Did Boystown have problems last summer? (Chicago: crimes, homeless, train)

[Chicago60614]

Originally Posted by marothisu

It's weird because I've never once heard any of my friends that frequent bars up there complain about anything bad happening..

Because while there WERE and ARE some issues, we're still talking about Lakeview here. Some people have blown this up in their minds that Lakeview has turned into this warzone where people should be terrified to walk the streets. It can get a little crazy on Friday/Saturday nights during the summers and during pride/market days with all sorts of types out after midnight wandering around - but all in all it's perfectly fine.

Most of the issues and people getting jumped were between midnight and 5am, so your everyday populace had no idea it was happening. Mostly people who worked at bars walking home late at night alone or drunks out walking home late at night. My friends who own a bar on the strip and talk to all the other bar owners said they've all had issues a year or two ago with barbacks and bartenders leaving at 4am and then having their iphones stolen by groups of teens. The groups were almost always black, so that's where that whole can of worms came from regarding racial issues (definitely not getting into that in this thread, just put it out there as an fyi if people are curious as to why things are being said in certain arenas!).

[bostonguy1960]

Originally Posted by Chicago60614

What do you mean? What happened a few months later? I was out there all summer and it was very lively and fun (if that's your "fun"). The street certainly didn't go out of business or die.

Actually, I meant to say I visited in the end of March in the year 2011, not 2012. I felt safe at 2 am, then again at 9 am as people were going to brunch.

Haven't been to Chicago since, but wish to return.

So what happened a few months later was all the wilding, muggings and flash mobs in the city, some of it in Boystown, I understand. It was contrary to the good vibe I felt in my 36-hour trip that late March weekend.

[Vlajos]

Originally Posted by bostonguy1960

So what happened a few months later was all the wilding, muggings and flash mobs in the city, some of it in Boystown, I understand. It was contrary to the good vibe I felt in my 36-hour trip that late March weekend.

That would be contrary to 99% of peoples experience any time.

[bostonguy1960]

Originally Posted by MassVt

Just out of curiosity--what were the OTHER reasons why you soured on Chicago?

BTW, I also read about the shooting in Roxbury.....sad.

I would say there are no other reasons but the crime...

Just all the killings and drive bys are worrisome.

Large swaths of the west and south sides seem out of control, but some may say it's blown out of proportion.

If I'm correct, Boston has 600k in population, whereas Chicago is 3 million. Boston has 50-60 murders annually, while Chicago is still over 500k. So, it's five times the population of Boston but TEN times the murders.

I actually drove to US Cellular Field on a non-game day, and near Bronzeville, it seems, near sunset on a warm Sunday in late march 2011. It didn't seem anywhere as forbidding as I had heard. Drove through some West Side pockets locally into Oak Park, and the west side seemed tolerable, but not pleasant. Can't remember the avenue. Even drove at 11 pm south of LSD into a black area before picking up I-94 (?) back to the city. I wanted to see something different right away instead of LSD just out of the airport. LSD was great at night. Exciting and beautiful. Repeated the drive the other way to extend the fun. Perhaps I should have stayed away from that area south of LSD, but nobody bothered me. Just some blacks waiting at bus stops.

I liked my drive past Loyola into Evanston. Not sure if that would have put me in Lakeview, or is it Edgewater?. Went to a bakery and a Starbucks in Roscoe Village, into Wicker Park/Bucktown, Uk. Village, Andersonville, all the usual places. But then I see two shootings in the Trib last month, in a few hours. Very worried.

Had no problems at all on the brief trip. That's why I was shocked to hear how the city erupted just a few months later in 2011.

It would just be depressing to read and hear all of this crime daily, as I'm a news junkie of sorts. Most people don't expose themselves to all this daily news, so no problem for them, but some of us do because we're involved with our cities.

Even the gay pride parade the last couple of years has seemed violent from what I've read. Boston doesn't seem to have these problems, at least not on that level.

But I wish to return for a weekend, putting into action all the wonderful advice from you posters here!

....

BTW, the NYT had a major story last Thursday on the "Two Chicagos/Chicagoes (?)," apparently about how one side is prosperous whereas the other is troubled. Haven't read it yet. Haven't seen any reference to it on these boards. But I'm sure it mentioned the windings and such.

[Bluefox]

Is this the article you're talking about?

Life in 2 Chicagos - Chicago Tribune

[Aleking]

The boystown hype was spread by white suburban transplants who were unhappy seeing black people in their community. It's perfectly safe.

[SmartGXL]

Originally Posted by bostonguy1960

Actually, I meant to say I visited in the end of March in the year 2011, not 2012. I felt safe at 2 am, then again at 9 am as people were going to brunch.

Haven't been to Chicago since, but wish to return.

So what happened a few months later was all the wilding, muggings and flash mobs in the city, some of it in Boystown, I understand. It was contrary to the good vibe I felt in my 36-hour trip that late March weekend.

Hi Bostonguy,

The problems in Boystown did not start until May of 2011.

What myself and many others have come to a conclusion to, is that as soon as Rahm Emmanuel was sworn in (in May of 2011), he ordered the Chief of Police to change the policing strategy, moving police resources out of the safer areas, and into the "warzones" (south and west sides). The criminal element knew about this, and started to "hang out" in the areas where the police were being removed. I remember the problems started right on Memorial Day weekend, which was right after the police strategies changed. The factors and reasons that Lakeview seems to have been chosen, was based on its location on the Red Line, as well as things like:

-lots of well-to-do pedestrians carrying high value items, such as iphones
-a high concentration of drinking establishments (leading to drunk pedestrians)
-drug demand (there is a documented drug problem in Chicago's gay community...coke and crystal meth are at all-time highs for usage)
-Quick getaways via Red Line at the Belmont Station

You wont necesarily see the criminals all the time; it comes and goes based on time of day, day of the week, weather conditions, etc. Sometimes you will see large groups of unruly people, or sometimes its some one who is staring you down and looks like they are sizing you up for a robbery, when back in the day you never got this vibe at all when walking the streets. You usually see the larger groups on weekend nights during the warmer weather months. It is not a 24/7 phenomenon, but it is still there. it used tobe you could walk around central lakeview, boystown etc and not feel any "tension" but on some nights in 2011, it was very tense. The residents spoke out and the city did change tactics somewhat, and the criminals seemed to have moved off of the main streets, over to the side streets of the area, streets like Wilton, School, Roscoe, etc. Robberies are still being comitted (by knife or by gun) and you can see these not only documented on the Chicago police blotter, but on grass roots sites like EveryBlock, Patch, etc.

Those four factors listed above, in addition to the police reduction, have created a "perfect storm" for criminals to take advantage of. There are some other areas that are having problems: The Chicago Ave Station, late night on warm weekends, tends to draw large crowds that get unruly and have been known to commit beatings, wildings, flash mob/lootings on Michigan Ave, etc.

I was living right in the middle of the action in 2011, and after putting up with it for a year, I decided maybe it was time for a break from the city, and took a job transfer to Dallas. I lived in Chicago for 14 years, and I do miss the energy of chicago but at the same time, I dont miss the threats of being robbed outside my own home. If the city gets things under control, then maybe in the future I will return. But just the other day, a friend of mine who lives there, was robbed while standing at the corner of belmont and clark.

[tribecavsbrowns]

^Dammit, at 501, I knew I should have bet the over on word count for his first post on this thread.

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by bostonguy1960

Just all the killings and drive bys are worrisome.

Large swaths of the west and south sides seem out of control, but some may say it's blown out of proportion.

Most of the homicides are constrained to certain areas on the South and West sides you would have no need to be in any way. In that case, why are you so afraid? There's almost 3 million people here, and 99.98% have never been shot at or stabbed or even close.

[Plzeň]

Originally Posted by ChiNaan

I have to say there's more than a little bit of racist overtones to it all, also, with use of the word "thugs," and talk of wanting to "prevent them from coming into the area."

This.

Originally Posted by Vlajos

That would be contrary to 99% of peoples experience any time.

And this.

Originally Posted by Aleking

The boystown hype was spread by white suburban transplants who were unhappy seeing black people in their community. It's perfectly safe.

And in summary, this.


The end.