Good Neighborhoods for Musicians? (Chicago, Normal: student loan, hotels, to buy)

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by chirack

...The high today was just 35F and it is only going to get colder from here on out...

35? Try more like 14.

[chirack]

Originally Posted by Avengerfire

35? Try more like 14.

You are right ,misread the chart...No wonder it felt like January outside today.

[madeyes4u]

Originally Posted by chet everett

If the OP is serious about this they need to know that a) this is illegal in Illinois b) Chicago is the last place on earth you should even think about this.

There are probably a dozen laws that make Illinois a very bad place to try and do something like this, from requirements to carry insurance on all vehicles to bans on cell phones and text message devices while in a car on the road to requirements for insurance and a State of Illinois license once you've been hear a relatively short time.

The City has ridiculous restrictions on parking pretty much anywhere -- resident only permit zones, meters covering most of the streets, prohibitions from parking near parks, overnight in shopping areas, chained areas under most overpasses and a general hostility to those that are legitimately just trying to use their car for transportation, let alone someone living in a vehicle. Chicago is hostile even to mobile homes and RVs, with few ways to accommodate either.

The climate is such that you could easily freeze to death in the winter -- today air temps were a brutal 1 to 4 degrees Fahrenheit.

Violence is not a particularly common occurrence for most City residents but anyone obviously living in their car, especially a young woman, would be hugely at risk for theft or worse.

Please rethink this ludicrous plan.

Chet, I highly think that if there was anyway for me to NOT live in my car, then I would have re-thought my "ludicrous" plan. Sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do!

Oh yeah, and if 1 degree and 4 degree Winters are BAD to you, then you'd never make it in Michigan. We get -10 degree Winters almost every year and we carry on with our day as normal.

I've lived in Detroit all my life, the most unsafe place in this entire nation. Detroit= CRIME CAPITOL.

[chirack]

The problem here isn't location. It is the fact that you are in a car. A car is quite unsuitable for living in for many reasons. This isn't a test of of how tough you are. It is the fact that without heat your car will get dangerously cold and you can not keep running your car all day and night. If you live in Michigan you should know the dangers of hypothermia and frostbite better than anyone here. This falls into the category inane plan. If this is your best option frankly I would kiss up with some family for a while or go to a homeless shelter. If you can drive drive somewhere warmer.

[surlycue]

You should try the deep south. I know plenty of car sleepers and professional couch surfers in NC, SC, GA and about a million in New Orleans where eccentricity is considered a blessing.

[eevee]

better plan: save up money for gas, head south, and hit randon clubs/music venues on the way. swing back towards Chicago next year when hurricane season and high humidity comes along

I know some people (not saying this is true of the OP) have this romantic view of living out of a car, but it's not fun for all of the reasons mentioned:

-insanely cold
-likely illegal
-crazy high parking rates
-makes you a sitting duck for crimes
-lack of hygiene (what, you plan on washing up in the public libraries like all the other bums?)

I'm sure there are more cons to this idea that I'm not thinking of

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by eevee

...lack of hygiene (what, you plan on washing up in the public libraries like all the other bums?)

I'm sure there are more cons to this idea that I'm not thinking of

The smart bums shower in the beach houses when they are open and in park field houses that have showers.

[madeyes4u]

Originally Posted by chirack

The problem here isn't location. It is the fact that you are in a car. A car is quite unsuitable for living in for many reasons. This isn't a test of of how tough you are. It is the fact that without heat your car will get dangerously cold and you can not keep running your car all day and night. If you live in Michigan you should know the dangers of hypothermia and frostbite better than anyone here. This falls into the category inane plan. If this is your best option frankly I would kiss up with some family for a while or go to a homeless shelter. If you can drive drive somewhere warmer.

I'm not trying to be "tough" by any means, and obviously I'm going to be putting myself in a bad situation, but I have to because I don't have any choice. End of story.

Now, are there any safe/decent low cost areas to stay in? With no gang activity.

[nidex]

Safe low cost areas with no gang activity? No. Gangs are all over the city, even in the nice parts, they just aren't as out in the open. I'm gonna jump on the "drive south" bandwagon. Why don't you go to California?

[chet everett]

Why not go to NASHVILLE -- tons of recording industry stuff, not just C&W, climate won't kill you, probably LOTS cheaper to live and more opportunity to get paid enough to not make yourself a target.

Maybe AUSTIN TX -- huge live music scene, nice weather, friendly college kids, law & order State workers.

Have you thought about someplace obvious like LA? Living in cars is much more acceptable out there, odds of hooking with other musicians is about a billion times more likely, weather is awesome.

It is just ridiculous to think that living in even Detroit's worst neighborhood would be remotely like living in a car in Chicago. Even in the worst war zone area of Detroit random passers by would not be able to scout out you and all your stuff to the same degree that would happen in any situation where you are living in a car. Wouldn't take much for a couple of bad dudes to learn your schedule, steal all your stuff, including the car, do who knows what to you and there be nearly no repercussions for them. Handguns are not allowed for law abiding citizens, but the bad guys have lots of 'em. I don't care how tough you are having a weapon pressed up against you sorta gives the bad guys an insurmountable advantage.
Heck even keeping your stuff away from the City of Chicago notorious tow crews would be a challenge. The police are not going to protect your car full of stuff at all on the streets of Chicago, one tow and POOF that is more expensive than a mon't rent / what you could earn for a gig.

People DIE from exposure, paying $3/gal to keep a motor running and also risk asphyxiation is flat out nuts when you could probably find a place to rent for a few hundred a month, if you do some planning and line up a roommate you would be much better off.