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The far Northwest and Southwest sides, while technically in the city limits, are suburban for all practical purposes. Like I said, all bets are off there. I'm agreeing with you -- I was referring to the city.
I would add my namesake of Pilsen, and University Village, and South Loop, and West Loop, and Uptown, and Edgewater, and a few other places. Even Lakeview has some hip areas -- It's not all as fratty as Wrigleyville. Increasingly Bridgeport is drawing a hipper crowd, as well, with spillover from Pilsen. I like Wicker/Bucktown/Logan as much as the next person, but it sounds like you haven't hung out in enough of the city, really. I just don't find the meathead crowd to be all that prevalent in the city of Chicago. The 'burbs are different altogether.
Fair enough. I won't disagree. And I have been all over the city before I moved to California.
Its just that to me, Pilsen and Uptown seems fairly recent in its gentrification, etc. They seems early in their stages. They just aren't very established in their phase as a desirable, hip neighborhood nothing wrong with that though.
South Loop/West Loop of course - they're basically an extension of downtown.
Bridgeport - ehh . . . I think you can count the number of "hipsters" on one hand their. Very much pioneers.
And I completely disagree that the "burbs are all together different" The far NW and far SW sides of the city are still part of the city at the end of the day, and Oak Park and Evanston are more liberal, cosmopolitan than many parts of the city. Same with some other suburbs like Skokie, and yes Schaumburg. The suburbs are more liberal and diverse than they used to be.
Fair enough. I won't disagree. And I have been all over the city before I moved to California.
With my limited knowledge of Chicago for ... ahem ... extenuating circumstances, I would be a dolt and just head for where more old-world Italians live. About 20 years ago or so, that would have been Melrose Park, though that has turned Hispanic as the old folks have died off or moved to assisted living. I think all of Chicago has the "have seen it all" kind of mentality and, whether suburb or city, they don't care what you do, because the urban mindset flavors most of the suburbs. Sure, some blue-collar guy in Blue Island (no pun intended) might be a homophobe, but it wouldn't be like something out of "Deliverance." I have friends in LaGrange and Elgin who make fun of everybody and everything, yet still accept everybody. Ditto for the L.A. area. Unless there's a racially motivated issue going on, most people can live wherever they want. I knew of this presumably lesbian pair who lived in Arcadia (which now has an Asian presence), a typically conservative white-bread 'burb east of Pasadena, for a long time, and nobody ever hassled them. You can take the "God loves you, doesn't mean I have to" approach.
Last edited by robertpolyglot; 02-12-2013 at 04:27 PM..
Reason: grammar
Now granted, these were people like I said that were primarily Southwest siders/suburbanites who don't hang around Bucktown/Wicker Park, obviously you have more openness to men being stylish there or in the South Loop or wherever
But understand, the whole concept of male stylishness has its roots in the gay community. Gay men more or less invented male stylishness. It has now successfully spread beyond that community, but does muddle things. I'd give even odds a man wearing a sweater vest was gay or straight. But a guy wearing a Blackhawks t-shirt, gym shoes and Wrangler jeans is almost definitely straight.
But understand, the whole concept of male stylishness has its roots in the gay community. Gay men more or less invented male stylishness. It has now successfully spread beyond that community, but does muddle things. I'd give even odds a man wearing a sweater vest was gay or straight. But a guy wearing a Blackhawks t-shirt, gym shoes and Wrangler jeans is almost definitely straight.
True, however there's usually a difference between cutting edge and something that stays in style. Well, maybe not. One woman I know from San Francisco talked about how effeminate a middle management coworker of hers who wore bow ties was (the kind worn with a sport jacket, not with a full tuxedo). Then, after hearing that, I applied her "convention" to a coworker of mine, and thought she might have a point. She must know. She's San Francisco born and bred.
Last edited by robertpolyglot; 02-12-2013 at 07:16 PM..
Guys: Have you had anybody actually ask if you're gay when you're just one of the more smart/nerdy/intellectual types at a bar/club/event or whatever setting? I feel that in some places I've been, normal straight men are almost expected to either talk like a gangster or have conversations filled with slang in which the more uneducated people tend to exhibit. It's a rather frustrating phenomena.
Are you saying only dumb blond men are straight? Like only dumb blonde women are straight?
With my limited knowledge of Chicago for ... ahem ... extenuating circumstances, I would be a dolt and just head for where more old-world Italians live. About 20 years ago or so, that would have been Melrose Park, though that has turned Hispanic as the old folks have died off or moved to assisted living. I think all of Chicago has the "have seen it all" kind of mentality and, whether suburb or city, they don't care what you do, because the urban mindset flavors most of the suburbs. Sure, some blue-collar guy in Blue Island (no pun intended) might be a homophobe, but it wouldn't be like something out of "Deliverance." I have friends in LaGrange and Elgin who make fun of everybody and everything, yet still accept everybody. Ditto for the L.A. area. Unless there's a racially motivated issue going on, most people can live wherever they want. I knew of this presumably lesbian pair who lived in Arcadia (which now has an Asian presence), a typically conservative white-bread 'burb east of Pasadena, for a long time, and nobody ever hassled them. You can take the "God loves you, doesn't mean I have to" approach.
You're really stuck on the colorimetric analysis of Chicago. Blue Island is one of the oldest and most progressive suburbs of Chicago. The demographic breakdown is much more diverse than most of the more "popular" neighborhoods in Chicago and there has been a long term acceptance of LGTB bars. A few months ago I happened to be there in a bar after dinner enjoying drinks next to a whole variety of folks and none of the straight guys were giving the transgendered guy next to me a hard time. That bar was a few blocks away from mansions on Greenwood designed by some of the best architects of modern america.
On topic: I grew up in what people assume, see above, is an area that is homophobic. I've never had anyone make those assumptions in all my travels. I think you're doing it wrong.
You're really stuck on the colorimetric analysis of Chicago. Blue Island is one of the oldest and most progressive suburbs of Chicago. The demographic breakdown is much more diverse than most of the more "popular" neighborhoods in Chicago and there has been a long term acceptance of LGTB bars. A few months ago I happened to be there in a bar after dinner enjoying drinks next to a whole variety of folks and none of the straight guys were giving the transgendered guy next to me a hard time. That bar was a few blocks away from mansions on Greenwood designed by some of the best architects of modern america.
On topic: I grew up in what people assume, see above, is an area that is homophobic. I've never had anyone make those assumptions in all my travels. I think you're doing it wrong.
Come on, let it go. I haven't been to Chi-town in a long time and still remember all these random places. All I remember is that I left Naperville one night and headed on (294-?) and then needed fuel, badly. I was on some tacky commercial strip in Blue Island, with empty trees and some flurries appearing. Next to the gas station was a tavern and the people going in and out were kind of trippy. Didn't I say in an earlier post that, by and large, Chicagoland is liberal and tolerant? I have friends, mostly in the suburbs, who are very "live and let live," but they're also well-educated and don't have brains the size of a dinosaur's.
Most "intellectual types" aren't even that smart.. just annoying as hell.
They're pseudo-intellectuals. In their world, you can't be smart if you eat fast food, watch football, drive a car built by a domestic automaker, listen to music on the radio, or vote Republican. They tend to sneer a lot, and if somebody even says "Monty Python" within earshot of them, they either start reciting all the random one-liners they know from Monty Python & The Holy Grail, or singing/whistling "Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life." They don't know how to fix a flat tire or change their own oil, but you bet your ass they look down on those who service their cars for them. They have college degrees in useless fields of study. Nearly every statement they make features "uptalk." They're almost as annoying as guys who wear flat-billed baseball caps. The only thing preventing them from being equally annoying is that they're harmless, whereas the flat-billed baseball cap guys have perpetual chips on their shoulders.
I think that many women seem to like guys who display the good talk or give the impression of being smart, but a smaller portion of women will claim those guys are homosexuals once those guys lose interest in them and break up within a few dates. That is the syndrome of people who can't believe that not everyone is attracted to them and that they aren't what those guys were looking for.
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