Opinion: Chicago Will Rise Again!

[jcp123]

Well, let me say this as someone who loves Chicago but hasn’t lived there. Call me an outside booster.

1. Corruption. Chicago is probably THE poster boy for political corruption in this country. However, the entire political establishment in the US is IMHO rife with graft, patronage, and a sense that political allies have to be paid back first, which can be an entire career of doing so. Chicago is hardly alone in that, so invite the rest of us to clean house as you do so.

2. Crime. Chicago is a city of neighborhoods, and crime isn’t equally balanced. Don’t let the media say that Chicago has a crime problem. Make it known that if you’re in Wicker Park or Lincoln Square, it’s not the same as the south side or whatnot. Clean it up, of course (easier said than done), but don’t just let yourselves get beat up in the media.

3. Chicago avoided the mass urban blight that a lot of Great Lakes cities experienced.

4. It’s one of the few truly urban centres in this country with a functional mass transit system, walkable neighborhoods, good nightlife, and an ability to be a tourist sans car.

5. It even has beaches! Doesn’t work well on someone like myself who grew up near ocean beaches, but for a lot of folks that’s unexpected for a city not on the established coasts.

6. Don’t forget free days at your very well-regarded museums, the excellent urban parks and green spaces, and a really unique food vernacular.

There’s a lot of PR Chicago could be doing, but isn’t, both on an official level as well as by residents and boosters.

[DaBears02]

Originally Posted by enescetiner

What do you think the crime rates will be in the next 5 years? If crime goes down the city will come alive again but I'm really curious when that will happen. I don't think the crime will be any worse than it is now because now is the worst.

It actually used to be a lot worse than it is now. It still sucks though and I don’t know how much better it’s going to get.