East Garfield Park, is it all that bad? Do you see potential? (Chicago: buying, live in)

[GoCUBS1]

Originally Posted by EddieOlSkool

Economic might isn't worth anything if you get robbed by the neighborhood thugs.

Besides these geeky white kids usually can't afford to go to LP or Lakeview. They have settle for the Humboldt area. I mean I get their struggle. I do. But you can't come into Chicago LOOKING like a potential target. That's just asking for trouble. Just because you're an SJW who stands up for minorities doesn't mean they look at you that way. To them you're the reason their rent is going up and their neighborhood is becoming less trustworthy. Crazy when you think about it but they do see these White kids with good intentions as bad people.

You're just some well intentioned Indianapolis kid who loves artisinal coffee and Urban Outfitters along with Occupy Democrats memes about higher minimum wage. But to them? You're from Naperville. You're racist. You hate culture in all its forms. And you're rich. So, you're robbed

I like your perspective... My dad was a SJW like this. He was a rich kid raised in the midwest farmlands, became a UC professor and affordable housing advocate, moved us to some sketchy neighborhoods at the time (West Loop in the 80's, as well as several less desirable suburbs - his friend Jane Byrne was living in Cabrini Green at the time).

Dad always hung out with the liberals - Jesse Jackson, even Obama - and he made us kids campaign door-to-door for them in some pretty dangerous neighborhoods... We attended black churches and political events and sang gospel music - we were always the white minority. Then he moved us to the poor areas of various Caribbean islands where we lived amongst the locals and helped build houses - again being the only white people around. It was a great upbringing, but I always knew to not become too comfortable in an area, as I was the outsider and I always had to watch my back.

[Zinka]

Originally Posted by EddieOlSkool

Again, I didn't vote Trump nor do I consider myself a conservative by any means. But honestly moving into a city thinking you're gonna be good anywhere you go because you have a myopic view is what puts people in bad situations to begin with.

What is the lesser of two evils? Thinking you'd rather just avoid living in EGP or bad areas because you know the crime rate, or going in with a mentality of "well everyone is a good person and I am out to prove it"? The problem with vehement SJW anti-racism is that it ignores reality in favor of some Utopian fantasy.

I worked across the street from one of the failed 'mixed income housing developments' that went up after they tore down the high rises.

Whenever a new 20-something-just-married-and-fresh-out-of-college Brad and Becky would move in, we would get a pool of how long they would last. Would the UHaul be out front after the 2nd Jackson Family Barbeque or were they a heartier "3 Jackson Family Barbeque" couple?

I don't give a **** if people want to be clueless and idealistic in a city like Chicago. Go ahead. Reality will pound your ass in soon enough, then, you'll learn. What I cannot stand is some smug, delusional Columbia student chiding people who have credible insight into city living because that insight conflicts with their childishly naive worldview, per what they learned back home in Des Moines.

[Zinka]

Originally Posted by GoCUBS1

I like your perspective... My dad was a SJW like this. He was a rich kid raised in the midwest farmlands, became a UC professor and affordable housing advocate, moved us to some sketchy neighborhoods at the time (West Loop in the 80's, as well as several less desirable suburbs - his friend Jane Byrne was living in Cabrini Green at the time).

Dad always hung out with the liberals - Jesse Jackson, even Obama - and he made us kids campaign door-to-door for them in some pretty dangerous neighborhoods... We attended black churches and political events and sang gospel music - we were always the white minority. Then he moved us to the poor areas of various Caribbean islands where we lived amongst the locals and helped build houses - again being the only white people around. It was a great upbringing, but I always knew to not become too comfortable in an area, as I was the outsider and I always had to watch my back.

Yeah. That kind of fetishizing the 'social justice' narrative to the point you're a white guy hauling your family into deeply impoverished black neighborhoods in Chicago and even the 3rd world, that borders on some kind of mental illness.

I'm glad you were able to live through that and come out the other end thinking it was a 'great upbringing'.

[EddieOlSkool]

Originally Posted by Zinka

Yeah. That kind of fetishizing the 'social justice' narrative to the point you're a white guy hauling your family into deeply impoverished black neighborhoods in Chicago and even the 3rd world, that borders on some kind of mental illness.

I'm glad you were able to live through that and come out the other end thinking it was a 'great upbringing'.

I laugh when I hear these Heartland transplants say how they want to check out a "vibrant ethnic neighborhood". Like these non-Whites are so exotic to them that they have some weird fascination to a point of endangerment of their well-being. Driving for Uber in the city gave me a perspective on the ridiculous level of gullibility of these people. They seriously think that minorities will roll out the red carpet for them just because they're SJWs.

Or if not "roll out the red carpet" they seem to either think that crime just shouldn't happen so therefore it won't, or they really believe that if they act friendly to everyone that they will get the same treatment back.

If you think about it it's kind of a level of White privilege they're not even aware of. Non-Whites know to tread carefully in these neighborhoods yet if a White person points it out then it's racism? Give me a break

[GoCUBS1]

Originally Posted by Zinka

Yeah. That kind of fetishizing the 'social justice' narrative to the point you're a white guy hauling your family into deeply impoverished black neighborhoods in Chicago and even the 3rd world, that borders on some kind of mental illness.

I'm glad you were able to live through that and come out the other end thinking it was a 'great upbringing'.

Yes, I do believe he had some sort of mental illness. He always wanted to be the savior - narcissistic with delusions of grandeur? And I do think it was a good (maybe not great) upbringing - I came out of it incredibly strong, adaptable, intuitive, and with perspective. But there were some dangerous situations, and now I wouldn't dare raise my own kids in those environments... Funny how that works.

[GoCUBS1]

Originally Posted by Zinka

I worked across the street from one of the failed 'mixed income housing developments' that went up after they tore down the high rises.

Whenever a new 20-something-just-married-and-fresh-out-of-college Brad and Becky would move in, we would get a pool of how long they would last. Would the UHaul be out front after the 2nd Jackson Family Barbeque or were they a heartier "3 Jackson Family Barbeque" couple?

I don't give a **** if people want to be clueless and idealistic in a city like Chicago. Go ahead. Reality will pound your ass in soon enough, then, you'll learn. What I cannot stand is some smug, delusional Columbia student chiding people who have credible insight into city living because that insight conflicts with their childishly naive worldview, per what they learned back home in Des Moines.

Most of my dad's liberal UC students were just like this... They were always over the house for Socratic discussion on social welfare issues while passing around a joint and quoting the Great Books. They had all the answers - I mean they were from Connecticut after all. I grew to detest them. To rebel, I went to a Big 10 U, majored in business, joined the Young Republicans, and strive to make lots of money. He wouldn't talk to me for years.

[EddieOlSkool]

One needs to simply go to the Chicago memes page on Facebook and see the anti-White attitudes and see if I am making this up. Then see who holds them. Then see what they think of Whites moving in. That or just read the news on how well Whites are welcome in Chicago. I am not making these things up.

[Slats Grobnick]

If you're asking advice on a forum you probably don't have a high threshold for grittiness or crime. I'd stay away from North or South Lawndale. If you're going to invest in Humboldt Park, I'd definitely stay east of Kedzie, it starts getting really ghetto very quickly once you pass Kedzie. In Pilsen I'd stay east of Damen, preferably east of Ashland. Further west and you might as well be in Little Village, which is South Lawndale. McKinley Park is a meh neighborhood, nothing every really goes on there, looks like the neighborhood where the 70's sitcom All In the Family was filmed. Not really a bad neighborhood, but not really desirable. You don't hear people saying the want to move there. They just kind of move there out of default because they can't afford more expensive areas. I don't really see that area changing much or going up in value.

In the end, I'd recommend you check out the hood in person, especially at night and on weekends, that will really tell you what it's like.

[NealIRC]

Originally Posted by EddieOlSkool

One needs to simply go to the Chicago memes page on Facebook and see the anti-White attitudes and see if I am making this up. Then see who holds them. Then see what they think of Whites moving in. That or just read the news on how well Whites are welcome in Chicago. I am not making these things up.

I haven't seen any hood people make any posts against White people at all.

However, in some old school gang history discussions, there can be talk against gentrification. Which I would say everybody Hispanic is on par with.

[PerseusVeil]

Originally Posted by EddieOlSkool

One needs to simply go to the Chicago memes page on Facebook and see the anti-White attitudes and see if I am making this up. Then see who holds them. Then see what they think of Whites moving in. That or just read the news on how well Whites are welcome in Chicago. I am not making these things up.

White people are the largest single group in Chicago, and the wealthiest neighborhoods are majority white. White people must feel pretty welcome considering Chicago's white population is currently growing as well. The only group currently seeing a population decline in Chicago are African Americans.

As for Chicago Memes, the worst thing I've personally seen are posts making fun of people claiming to be from the city but who are actually from the suburbs. I follow the page, btw.