Northside Hillbilly (Chicago, Lincoln, Roscoe: rent, schools, living)

[lenniel]

I wonder if the "Gaylords" get picked on by other gangs simply for their name? Ha ha.

No offense to gays, but I've never really understood why parents would think the name 'Gaylord' (Gaylord Perry) was a good idea? Talk about setting yourself up for some bullying!

As for hillbillies, I've kind of always thought they were literally geographically located in areas where they sort of lived off the land. In Indiana, we either called them hill rats or white trash. I just find it hard to believe there are 'hillbillies' in a major metro area.

As for those with an anti-Big Ten bias, sounds like sour grapes to me. Most Big Ten grads get decent paying jobs, can afford a nice apt in the Wville area and want to party up for a few years before the end up getting married and move to Roscoe Village, North Center, Lincoln Square or the dreaded burbs.

[aragx6]

I don't think it's all big 10 grads that real Chicagoans despise, but it is the ones who move here, live in their Lakeview bubble and look down on people grew up here because they don't live in the areas they think "cool" people live.

I'm sure there are Big 10 grads who aren't like that, and I suspect they and real Chicagoans would get along just fine.

[j33]

I'm actually one of those dreaded 'big ten grads' as even though I grew up in the south-burbs, know the south-side of the city better than your average northsider, and spent loads of time in the city as a child and beyond (my family always had friends who lived in the city proper) and started out college here in Chicago, I transfered to a 'big ten school' for my last two years. So there you have it, I'm one of those Big 10 grads you guys love to hate. Flame away boys.

I think I'll go and do the hillbilly dance now

[Lookout Kid]

Whether it's "Big 10 grads", "Yuppies", "Suburbanites", or just "White People", it's all the same sort of anti-gentrification rhetoric playing off stereotypes. Being white, mid-western, and middle class makes you an inauthentic person in the eyes of the cultural elite, even though many of them fit this bill themselves and try to shed their bourgeous tendencies like they are a zit on their nose. And the most "authentic" people are the indigenous, poor, and put upon. They are considered "real" and are held up as some sort of pure ideal, which in reality is pretty far from the truth.

This search for "authenticity" can be found in all parts of our culture, including music, food, architecture, politics... It's a reaction to the corporate pre-packaged manufactured culture the Western World has embraced. But it all needs to be put in perspective. We should be happy that Chicago has an economy strong enough to pull in talent from all over the Midwest and the rest of the country. The alternative is Detroit, Newark, etc. Sure, those places are as "real" as you can get, but I don't think anyone really wants this for Chicago. Instead most of us go for the middle ground, dipping our fingers in the "authentic" Chicago but keeping our bank accounts and our lifestyles solidly in that middle class comfort zone.

[Humboldt1]

I totally agree. Chicago could be a whole lot worse.

I guess it is better to be a "sell-out" working 9-5 in an office and going to restaurants like Cheesecake Factory than to be out of work and living on govt aid. I am including myself in this as I have gone with friends and clients countless times to Cheesecake Factory and all the other corporate chains. They may not be original, but basically they serve good food, albeit overpriced good food. For excellent food I recommend going to Gibson's and the like. Also, Chicago pizza can't be beat. I personally like Homerun Pizza for thin and Uno's or Lou Manetti's for deep dish but the lunch special at Gino's can't be beat (6.99 for personal pan, huge salad, bread, and huge pop).

I am actually torn as I went to Wash U and Purdue. I may be a Big 10 grad but I don't think that Chicago revolves around Wrigley, though there are certainly some great areas such as Lincoln Park and Lakeview to live in and hang out in. Comiskey (not US Cellular) has much better food than Wrigley, though you gotta cheer for a perennial loser like the Cubs, unless you are a Sox fan.

There are definitely some great spots on the northside, but there are also great spots on the west and south sides, you just have to look for them. Garfield Park Conservatory is an example of this. You can't judge a book by its cover (I know I bashed Schaumburg in another thread but sorry it and its cookie cutter way of life bore me). There is lots to see and do in even some of Chicago's more challenging neighborhoods.

And I will call myself on this one. Life could be a lot worse than working at Motorola in Schaumburg and your significant other working in some office work, making a combined $100M year living in a good school district with basically good neighbors in a good house (though cookie-cutter generally) while supporting 2-3 kids, who will most likely go on to college.

In the US and even parts of Chicago, many have it much worse.

[lenniel]

"And I will call myself on this one. Life could be a lot worse than working at Motorola in Schaumburg and your significant other working in some office work, making a combined $100M year living in a good school district with basically good neighbors in a good house (though cookie-cutter generally) while supporting 2-3 kids, who will most likely go on to college."

$100M year? I know Purdue people are smart, but you're doing exceptionally well! j/k

[Humboldt1]

$100M year? I know Purdue people are smart, but you're doing exceptionally well! j/k

I said "combined $100M per year" so that would assume you had 2 people each working, making $50M or so a year, not $100M each. I think for a lot of folks that live in Schaumburg that is the norm. Itasca was like $85K household income though that was a few years ago, so I am sure Schaumburg is in that range.

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by Humboldt1

$100M year? I know Purdue people are smart, but you're doing exceptionally well! j/k

I said "combined $100M per year" so that would assume you had 2 people each working, making $50M or so a year, not $100M each. I think for a lot of folks that live in Schaumburg that is the norm. Itasca was like $85K household income though that was a few years ago, so I am sure Schaumburg is in that range.

Did you mean $100K? I don't know anyone making $100 million a year!

[aragx6]

He always used that m instead of k... I just knew what he meant and got used to it.

But I am curious as to where that comes from and why you do it that way.

[Humboldt1]

In banking you can use either M or K to represent 1,000.

100M or 100K is 100,000
100MM is 100,000,000

The M comes from Roman numerals. MMVIII would be this year for example (you guys already already knew this I am sure)

Some people use K, but I have always used M to be consistent in my write-ups.