Most of the regular members on here know very little of Chicago or it's history (Ina: home, neighborhoods)

[coldwine]

Originally Posted by Lookout Kid

But what do I know. I'm just a "transplant" who moved here from Milwaukee. I share your dissatisfaction with the Twin Cities, by the way.

Oh, I'm even worse-- I lived in Chicagoland's suburbs. I suppose this means I don't have any say whatsoever.

Originally Posted by Drover

The schools today are the way they are because the kids are reprobates and many of their parents aren't any better. Blaming white flight from 40 years ago is starting to become a hoary excuse.

Starting to become? It was old when I was living on the Southside over ten years ago.

What strikes me as bizarre is the attitude of entitlement. Especially as it relates to this idea that after failing to improve for decades, and actually becoming worse, the people so opposed to changing their crappy neighborhoods are infuriated by the return of the white man. Like the Mayflower just landed again.

Old-timers need to realize they aren't entitled to have their corner of the city remain frozen in time for their comfort or convenience.

Hello Gold Coast.

Also, this:

http://www.theonion.com/content/news/****ty_neighborhood_rallies (broken link)

Which is a very apt article

[Chi-town Native]

Originally Posted by Drover

Why wouldn't they want to "take over," as you put it, the most convenient and desirable parts of the city? Are you telling me you'd have more respect for them if they were "taking over" Hegewisch and Dunning?

And where do you get the idea that they feel "entitled to areas of the City that exclude people different from themselves"? Who are these people whose "idea of Chicago doesn't include kids and seniors?" In all my time here and all my interactions with people here, it has never occured to me once that anyone's view of Chicago doesn't include kids and seniors.

Umm, people moving to Chicago want to "take over" are inherently wacked in the head IMO. How about moving somewhere and attempting to learn about & fit in with your neighbors?

I absolutely have more respect for people moving to Chicago who make an attempt to assimilate in the more diverse areas as opposed to joining some mediocre culture bandwagon like the Big 10 frat party that Lincoln Ave is between Webster and Orchard, for example.

And don't take my word for it - get out more and go to community meetings where you can actually hear people griping about new senior housing, new schools, etc. Just last night I was at one listening to the most inane woman howl about how traffic would be messed up at Belmont & Elston if an elementary school opens just north of there.

Did she care that there's a pressing need for more schools and that in fact not having this new school (charter montessori) might lead to just the suburban flight you spoke of? No. Not one word out of her mouth displayed anything resembling concern for anyone but herself, and even that was misplaced as traffic has *always* been messed up on Belmont as well as Elston.

The positive alternative is, hey, why not dig in and make a difference and work on improving your neighborhood? This has certainly happened to a degree in LP and Lake View, and I respect those people tremendously - it takes about 5 minutes of conversation to realize when you're talking with genuinely decent people.

It's not like there aren't hordes of people in the suburbs who don't do this, unfortunately our cuilture seems to create large numbers of people who want the hard work done for them.

[Chi-town Native]

were you trying to post this one? one of my favorites:

Resident Of Three Years Decries Neighborhood's Recent Gentrification | The Onion - America's Finest News Source

[Chi-town Native]

and another Onion classic:

Sometimes I Feel Like I'm The Only One Trying To Gentrify This Neighborhood | The Onion - America's Finest News Source

[Basekamp]

Not important anyways. Only old people think History is important. Maybe you should move to NYC where everyone is old. Just kidding, but as someone who knows Chicago's history like the back of their hands over the past 7 years here, I do take some notice of slights against people like me. I bought a house here with my own money that I earned (Not mom and dad), I pay taxes, I have explored every neighborhood, and I know more about Chicago's post 1920's history than most lifers, as well as a lot of Depression & WWII history.

Originally Posted by Jack_Vardin

There are a few guys on here who know their stuff (IrishTom, Near West Sider, etc..) but they are a handful. Most of the regular members, especially the prolific ones (multiple posts daily) know very little. Being that many of them are transplants, ex suburbanites, or current suburbanites, it's not really surprising that their knowledge would be limited. Living in Chicago for 5-6 years hardly qualifies one as an expert. Same goes for weekend warriors who come to Navy Pier from Dupage County on weekends. The other members who are native Chicagoans tend to be renters who are quick to give expert real estate advice on buying.
I've lived in Chicago for 40+ years and I still have much to learn about it's history or many of it's neighborhoods. There are plenty of places I have yet to explore.
I don't mean to diminish the contributions transplants have made to Chicago (increased tax revenue, sports bars, chain stores, and high fashion like khaki pants and backward baseball caps) I just don't think are the best ones to give advice on Chicago life. But then again, transplants and suburbanites are probably the most likely to come on here and ask for direction, so I guess it's kosher.

Moderator cut: Inappropriate language

[Dport7674]

Because of my job I only stay in Chicago about 5-7 months out of the year. And thats long enough for me to understand that neighborhoods evolve. People who complain about change are boring and out of touch in my humble opinion.

[Chi-town Native]

Depends on the change.

Change isn't necessarily good or bad, but there's a difference between evolution in an organic sense, and the kind of evolution which gets imposed via radical development schemes.

For example, winning the Olympics will result in change as well, and you certainly will find people from all walks who are highly skeptical of winning the bid for a multitude of reasons.

Secondly, look at the condo meltdown. Plenty of people knew it was a bubble, and that housing prices can't dwarf inflation forever. We were by and large ridiculed by "experts" in the industry, and people who confuse a desire for the positive aspects of a dense neighborhood with the reality that such a society evolves over time, not overnight with the assistance of fly-by-night developers who evade code violations and lawsuits by changing LLCs the way most of us change our socks in the morning.

Where are all the geniuses now who insisted that there was no end to a demand for expensive, luxury condo housing? Sometimes the old-timer POV is in fact wisdom, not just a reluctance to accept change.

[Jack_Vardin]

The transplants on here are just as uninformed of the current state of Chicago as they are of it's history. I'm not saying transplants or previous suburbanites don't have anything to contribute. I'm sure they can recommend a few good bars or restaurants. However, their knowledge of the city is generally limited to a 2 mile radius of their neighborhood, probably less than that. Do you really think that some transplant from Michigan who is just passing through is the best person to ask for neighborhood advice? If the neighborhood is Roscoe Village or Bucktown, or anything within a 2.5 mile radius, perhaps. What really stuns me is their smug attitude when they post, acting as though they know it all. How ironic. My advice to people new to Chicago or this forum, ask a real Chicagoan, not some guy who has been here for 4 years.

Having 5,000 posts is no substitute for experience.

[skipcromer]

Originally Posted by Jack_Vardin

The transplants on here are just as uninformed of the current state of Chicago as they are of it's history. I'm not saying transplants or previous suburbanites don't have anything to contribute. I'm sure they can recommend a few good bars or restaurants. However, their knowledge of the city is generally limited to a 2 mile radius of their neighborhood, probably less than that. Do you really think that some transplant from Michigan who is just passing through is the best person to ask for neighborhood advice? If the neighborhood is Roscoe Village or Bucktown, or anything within a 2.5 mile radius, perhaps. What really stuns me is their smug attitude when they post, acting as though they know it all. How ironic. My advice to people new to Chicago or this forum, ask a real Chicagoan, not some guy who has been here for 4 years.

Having 5,000 posts is no substitute for experience.

Well, thats great.

Maybe after you get off that high horse of yours you'll actually answer some questions that people ask on here.

[Drover]

Originally Posted by Jack_Vardin

The transplants on here are just as uninformed of the current state of Chicago as they are of it's history. I'm not saying transplants or previous suburbanites don't have anything to contribute. I'm sure they can recommend a few good bars or restaurants. However, their knowledge of the city is generally limited to a 2 mile radius of their neighborhood, probably less than that. Do you really think that some transplant from Michigan who is just passing through is the best person to ask for neighborhood advice? If the neighborhood is Roscoe Village or Bucktown, or anything within a 2.5 mile radius, perhaps. What really stuns me is their smug attitude when they post, acting as though they know it all. How ironic. My advice to people new to Chicago or this forum, ask a real Chicagoan, not some guy who has been here for 4 years.

Having 5,000 posts is no substitute for experience.

Uh, we got your point in the first post. But thanks for your invaluable contributions to the knowledge base here.