What chicago neighborhood has the most characters? (Sheridan, Bridgeport: city hall, living)

[scongress1234]

Please note, I said Character(s), not character. I mean, what part of town do you think has the goofiest, funniest, strangest, bluntest, just plain iconoclastic people? It doesn't have to be poor or rich. Plenty of eccentric characters that are loaded as well, and I'm not talking liquor. My vote in this?......Bridgeport, hands down. I don't think any other area approaches this piece of history, living history, stuck in the lavene and shirley 1950's, with bars on every corner. Let's put it this way. Bridgeport is the only neighborhood where I actually saw a guy fall off his barstool drunk off his whatever. With a thud too, I might say. In Bridgeport, 19 year old women sound like they are in their 40's, with that whiskey-inflected lower-register usually associated with post-menopausal women, alcoholics, and Lucille Ball. Only in Bridgeport will you see 22-year-old bookies holding court in the local bar, sounding like Damon Runyon with the de's and do's and dere's. Only in Bridgeport can you literally be physically assaulted while umpiring a major league game(happened twice, once a father AND son team, and some other drunk the other time). Only in Bridgeport can youi sell Vienna red hots on the streetcorner for 30 years, like my buddy Steve's aunt Lucy, and consider that a living. Only in Bridgeport can you see the same waitresses, hair pinned back, serving the same synthetic, dryed-out mashed potatoes for 35 years straight. Only in Bridgeport can you grow up never travelling farther north than Downtown(again, that same Steve aforementioned) Only in Bridgeport can you have a higher number of city patronage workers(cops, firemen, city hall, county), than the population of some third world countries. I could go on forever, but I want to hear from you folks......what do you consider the most wacked-out, goofiest, craziest neighborhood?(I'm not ruling out ghettos, which definitely would fit the bill as well)........speak up, Chicago!


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[Lookout Kid]

Uptown! This is the weirdest neighborhood in the city. But we also have distinguished residents like Studs Terkel and former Governor "Big Jim" Thompson.

[scongress1234]

Originally Posted by Lookout Kid

Uptown! This is the weirdest neighborhood in the city. But we also have distinguished residents like Studs Terkel and former Governor "Big Jim" Thompson.

And Marc Smith/Green Mill, with the Neo- Futurists down the street........

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by Lookout Kid

Uptown!...distinguished residents like...former Governor "Big Jim" Thompson.

"Big Jim" is not so distinguished anymore after helping to defend the scumbag George Ryan and also pleading to Pres. Bush a number of times to award George Ryan a pardon/commutation.

[scarletneon]

I actually am doing an informal survey in my head of the McDonalds with the most characters (that I have been to, clearly i can't, nor do i have any reason to, go to all of them). So far it's neck and neck between the one on Chicago/State and the one at Foster/Sheridan.

[via chicago]

Originally Posted by Lookout Kid

Uptown! This is the weirdest neighborhood in the city. But we also have distinguished residents like Studs Terkel and former Governor "Big Jim" Thompson.

Yea, that was going to be my pick.

Canaryville is also..interesting.

[Gtownoe]

Originally Posted by supernerdgirl

I actually am doing an informal survey in my head of the McDonalds with the most characters (that I have been to, clearly i can't, nor do i have any reason to, go to all of them). So far it's neck and neck between the one on Chicago/State and the one at Foster/Sheridan.

I was driving past that McDonalds one time and there was a "character" for lack of a better word, dancing on the side of the street waving two $1 bills in the air. It was a funny, sad, and overwhelmingly mysterious site to see.

My vote goes for Uptown as well. I was walking behind a woman the other day who was talking to two (not one) imaginary people.

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by supernerdgirl

I actually am doing an informal survey in my head of the McDonalds with the most characters (that I have been to, clearly i can't, nor do i have any reason to, go to all of them). So far it's neck and neck between the one on Chicago/State and the one at Foster/Sheridan.

The McDonald's at Wilson and Sheridan tops both of them.

[sittingduck41]

Originally Posted by scongress1234

Please note, I said Character(s), not character. I mean, what part of town do you think has the goofiest, funniest, strangest, bluntest, just plain iconoclastic people? It doesn't have to be poor or rich. Plenty of eccentric characters that are loaded as well, and I'm not talking liquor. My vote in this?......Bridgeport, hands down. I don't think any other area approaches this piece of history, living history, stuck in the lavene and shirley 1950's, with bars on every corner. Let's put it this way. Bridgeport is the only neighborhood where I actually saw a guy fall off his barstool drunk off his whatever. With a thud too, I might say. In Bridgeport, 19 year old women sound like they are in their 40's, with that whiskey-inflected lower-register usually associated with post-menopausal women, alcoholics, and Lucille Ball. Only in Bridgeport will you see 22-year-old bookies holding court in the local bar, sounding like Damon Runyon with the de's and do's and dere's. Only in Bridgeport can you literally be physically assaulted while umpiring a major league game(happened twice, once a father AND son team, and some other drunk the other time). Only in Bridgeport can youi sell Vienna red hots on the streetcorner for 30 years, like my buddy Steve's aunt Lucy, and consider that a living. Only in Bridgeport can you see the same waitresses, hair pinned back, serving the same synthetic, dryed-out mashed potatoes for 35 years straight. Only in Bridgeport can you grow up never travelling farther north than Downtown(again, that same Steve aforementioned) Only in Bridgeport can you have a higher number of city patronage workers(cops, firemen, city hall, county), than the population of some third world countries. I could go on forever, but I want to hear from you folks......what do you consider the most wacked-out, goofiest, craziest neighborhood?(I'm not ruling out ghettos, which definitely would fit the bill as well)........speak up, Chicago!


Moderator cut: copyright

That was awesome.

[scarletneon]

Originally Posted by Avengerfire

The McDonald's at Wilson and Sheridan tops both of them.

hahah of course! that's the one where, at about four in the morning one night, a friend of mine asked this guy if we could get in his car so we could order from the drive thru. he was surprised and then let us. yeah it was probably stupid, but he was really nice!