Help me break my irrational fear of the south side... (Chicago: real estate, crime)

[capt. courageous]

Originally Posted by Manigault

I live on a southside street which is not a major thoroughfare and I come home after dark all the time. Like last night. What do you suggest? Moving is out of the question.

Arm yourself.

cbs2chicago.com - Nearly 125 Shot Dead In Chicago Over Summer (http://cbs2chicago.com/local/chicago.summer.shootings.2.810166.html - broken link)

Nearly 125 Shot Dead In Chicago Over Summer

Total Is About Double The Death Toll In Iraq

CHICAGO (CBS) ― An estimated 123 people were shot and killed over the summer. That's nearly double the number of soldiers killed in Iraq over the same time period.

In May, cbs2chicago.com began tracking city shootings and posting them on Google maps. Information compiled from our reporters, wire service reports and the Chicago Police Major Incidents log indicated that 123 people were shot and killed throughout the city between the start of Memorial Day weekend on May 26, and the end of Labor Day on Sept. 1.

According to the Defense Department, 65 soldiers were killed in combat in Iraq. About the same number were killed in Afghanistan over that same period.

In the same time period, an estimated 245 people were shot and wounded in the city.

[Lookout Kid]

Well, there are about 22 times as many citizens in Chicago as there are troops in Iraq, so it's not exactly an apples to apples comparison.

[jdiddy]

Originally Posted by capt. courageous

Arm yourself.

Christ.

Let's keep this bs to the politics threads.

For the record, comparing the number of murders in Chicago to the number of troop deaths in Iraq is incredibly misleading and, well, moronic. Here's the report on violence in Iraq the past two days.

McClatchy Washington Bureau | 09/03/2008 | Round-up of Daily Violence - Wednesday 03 September 2008
McClatchy Washington Bureau | 09/02/2008 | Round-up of Daily Violence in Iraq-Tuesday 2 September 2008

I'll take my chances in this city.

[capt. courageous]

Originally Posted by trax

My dad grew up in Pullman, and later Harvey, from the 50s to the mid 70s, around the time that industries were leaving and that area was experiencing severe white flight.

As far as safety goes, are there any places that I should just flat-out avoid?
Thanks guys!

Nearly 125 Shot Dead In Chicago Over Summer

An estimated 245 people were shot and wounded in the city in the same time period.

Let's try this again.

trax: As a non-resident, you might want to avoid side streets (non-major thoroughfares) that you are unfamiliar with after dark. If someone stops you "looking for directions", or to "ask for a cigarette", you might want to reconsider rolling down your window.

[Costa Rica Chica]

So, I have to travel to the South Side occasionally for my job. Yesterday, I had a meeting on W. 79th Street (Auburn-Gresham) and next week I have to go to Englewood alone. As my boss and I drove along in the car, I won't lie and say I didn't feel nervous. It's an intimidating area, and I have had guns held up to my head twice (in Costa Rica) so I am a little jittery. I mentioned this to my boss and she basically told me that she has been coming to these neighborhoods for years, sometimes at night, and she has never seen any violence.

[Manigault]

You know, there is a great 24-hour currency exchange at 79th and Vincennes in case you forget to get a city sticker on the last day. There's also a hardware store at 56th and Halsted which was the only place I could find to re-glaze my large picture window. I also used to volunteer at Visitation Church at 55th and Racine or so. Someone break your car window? I've driven three times to 59th and Ashland where they do a good, fast fix.

As I mentioned, I have friends I visit in Englewood, Chatham and all over the southside. Folks are cheating themselves by cutting out whole swaths of the city they would not visit.

How does one get over irrational fears of the south? Make friends there and visit them. They'll show you around.

[skyeINIL]

Manigault, will you marry me?

[Manigault]

Originally Posted by skyeINIL

Manigault, will you marry me?

Let me ask my wife if I can. It don't look favorable.

[MannheimMadman]

I was in Ashburn today taking one of my teacher certification tests. Looks like a middle class black neighborhood, and the locals seemed pretty cool too. Wrightwood is next on my list.

[Petronilla]

Manigault,
I applaud you As a native of Ashburn descended from FOUR generations of Englewood born anscestors, at least SOMEONE on this board is not scared of an entire segment of the city..I worked in Roseland, Chatham, and Englewood every day for the past few years and although there are always bad apples everywhere, the vast majority of people there are not stalking the streets looking for a kill, but are mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, etc. just doing the day to day and making a living like EVERYONE ELSE.
Thanks for having an open mind