Chicago and suburbs in the 1980s compared to now (Aurora: coupon, 2014)

[maxwell2323]

For those of us who are a bit older, the internet and technology has certainly changed how we live. Most folks in their 20s today do not know what it was like in those days where a phone was a device you has to walk into the kitchen to answer, access to useful information was either thru the evening newspaper, or on TV in the evening, or mailed to you through the post office, or borrowed from a local library, or heard on the radio, or thru in-person conversations with neighbors or co-workers. And all that was limited in scope – and sometimes that information could become invalid quickly. And imagine trying to get information about what was going on in a city 300+ miles away, especially a big city. You were forced to use a travel agent to arrange travel. You had to get maps from the AAA. You had to go to the downtown library just to get that city’s newspaper. If you were lucky you might know someone who lives in that city that you can go to the kitchen to call (long distance charges) and ask questions.

Don’t get me wrong – most of these avenues still exist today, but so much of it can be had in milliseconds by a few fingertip touches on a device you have in your pocket – or a few mouse clicks on a slightly bigger device. All in real time. More info than you care to know. Information that didn’t even exist 5 seconds ago.

If I am planning a trip to Orlando/DisneyWorld (where I have never been), I can get street maps from Google Maps of where I would be going in seconds. I can put myself on a street and see the buildings there. I can look at youtube videos of DisneyWorld, of people walking to it, of the amtrak/metrolink train that stops close to it if there is one. I can arrange my flight and hotel all by myself. Restaurants, show times, tickets to sporting events, train/bus schedules…all within seconds. And if I still have questions I can go to this forum here.

I am rambling (I have some rare time on hands), so I will get to the point. Having never been to a city like Chicago (I grew up in Indy) – I couldn’t wait to go there – once I got out of the house to live on my own. One of the first things I did when I finally left home (way back in the pre-internet days) was to get into my first car and drive up to Chicago. To see Rush Street (that I had heard so much about). Lake Michigan. The skyscrapers. I’ll never forget getting on the Chicago Skyway - the road appeared to literally go up into the clouds. Driving past rows and rows of tentaments. What I saw was nothing like Indianapolis. I can’t remember where I parked – and I know I made a second trip shortly after via Greyhound bus. I remember staying at a downtown hotel with a discount coupon I got from the Indianapolis Star. I was just blown away. Yet there was so much I didn’t know about Chicago. So much I didn’t do because I didn’t know about it. I didn’t know about any events going on – had no idea that there were trains and subways that could take you about anywhere. Didn’t know anything about the airports, neighborhoods, attractions, music, all of the suburbs…. you don’t miss things that you are unaware of.

I never went back to Chicago until about 16 years later. And now I go there all of the time – okay maybe not every weekend, but at least once a month. Indy is a good city but it doesn’t have close to what Chicago has to offer in terms of entertainment and fun, exploration, music, dining, attractions, ethnic neighborhoods, conventions, the diversity of people, (I could go on and on). And the rise of the Internet is a big part of why I go. Had I known about all of what was available in Chicago that I would enjoy and be interested in during those 16 years – I would have been visiting Chicago all of the time back then (financially permitting).

Especially being the huge Michael Jordan fan that I was/still am. That first time that I visited Chicago after that 16 year absence, I took the subway from O'Hare (first time ever on a subway) to downtown and walked to the United Center – just to see up close and get a picture of the statue.

Which finally brings me to my really simple question. So what was Chicago like in the 1980s compared to now? With regards to anything (life in general for residents, for visitors to the city, nightlife, entertainment options, transportation, safety, bands, etc). Anything you miss? Anything you don’t miss? What is still the same? What has changed big time?

[baileyvpotter]

Many things were different in the 80's. If you wanted to see or travel there was always Fodor books (we used them
often throughout the US and Europe).
Fodor's Travel Guidebooks | Fodor's Travel Guides

There are many things that have changed, some for the better: the Blue line to Ohare 1984, University of Illinois at Chicago
(Circle Campus) much improved but the Italian neighborhood grew smaller and smaller as did some other ethnic neighborhoods.
Many areas throughout the city were revitalized. As a Sox fan, it was sad for me to see Comisky Park go in 1990 (after 80
years).
I'm sure you'll get some more responses and I'll think of some more also.

[Drover]

The 80s saw the peak results of many of America's inner cities, including Chicago, having been written off as unlivable, undesirable, and ungovernable. Much of the city was dirty, unsightly, and covered in graffiti. Even much of the CBD was grimy. People criticize corporations for moving their headquarters out to the suburbs, but if you saw the condition of much of downtown back then you wouldn't blame 'em. For all the attention the city's crime situation gets, it was considerably worse back then. Most of the inner neighborhoods were rough while the outer neighborhoods tended to remain safe and stable, whereas now we're starting to see an inversion of that pattern. And today there's a whole lot more gentrified areas that are so upper-crust and spit-polished that basically look like urban renditions of Naperville. You just didn't see much of that in the 80s.

IMO say the biggest change in the suburbs is they're getting a lot less white. There were substantial pockets of minorities in node cities like Aurora, Elgin, Joliet, and Waukegan; but other than that you didn't see a lot of minorities beyond the inner ring of suburbia. That has changed pretty significantly, particularly with Hispanics fanning well out into the suburbs, or going straight there from wherever they came from instead of heading to Chicago first with their kids heading out to the suburbs.

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by Drover

That has changed pretty significantly, particularly with Hispanics fanning well out into the suburbs, or going straight there from wherever they came from instead of heading to Chicago first with their kids heading out to the suburbs.

The Asian population as well, right? The Korean population used to be mainly inside of the city, but once they got more financially stable, they moved to the suburbs nearby (at least according to my Korean friend who moved to Chicago in the 90s). I know that "Indian" is part of the Asian grouping in the census, but even from 2000 it seems as if many suburbs have grown in percentage a bit with that group. People may not even realize it, but Naperville now is almost 15% Asian. Schaumburg is 20% and they have all grown a lot with that

[Josef K.]

Originally Posted by Drover

The 80s saw the peak results of many of America's inner cities, including Chicago, having been written off as unlivable, undesirable, and ungovernable. Much of the city was dirty, unsightly, and covered in graffiti. Even much of the CBD was grimy.

Yes, there was a general sense of urban decline, not limited to Chicago. NYC in particular seemed to have it even worse, in terms of infrastructure decay, crime, homelessness, and general incivility.

I also recall that the rich or gentrified part of the city was much smaller at the time - basically Near North and Lincoln Park, and maybe a few other pockets. I knew a guy (artist/photographer, befitting the stereotype) who was renting in Wicker Park at the time. He said he would hear gunshots quite frequently.

Most of the inner neighborhoods were rough while the outer neighborhoods tended to remain safe and stable, whereas now we're starting to see an inversion of that pattern. And today there's a whole lot more gentrified areas that are so upper-crust and spit-polished that basically look like urban renditions of Naperville. You just didn't see much of that in the 80s.

Changes in the NW/SW Side bungalow belts are not remarked upon that much, but are very substantial. These areas used to be the strongholds of the urban white working class as recently as 20 years ago; now they're much more mixed and mostly Hispanic. The white working class in Chicago is but a shadow of its former self.

[nightlysparrow]

Speaking for the North Side in the early 80's:

You could pretty much park anywhere outside of the Loop for free. Now meters are everywhere.
Most of the 2 and 3 flat buildings were mom & pop owned, and you could get real bargains.
There were still a number of small factories around. Now they are all condos.
Pocket neighborhoods of European immigrants were still around. Now, they're mostly Hispanic or Asian.
Department stores like Goldblatt's and Wieboldt's were on their last legs, but still around. When the Brickyard shopping center opened, people got excited.
The historic opulent movie palaces like the Granada and the Uptown were still operating.

[Tex?Il?]

OP: watch the Blues Brothers and Ferris Bueller. You'll get an idea of 80s Chicago.

[Drover]

Yeah, the grimy neighborhood where the Blues Brothers' SRO was, is where the Harold Washington library is now. Things have changed just a bit around there since then, though you can still see some very faint hints of the "old-school" neighborhood around, say, Van Buren and Clark like the mom-and-pop sub shop and Sharks and the pawn shop and the like.

[williepotatoes]

Some things have changed for the better and some things for the worse. All in all, it's pretty much a wash. The city has more than a century and a half of of evolution under it's belt now, and I'm convinced that it will adapt and survive future economic and social seachanges. It was arguably the most controversial city of the American twentieth century and I don't expect that to change much. For all it's greatness it is also a very troubled and flawed city. Sometimes I think that is what makes Chicago so alluring and fascinating.

[snoylekim]

Chicagoist Weekend Theatre: Chicago Breakdown: Chicagoist

Link to a 15 minute sight and sound Documentary of Chicago in 1976 .. If you were around, some of the visuals will bring back memories . Warning ..one vignette of a photoshoot at Playboy , slightly NSFW ...