Congratulations Chicago - You are #1 (Lincoln, Irving: closing, income, living in)

[Atlanta_BD]

Originally Posted by Harrier

That sounds like good advice, but when Harrier visits a place, he likes to get the real experience.

When Harrier sees the city of Chicago (Harrier has been in Chicagoland, but was around the Aurora area and saw the Loop skyline from the freeway adjacent to O'Hare Airport).

Chicago is an interesting city, and when Harrier does go there, he will explore the South Side.

If Harrier dies in Chicago, so be it, but hopefully Chicago will have remedied its problem by then.

Well I was in Chicago in July. I stayed and partied on the South Side and even took CTA. I made it out alive.

[SalingerBananafish]

ALRIGHT! Woo, I think someone is popping champagne off in the distance! Oh wait...

[Mezter]

Originally Posted by Atlanta_BD

The shootings you hear about in Chicago happen in areas where you would most likely not set foot in. Chicago is a huge place with lots of nice areas. You'd never have a reason to go into Englewood or Roseland if you don't live there unless you just want to.

People keep telling me that it's only in specific areas, but watching CNN, they showed a map of multiple locations where the shootings have been happening spread around the city.

[Harrier]

Originally Posted by Mezter

People keep telling me that it's only in specific areas, but watching CNN, they showed a map of multiple locations where the shootings have been happening spread around the city.

Yeah, it seems that there aren't any distinct black and white parts of the city, pardon the pun.

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by klubkarma

Chicago is such a nice city. I grew up there, and still enjoy it. But this shyt is ridiculous. I mean really, what they are turning my city into. I have family accross the pond who are wondering why I dont just move already! ... I hate to say this... but its time to call in the national guard.

Actually, crime has decreased in Chicago a ton since the late 80s and early 90s. In that time, Chicago had over 900 homicides per year, so really ....while it's still not great in these areas, what you are seeing is either (a) you are paying more attention to this stuff versus before or (b) there's more publicity now about it. The homicide rate in Chicago has almost been halved since 20 or so years ago.

[tablemtn]

The shootings you hear about in Chicago happen in areas where you would most likely not set foot in

Much of the time. But then there are incidents like this...

Man critically hurt in Gold Coast shooting over parking spot

The 41-year-old man was shot in the 0 to 50 block of East Chestnut Street about 4 a.m., after he argued with the suspect over a parking space, police said.

He suffered a gunshot wound to the abdomen, while the male suspect fled in a white car and is not in custody Saturday morning,

So a shooting took place right out on the street close to the Hancock building, and the shooter got away with it? That's kind of disturbing, to be honest...

[ChiNaan]

Originally Posted by Harrier

They are over 100,000 in population - the definition of a big city.

Well, I suppose that's a definition of a big city, albeit a highly unusual one. It's certainly not the defintion. Most people would call 100,000 a small city. Too much smaller than that and you're in "town" territory.

If 100,000 is a big city, does that make Wichita, KS (pop. 385,000) a really big city? And Indianapolis, IN (pop. 828,000) a huge city? And Chicago an uber giant mammoth humungous city? Mexico City and Tokyo must be so far beyond big that we can't even call them cities anymore. Somebody call the word inventors.

Puh-lease. 100,000 is a small city. 500,000 is a medium-sized city. 1 million+ is a big city, maybe, and that's being generous.

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by Mezter

People keep telling me that it's only in specific areas, but watching CNN, they showed a map of multiple locations where the shootings have been happening spread around the city.

That's bull****. There are a lot of people who live on the north/northwest side and as you can see in this map, there's really barely any shootings there (since you aren't from here, I don't expect you to know where the north side is 100%, but there's about a million people in that area). Also along the SW side, far south side, etc...not much.
Shootings -- Chicago Crime -- ChicagoTribune.com


Furthermore, we have a list of homicides by community area (neighborhood) since Jan 1, 2007 (6.72 years as of Sep 20, 2013). Not all of these are typical homicides either - it's anything. For example, a crazy mother checked herself into some motel earlier this year and killed her 5 month old baby in the motel.

List of neighborhoods - Tracking homicides in Chicago - Tracking homicides in Chicago | RedeyeChicago.com

Remember, this is for 6.72 years:
* Edison Park | 11187 people | 0 total homicides | 0 homicides/yr avg | 0 homicides per 100k avg
* Foreset Glen | 18508 people | 1 total homicides | 0.15 homicides/yr avg | 0.8 homicides per 100k avg
* North Center | 31867 people | 2 total homicides | 0.3 homicides/yr avg | 0.93 homicides per 100k avg
* Lincoln Park | 64116 people | 6 total homicides | 0.89 homicides/yr avg | 1.39 homicides per 100k avg
* Norwood Park | 37023 people | 4 total homicides | 0.6 homicides/yr avg | 1.61 homicides per 100k avg
* Lake View | 94368 people | 11 total homicides | 1.64 homicides/yr avg | 1.73 homicides per 100k avg
* Lincoln Square | 39493 people | 5 total homicides | 0.74 homicides/yr avg | 1.88 homicides per 100k avg
* Jefferson park | 25448 people | 4 total homicides | 0.6 homicides/yr avg | 2.34 homicides per 100k avg
* North Park | 17931 people | 3 total homicides | 0.45 homicides/yr avg | 2.49 homicides per 100k avg
* Irving Park | 53359 people | 15 total homicides | 2.23 homicides/yr avg | 4.18 homicides per 100k avg
* Near North Side | 80484 people | 23 total homicides | 3.42 homicides/yr avg | 4.25 homicides per 100k avg
* West Ridge | 71942 people | 21 total homicides | 3.13 homicides/yr avg | 4.34 homicides per 100k avg
* Edgewater | 56521 people | 17 total homicides | 2.53 homicides/yr avg | 4.48 homicides per 100k avg
* Uptown | 56362 people | 25 total homicides | 3.72 homicides/yr avg | 6.6 homicides per 100k avg
* Albany Park | 51542 people | 25 total homicides | 3.72 homicides/yr avg | 7.22 homicides per 100k avg
* Rogers Park | 54991 people | 27 total homicides | 4.02 homicides/yr avg | 7.31 homicides per 100k avg

* TOTAL | 765,142 people | 189 total homicides | 28.25 homicides/yr avg | 3.68 homicides per 100k avg

Using data that the FBI just released for 2012 for crime, we can see this average rate is basically the same homicide rate as Seattle, but this area above has 140,000 more people in it than the entire city of Seattle. Austin, Texas is very similar too (Austin has 60,000-70,000 more people than this area). If we add the Loop, Near South Side, and Armour Square (Chinatown), then the population is only 3000 off of Austin, TX entirely and the homicide rates are nearly identical.

You could also take the area around Midway Airport:
* Archer Heights | 13393 people | 9 total homicides | 1.34 homicides/yr avg | 10 homicides per 100k avg
* West Elsdon | 18109 people | 7 total homicides | 1.04 homicides/yr avg | 5.75 homicides per 100k avg
* West Lawn | 33355 people | 13 total homicides | 1.93 homicides/yr avg | 5.8 homicides per 100k avg
* Clearing | 23139 people | 5 total homicides | 0.74 homicides/yr avg | 3.22 homicides per 100k avg
* Garfield Ridge | 34513 people | 9 total homicides | 1.34 homicides/yr avg | 3.88 homicides per 100k avg
* TOTAL | 122,509 people | 43 total homicides | 6.39 homicides/yr avg | 5.22 homicides per 100k avg

Again, using the 2012 FBI numbers, that area is similar in both population and homicide rate to Downey, CA and Victorville, CA.

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by tablemtn

Much of the time. But then there are incidents like this...

Man critically hurt in Gold Coast shooting over parking spot

So a shooting took place right out on the street close to the Hancock building, and the shooter got away with it? That's kind of disturbing, to be honest...

This is literally 200 feet from where I live and this is the first time I'm hearing of it. Maybe I'm out of line here, but Tempo Cafe is on the corner there, and as a resident of the very immediate area, I can tell you that it attracts some not so good drunk people who are partying in the area on weekends (a lot of the Division St crowd will come there after the bars let out and anybody who knows Chicago knows that Division attracts all sorts of people). Try and find a spot to eat there at 4am on a weekend and you actually have to wait.

This is obviously an isolated incident. I know of one other shooting in the area that's happened in the 4+ years I've lived in this place, and it was also isolated. I walk around the area all the time at all hours of the night alone and nothing even remotely bad has happened to me. This incident also seems to amongst at least one drunk idiot and I would honestly bet money at least one of them was going to Tempo Cafe.

[Vlajos]

Originally Posted by Harrier

Yeah, it seems that there aren't any distinct black and white parts of the city, pardon the pun.

Sounds like you don't know how to read maps.