Is the Southside really that bad? (Chicago, Cicero: real estate, safe neighborhood, good schools)

[Humboldt1]

Charles White, a black male age 26, was shot and killed this morning while sitting in his car. His passenger was also shot and is in the hospital.

I though Beverly was supposed to be a beacon of light for the southside. Everytime I have been there in the past it has been nice. Is Beverly now syarting to take a turn for the worse like the much of the rest of the south side?

This shooting is very disapppointing for those who live or have family or friends in Beverly such as myself.

[prairiestate]

I don't think this indicative of a larger trend in Beverly. It is very much an isolated incident. Someone was targeted who just happened to be in Beverly. It is disappointing, but I won't be too concerned unless there a couple more incidents there.

[prairiestate]

Originally Posted by PetulantSoup

LOL. Something tells me Event Horizon hasn't been too far.

Anyway, as one of these "black people" some of you armchair sociologists keep bleating about, let's be clear: There are hundreds of predominantly black communities on the southside that run the socioeconomic gamut, from Pill Hill to Chatham to Bronzeville. And contrary to popular belief, not all of us are shooting each other or sucking from the government teat! A vast majority of us actually work for a living, and our taxes go to the same bureaucratic bullcrap our northside brethren pay for. But then it's much easier to demonize an entire race of people than to pay attention in civics class. So don't blame Quaneisha for the tax surge; blame Mayor Daley. Or Todd Stroger.

Also? Having recently moved from a northside neighborhood to the southside after seven years? I can honestly say that I feel a lot safer HERE, thanks.

First, I don't think anyone is blaming an entire race or denying that the great majority of people on the south side are decent people. However, reality is reality. Look at the map showing where there have been shootings in Chicago. Clearly, your odds of being shot are far better on the south side then the north side, including solid middle class neighborhoods like Chatham and Pill HIll. If I get hit by stray gunfire while sitting in traffic, it won't make me feel much better to know that the majority of people in the community are not shooting each other.

Also, the black community is responsible for Stroger. Only two groups of people voted for this idiot. Those who have something to gain from the Cook County machine, of any race, and black people, who turned out in droves to vote for Stroger because he was the black candidate. Look at how close the election was, if there was any reasonable percentage of the black community that voted based on the person and not race, we wouldn't have to deal with Stroger right now. It's even more baffling considering that the black community has a disproportionate share of people living in poverty, and they voted in a a candidate who they knew would only ratchet up the stealing from the people of Cook County.

[Demi1]

For a great location, stay close to the city but not too close. The south loop area is really nice (around University Village, so 15th to 18th street). There's a lot of growth there with nice stores, restaurants and bars -- most brand new. There's even a new condo building going up at 1555 South Wabash that I saw that has amazing views of the city and it's surrounded by great places. I also know of a nice neighborhood on the southwest side (between Midway and the city) that has a community like the suburbs, with a private community pool, clubhouse and fitness center. My friend lives there in a townhome, but there are also condos and single homes. It's called park place homes.

[Manigault]

Does anyone here know where Laurie Dann shot a bunch of innocent schoolkids? Or where US Senator Percy's daughter was murdered in her bed, a crime which has gone unsolved?

Let's try to deal a little less emotionally with crime and understand that nowhere it totally safe. You have to choose a community in which you feel safe. That means sometimes not taking the advice of nabobs who may have very little first-hand experience of an area you are considering.

[prairiestate]

You have to be kidding us. How can you possibly compare an isolated shooting at a school with the weekly shootings that occur on the streets in some Chicago neighborhoods? And the nabobs would be the Chicago police department which reports crime statistics to the public. This isn't hearsay, rumor or speculation. It is a fact that several people have been shot on the street in West Pullman just this year. It is also a fact, as far as I know, that no one has ever been shot on the streets of Wheaton. Any reasonable person will feel safer in Wheaton. That doesn't mean some people might not feel safe in West Pullman, but it takes a much bigger leap of faith to do so. This also doesn't mean you can't get shot in Wheaton, but if it happens it would truly be a freak occurrence.

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by prairiestate

...Also, the black community is responsible for Stroger. Only two groups of people voted for this idiot. Those who have something to gain from the Cook County machine, of any race, and black people, who turned out in droves to vote for Stroger because he was the black candidate. Look at how close the election was, if there was any reasonable percentage of the black community that voted based on the person and not race, we wouldn't have to deal with Stroger right now. It's even more baffling considering that the black community has a disproportionate share of people living in poverty, and they voted in a a candidate who they knew would only ratchet up the stealing from the people of Cook County.

But if there would have been a higher white turnout in the burbs Stroger would have lost also. The burb turnout was worse than the city I believe. When was the last time that happened? I think many people were blind to what happens in Cook County government until the moron Todd got elected and became the worst example of leadership ever in Cook County. I think or at least hope to god he will get slaughtered in the next election.

[aragx6]

^^That's exactly right! At least they voted for crying out loud!

IMO voting (even if it's for a moron) is far better than not voting at all!

[Humboldt1]

Pray tell what is the point in voting in certain elections, especially the Presidential election given the electoral college. I haven't voted in an election since 1996 (they made us vote in the primary when I was a senior in high school). Coming from Indiana, which has sided with Republicans since Kennedy, though this year it could be a swing state, I never saw the point. Here in Illinois, Obama will win by a landslide. Whether he takes Illinois by 1 vote or 1MM, it doesn't matter as he will get all the electoral college votes.

I can see more sense in voting for local candidates. And Stroger hopefully has messed up bad enough that even black people will vote against him nect. Historically, this is not the case. Generally when there is a black candidate, no matter how bad, blacks will vote for them. This is fact.

I think blaming whites for not voting enough that helped get Stroger elected is funny as it was really the blacks voting that got him elected.

And for those who only think bad happens on the southside, my car was broken into this weekend while parked at Bally's in Portgage Park (6 Corners) and they stole my laptop. There were 3 other car breakins reported in the area in the last week around the 6 corners area. Fortunately, it was the company laptop which is password encrypted and all they did was break my window ($200 to have a guy come out and fix it) but it is a real pain in my a$$. A witness at the club actually saw the guy break the window and take the laptop and run off. He was a dark hispanic male, most likely part of an organized group that has been targetting that area.

I knew Portage Park was in slight, slow decline but this just confirms it. I have also had numerous conversations with some of the fellow members at that same club who teach high school in the area and they complain about how gangs have proliferated their schools and that they are now doing a lot of babysitting instead of teaching. The thing of it is that they have built all these nice newer townhomes along Milwaukee and Irving Park and I really like the Jewel there. The large condo development at the 6 corners intersection also looks promising. Too bad so much riff raff is coming into that area. I really thought it could stay nice instead of becoming like Cragin and Hermosa, but times change and people with them. I certainly will not be buying in that area anytime soon.

[ManheimMadman]

I bought a router off of a lady on Craigslist who lived in Portage Park, Laramie & Waveland. She said that where she's at is so-so but south of Addison, it gets bad. Any truth to that?