How come the people in Kankakee try to distance themselves from Chicago so much? (Rockford: train, suburbs)

[Maintainschaos]

Originally Posted by StarsandStripes79

Why are people in Barrington walking around in J Crew and people in Kankakee shop at Farm and Fleet? Why? Cause Kankakee is in Northern Illinois and so is Barrington. So explain to me why even though they come from the same part of the state, that Kankakee county people are so much different than the people who live in Dupage County?

Kankakee is still much more rural and separate from Chicagoland than Barrington is, in my opinion; but:

Kankakee, IL: Estimated median household income in 2009: $31,705

Barrington, IL: Estimated median household income in 2009: $106,973

[StarsandStripes79]

Originally Posted by Maintainschaos

Kankakee, IL: Estimated median household income in 2009: $31,705

Barrington, IL: Estimated median household income in 2009: $106,973

I know people make more money in Barrington, but people choose to dress the way they want.

People in Kankakee wear camo. I have even seen camo paint jobs on pick up trucks in Kankakee.

People in Barrington wouldn't dress the way people in Kankakee do if you held a gun to their head. They would laugh at you if you wore cowboy boots.

But in Kankakee, people love dressing like that. Can someone explain that to me?

[Maintainschaos]

Originally Posted by StarsandStripes79

But in Kankakee, people love dressing like that. Can someone explain that to me?

You really want someone to explain to you the difference between blue and white collar backgrounds? Suburban and rural? Wealth and poverty? Personal preferences? Since you've seem to have met and judged everybody in the Kankakee area, why don't you ask them?

[StarsandStripes79]

Originally Posted by Maintainschaos

You really want someone to explain to you the difference between blue and white collar backgrounds? Suburban and rural? Wealth and poverty? Personal preferences? Since you've seem to have met and judged everybody in the Kankakee area, why don't you ask them?

Yes I would like you to explain to me why people in Kankakee, who have the choice to dress the way they want to , choose to wear cowboy boots, camo, and blue jeans instead of dress clothes.

Explain that to me cause I don't know too many people who would choose to dress in that if they had a choice.

[reppin_the_847]

Come on now, you oughtta know that once you get out of the 50-60 mile Chicagoland radius (especially headed south), things get fairly country & rural pretty quickly. Instead of hating on these peoples' lifestyle choices, you'd be more productive finding your lane & getting in where you fit in. If that means re-locating to a more urban locale, then so be it. At the end of the day, you can choose how you want to live your life, but you really can't dictate how your neighbors live their lives. Instead of looking down on these folks with negativity, you'll be happier by moving somewhere that is more to your liking IMO. You might not be able to move immediately, but you should plan on moving eventually if you're going to continue to be miserable in Kankakee. Just my two cents.

And about the Barrington vs. Kankakee thing. That's kind of like comparing apples & oranges except maybe population density in the immediate villages. Income is much higher in Barrington (almost up there with the North Shore suburbs and similar to the wealthy Western suburbs) compared to Kankakee, and it is in a sense a bedroom community of Chicago and suburbs such as Schaumburg that have corporate offices located in them. It is also a classic railroad suburb of Chicago with the Metra train coming right into town. Kankakee only has Amtrak access to Chicago 3X per day & it is not considered a commuter suburb of Chicago.

Originally Posted by StarsandStripes79

Yes I would like you to explain to me why people in Kankakee, who have the choice to dress the way they want to , choose to wear cowboy boots, camo, and blue jeans instead of dress clothes.

Explain that to me cause I don't know too many people who would choose to dress in that if they had a choice.

[urza216]

Originally Posted by reppin_the_847

Come on now, you oughtta know that once you get out of the 50-60 mile Chicagoland radius (especially headed south), things get fairly country & rural pretty quickly. Instead of hating on these peoples' lifestyle choices, you'd be more productive finding your lane & getting in where you fit in. If that means re-locating to a more urban locale, then so be it. At the end of the day, you can choose how you want to live your life, but you really can't dictate how your neighbors live their lives. Instead of looking down on these folks with negativity, you'll be happier by moving somewhere that is more to your liking IMO. You might not be able to move immediately, but you should plan on moving eventually if you're going to continue to be miserable in Kankakee. Just my two cents.

And about the Barrington vs. Kankakee thing. That's kind of like comparing apples & oranges except maybe population density in the immediate villages. Income is much higher in Barrington (almost up there with the North Shore suburbs and similar to the wealthy Western suburbs) compared to Kankakee, and it is in a sense a bedroom community of Chicago and suburbs such as Schaumburg that have corporate offices located in them. It is also a classic railroad suburb of Chicago with the Metra train coming right into town. Kankakee only has Amtrak access to Chicago 3X per day & it is not considered a commuter suburb of Chicago.

You're right. However, the River Valley bus does go all around Kankakee County and drop people off at the University Park Metra station during prime commuting hours. There's been talk about extending the Metra Electric line down to Kankakee...... for quite some time now. There's even a map of what the plan looks like on the wall inside Northfield Mall.

[reppin_the_847]

With the way the southern suburbs have been expanding, it certainly wouldn't be a bad idea for Metra to look into extending this line in the future. This would also provide additional employment options for folks in the region, no doubt.

Originally Posted by urza216

You're right. However, the River Valley bus does go all around Kankakee County and drop people off at the University Park Metra station during prime commuting hours. There's been talk about extending the Metra Electric line down to Kankakee...... for quite some time now. There's even a map of what the plan looks like on the wall inside Northfield Mall.

[linicx]

It has nothing to do with money.

Most of the people who live in Chicago don't spend weekends in a tree stand waiting for a deer, or wrangle cattle. The banker in Kankakee wears camo so the deer won't see his suit. Vehicles are painted camo for the same reason. Once you are charged by a bull or a buck you will understand.

Farmers and ranchers do not wear suits to work. They do not wear work uniforms. They wear sturdy clothing: brands like Levi and Carhart and boots. Ranchers wear boots because they often sit in a saddle when they round up cattle. The boot heel has a practical function besides making a little squirt look 2" taller. Farmer's do not normally wear cowboy boots when they work in fields. It's a dumb idea. If you ever look at the bottom of a new boot you should know why. Your Cook County dairy farmers don't wear it either.

IL is the #1 and #2 bean and corn producer in America. It also produces a lot of livestock for export. Kankakee County has a fair amount of farmers and some ranchers. Most Illinois counties do.

One cannot tell by the color of a man's clothing, or his skin, whether he has a nickel to his name, or if he has a million bucks. People like to eat. Sometimes the only meat they get in a year is what they trap, catch or shoot.

Originally Posted by StarsandStripes79

I know people make more money in Barrington, but people choose to dress the way they want.

People in Kankakee wear camo. I have even seen camo paint jobs on pick up trucks in Kankakee.

People in Barrington wouldn't dress the way people in Kankakee do if you held a gun to their head. They would laugh at you if you wore cowboy boots.

But in Kankakee, people love dressing like that. Can someone explain that to me?

[Midwest Revival]

Would one REALLY consider Kankakee apart of Chicagoland? I mean, its technically close to Chicago, but in my opinion anything pass Crete,University Park, New Lenox,Frankfort is down state. I think this will bring up the age old question of " Is Rockford a suburb or a city"

[Midwest Revival]

Originally Posted by urza216

You're right. However, the River Valley bus does go all around Kankakee County and drop people off at the University Park Metra station during prime commuting hours. There's been talk about extending the Metra Electric line down to Kankakee...... for quite some time now. There's even a map of what the plan looks like on the wall inside Northfield Mall.

A Metra Electric expansion wont happen in the next 30 or 40 years. Compare the Metra Electrif to the other Metra lines, the others have nice clean rust free cars that are fairly new. Metra Electric has been getting the hand me down equipment for the last couple decades. About 60% of the cars are from the 60s and 70s, though Metra is so cheap and continues patch them up and upgrade them. The cars are basically at the point where you cant patch anymore, they need to stop being cheap and just buy a whole new stock of cars.