Wanna complain about Chicago? (Detroit: college, camping, cost of living)

[thepizzaguy]

Sorry to bring this up again, the read was nicely buried on the 2nd page, but I just got off the phone with my lawyer. I have a meeting with him on Friday, and the arbitration hearing if set for Monday. He says that the case has gone as smoothly as any case can go. The defendants have been cooperative, and the judge isn't passing unreasonable decisions.

This doesn;t change they way I feel about Chicago. It's not a place I can give many positive comments about.

Have a great day!

William

[cookatch]

i know a place on the southwest side of chicago that may be right for you. evergreen park, 30 minutes away from steger on sidestreets! it has 0% crime, and the average price for a medium size home is 95,000 dollars!
e.v.p.k is an awesome, cheap, safe place to live. you should check it out!

[Drover]

95 grand the "average price" for a medium-sized home in Evergreen Park? In 1994 maybe. Not in 2007. Realtor.com currently lists 177 single-family houses for sale in Evergreen Park. Of those 177, exactly ZERO of them are priced below 100 grand. The cheapest house listed is $114,000, and it looks like it's barely standing. The next cheapest is a 2-bed, 1-bath at $150K. Not exactly a "medium-sized" house.

[lazy1]

I left Chicago nearly twenty years ago, probably a few years before violent crime nearly peeked. I was quite bitter when I left and just assumed it's still the same dump I left two decades ago, but many posters here have told me otherwise. To think Cabrini Green has become home to mixed-income families is terrific, so are the incredible improvements in Logan Square, Wicker Park and the Near West Side.

Now if they (don't exactly know who) can just do the same in the communities of Austin, West and East Garfield Park, Humboldt Park, North Lawndale, All of Englewood (including West), Greater Grand Crossing, South Shore, Woodlawn, Rosedale, Chatham, Washington Heights, Grand Boulevard and Rogers Park specifically NOH. Anyone know if any of these areas are "truly up and coming" or is all this talk I'm hearing a bunch smoke and mirrors?

[Milliano]

For a neighborhood to be "up and coming", the people who already live there basically gotta go. Where are all those people going to go?

[oakparkdude]

Originally Posted by Milliano

For a neighborhood to be "up and coming", the people who already live there basically gotta go. Where are all those people going to go?

Not necessarily true.

A lot of these so-called up and coming neighborhoods have already been depopulated compared to their historic peaks. Drive through Lawndale or Woodlawn and you'll see block after block of empty lots which used to hold apartments and SFH. There's still plenty of vacant land in Chicago to build on without displacing the current residents.

[michellie]

Originally Posted by Mathead

14. Someone once told me every a--hole in the midwest moves to Chicago. It's true.

15. It's philosophy of maternalism in govt. Ban smoking, ban cell phone use in cars, ban, ban, ban...

Ive never been to a more friendlier place...did not meet one rude,nasty, ignorant or in any way not-nice person during my time there! I was actually shocked at how nice people were !!

smoking ban is coming in all over the place...came to ireland already,and now its weird going to countries that dont have it..its just the norm...

and cell phone use in cars?? that makes a lot of sence to me!!!

[sundance67]

Well the truth about Chicago is that its insanely expensive (the cost of living here is almost the highest in the country!!), the people are hostile towards everyone , the crime is unbelievable, and the weather sucks. The traffic is a nightmare, congestion is unavoidable, and to top it all off, the entire area is just totally visually unappealing. Its hideous. Theres a few nice looking spots downtown.Its not worth it.

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by sundance67

Well the truth about Chicago is that its insanely expensive (the cost of living here is almost the highest in the country!!), the people are hostile towards everyone , the crime is unbelievable, and the weather sucks. The traffic is a nightmare, congestion is unavoidable, and to top it all off, the entire area is just totally visually unappealing. Its hideous. Theres a few nice looking spots downtown.Its not worth it.

Um, I can think of a bunch of cities that are alot smaller than Chicago and are alot more expensive.

[UnderTheLiveOaks]

Meh. I dunno why I bother reading this thread. I'm sorry you feel that way, sundance. Maybe you would be more comfortable in... hell, I dunno. Palm Springs?

Chicago is lower on this list, CNN Money's top 50 most expensive places to live, than most major US cities. It's below NYC, the Bay Area, LA, Honolulu, San Diego, DC, Boston, and any city in Alaska.

In addition, we have art, culture, world class universities, a true cosmopolitan feel, real people, a non-disney feel (Oh no! Panhandlers! Just say no, kids.), great food (considered by many to be the best restaurant city in the country these days), public transportation (even if it sucks sometimes, try not having it at all!), great music, and load of other stuff that most US cities just can't claim.

There are other cool places out there! Don't get me wrong. I LOVE that our city is nasty in spots. I LOVE that we are a little rough around the edges. I love the beautiful neighborhoods. (Come have a beer with me in the front window of Huettenbar and tell me this city is ugly outside of downtown. I dare you.). I just want to know.... if this place is SO BAD, where's better? Where else has solved all the problems we struggle with while retaining the same character and culture that Chicago enjoys?

Bonus points if that city is more than 75 years old.