Why Do People Say The West Side Is Bad? (Chicago: live, moving)

[chet everett]

Originally Posted by Just1Fan

True. But, Trump Tower, Mag Mile, Navy Pier, and Oak Street Beach are also on the east side.

...unimaginative, herd-driven, out-of-town, marketing types that dream up stupid slogan-y fake terms to help small-minded, new-to-Chicago buyers in their "target" feel safe / vaguely New Yorky. Really sad that some offical efforts are aligning with this stupidity...

[ChiNaan]

I agree with Chet. (Yep, I said it.) There is only one East Side in Chicago, and it's not a "side" at all. It's a community area under the Skyway, bordering Indiana.

Hegewisch is a separate community area south of the East Side community area, not part of it.

Simple geography dictates that any other "east side" of Chicago would be in the lake, making it as non-existant as the "South Detroit" mentioned in the Journey song.

[mas23]

Originally Posted by chicagotyler

Garfield Park is considered an "up and coming neighborhood" due to gentrification heading west from the loop. A lot of the crime in the area is actually caused by gentrification and its effects. As for Austin and North Lawndale, they can be pretty bad, but not as bad as most South Side neighborhoods.

HA! Austin and Lawndale Are WORSE than most S.Side neighborhoods.


And the 'East side' is basically the area around 67th and east of Stony Island. Its technically the S.Side obviously but the S.Side is soo big that it has to divided into subsections.

[JacksonPanther]

Originally Posted by ChiNaan

All of these neighborhoods are West Side if you use the traditional North/South/West divisions. Only if you divide the city into at least 5 "sides" do you end up with the separate Northwest and Southwest divisions.

But it's not a "recent" thing to include a NW and a SW side.

If you want to argue about exactly WHY the NW and SW side terminology were invented (to make sure you knew they were talking about White neighborhoods), then that's a different discussion.

[urza216]

Originally Posted by ChiNaan

I agree with Chet. (Yep, I said it.) There is only one East Side in Chicago, and it's not a "side" at all. It's a community area under the Skyway, bordering Indiana.

Hegewisch is a separate community area south of the East Side community area, not part of it.

Simple geography dictates that any other "east side" of Chicago would be in the lake, making it as non-existant as the "South Detroit" mentioned in the Journey song.

Among people who actually live in that area or have roots in that area, the "east side" usually refers to more than just the "community area". South Deering and Hegweich are also the east side. That whole area has a lot of Mexicans these days - such as the number of people I know who live in that area. South Deering, Hegwiech and the east side community area.

[Just1Fan]

Originally Posted by chet everett

...unimaginative, herd-driven, out-of-town, marketing types that dream up stupid slogan-y fake terms to help small-minded, new-to-Chicago buyers in their "target" feel safe / vaguely New Yorky. Really sad that some offical efforts are aligning with this stupidity...

I'm glad you feel that way. Opinions are like a s s holes... everybody has one.

[Just1Fan]

Originally Posted by rparz

Technically, anything east of state is...[the east side]

That's the way I see it. And, for me, that's all that matters.

[Just1Fan]

Originally Posted by urza216

Is that the "New" East Side?

Yeah, since I was knee high to a fly and Jaws was a goldfish. :chuckles:

[rparz]

Originally Posted by urza216

Among people who actually live in that area or have roots in that area, the "east side" usually refers to more than just the "community area". South Deering and Hegweich are also the east side. That whole area has a lot of Mexicans these days - such as the number of people I know who live in that area. South Deering, Hegwiech and the east side community area.

That's how I first learned about it -- from the people that lived there and they told me they were from the 'East Side' and I replied 'The Lake?'

[rparz]

Originally Posted by JacksonPanther

But it's not a "recent" thing to include a NW and a SW side.

If you want to argue about exactly WHY the NW and SW side terminology were invented (to make sure you knew they were talking about White neighborhoods), then that's a different discussion.

Plus, the area near Midway is quite a distance away from Hegewisch although both are 'south side.' While I'm not informed about your second statement, the fact that the shape of Chicago isn't a square makes dividing the city into quadrants difficult.