Chicago is a "dead city?" (Evanston, Oak Park: sale, apartment)

[frattura30]

Chicago isn't exactly a dead city, but Chicago politicians are creating an unfriendly business environment. As of recently, business tax increased 47% and state 66%. Thanks Pat Quinn. Since the early 1960s Detroit has been Democrat controlled (much like Chicago) and their elected officials refuse to create a business friendly environment.

[chitownperson]

Big business is going to do whatever they can to make top dollar, thats why they ship jobs overseas. It's too simple to just blame the Dems for high taxes, and I doubt CAT is struggling, they probably aren't making as much of a "killing" as they'd like to. One could say that the whole of the US is creating an "unfriendly business environment" by global standards because people here aren't willing to work for 50c and hour, but are you going to blame it on the people and call them greedy? How about big business taking some of the responsibility? What's next in the name of creating a business friendly environment? Getting rid of workers right?

[zvt10]

Originally Posted by RonnieJonez

If Chicago isn't rust belt, then New York isn't east coast. Even with it not being a "traditional" rust belt city, it still feels very much like the rust belt. Not somewhere people really want to move to. I noticed living in Chicago, most everyone was from there originally or the suburbs, or a nearby state.

There is a lot of international diversity in Chicago, but they also usually consider themselves from Chicago. Anyone who moves there from there usually has to because of work or family, it's rare to find otherwise.

Well said. It's very true. When I look at downtown and the huge swaths of land undeveloped followed immediately on the west by a purely industrial corridor I feel that "rust belt" feeling. Also driving on the highway south of downtown it's just factories. It's nothing like Detroit or Cleveland but it is in the same category of city.

There is international diversity in Chicago but it is very, very segregated. It's about 20 years behind New York in terms of mixing or creating a "melting pot". It will happen but it is far behind Toronto or New York or San Francisco in that regard.

[tonythetuna]

Originally Posted by zvt10

There is international diversity in Chicago but it is very, very segregated. It's about 20 years behind New York in terms of mixing or creating a "melting pot". It will happen but it is far behind Toronto or New York or San Francisco in that regard.

Toronto for example, has very few blacks and mexicans.

[It'sAutomatic]

Originally Posted by zvt10

Well said. It's very true. When I look at downtown and the huge swaths of land undeveloped followed immediately on the west by a purely industrial corridor I feel that "rust belt" feeling. Also driving on the highway south of downtown it's just factories. It's nothing like Detroit or Cleveland but it is in the same category of city.

There is international diversity in Chicago but it is very, very segregated. It's about 20 years behind New York in terms of mixing or creating a "melting pot". It will happen but it is far behind Toronto or New York or San Francisco in that regard.

There are industrial areas immediately outside of most American cities developed in that time period.

Last time I checked, New York had distinct ethnic and racial boundary lines just like Chicago.

[zvt10]

Originally Posted by It'sAutomatic

There are industrial areas immediately outside of most American cities developed in that time period.

Last time I checked, New York had distinct ethnic and racial boundary lines just like Chicago.

Not manhattan. Most diverse place in NA except maybe Toronto.

[tonythetuna]

Originally Posted by zvt10

Not manhattan. Most diverse place in NA except maybe Toronto.

As I said before, Toronto does not have a large number of blacks and has very few hispanics.

I don't know how it could be considered very "diverse" without both.

[andrew61]

Originally Posted by tonythetuna

As I said before, Toronto does not have a large number of blacks and has very few hispanics.

I don't know how it could be considered very "diverse" without both.

Lots more Asians in Toronto, though. The way I read the poster's comment was that it was more about to what extent different groups are likely to intermingle or not.

[Irishtom29]

Originally Posted by zvt10

Not manhattan. Most diverse place in NA except maybe Toronto.

Last time I was in Manhattan I saw only white people, semi-rural types. Same as Elwood and Coal City.

[tonythetuna]

Originally Posted by andrew61

Lots more Asians in Toronto, though. The way I read the poster's comment was that it was more about to what extent different groups are likely to intermingle or not.

Yes there is a huge amount of Asians (mostly Chinese.) They did seem to be mostly in there own area when I was there however.