Chicago's decline (Yorkville: real estate, new home, neighborhoods)

[DefaultAlias]

I would like to move back to Chicago once I get my graduate degree but I need to know: Is Chicago still declining like it was in the 1970's? Our family left Chicago for S. Carolina in the 1970's because it was a crime-ridden dump--but I'm told this is no longer true.

[Steve-o]

Some areas are most definitely dangerous. However, youd probably never recognize the downtown, near west side, near south side, lakefront, and north side. Lots of renovations have taken place, the downtown area is my fave in the nation (besides NYC), its absolutely beautiful. Put it this way: Its EONS better than it was in the 70s. EONS!

[j33]

I remember Chicago in the early 80's when I was a kid when I would come up all the time with my parents because they had a lot of friends who lived in the city (mostly on the south side), and trust me, it is a different place!

[Drover]

Here's the deal: EVERY urban center was declining in the 70s (starting in the 60s, really) and through most of the 80s. Many cities started rebounding in the 90s, including Chicago. It's not a paradise from corner to corner and probably never will be. But there are plenty of neighborhoods that used to be gang-ridden hellholes that have since been transformed into yuppie playgrounds.

[mdz]

huge difference between late 70s chicago and today. daley has his faults but the city really works pretty darned well overall.

A long way to go to be perfect, to be sure, but you'll be pleasantly surprised I think.

[BRU67]

It is true that pretty much all major cities declined in the 1960s and 70s as middle class whites fled to suburbia. There's been a back to the city movement over the last 20 years or so which has reversed that decline. That's certainly true in Chicago. As everyone says, 2007 Chicago is a totally different place than 1977 Chicago.

I don't expect that trend to stop anytime soon. I think more and more people moving back into the city and inner ring suburbs as gas prices increase and we become more and more aware of the substantial environmental damage that sprawl is causing.

I also think people are eventually going to reach a breaking point on commuting. It's gotten to the point where middle class families have to move all the way to Yorkville to attain the big yard/good school/homogonous population dream. That means an hour (or more) commute if you work downtown, and the commute gets progressively longer as more and more farmland gets paved over with new homes. How long can people take that?

[EugeneBKLYN]

Originally Posted by Drover

Here's the deal: EVERY urban center was declining in the 70s (starting in the 60s, really) and through most of the 80s. Many cities started rebounding in the 90s, including Chicago. It's not a paradise from corner to corner and probably never will be. But there are plenty of neighborhoods that used to be gang-ridden hellholes that have since been transformed into yuppie playgrounds.

Can you go into detail about what areas?

I hate yuppies so much.

[j33]

Originally Posted by EugeneBKLYN

Can you go into detail about what areas?

I hate yuppies so much.

I agree that in some sense yuppies are annoying, but I would rather live around yuppies than listen to gunfire every night (I've lived in both sorts of situations, and I'll take the yuppies, I've never had a yuppie mug me or break into my car).

[BRU67]

Originally Posted by j33

I agree that in some sense yuppies are annoying, but I would rather live around yuppies than listen to gunfire every night (I've lived in both sorts of situations, and I'll take the yuppies, I've never had a yuppie mug me or break into my car).

Excellent point. It's popular to bash yuppies but by and large, they're the ones responsible for the revitalization of the city's neighborhoods that we're talking about here. Say what you will about them but at least they're fixing up decaying and forgotten neighborhoods, giving new life to what is built up already and using public transportation. That's more socially responsible than going out the ex-burbs and adding to global warming and continuing the Balkanization of the area. I think they've been generally a positive force in Chicagoland.

[Mathead]

Yes, there are a numerous neighborhoods that have seen revitilization in recent years. Personally, I dont think the measure of a strong economy exists in how many boutiques, latte stands and bistros are in a city. If you can afford the heavy taxation and real estate then Chicago is for you.

Yes, Id rather have yuppies than gunfire also