Why is UpTown considered bad? (road, great, weekend)

[Aleking]

Obamacare rant...thread has jumped the shark

[Chi-town Native]

Originally Posted by Aleking

Obamacare rant...thread has jumped the shark

I wonder at what point we are officially "ancient" for knowing what that phrase actually refers to...

[Aleking]

Originally Posted by Chi-town Native

I wonder at what point we are officially "ancient" for knowing what that phrase actually refers to...

Winkler is still way too active for it to be out of style

[Lifelong Chicagoan]

I think it's considered bad because there are gritty parts with drug dealing going on in broad daylight on Wilson and Clifton (I saw this yesterday) People just hanging out on the street outside the Wilson Men's Hotel . There are gang shootings and sometimes people not on their meds just wandering aimlessly talking to themselves. I think this is why Uptown is considered bad. I live close to Clark and Sunnyside. and Sunnyside and Magnolia (two blocks away) feels like a different neighborhood because that is where the gangbangers hang out and there have been shootings there in the past.

[ChicagoMeO]

Originally Posted by Lifelong Chicagoan

I think it's considered bad because there are gritty parts with drug dealing going on in broad daylight on Wilson and Clifton (I saw this yesterday) People just hanging out on the street outside the Wilson Men's Hotel . There are gang shootings and sometimes people not on their meds just wandering aimlessly talking to themselves. I think this is why Uptown is considered bad. I live close to Clark and Sunnyside. and Sunnyside and Magnolia (two blocks away) feels like a different neighborhood because that is where the gangbangers hang out and there have been shootings there in the past.

Weird but true - walking past Truman College is one environment, and walk 2 blocks west to Magnolia, wow,, the environment changes that suddenly, last time I looked. Ironically I'd feel relatively safe on Magnolia and Wilson, rather than Broadway and Wilson, though I've been to both at 9:00 pm coming home from school there. It gets even nicer west of Ashland.

[ChicagoMeO]

Originally Posted by ChiNaan

Exactly. If your ideal neighborhood is Lakeview, why not just move to Lakeview rather than trying to make a different neighborhood be "just as great as" it? The great thing about Chicago is that there is a wide variety of neighborhoods to match the wide variety of definitions people have of "great neighborhood." Believe it or not, Lakeview is not the gold standard for all of us.

What I like about Lakeview, especially now that the trees have leaves and the flowers and grass is growing, it can look pretty like one of the suburbs that have lots of trees and grass which i love as part of my environment. (which is what i hate about downtown with the gray buildings and concrete mountains and grit and not really many trees and greenery at all and its boring many times).

Anyway I consider Lakeview safe, the rents are moderate, it has the best bus ride to work - scenic route past the beach and/or park, and theres lots of shops and restaurants. Lincoln Park is more expensive and a bit too many people (probably shoppers - good for businesses though); Uptown is sort of depressing, So Lakeview has some of the best of the suburbs that i like in the city.

[Plzeň]

Originally Posted by ChicagoMeO

So Lakeview has some of the best of the suburbs that i like in the city.

[via chicago]

Originally Posted by Lookout Kid

I just don't think the government should shoehorn affordable housing into a rapidly improving area to socially engineer the poor back in to the neighborhood. If someone wants to build it on their own dime, they are free to do so anywhere they please, assuming it meets zoning requirements.

But what developer is interested in building housing marketed to a demographic that is living on $200 a month, if not less? Theres ZERO free market interest in serving that need. Capitalism is an inherently flawed and cruel system for those not fortunate enough to reap its benefits. What do we do with those who have been left behind? The only solution is having government intervention to provide at least a modicum of shelter and basic necessities so that this population at least has a fighting chance to get back on its feet. Whats the alternative? SROs and affordable housing aren't sexy, but they're vital to the lifeblood of a lot of people. We've shuttered our mental health facilities over the past few decades, and we're doing the same now to the last remaining pieces of affordable housing. Where are these people supposed to go?

[chet everett]

Chicago's democratically elected leaders have been unanimous in support of dismantling concentrated public housing in favor or section 8 vouchers and scattered site options at less than full market rent.

Not much odds of there being any change in that emphasis. Personally I don't think the gentrification wave that has spread over much of the city is fully sustainable, there will be some re-trenching of certain areas where folks are not able to devote so much of their income to housing. Perhaps if there are more widespread employment gains, especially among non-office careers, things might be more stable / diverse.

Ultimately if there are more jobs there will be more revenues to keep the city solvent though its sales taxes and increase receipts of state income taxes...

[mjtinmemphis]

I personally don't like uptown to live in! At the same time I can appreciate it for what it is. In order for me to enjoy Chicago, I have to take in all of it's neighborhoods all over the city.

If every neighborhood was like Lakeview, I couldn't tolerate living in Chicago. Chicago is more than just middle to upper middles class people. We share the city with poor people rich people douche bags yuppies and everything else. Why live here if everyone is the same or it's a remake of the suburbs?