Is the Southeast/ Calumet region culturally different than the rest of the South side? (Chicago: low crime, townhouse)

[EddieOlSkool]

Originally Posted by Alacran

I hate when southsiders think the northside is just the transplant oriented Lincoln Park, Wicker, Lakeview, etc.

There's plenty of culture on the NS. We have a denser population with more multi family buildings which makes it easier for people to come and go.

Southside has a bunch of actual houses where people buy and commit to. So it has a more steady population.


and I don't feel it's a strange criteria. Without those streets it feels a bit isolated. Less outsiders pass through. That's a big thing.

Define North Side vs South Side because honestly from built form alone they aren't very different.

But if by North Side you mean the heavily gentrified, Midwest transplant haven then I am gonna have a hard time believing it represents Chicago the most accurate way despite built form. It's like thinking all of New York is like Williamsburg.

[EddieOlSkool]

Originally Posted by Dunedin1

Given your characterization ... I'm assuming you're not a native Chicagoan, or lack much knowledge of the city.

Hahahaha. I am a native. Let's first define North Side and then we can continue this. Are we meaning Uptown? Rogers Park? Or Edgebrook? Or Forest Glen? Or Portage Park? Or Hermosa? What do we mean by North Side? Because if this includes Northwest side then that is a different story. Portage Park is where my best friend grew up and that is nothing like say, "South Logan Square" or "West Wicker Park" to really denote Humboldt Park. Or how a friend denoted Albany Park as "Ravenswood Manor" even though she was a block away from Lawrence and Kedzie. So maybe THAT Northside is more what you mean? Help me out here. I also went to Northeastern which is hardly a transplant college if you have any experience there. Basically a much higher end version of the Southwest Side's Daley College lol. That sounds harsh. More like a higher end version of Robert Morris University there we go haha.

[Alacran]

Originally Posted by EddieOlSkool

Define North Side vs South Side because honestly from built form alone they aren't very different.

But if by North Side you mean the heavily gentrified, Midwest transplant haven then I am gonna have a hard time believing it represents Chicago the most accurate way despite built form. It's like thinking all of New York is like Williamsburg.

Albany park
Ravenswood
Uptown
Avondale
Irving park
Portgage
North park
Rogers
Hermosa
Edgewater

[EddieOlSkool]

Originally Posted by Alacran

Albany park
Ravenswood
Uptown
Avondale
Irving park
Portgage
North park
Rogers
Hermosa
Edgewater

Well a lot of that is the NW Side but OK. Anyway, how are those neighborhoods more representative of Chicago than the SE side?

[Alacran]

Density, Trains, Lack of industrial swaths of land, etc.

And if you're separating it from the rest of the north side then why are you asking why people separate the SE side when you separated from the rest of the southside

[NealIRC]

When people think of far Southeast region that actually know it, they generally think of abandoned steel plants, windmills, coal mines, etc.

That's really not what people think about when they think about Chicago.

[EddieOlSkool]

Originally Posted by NealIRC

When people think of far Southeast region that actually know it, they generally think of abandoned steel plants, windmills, coal mines, etc.

That's really not what people think about when they think about Chicago.

People associate Chicago with the Rust Belt all the time.

[EddieOlSkool]

Originally Posted by Alacran

Density, Trains, Lack of industrial swaths of land, etc.

And if you're separating it from the rest of the north side then why are you asking why people separate the SE side when you separated from the rest of the southside

I don't separate it from the South Side. I was wondering why others do.

[TheTimidBlueBars]

I think, culturally and environmentally, the far southeast side is the most distinct region of Chicago. There are abandoned or dying factories and steel mills everywhere you look. There are few to no large apartment buildings in sight. Everything's pretty quiet, without much gang activity or nightlife. There's minimal immigrant culture aside from some Latinos. Large chunks of the area are uninhabited, some with open prairie. It's a really cool place to be; it feels almost haunted.

[via chicago]

This guy put out a great photo book on the Calumet area

http://www.garycialdella.com/galleries#/calumet/