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Cabrini Green does not even exist anymore. Have you been watching the movie "Candyman" too much?
Eh, when was the last time you were in Chicago?
Cabrini Green is still there! They only tore down the highrises. All the lowrise townhouses are still standing! Most of Cabrini Green isn't going anywhere.
And the former residents of the highrises are all there! They built mixed income housing where the highrises used to stand. So they're trying to mix the Cabrini Green folks with newcomers in the same buildings.
We'll have to disagree, I guess. The Chicago hotspots are Lakeview, Lincoln Park and River North. That's it. Maybe Wicker Park/Bucktown, but that's pushing it.
Logan Square is NOT a hotspot. It has a little Wicker Park overflow, but it's mostly poor Puerto Rican.
South Loop is just some random half-empty condo towers. It's a stretch to call it a real neighborhood. Zero foot traffic. Maybe in 10 years.
Ukranian Village is NOT a hotspot. West of the tracks, total ghetto. East of the tracks, mostly old Ukranians, and a handful of hipster overflow around Chicago Ave. from Wicker Park area.
You do realize the northern border of Ukranian Village is Division? Meaning all those bars that get packed at night like 50/50, Alice's, Angels and Mariachis, and quite a few others that produce foot traffic and are popular spots are all in Ukranian Village.
Give me a break. You obviously haven't really been to most of the other neighborhoods then. The northside neighborhoods are not segregated like the southside.
For instance on my block:
We are a Puerto Rican household, our neighbor is Guatemalan, their neighbors are white yuppies, the next house is a biracial marriage, next to them white yuppies, next to them white yuppies, next to them a biracial marriage, next to them mexicans, next to them puerto ricans. On the other side we mexicans, next to them a white marriage, next to them white yuppies, next to them a Romanian family, next to them a african american family. Across the street we have Indians, a gay couple, more white yuppies and some more mexicans. This is seen throughout the neighborhood. Don't give me that segregated BS. Some neighborhoods are but a lot aren't. Uptown/Edgewater and Albany Park are not the only diverse unsegregated neighborhoods.
Where did you live in Chicago where you know so much about these neighborhoods?
I used to live on West Ontario in River North, admittedly in a yuppie 20-something building, but I have explored all over the city.
And I honestly disagree with you. I think you're being disingenuous if you don't notice the very stark racial lines in Chicago, especially along the train tracks and freeways.
You're seriously telling me that when you drive down Chicago Ave., you don't notice when it goes from 100% white to 100% black? Or when you drive down Western, you don't notice when it goes from 100% Mexican to 100% black just by passing railroad tracks?
Cabrini Green is still there! They only tore down the highrises. All the lowrise townhouses are still standing! Most of Cabrini Green isn't going anywhere.
And the former residents of the highrises are all there! They built mixed income housing where the highrises used to stand. So they're trying to mix the Cabrini Green folks with newcomers in the same buildings.
Today for work.
The origional townhouses were rehabbed.
And most of the residents are gone as most of them lived in the high rises. Some went into the mixed income buildings, some went to the suburbs, but most simply went else where in the city.
If you were actually brave enough to go into that neighborhood in the 90's or even 10 years ago, you would know it is a shell of it's former self.
There are far, far worse neighborhoods in Chicago these days.
Well I am done, I just wasted a portion of my evening arguing over stupid ****. This is why I hate the City vs. City boards and never visit.
All I am going to say is I agree that L.A. is better intergrated, however people are making it seem like it is SO much more integrated than Chicago. I agree that Lincoln Park and Lakeview are disgustingly homogenous, however, people have this perception that is only where the nightlife is. I don't like those hoods, and I find plenty of other places throughout the city full of young professionals. There are plenty of neighborhoods that are segregated and there are plenty that are not.
This all coming from someone who was raised in the smack dab middle of the northside for the last 25 years. I know what I am talking about, we are free to have our opinions, but some of you who probably have never lived in areas like I have are over generalizing and making seem like Chicago is 90% segregated. I went to a grammar school where it was evenly 1/3s hispanic, white and asian in the Irving Park neighborhood. I went to a high school where it was evenly in quarters, black, white, hispanic and asian. My experience in Chicago is one that is very diverse and integrated. Lincoln Park and Lakeview are only a fraction of the city.
If I had to put a number on it I would say 50% of it is segregated but stop acting like it's 90% segregated cause it's not.
Well I am done, I just waited a portion of my evening arguing over stupid ****. This is why I hate the City vs. City boards and never visit.
All I am going to say is I agree that L.A. is better intergrated, however people are making it seem like it SO much more integrated than Chicago. I agree that Lincoln Park and Lakeview are disgustingly homogenous, however, people have this perception that is only where the nightlife is. I don't like those hoods, and I find plenty of other places throughout the city full of young professional. There are plenty of neighborhoods that are segregated and there are plenty that are not.
This all coming from someone who was raised in the smack dab middle of the northside for the last 25 years. I know what I am talking about, we are free to have our opinions, but some of you who probably have never lived in areas like I have are over generalizing and making seem like Chicago is 90% segregated. I went to a grammar school where it was evenly 1/3s hispanic, white and asian in the Irving Park neighborhood. I went to a high school where it was evenly in quarters, black, white, hispanic and asian. My experience in Chicago is one that is very diverse and integrated. Lincoln Park and Lakeview are only a fraction of the city.
If I had to put a number on it I would say 50% of it is segregated but stop acting like it's 90% segregated cause it's not.
You have made the exact point as to why the OP and myself and my friends disliked Chicago. The perception is that nightlife is only in a few select neighborhoods. If you don't live in those few select neighborhoods, you are shut out of the social scene downtown, in LP, etc.
I used to live on West Ontario in River North, admittedly in a yuppie 20-something building, but I have explored all over the city.
And I honestly disagree with you. I think you're being disingenuous if you don't notice the very stark racial lines in Chicago, especially along the train tracks and freeways.
You're seriously telling me that when you drive down Chicago Ave., you don't notice when it goes from 100% white to 100% black? Or when you drive down Western, you don't notice when it goes from 100% Mexican to 100% black just by passing railroad tracks?
I am not denying the stretch of Chicago Avenue is segregated. However what other neighborhoods have you explored? Have you come up to Avondale? Irving park? Portage Park? North Park? I never said there aren't any segregated parts and that there aren't any racial tensions. All I was saying is there are plenty of diverse and integrated neighborhoods.
You have made the exact point as to why the OP and myself and my friends disliked Chicago. The perception is that nightlife is only in a few select neighborhoods. If you don't live in those few select neighborhoods, you are shut out of the social scene downtown, in LP, etc.
Right, but no one is forcing you to hang out those neighborhoods. I have a group of suburban friends that it's hell to drag them out of those neighborhoods, so I don't. I hang out with the "others" that choose to go to the other neighborhoods. Like you said it's a perception. A perception held by people who live in Lakeview and Lincoln Park who are close minded. That doesn't mean the rest of Chicago thinks the same way. If the OP didn't like the environment of frat type, then he should of moved to Lincoln Square, Bucktown, Ukrainian Village, etc. You are in control of your experience, no is forcing one to live in Lakeview or Lincoln Park. I never want to move to those neighborhoods EVER.
Right, but no one is forcing you to hang out those neighborhoods. I have a group of suburban friends that it's hell to drag them out of those neighborhoods, so I don't. I hang out with the "others" that choose to go to the other neighborhoods. Like you said it's a perception. A perception held by people who live in Lakeview and Lincoln Park who are close minded. That doesn't mean the rest of Chicago thinks the same way. If the OP didn't like the environment of frat type, then he should of moved to Lincoln Square, Bucktown, Ukrainian Village, etc. You are in control of your experience, no is forcing one to live in Lakeview or Lincoln Park. I never want to move to those neighborhoods EVER.
Though if you aren't from Chicago or the burbs, it is significantly harder to meet people in Lincoln Square, Ukrainian Village, etc. because the social groups are already set, generally for years.
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