Student moving to Chicago.

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by Ellax94

I am not at all from a small town with corn fields and meth addicts. My town is very urban and more than half our crime probably is gang related. I'm not from a population of 500 small town either. Our population is 38,000.

Danville is not a small town, but it's a definite small city and while it does have a few urban parts. Actually, where I grew up in Minnesota is more dense than Danville and it's considered a VERY suburban city and a snoozer of one at that. Almost everyone lives in a Single Family Home, and has a decent amount of land around them too. The overall population density of Danville is 1800 people per square mile. Chicago on the other hand is 11,000 per square mile average..and that is not indicative of other areas here.

Edgewater - 33,000 people/square mile
Lakeview - 30,000 /sq mile
Near North Side - 30,000/sq mile
Rogers Park - 30,000/sq mile
Uptown - 24,000/sq mile
Logan Square - 23,000/sq mile
Hermosa - 21,000/sq mile
Lincoln Park - 20,000/sq mile
West Ridge - 20,000/sq mile
Avondale - 20,000/sq mile
Belmont Cragin - 20,000/sq mile

Tons more over 15,000/sq mile. In fact, the least dense neighborhoods of Chicago, a few of them, are on track with Danville and the only reason they are that low is because they are full of lakes where nobody can live and are basically suburbs. In fact, some of the suburbs here are pretty urban (Cicero - 13,000/sq mile....even Schaumburg is 4000/sq mile).



38,000 is not a "small town", but it's not big at all and I'm sorry, but its urbanism is nowhere near the urbanism that exists in much of Chicago. On the topic of gangs, of course. I would wager that most people in your city who are not gang members are law abiding citizens, therefore the crime commited by gangs is a high percentage. On the other hand in Chicago, there's a lot of people committing crimes (no matter what it is) who have never been in a gang.

I've lived in small town midwest, I've lived in small city midwest, and I've lived in big city Midwest (i.e. Chicago). Small city midwest that is not almost right next to another big city is completely different.

[jonnynonos]

I would look in the safest neighborhood you can possibly afford if you are not even 18 years old yet.

[chet everett]

Originally Posted by jonnynonos

I would look in the safest neighborhood you can possibly afford if you are not even 18 years old yet.

Amen!

The info posted by mmarothisu and me was meant to convey the same thing -- it does not really matter that there are undoubtedly bad people outside of Chicago or the specific "crime ranking" of whatever town. It is just a whole lot of stupid for anyone new to Chicago to do anything other than try very hard to find the safest spot they can afford and if you are also very young that advice ought to stressed to the ^100 ...