Thoughts on Visiting Chicago Last Week (Avon: crimes, taxes, to live in)

[Bill Kidd]

I live in Denver but I am from the NYC area originally and loved going there all the time. I know the city very well. It was always a fun visit, but in its current state I have no intention of going back.

I haven't been traveling much recently and am reluctant to fly with the way that is these days, so I booked a sleeper on Amtrak to Chicago. (I will write about that experience in the appropriate forum. Let's just say that Amtrak is a national embarrassment). I hadn't been to Chicago in 10 years.

I spent Friday night, all of Saturday, and Sunday morning in Chicago. I went to Chinatown, Millennium Park, The Loop, Oak Street beach, the Mag Mile, Oak Street, Rush Street, The Riverwalk, the boat harbor south of Millennium Park, River North, etc.

I will get a lot of hate for this, but I think it is the best American city to visit in summer and fall by a country mile. It's a terrific and unappreciated place. I don't know anyone who is familiar with the city. I always get: "I've been to the airport. Does that count?" (No, it does not. Don't ask again). I love how the city embraces the lake and waterways. With the exception of Baltimore and Boston, most cities ignore the nearby water. I won't go over all of the things that make Chicago great, as you know what they are, but it is a WONDERFUL place to visit.

I couldn't get on a booze cruise or any boat. Folks, don't let this happen to you. Book well in advance.

Two small negatives, though. I saw a lot of lawlessness on the subways and wondered if the cops ever bother to go down there. At the Monroe Red Line station, some jerk was blasting really loud music. When I returned a few hours later he was still doing it. A bunch of suburban guys (probably around 20 years old) were drinking a case of Miller Lite (a girly man's so-called "beer") and left all the cans on the floor. I saw people jumping turnstiles, smoking, etc. Not big crimes, but it shows that anything goes. None of this is surprising considering the creature in the mayor's office.

There were also a lot of missing street signs, poor placement of them, and they can be hard to read.

No place is perfect, but I think Chicago beats 'em all. What a place.

[TBideon]

CTA trains have been an absolute nightmare the last few years, and it wasn't exactly peaches and cream before. Lawlessness is putting it mildly, and there is no real police presence outside a few obese cops inside the Grand Redline station and a few others outside the Chicago Redline shooting gallery.

Glad/hope no one bothered you.

[BigLake]

Great trip report. Always interesting to hear visitor accounts. I think Chicagoans see a lot of warts (even wounds) to the city, but it's always refreshing to hear an objective review from a non-Chicagoan. Glad you had a good time.

Agree, the CTA is a mess now. I commute via CTA about two days a week (to/from) and it's not rare to have some negative, noteworthy event occur during the trip.

[Bill Kidd]

Thanks, both of you. No, no one bothered me except a panhandler. You live in an awesome city.

[Master Jay]

Bill Kidd,

A (1) panhandler?!? I would say, you had an exceptionally great experience, Sir!

[CCrest182]

Originally Posted by Bill Kidd

I will get a lot of hate for this, but I think it is the best American city to visit in summer and fall by a country mile. It's a terrific and unappreciated place. I don't know anyone who is familiar with the city. I always get: "I've been to the airport. Does that count?" (No, it does not. Don't ask again). I love how the city embraces the lake and waterways. With the exception of Baltimore and Boston, most cities ignore the nearby water. I won't go over all of the things that make Chicago great, as you know what they are, but it is a WONDERFUL place to visit.
.

Why would you get a lot of hate for that? It's the facts. People can trash Chicago as much as they want about corruption, taxes, crime, cold winters, whatever else. But there are two things that nobody can trash Chicago on; food, and summertime. It is one of the best food cities in the world, and one of the best summer cities in the world too.

[ChiGuy2.5]

Originally Posted by CCrest182

Why would you get a lot of hate for that? It's the facts. People can trash Chicago as much as they want about corruption, taxes, crime, cold winters, whatever else. But there are two things that nobody can trash Chicago on; food, and summertime. It is one of the best food cities in the world, and one of the best summer cities in the world too.

It's also exceptionally clean for an American city and it has quite beautiful architecture if you're into Skyscrapers! Another thing to mention is that it isn't super costly compared to other world class cities.

[DannFrankenstein]

Originally Posted by Bill Kidd

Two small negatives, though. I saw a lot of lawlessness on the subways and wondered if the cops ever bother to go down there. At the Monroe Red Line station, some jerk was blasting really loud music. When I returned a few hours later he was still doing it. A bunch of suburban guys (probably around 20 years old) were drinking a case of Miller Lite (a girly man's so-called "beer") and left all the cans on the floor. I saw people jumping turnstiles, smoking, etc. Not big crimes, but it shows that anything goes. None of this is surprising considering the creature in the mayor's office.

There were also a lot of missing street signs, poor placement of them, and they can be hard to read.

No place is perfect, but I think Chicago beats 'em all. What a place.

That’s funny

[Avondalist]

Originally Posted by ChiGuy2.5

It's also exceptionally clean for an American city and it has quite beautiful architecture if you're into Skyscrapers! Another thing to mention is that it isn't super costly compared to other world class cities.

It's really amazing that the American city with the second best urban experience IMO is also, at this point, just average or below average in costs. What a combo.

What amazes me even more is the premium people will pay for warmer weather. Different strokes I guess, but the prices in Florida and Arizona now are madness. You can save a *lot* of money over the course of your life if you're willing to put up with winter.

[Kmanshouse]

Originally Posted by Avondalist

It's really amazing that the American city with the second best urban experience IMO is also, at this point, just average or below average in costs. What a combo.

What amazes me even more is the premium people will pay for warmer weather. Different strokes I guess, but the prices in Florida and Arizona now are madness. You can save a *lot* of money over the course of your life if you're willing to put up with winter.

This is 100% bang on.

When I do commute, which isn't much these days, I'm on the Brown Line, which seems to be the only remaining "nice" L left. So amazingly, all the hell stories I hear from others hasn't really applied to my life.

The winter can be tough....there are times when I wonder why I live in a place with a longer cold season. When the time comes when I finally don't want to live in an urban environment, I may move then, but as long as I want urban amenities, I can't really do any better, especially for the price.