Chicago hate: Does the negativity bother you ? (Time: loans, neighborhood)

[chet everett]

Originally Posted by ChiNaan

I don't blame them-- I wouldn't want to pay high taxes to live in St. Paul or Des Moines, either. That would be like paying high taxes to live in the Chicago suburbs.

Is that there are fairer taxes in those places -- a better balance between graduated income taxes and less onerous property taxes / ridiculous sales taxes: sales taxes and flat income taxes make Illinois / Chicago have some of the most REGRESSIVE taxes in the region. Quite literally taxes like these make the poor poorer than any other kind of tax.

And when it comes the suburbs the fact is that folks that live out here and getting MUCH more for their dollar -- we have excellent employment options, speedy options to quickly get to the Loop, awesome schools, fantastic resturants, local owned shops, friendly bars. If you dare step outside your bubble / defensive armor you might be surprised just how lovely it is!

[Vlajos]

Originally Posted by ChiNaan

I don't blame them-- I wouldn't want to pay high taxes to live in St. Paul or Des Moines, either. That would be like paying high taxes to live in the Chicago suburbs.

Oddly enough, you will be paying higher income and RE Taxes in St. Paul than Chicago. I don't know anything about Des Moines.

[ChiNaan]

Originally Posted by MassVt

No one's got a foot on my neck, "pal", and no one's more "status quo" than you, Mr. Chamber of Commerce/ realtor/ anti-city everything, fool.

I did find it particularly ironic when the guy from the suburbs referred to people who give up on choice and settle for vanilla. That's pretty much the raison d'être of suburbia, isn't it?

[ChiNaan]

Originally Posted by chet everett

And when it comes the suburbs the fact is that folks that live out here and getting MUCH more for their dollar -- we have excellent employment options, speedy options to quickly get to the Loop, awesome schools, fantastic resturants, local owned shops, friendly bars. If you dare step outside your bubble / defensive armor you might be surprised just how lovely it is!

I tried living in suburbia for years, and have been outside my "bubble" to suburbs all over the nation and world. Sometimes people are well-informed but just have different preferences than you. I'm sure I'd find the same thing if I spent my time as a city resident frequenting the suburbs forum. (I'm not sure why I'd want to do that. Perhaps you can shed some perspective as to why one frequents a forum of a place where they don't live?)

The only thing I like about the employment options in the suburbs is that they're commutable from the city. Speedy options to the loop from the suburbs kinda pale in comparison to living a mile from the loop. I couldn't care less about schools since I don't have children, and there's not exactly a shortage of fantastic restaurants, locally owned shops, or friendly bars in the city, either. The difference is that they're not in strip malls and they actually have interesting people hanging out at them.

[stateofnature]

Originally Posted by ChiNaan

I tried living in suburbia for years, and have been outside my "bubble" to suburbs all over the nation and world. Sometimes people are well-informed but just have different preferences than you. I'm sure I'd find the same thing if I spent my time as a city resident frequenting the suburbs forum. (I'm not sure why I'd want to do that. Perhaps you can shed some perspective as to why one frequents a forum of a place where they don't live?)

The only thing I like about the employment options in the suburbs is that they're commutable from the city. Speedy options to the loop from the suburbs kinda pale in comparison to living a mile from the loop. I couldn't care less about schools since I don't have children, and there's not exactly a shortage of fantastic restaurants, locally owned shops, or friendly bars in the city, either. The difference is that they're not in strip malls and they actually have interesting people hanging out at them.

Sorry ChiNaan, you might THINK that you think the suburbs are boring, but our expert resident mind reader Chet knows that at heart, you REALLY would prefer the Chicago suburbs if you gave them another try. He really is an amazing talent.

[ChiNaan]

Originally Posted by stateofnature

Sorry ChiNaan, you might THINK that you think the suburbs are boring, but our expert resident mind reader Chet knows that at heart, you REALLY would prefer the Chicago suburbs if you gave them another try. He really is an amazing talent.

Of course. Silly me. I'm sure with another several years of exposure I'd have eventually begun to see things his way. I'm surely just kidding myself by thinking I have more fun in the city on any given weekend than I ever had in an entire month in the suburbs.

[chet everett]

No real strip malls in my town, and an abundance of interesting people too.

Tha sad fact is that too many people who've "shut the door" on the possibility of their choice being less than perfect are the ones that most loudly shout at those that would dare suggest the influx of generic people of approximately equal age and interests are what are turning formerly interesting parts of Chicago "vanilla" while the vivid mix of people of all ages and an ever wider range of experiences are what are making the suburbs increasingly "exotic".

Too bad that so many young people currently living in Chicago take so little interest in what is undoubtedly the most pressing dometic issue of our time -- schools, and for that matter all government supported institutitions, were once widely accepted to the be the "glue" of American society - a way for the less fortunate to have a shot at overcoming their current situation. Now the increasingly self centered slobs that care only tro stuff themselves inside their own detached slice of Disney-fied urban living could not care less that there non-support of schools is the primary factor in facturing a once vital path toward increasing freedom.

These things that go way beyond fun / boring or happy -- these are what anyone with a brain should give some thought too, but the hyper-isolation that happens even in "urban" areas when the detached young people carry their electronic "shell" of smartphone/MP3 entertainment with them effectively numbs them to the reality that otherwise might inspire some action. The bars "filled" with "hipsters" might as well be the cruise ship Axiom from Wall-E for the all the non-interaction that happens there.

[NARFALICIOUS]

Originally Posted by ChiNaan

Of course. Silly me. I'm sure with another several years of exposure I'd have eventually begun to see things his way. I'm surely just kidding myself by thinking I have more fun in the city on any given weekend than I ever had in an entire month in the suburbs.

Any given day for me

[ChiNaan]

Originally Posted by nearnorth

Exactly. Fortunately, I don't encounter the type of Chicago negativity among people I meet in person that I see on this forum. I think it's due in large part to the fact that most of the really negative posts here come from people who don't actually live here.

Originally Posted by marothisu

This..this exactly. I didn't even start harboring many negative thoughts about Chicago until I started to read this forum.

I'm in this camp, as well. The hate on this forum (nearly always from people who don't live here, as nearnorth noted) is often enough to keep me away for days or weeks at a time, usually while I remind myself to focus on the much more positive interactions I have with people offline.

To be honest, if I encountered as much negativity from the actual Chicagoans I interact with on a daily basis as I do from non-Chicagoans (red staters, New Yorkers, and suburbanites, oh my!) on the Chicago forum, I'd have probably moved a long time ago. Life is too short.

[stateofnature]

Originally Posted by chet everett

No real strip malls in my town, and an abundance of interesting people too.

Tha sad fact is that too many people who've "shut the door" on the possibility of their choice being less than perfect are the ones that most loudly shout at those that would dare suggest the influx of generic people of approximately equal age and interests are what are turning formerly interesting parts of Chicago "vanilla" while the vivid mix of people of all ages and an ever wider range of experiences are what are making the suburbs increasingly "exotic".

Too bad that so many young people currently living in Chicago take so little interest in what is undoubtedly the most pressing dometic issue of our time -- schools, and for that matter all government supported institutitions, were once widely accepted to the be the "glue" of American society - a way for the less fortunate to have a shot at overcoming their current situation. Now the increasingly self centered slobs that care only tro stuff themselves inside their own detached slice of Disney-fied urban living could not care less that there non-support of schools is the primary factor in facturing a once vital path toward increasing freedom.

These things that go way beyond fun / boring or happy -- these are what anyone with a brain should give some thought too, but the hyper-isolation that happens even in "urban" areas when the detached young people carry their electronic "shell" of smartphone/MP3 entertainment with them effectively numbs them to the reality that otherwise might inspire some action. The bars "filled" with "hipsters" might as well be the cruise ship Axiom from Wall-E for the all the non-interaction that happens there.

Great, so I will move to the city of Chicago to start supporting the schools there since they are in such dire need of help. I'm glad you have now reversed your position that people should choose the suburbs over the city!