Is Chicago a good city choice (for middle class blacks)? (Oak Park: middle-class, 2014)

[Christine_565]

I have the opportunity to relocate to Chicago with my employer. I'm a little ambivalent because I've heard that it's not an ideal city for middle class blacks. I imagine that middle class blacks have to contend with all sorts of stereotypes. Also, I'm aware that Chicago is one of the most segregated city's in the U.S.

Is Chicago a poor choice for middle class blacks, or is it an ok place to reside?

[chet everett]

To be fair a whole lot depends on what how you define "middle class". If you have a good education / skills and income that is signficantly above average (on sliding scale, based on age / industry, that could mean anywhere from $50k for a younger person or some one in lower paying sector like government to maybe 3x if you are a lawyer / physician / finance professional...).

On that kind of salary you could live in a nice neighborhood (maybe Hyde Park on the south side, Printer Row near the Loop, Wicker Park or some other "hip" area...) and probably socialize with a nice mix of co-workers...

If you work in retail or healthcare the environments might be very different.

If you have kids and want to send them to good schools that is a whole other bucket of worms...

[Christine_565]

Originally Posted by chet everett

To be fair a whole lot depends on what how you define "middle class". If you have a good education / skills and income that is signficantly above average (on sliding scale, based on age / industry, that could mean anywhere from $50k for a younger person or some one in lower paying sector like government to maybe 3x if you are a lawyer / physician / finance professional...).

On that kind of salary you could live in a nice neighborhood (maybe Hyde Park on the south side, Printer Row near the Loop, Wicker Park or some other "hip" area...) and probably socialize with a nice mix of co-workers...

If you work in retail or healthcare the environments might be very different.

If you have kids and want to send them to good schools that is a whole other bucket of worms...

Thanks for the input. My salary is in the high 90s and I do not have any children. If I elected to transfer, my salary would remain the same.

I like socializing with a diverse group of professionals, but I'm worried that this will not be possible in Chicago, given the extreme levels of segregation between whites and blacks.

[marothisu]

From a pure salary standpoint, you'll do well in Chicago in the high 90s so long as you don't have tons of debt and your spending habits aren't insane. You could live on $50K in Chicago as a single person if you don't have tons of debt and still do alright for yourself.

There are more than just white and black people in Chicago for the record. Many Hispanic people too, for example. Anyway, yes Chicago is segregated like a lot of older northern cities are, but nightlife wise there are areas where it can be decently mixed. South Loop, Wicker Park, and River North for example. Hyde Park as well, though you wouldn't have much in the way of nightlife or anything but there is some. If you're a clubbing person at all too, the clubs are usually pretty mixed places...usually.

[ChicagoMeO]

Originally Posted by Christine_565

I have the opportunity to relocate to Chicago with my employer. I'm a little ambivalent because I've heard that it's not an ideal city for middle class blacks. I imagine that middle class blacks have to contend with all sorts of stereotypes. Also, I'm aware that Chicago is one of the most segregated city's in the U.S.

Is Chicago a poor choice for middle class blacks, or is it an ok place to reside?

yes please come here. I wish more middle class blacks would live here and bless the city, working, taking care of families, etc, etc, welcome!

[mjtinmemphis]

Hi christine,

I lived in Chicago after growing up in St. Louis and living in Charlotte, Durham, Memphis and Chicago. There is no clear cut answer to your question because everyone situation and experience is different.

I accepted a transfer to Chicago because I've always wanted to live in that city. The energy and the overall big city experience was too much to pass up.

From my experience your neighborhood will determine a big part of your experience. Oak Park and Hyde Park gave a good experience. There are other areas to look at like South Loop and Edgewater.

Even with those great areas that I mentioned I would have to say that Chicago very racist in terms of segregation, income disparity and overall intolerance coming from Whites in social situations. There have been many times when I was in the north side trendy neighborhoods entertaining clients and was the only one. This doesn't necessarily mean you are around racist but may be different depending on what you are use to. There have been situations when I was met with racial slurs just walking home or enjoying the evening. Other times they where used in my presence and not being directed towards me. That's when I was at the point of saying what is the problem with these people.

So my answer to your post is if you are from a city with a large African American professional class or use to seeing other African Americans regardless of what and where you are I would not recommend Chicago. There are much better choices. If you are like me and you feel like you have to experience Chicago then I would make the move understanding the type of city it is. If you don't like it, move.

[oak317]

It's worth pointing out, that Chicago's founder was a black man (Jean Baptiste Point du Sable). They named DuSable bridge and DuSable harbor after him, and have his bust on Michigan Avenue just above the river.

Of course, this sheds no light on whether you would like Chicago I'm afraid I can't say.

[ChicagoMeO]

Sometimes people have attitudes that they personally have which are theirs alone.

[ParkerP]

Read this article Where does Chicago’s black middle class live? | City Notes
It's about the most accurate that I've seen.

[Christine_565]

Originally Posted by ParkerP

Read this article Where does Chicago’s black middle class live? | City Notes
It's about the most accurate that I've seen.

Thanks for the article, but it didn't actually address my question, it simply pointed out that there are a number of middle class blacks residing throughout the South Side of Chicago. I asked if Chicago is a good city choice for middle class blacks. Based on the feedback from other posters (as well as my general knowledge about Chicago), it is probably not a good option.

Much of my family resides in the Northeast and on the West Coast. I have no immediate or extended family/relatives in the Midwest. This means that my connection to the Midwest is non existent. If I were to relocate to Chicago, I'd need to find a community that was close to my organization's Chicago regional office, which is currently located at 233 North Michigan Avenue.

At this stage in my career, I'm drawn to working on interesting and challenging regional based projects for my organization, but I realize, there's more to life than work. I enjoy diversity, but I also enjoy being around those who are similar and can relate to my cultural background and experiences. Also, I don't want my dating options to be limited, since I'd like to settle down and get married.

My question is, given the fact that I have no family ties to the South Side and the location is not close to my organization's office, what would be the benefit (or value) in residing on the South Side, other than simply living around those with a similar skin color. I could be wrong, but I imagine that although there are middle class blacks on the South side, it may be difficult to mingle with them, because the South Side doesn't have the same amenities with respect to restaurants and nightlife, as the North and West Side of Chicago.

When I visited Chicago (for work related purposes) it felt a little strange, being one of the few blacks in the office, or at the various restaurants. I saw other black people, but mostly, they were either homeless, or working in service related jobs. I sincerely hope that I'm not offending anyone. I'm just trying to determine what would be best.