Where did yuppies live in 1980? (Schaumburg, Ohio: high schools, university, living in)

[NearWestSider]

Originally Posted by ToriaT

I think by l980 many had left the Old Town area for places a bit further north. In the late l970's people were moving to so called "New Town" which was further north - really Lake View. I'm glad someone mentioned the "Great Ace" where everyone would go to furnish their apartments. Here's a great article remembering it, below. I lived on Cornelia between Halstead and Broadway. It was more or less safe at the time but I recall Elaine Place was filled completely with vacant buildings. Never did find out why. The area was not known as Boy's Town quite yet but was beginning to trend in that direction. Things west of Halsted were dicier as were things up by Irving and northward. I don't recall Southport corridor as being the haven for young people in those days it was still an ethnic enclave.

The Great Ace - Chicago Tribune

In 1980 Old Town was still living down its cheesy hippie-era schtick. It was definitely not a yuppie haven in those days.

The heyday of "New Town" was the period 1971-1977 corresponding roughly to the era of the David Bowie/New York Dolls/Roxy Music glam rock / gay-chiche thing. New Town in those days was pretty sleazy and Broadway, in particular, was notorious for its prostitutes (boy, girl, and everything in between). Not many yuppies there, either.

If I were to put a yuppie in Chicago in 1980, he/she would probably be living near DePaul Universty in the vicinity of Oz Park. That person would be a regular at Glascott's and the Beaumont, would be upset about the demise of Otto's and the Single File, would wander down to Nick's on Armitage/Halsted for its world-famous oldies jukebox, La Canasta on Webster for margaritas, and show up from time to time at Jukebox Saturday Night on Lincoln Avenue for the enhanced version of Nick's.

When he/she felt adventuresome, he/she would wander into Lucky Number and/or Neo, and was probably persuaded by a well-intentioned but New Wave-crazed co-worker into checking out The English Beat at the Park West - only to encounter a raucous and none-too-friendly crowd of crew-cutted Rude Boys, crazy-as-a-loon Skinheads, and leathered Punks, all dancing Ska and wondering what a stupid tourist was doing there.

[Attrill]

If you're looking for a place that is "being gentrified" I think Carl Sandburg Village would be perfect. It went condo right around that time. I know a few people who moved there during the early 80's and it would fit the bill perfectly. Have them pick up a high rise condo unit for $30-35,000.

[Mr Downtown]

Don't confuse your Standard Oils. The one headquartered in Chicago was Standard Oil of Indiana (which marketed its products as Amoco). The one headquartered in Cleveland was Standard Oil of Ohio (whose gas stations were branded Sohio). Both were eventually bought by BP, but years apart.

[tonythetuna]

Originally Posted by NearWestSider

In 1980 Old Town was still living down its cheesy hippie-era schtick. It was definitely not a yuppie haven in those days.

So what? The OP said this:

Originally Posted by marence

She wants to move into an area that's being gentrified but isn't too dangerous.

[tonythetuna]

Originally Posted by Mr Downtown

Don't confuse your Standard Oils. The one headquartered in Chicago was Standard Oil of Indiana (which marketed its products as Amoco). The one headquartered in Cleveland was Standard Oil of Ohio (whose gas stations were branded Sohio). Both were eventually bought by BP, but years apart.

Good catch.

[Rewind4]

What about those condo towers north on Sheridan, north of Hollywood Ave? On the "Bob Newhart Show", they were DINKs and lived in El Lago or Tiara or one of those buildings...and this was the 70's. I know those were hot real estate at one point in the past.

I'd say Lincoln Park, especially by the zoo and RJ Grunts (favorite early yuppie hang-out) could fit for a good yuppie area.

And the OP probably knows about this already, but this can help with trying to color your character for her timeframe:

Amazon.com: The Yuppie Handbook: The State-of-the Art Manual for Young Urban Professionals (9780671476847): Marissa Piesman, Marilee Hartley, Lonni Sue Johnson: Books

[SmartGXL]

I would say, any high rise along the lakefront would have been acceptable, as the 70's was a period when many of the existing lakefront high-rises were being built.

Also, I would not say that the character wound up living in Schaumburg; that particular suburb does not fit, in my mind, where this type of character would end up. I would say more somewhere in the north burbs where her future kids can go to New Trier High School.

Also, in order to place the character, we need to know more about her background...why is she in the city, where is she from originally? What is her motivation for being here and living alone? Is she a "Mary Tyler Moore" type of character, who watched Maude and ALL in the Family in the 70's while in college, fleeing her boring sleepy hometown in MN for a piece of the big city life? Did she hang out in discos while in college in 1978? You say she is conservative, did she get involved in politics during the 1980 election? Was SHE the one who stuck the "Reagan/Bush 1980" bumper sticker on that green metal light-pole on Oakdale Avenue that is STILL THERE 30 years later? We need to know more about her to know what her personality is like, in order to place her in the appropriate part of town.

[Rewind4]

Originally Posted by SmartGXL

I would say, any high rise along the lakefront would have been acceptable, as the 70's was a period when many of the existing lakefront high-rises were being built.

Also, I would not say that the character wound up living in Schaumburg; that particular suburb does not fit, in my mind, where this type of character would end up. I would say more somewhere in the north burbs where her future kids can go to New Trier High School.

Also, in order to place the character, we need to know more about her background...why is she in the city, where is she from originally? What is her motivation for being here and living alone? Is she a "Mary Tyler Moore" type of character, who watched Maude and ALL in the Family in the 70's while in college, fleeing her boring sleepy hometown in MN for a piece of the big city life? Did she hang out in discos while in college in 1978? You say she is conservative, did she get involved in politics during the 1980 election? Was SHE the one who stuck the "Reagan/Bush 1980" bumper sticker on that green metal light-pole on Oakdale Avenue that is STILL THERE 30 years later? We need to know more about her to know what her personality is like, in order to place her in the appropriate part of town.

Good comments...I also wouldn't have the character moving to Schaumburg; that area was just starting to grow around that time.

Glenview and Northbrook were hot 'burbs for the average yuppie family to move to in the 80's (check out "Ferris Bueller").

[Chi-town Native]

Originally Posted by Rewind4

Good comments...I also wouldn't have the character moving to Schaumburg; that area was just starting to grow around that time.

Glenview and Northbrook were hot 'burbs for the average yuppie family to move to in the 80's (check out "Ferris Bueller").

... or if a more liberal persuasion, Oak Park or River Forest. We had a few families on our block move to Oak Park for the schools.

[marence]

Originally Posted by Mr Downtown

Don't confuse your Standard Oils. The one headquartered in Chicago was Standard Oil of Indiana (which marketed its products as Amoco). The one headquartered in Cleveland was Standard Oil of Ohio (whose gas stations were branded Sohio). Both were eventually bought by BP, but years apart.

Damn. Thanks for pointing that out.