Personal worst things about Chicago (movies, school, versus)

[AnewEarth]

1. Long and extremely cold winter
2. Only three months of real summer to enjoy
3. Lake Michigan pollution does not allow to swim with peace of mind
4. Hipsters in the North Side or Pilsen and their confuse fake personality is annoying
5. Chicago is in the middle of nowhere, so there is no real mountain to climb, no hills, etc...You have to drive from 5-to 14 hours to get somewhere.
6. You need to have money to do something in the city. The city charges for pretty much everything.
7. Stinky public transportation..they really need to get rid of the smell on those buses and trains..yuck!

[Irishtom29]

A new Earth, eh?

[C. Maurio]

Originally Posted by rca215

A countdown:

(6) Traffic
(5) Humidity
(4) People who honk in alleys
(3) People who defend honking in alleys despite the fact that it is safer and less annoying to drive at a slow enough pace that you will definitely be able to stop in time for any pedestrians or cars
(2) Empty lots and random no-mans-land industrial areas even around nice neighborhoods
(1) Televisions in basically every bar

What's yours?

1. Winters (the older I get the more I despise them)
2. People who fart or stink on the trains

[eevee]

Originally Posted by mjtinmemphis

This is totally different than what I thought Southside meant.

The provincial mindset that I've found is people not knowing their way out of their neighborhood and forming opinions based on what someone else tells them. An example would be a Lincoln Parker would not go to the Hyde Park fest because it's on the Southside or know nothing about the Broadway in Bronzville because it's not on the Northside.

As far as Chicagoans having attitudes about transplants based upon what part of the country they are from doesn't exist. I've never seen it in the 5 years I've been here.

Originally Posted by marothisu

This is one thing that big time bothers me about some people here. Most of my friends are open minded, thank god, but I've met my fair share of people who, even after living here for many years, don't know anything outside of The Loop, West Loop, Near North, Lincoln Park, and Lakeview. I have a coworker who has lived here for 20+ years try and tell me some neighborhoods on the South Side are really bad even when they aren't. She also went to Wicker Park/UK Village area for the first time last summer. Then, even when I told her once I went to Waveland Bowl on Western and Waveland, she proceeded to act as if it was the boonies even though it's maybe 1-1.5 miles from where she lives. She even though the area between the Western and California Blue Line stops was really really dangerous and that Beverly on the SS is half shady.

I've met a lot of other people who are pretty much the same way and it bugs me to hell. I might be a transplant but I'm glad I actually get out and explore areas that's outside of Near North/Loop areas/Lincoln Park/Lakeview.

I've always been amazed by this phenomenon as well. I can somewhat understand some people's hesitation to visit the South or West Sides, but I don't get the people who rarely even venture out beyond the Loop besides rare trips to North Ave Beach.

I'm equally confused/surprised by the number of people who have never ventured out of the Chicago area other than rare trips to WI. Growing up in Boston, trips to NYC, Maine, Canada, Philly, DC, and other states in New England weren't uncommon, even for my dirt poor family. I know people living in the South who drive around to Florida, Georgia, Nashville, Texas, etc and people out in California who travel throughout the state and western states. Several of my classmates who I graduated with have stated that they've never or have rarely left Chicago. I understand that it's a major city, but where's the curiosity to venture out to new places? Even life long NYC residents take trips out to other places at times.

Going back to the OP, my list includes:

-the geography. Hate the Midwestern flatness and miss the ocean (no, the lake isn't a suitable substitute), mountains, and woodsy areas out east.
-the segregation
-the incredibly pervasive "no snitching" culture which, while present in many cities, seems particularly strong in Chicago, IMHO
-TINY bedrooms! Seriously, why do furniture stores bother with bedroom sets when many bedrooms can barely fit a queen sized bed, never mind the other pieces!
-along the same lines, bedrooms with no closets. These seem to be way too common in this city.
-lack of street food. I'm currently in Boston and it's quite common for subway stations to have a Dunkin Donuts/coffee shop/food cart of some sort present in the station. You can also find food carts in the downtown area and places like the Common. For a city with it's own special version of the hot dog and a strong Mexican presence, Chicago is very lacking in street food, especially in the downtown parks.
-lack of places to get good pizza by the slice and subs, but this may just be my East Coast taste buds longing for these.

I have other, really minor quirks about Chicago I dislike, but I'll stop for now.

[emathias]

Originally Posted by rca215

...
Looks like you live in Cambridge. Do Miracle of Science, People's Republic, River Gods, the Plough (one TV that is rarely on, at least as of 2010), and the bulk of the other bars in Central have televisions plastered all over the walls like a huge number of Chicago bars do?
...

Sorry to disappoint you:

Photo I took yesterday as I walked past.

[rca215]

Nooooooooo!!!!

[TBideon]

I hate hearing about shootings and murders every day. We get used to it somewhat, but this isn't common in most big cities. Not to this degree.

The panhandlers downtown also get on my nerves, especially by the Chicago red line. When they're walking with you and you can't shake them, you run low of options.

Also people who cry about racism nonstop; there's an above average number of them in this city - many of whom have made careers about it - and they choose those battles over things like crime and bad schools. For instance the schools' closing issue - how in the world can a person with above-retarded intelligence make a claim that these are racist decisions by the city and school boards.

[emathias]

Originally Posted by rca215

Nooooooooo!!!!

I will say I think that's a recent development - I don't remember seeing one in there earlier this year. Quite possibly they even got it within the past two weeks so patrons could follow the Marathon bombing story.

[mjtinmemphis]

Originally Posted by TBideon

I hate hearing about shootings and murders every day. We get used to it somewhat, but this isn't common in most big cities. Not to this degree.

The panhandlers downtown also get on my nerves, especially by the Chicago red line. When they're walking with you and you can't shake them, you run low of options.

Also people who cry about racism nonstop; there's an above average number of them in this city - many of whom have made careers about it - and they choose those battles over things like crime and bad schools. For instance the schools' closing issue - how in the world can a person with above-retarded intelligence make a claim that these are racist decisions by the city and school boards.

Turn off the news if you don't want to hear about shootings. You actually have control over some things. They don't report everyone who is murdered by a driving texter? It's all created to play on you're emotions. Don't let them. Turn it off!

Pan handlers are annoying. When I say no I mean no. Call 311 if your hungry. That's it that's all.

As the school closing situation, I don't have an opinion on the subject. It's seems like to many parents shouldn't be parents and are not bringing children in to this world and caring for them. Now they want to scream and complain instead of following up with their education as they go.

The race card has been placed on the table by Chicago so it will be played. If Chicago doesn't like it they shouldn't put it on the table.

[UPChicago]

I think the worst thing is that the Chicago Police Department is more or less in place to ticket and collect rather than serve and protect.

Runner Up:

The shooting epidemic is real, I use to stay off of 58th and MLK and I heard gun shots ALL the time, if I didn't have a car and had to walk to the Garfield station I'm sure I would have been mugged. Can't turn off the news to avoid it when it's happening down the street....