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Old 10-30-2008, 09:38 PM
 
Location: Lincoln Park
838 posts, read 3,096,109 times
Reputation: 172

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An news article on the Tribune says that a lot more homeless ppl and panhandlers are appearing on the streets of Chicago. I had an evening walk today and I had to agree with that article. I saw them on every block from east lincoln park to east lakeview. Anyone else also noticed? Is that because of the current economy?
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Old 10-30-2008, 09:51 PM
 
11,975 posts, read 31,776,941 times
Reputation: 4644
Quote:
Originally Posted by lincolnparker View Post
An news article on the Tribune says that a lot more homeless ppl and panhandlers are appearing on the streets of Chicago. I had an evening walk today and I had to agree with that article. I saw them on every block from east lincoln park to east lakeview. Anyone else also noticed? Is that because of the current economy?
I haven't noticed a difference at all. Do you have a link to the article?

I don't think the economy has affected panhandling at all yet. But it will in time if things don't get better.
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Old 10-30-2008, 10:55 PM
hsw
 
2,144 posts, read 7,160,089 times
Reputation: 1540
Was in Chic a few wks ago for a quick visit for business and noticed same phenom....and still perplexed why anyone would choose to build and reside in new, >>$5MM houses in those slummy sections of LincPk (though awfully convenient to Alinea and Trotter's), w/lots of suspicious characters walking around the streets at all hours...

Was in Manhattan a couple of wks ago for a business mtg...same obvious phenom of increased homeless and shady characters in upscale office and residential areas, even in early evening....and NYC's mood is more somber than immediately post-9/11, as its humbled economy is at the epicenter of the financial meltdown....

SF has always had so many homeless and so much filth in streets that it's hard to notice a change....have anecdotally heard of more street crime in financial district, even at 6-7PMish....and notably more street crime in PaloAlto, even in daytime....

BeverlyHills is as pristine and secured as always, w/ample, visually pleasing talent walking around town during day....arguably the world's most enjoyable walking town....

No doubt w/a deep recession, decreased tax revenues and cutbacks in police forces, many formerly upscale cities will increasingly resemble cities of '70s that our elders fled for the leafy, cheaper suburbs....chicks and grub will be only draw of cities once again....
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Old 10-30-2008, 11:13 PM
 
Location: Chicago - Logan Square
3,396 posts, read 7,208,408 times
Reputation: 3731
It actually has more to do with cuts in state homeless assistance, mental healthcare and drug treatment over the last year than with the current economic problems. A number of assistance programs and in patient treatment facilities in Chicago have been shut down, throwing at least few hundred people onto the streets.

There may eventually be an increase due to the current economic problems, but it will be at least a few months before we would see people actually thrown onto the streets because of the recent events.
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Old 10-30-2008, 11:34 PM
 
2,141 posts, read 7,864,315 times
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I think it's mainly the result of a cut in social programs for the homeless. I will say that I work in the suburbs and for the first time, have seen people standing in busy intersections in DuPage County holding up cardboard "Please help. I'm homeless" signs. I've worked there for over 3 years and just started seeing this kind of thing there. Times are especially tough right now.
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Old 10-31-2008, 12:30 AM
 
4,152 posts, read 7,934,805 times
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Yes I have noticed more as I am downtown everyday. Also they have begun to come into my train station in the suburbs. Crime is on the rise too. Be careful.
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Old 10-31-2008, 06:01 AM
 
11,975 posts, read 31,776,941 times
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In River North I've actually noticed a decrease. I iused to work in the southern part of the Loop, and that was the worst I have seen anywhere in the city in terms of raw numbers of homeless people. I don't get down there much anymore, however. Uptown has seen steady decreases in homeless people for years now, and another shelter just closed down. Perhaps this is causing the increase elsewhere?
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Old 10-31-2008, 06:12 AM
j33
 
4,626 posts, read 14,082,651 times
Reputation: 1719
Quote:
Originally Posted by hsw View Post
Was in Chic a few wks ago for a quick visit for business and noticed same phenom....and still perplexed why anyone would choose to build and reside in new, >>$5MM houses in those slummy sections of LincPk (though awfully convenient to Alinea and Trotter's), w/lots of suspicious characters walking around the streets at all hours...

Was in Manhattan a couple of wks ago for a business mtg...same obvious phenom of increased homeless and shady characters in upscale office and residential areas, even in early evening....and NYC's mood is more somber than immediately post-9/11, as its humbled economy is at the epicenter of the financial meltdown....

SF has always had so many homeless and so much filth in streets that it's hard to notice a change....have anecdotally heard of more street crime in financial district, even at 6-7PMish....and notably more street crime in PaloAlto, even in daytime....

BeverlyHills is as pristine and secured as always, w/ample, visually pleasing talent walking around town during day....arguably the world's most enjoyable walking town....

No doubt w/a deep recession, decreased tax revenues and cutbacks in police forces, many formerly upscale cities will increasingly resemble cities of '70s that our elders fled for the leafy, cheaper suburbs....chicks and grub will be only draw of cities once again....
Do you realize how incredibly shallow and and pompous your posts make you appear? Is that really the online persona you are going for? If so, then good for you and you are on the fast-track to numerous ignore lists, but if not, then what is your deal? Are you really that person who finds all those who do not want to live your privileged sheltered suburban life the 'unwashed masses' who only exist for your derision and or exploitation?
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Old 10-31-2008, 06:53 AM
 
Location: Oak Park, IL
5,525 posts, read 13,944,069 times
Reputation: 3908
Quote:
Originally Posted by j33 View Post
Do you realize how incredibly shallow and and pompous your posts make you appear? Is that really the online persona you are going for? If so, then good for you and you are on the fast-track to numerous ignore lists, but if not, then what is your deal? Are you really that person who finds all those who do not want to live your privileged sheltered suburban life the 'unwashed masses' who only exist for your derision and or exploitation?
Apparently for hsw, unless you work at a hedge fund, you don't count.
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Old 10-31-2008, 07:08 AM
j33
 
4,626 posts, read 14,082,651 times
Reputation: 1719
The kicker is that I actually know a fair amount of people in the financial industry, including a hedge fund manager. They are all fairly decent down to earth people whose company I enjoy, which leads me to wonder if this guy is even for real or if he is just someone pretending to live the 'high life' online.
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