Posted: 7/31/2011 5:00:15 AM EDT
| Visited Chicago this week for the first time. Great city, I really had a blast. Funny, I felt safe everywhere I went and most of the time I was walking. I kept to the touristy spots but never felt uneasy. Sitting outside for breakfast each morning at the Corner Bakery was a great way to start the day. Anyway, just wanted to say Chicago seems like a great city. |
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You know I was there a couple weeks ago taking my girlfriend to take a state written exam, and while I waited I wandered around a bit. Aside from it being way busier than my home town, I would agree.
I read someone on this forum mentioned once that if you separate the ridiculous politics and laws from the city itself then it is a pretty good city. |
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ROFLMAO, You go to the touristy part of the city,which probably IS the safest part , and that makes your impression of Chicago seem a great city.Thats like sitting in the green zone telling people how safe Afganistan is.or is that Iraq> My sister goes downtown all the time, and she told me the same thing before I went.  
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| Turn on a police scanner (online or in home) to the Chicago PD and you'll realize how much of Chicago really is. The tourist areas are always full of people and its not where the garbage usually hangs out although your still getting robbed by the prices and taxes. You should check out some touristy areas of the south side sometime. I'm sure NY's Times Square seems like a great place too. |
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You know I was there a couple weeks ago taking my girlfriend to take a state written exam, and while I waited I wandered around a bit. Aside from it being way busier than my home town, I would agree. I read someone on this forum mentioned once that if you separate the ridiculous politics and laws from the city itself then it is a pretty good city. Its like any city, the downtown area is relatively safe. Once you go further out, were most people actually live, there are areas you don't wander into ever. A lot of it is fear mongering from people who live in the sticks. I know because most of my friends are from the burbs and are afraid to go anywhere in the city without bodyguards because of what they "heard" . |
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I've been just about everywhere you can go downtown, so its no big deal for me anymore, but I'm glad you had a good time. Like its been said, downtown is just one part of the city, (& arguably the best) & since I really have no other business in the city, I tend to stay out here in the burbs. |
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I've actually seen, or heard, a report that said Chicago's population has dropped down to 1920 level's. I guess it's all the ppl fleeing the higher taxes,crime, and the crappy politics. It's true to an extent. It seems when people reach their 30's in Chicago, and want to marry and have kids, they head to the safer suburbs. The unfortunate part is, though they realize the city isn't a good place to raise children, (hence the move), they still go back all the time, for special events, patronizing the city. 
The biggest problem is, that so many have been brainwashed while living in Chicago, by politicians, and the news media, they bring their liberal voting records, and ideas to the suburbs, and that's why the suburban areas are changing politically. That's also why we have so many nutty suburban state legislators, that work against us, when trying to pass a ccw law. |
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I've actually seen, or heard, a report that said Chicago's population has dropped down to 1920 level's. I guess it's all the ppl fleeing the higher taxes,crime, and the crappy politics. It's true to an extent. It seems when people reach their 30's in Chicago, and want to marry and have kids, they head to the safer suburbs. The unfortunate part is, though they realize the city isn't a good place to raise children, (hence the move), they still go back all the time, for special events, patronizing the city.
The biggest problem is, that so many have been brainwashed while living in Chicago, by politicians, and the news media, they bring their liberal voting records, and ideas to the suburbs, and that's why the suburban areas are changing politically. That's also why we have so many nutty suburban state legislators, that work against us, when trying to pass a ccw law. That's very true. I have a bunch of neighbors that moved to town that are very liberal. Many are from very near Chicago.
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Driving around Midway airport is pretty spooky. The wife and I were headed home after visiting some family out there and we made the mistake of stopping at a fast food place on the south side up the street from the airport. Looking around and knowing I wasn't carrying, I felt so naked and helpless. I was in a pretty nice rental car that was getting a lot of looks from some shady folks.
ETA: Walking around downtown from the Sears(or whatever the hell it's called now) tower to Navy Pier, through a couple large parks(forgot the names), the group I was with never felt uneasy or threatened. I really like downtown. |
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Lower Wacker, Lower Michigan at night make the hair on the back of my neck stand up. Chicago is a great city, and has a lot of amenities. It can also be a very dangerous place. That's part of why I don't go there unless I know where I am going, and my route out. I don't go there just for kicks and grins. |