't carry my gun LOL. I'll get one of those old ladies to help me out if I get into some "action". Just kidding man) so I hope you read this and respond back.
This is your friend Chicago Ron-
Peace!
p.s- if you notice any typos, don't hold it against me. I was doing a rush job. I gotta go pick up my DVD's and head out to my fav bar!!!
Later Gator :-) and dude knock off the crying!!! :-)
Perception becomes reality. I don't think anyone here can really prove anything to you until you've visited. Really, even then you get only a taste. I didn't really "know" Chicago until I had lived here for a while. Even after several years of really trying to get out there and experience the city, I'm still regularly surprised.
However, it seems you've developed a really negative view based on sketchy sources, and I don't know if you can overcome all of that negativism and really give the city a fair shake...
Basically, whenever I see a poster asking for others to prove that Chicago is great, they've already made up their minds. Furthermore, Chicagoans don't take kindly to that attitude, generally. Be polite, unassuming, and relatively low maintenance, and most people in this town will break their backs to help you. The people are very, very kind. Come into any situation with a sense of entitlement, and you'll find out how cold these same people can be. Maybe it's what the winters do to us.
So all I can say is that you shouldn't expect anyone to prove anything to you. If you think you might love Chicago, come here. If you don't, I hope you find another place that toots your horn. Just keep in mind that its a big city that, with all due respect, doesn't have to prove itself to anyone.
Crime is pounding the city; the people are reeling from despondency and a loss of hope. I have had my pipe dream of Chicago broken: neighborhoods that were once glorious are now a homeland of sad avatars, of fallen souls; burned-out apartments and boarded-up flats sandwiched between empty grass lots and vast ornate courtyard buildings that used to serve a public dream that now simply are subservient to economics and get subdivided into post-war rooming houses and hideaways for the disenfranchised.
Actually, this describes New York pretty clearly as well. I've spent a lot of time in both cities, and have not noticed a big difference in crime and despondency. I know the crime rate is lower in New York now after the miracle 1990s, but if you live in a relatively nice part of Chicago the risk is about the same. And if you combine New York metro with parts of North Jersey, you're going to see a lot of social problems there almost on measure with Chicago. It's not a night and day difference. Chicago is not Detroit, Newark, or Camden.
I have once painfully longed to live in Chicago, but I'm becoming more disappointed and disillusioned with the place day after day... I had never had an awfully keen eye for Chicago, but the price of living in New York City is off the charts and living in Chicago seemed comparable to NYC in many ways.
Yes, Chicago is in many ways comparable to NYC with a lower cost of living. Where NYC is described as a 24 hr city, Chicago is probably best described as a 22 hr city (For comparison, Boston is probably an 18 hr city.)
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But I've looked around, friends. Crime is pounding the city; the people are reeling from despondency and a loss of hope.
There isn't any crime in NYC? There aren't pockets of grinding poverty and despair in NYC? No, unfortunately Chicago is not heaven. Just like NYC, there are areas of obscene wealth as well as extreme deprivation, and areas in between.
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I have had my pipe dream of Chicago broken: neighborhoods that were once glorious are now a homeland of sad avatars, of fallen souls; burned-out apartments and boarded-up flats sandwiched between empty grass lots and vast ornate courtyard buildings that used to serve a public dream that now simply are subservient to economics and get subdivided into post-war rooming houses and hideaways for the disenfranchised. For every tree-lined Lincoln Park or Lakeview there seem to be four ugly, sprawling industrial Austins and Englewoods and Bronzevilles. Dead men dreamed light and life into these towns and neighborhoods and communities, and they are being brought into the ashy remains of urban decay.
Nice. Kinda reminds me a bit of Carl Sandburg. Anyway, if you want to see run-down neighborhoods, you can find them in Chicago. If you want to avoid them, you can easily do that too. BTW, Bronzeville is the next up and coming neighborhood here. That's the thing about big cities like Chicago and NYC. Neighborhoods are constantly in flux, gentrifying as well as slumifying.
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Looking at Chicago neigborhoods with google's street view really breaks my heart. It truly gives me that impression. Has razing the projects been any good?
Well, academics will argue to no end about the demolition of CHA housing. The data are not all in yet. What we know for certain is that many of these decrepit projects have been replaced by nice brand new mixed-income developments.
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I have never been to Chicago, but the place had never struck me as a murder capital?? Gangs, drugs: will the city recover? Is it really worth living here?
Per capita, the murder rate of Chicago is higher than NYC. Its by no means the highest in the country. DC, Philly, Atlanta, and Houston are higher to name just a few. Gangs and drugs we have. If you want to find them you can. If you want to avoid them, you can easily do that too.
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Should I look at other places? Please prove me wrong, Chicago! I need to live someplace! Can Chicago be beautiful?
You should examine all your options before making a big move. If you want to be insulated from the ills of urban life, move to a farm, a tropical island, or get a penthouse on Park Avenue, or in the Chicago Spire (only $40 million). Chicago is both breathtakingly beautiful and depressingly ugly.
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Do you love Chicago?
Yes, enthusiastically, yes.
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It's March 12,2008 not April 1st( April fools day)
I know you're not a loser so no need for you to worry about that, correct??? :-)
