How long does it take to get used to Chicago?

[jdiddy]

Originally Posted by Drover

A lot of those new condos to the west are still low-income housing, and the area around there is still a little active.

This is true - however, still an improvement to what the area was like a few years back.

[Drover]

Nonetheless, I still wouldn't recommend walking around there for kicks.

[Ghostgecko]

Wow, the numbering thing sounds great! I have to admit, I haven't went around by foot in most of the bigger cities I have visited, but it's nice to know that it's easier to find your way. I am sure that within reason people are nice to help too. (I read the post, just don't bug the crap out of them!)

You guys are a wealth of information!

[getlikeme]

thanks for the information it helped me alot. i appreciate it.

[Tenzo]

Originally Posted by via chicago

all you need to know is the lake is east.

Comming here from Tampa, where water was West, was a little confusing at first. But you get used to it fast

[Venom]

Why was Tyler skipped when naming streets after presidents?

[Chicago60614]

I was talking with a friend who just moved the other day and it went something like:

So where are you living?
...like around 53 north.
Oh near Foster, I'm at 42, that's fairly close.
Are you by the lake?
....kinda, like 16 west
Oh, I'm at 10, I like it, I can walk there in 15 minutes.

At this point our other friend from the burbs said - what the HELL are you guys talking about? How do you know this??

So I told him about the grid and every 4 streets being a half mile and a main road. He lives at Halsted and Oakdale (8 and 29?), so I listed them off near him and the address. He suddenly got the system and was kinda amazed. He said he always thought I was insane because I haven't had a car in 7 years, yet somehow knew addresses and streets all across the entire city.


The diagonals are the only shifty things to figure out when you first move. I'd be on the phone and they'd say "yeah, turn left there", and I'd have to say......"hmm.....left, or left-left??"

[icebergsyndrome]

Originally Posted by Venom

Why was Tyler skipped when naming streets after presidents?

There was a Tyler St. but it is now Congress Pkwy.
Source: Chicago Street Names : chicagology