Why the hatred of Chicagoans? (Milwaukee, La Crosse: crime, neighborhood, camping)

[IcemanJB]

Originally Posted by Milwaukee City

I haven't seen any true site or csa that counts them as one, could you provide a source?

I agree the two metros are touching therefore should be counted as one but I haven't seen an official csa yet.

I imagine they'll be combined in the near future.

[susancruzs]

Years ago I remember reading about how populated northern Illinois would be and carry on right on up to Milwaukee, I thought whoever wrote it was definitely a "few bricks shy of a full load" so to speak.

Flying into the airports, Mitchell or O'Hare, you can see the urban sprawl. 53 years ago, when I was 9, we moved from South Evanston to Mundelein (4,000 people) for various reasons. Lake County was truly farm country, family farms, corporation farms, Allied Mills, Hawthorn Mellody Milk, chickens and pigs (not just a few, hundreds)!

I had quite a few friends where parents lived and worked on the property, their houses were part of the deal. Allied Mills had a bunch of company houses and so did the Cuneo estate, which was bigger than many people realize.

I'm thinking it could be solid, one area down the road, possibility anyways.

[Drover]

^^ Yeah, I remember growing up in the 70s listening to the Weil Oldsmobile jingle that went "Weil Olds in Libertyville -- a beautiful place in the country!" Not any more it ain't.

Every once in a while Weil Cadillac still uses the "a beautiful place in the country" part of the jingle, I suspect mostly for nostalgic purposes.

[ImaloneJill]

Some people deserve the distrust (imo, very few people deserve hatred.)
There is a big cultural difference between where I live and where I want to eventually live. All I can do as a native Chicagoan is try to change their opinion of us a a collective whole. There are those from big cities who treat people from rural areas as being mentally deficient or slow. Guess that is where the animosity begins.

[chicagojoe23]

Originally Posted by Milwaukee City

ONE WORD: Jealously!

Chicago people have an immense amount of pride and rightly so, Chicago is a world class city. It's almost like being born into royalty to say you're from one of the big 3 NYC LA CHI.
Where I live Walker's Point/Third Ward there are a lot of transient people and a lot from Chicago. My last apartment building I lived in everyone in the 10 unit building was from Chicago and had moved there in the last 5 years. Now currently where I live a 5 unit building 3 of the 5 units are Chicago transplants. I
I think people from rural Wisconsin hate Chicago more than city people partly b/c we are cut from the same tree.

I see the "hatred" thing go both ways. My Chicago guys can get pretty rude too. Here's a example. Just this summer I went to a backyard BBQ at my sisters in Chicago and some Wisconsin people were attending, a couple and their young daughter. They were nice enough folks, but my brother in law's best friend, who is from the city, was riding them HARD once he found out they were from Wisconsin. He kept yelling stuff at them like "Is that the way they do things up there in backwards Wisconsin?" and "When's the next train back to cheeseland due?" Needless to say my sister was embarrassed and the people left looking rejected.

Now I'm no psychologist, but when I see ugly incidents like this..and I've seen quite a few over my many years..you have to wonder who really has the inferiority complex.
I don't rip into Wisconsinites like that or act like I am above them in some way, but I see it happen more than I care to. I'm not above anybody. I can't even afford a nice cabin up north and I'm willing to bet that more than 90% of Chicagoans cannot. This city is poorer than people realize. I think that some Chicagoans (myself NOT included) have a bit of their own grudge against true world cities like New York and L.A., and that carries over into an attitude of superiority over all places smaller than Chicago. Do not mistake that superior attitude for "pride" though. If they were truly just acting proud of our town, then all this belittling of Wisonsinites and Indianians (?) and treating them as second class citizens would not go on as much as it does. I saw alot of the anti-coast attitude when I used to live in the city of Chicago, but it's quite a bit less in the suburbs. Interesting.
As for your comment which I quoted Milwaukee City, I just find it interesting that so many Chicagoans are moving up to Milwaukee.. and Wisconsin in general. Surely there are affordable neighborhoods in good old exciting Chicago for these people, right? Or are they just sick of it here or WHAT? To me, that confirms what me and many Chicagoans now see every day. The city government and King Dicky are pricing and taxing the middle class right out of Chicago, ala San francisco. Perhaps, Chicagoans like my brother in law's friend should scale back the insults a bit and put down the hype pipe. Chicagoans are now living and are working in Wisconsin more than ever, out of necessity. Chicago seems to need Wisconsin for financial and psychological relief just like many people in SE wisconsin turn to Illinois for jobs and some of its culture. I think Kenosa in SE Wisconsin has seen the biggest influx of people actually getting away from here.
You mention that we as Chicagoans have an enormous amount of pride which is true. You seem to relish in the fact that people think you are from here which is fine. But why do you seem to not have much pride in your own city? Just very curious you would choose to live in Milwaukee yet sing the praises of Chicago on a message board even though you've never had to endure it here in Chicago or pay the taxes. You may "drive around" but you don't know what it's like to live here. just don't be one of those people who once you move here you start wearing Cubs hats and acting like you were born on Waveland. Hopefully you will make it here some day, since it's your dream. Just an observation, living amongst Chicagoans in your own building and saying that you never have an issue isn't really saying much. Here, Wisconsintes are sometimes treated like and referred to as "hillbillies" I've know several whose rear ends were kicked for merely being over the state line. Like I said, it works both ways.

I wouldn't generalize that Wisconsinites are "jealous"though. Like someone else posted here, there are not too many Wisconsinites I've ever met who long to live in Chicago. To visit? Sure. Just telling like it is. Probably once you live in the country, it's hard to go back and live in the grime of places like Chicago or Milwaukee. I myself cannot wait to get closer to the country. This city is not as "world class" as you think but they sure charge you like it is. Maybe compared to Milwaukee.

[Milwaukee City]

You seem to relish in the fact that people think you are from here. But why do you seem to not have much pride in your own city? Just very curious you would choose to live in Milwaukee yet sing the praises of Chicago even though you've never had to endure it here or pay taxes. You may "drive around" but you don't know what it's like to live here. Hopefully you will some day, since it's your dream.

I kinda thought my Name said it all "MILWAUKEE CITY" emphasizing the fact that I live in the city. I love Milwaukee and I let everyone know it hence my nickname Mr.Milwaukee amongst my friends. I thing Milwaukee is one of the more underrated cities in the US and get's a bad rap from it's past.

I did live in Lincoln Park for a summer, and I did endure getting my car towed and nice 50$ parking tickets but I still would love to live in Chicago. I also lived in NYC for a bit and the cost and hassles of living in a big city don't bother me. Although riding an hour long train ride does get old fast.

You may "drive around" but you don't know what it's like to live here. Hopefully you will some day, since it's your dream.

Yeah you're right I don't know what it's like to live in Chicago(summer trip doesn't count). Hopefully I will live in Chicago someday since it's my dream.

put down the hype pipe.

LOL, I also have been ripped on plenty when I go down to Chicago. The best part was one day I had a guy rip on me for being from Milwaukee and "not having paved roads" or "electricity" and coming down "to Chicago to use the internet"....lmao. Then I found out the guy was from Wonder Lake real big metro up there!!! LOL....

[chicagojoe23]

Be careful what you wish for. I was born and raised in Chicago and moved to Palatine (not much better) Living for a summer in Lincoln Park and truly living here and holding a decent job is tough. Most people I know need two jobs. The congestion is getting pretty bad and they hit your wallet at every turn. But if you like all these cons, the pros are I guess worth it. I would prefer to just move away and visit once in a while. I am Chicagoed out.

[ImaloneJill]

I have to say I think part of the stupidity from rude Chicagoans is probably partially due to some bloated rivalry with the Packers and the Brewers vs. the Bears and the Cubs. And then again, some of it is just that insecure stereotyping from men threatened by things they don't understand. Like a different way of life.

[chicagojoe23]

Originally Posted by nanannie

I live in Illinois now. It seems that some could care less about Illinois , and some have their knickers in a bunch because of the hands that feed them-inferiority complex perhaps?

I agree with you that most people around our fine city don't really give Wisconsin a second thought. But there is no 'bite the hand that feeds inferiority complex' up in Wisconsin. I'd like to see you say that to someone from Wisco in person. (and not an uncle tom wisconsinite like Milwaukee City either haha j/k)
They just plain DO NOT like any "my poop don't stink city attitude." Who does????? I'm originally from the city too but I didn't much care for it either. Native chicagoans will even act that way about our own suburbs, in which I happen to live now.

Illinois and Wisonsin have a very tight knit economy, and both need each other. There are thousands of businesses in Chicagoland and Northern Illinois that rely on a strong customer base in Wisconsin in order to help grow their business. Take a drive north up I-94 any work day and look at how many various contractors, supply trucks, freight trucks, sales people, vendors, etc etc are scooting up to wisconsin to peddle their wares. It's close, convenient. Wisconsin does the same, except their wares are more in tourism and manufactured goods.
I am not going to assume there is any mass inferiority complex in Wisconsin any more than I assume that there is a mass inferiority complex in Chicago about New York City or that giant suburb of L.A. Do complexes exist? Yeah. But most people from Wisconsin who hate Chicagoans do so because of things like disrespectful behavior and perceived poor driving habits. Example. I was recently at a little cafe off I-94 and there were two Illinois cars parked and two grown men were outside their cars throwing quarters at each other. Innocent? Not to the owner of the cafe whose patrons, mostly locals, are watching from the cafe window as two guys from Illinois ding their cars up. Then there is the way that campers from Illinois trash campsites and forest preserves in WI. I've seen this behavior in person too many times. Some do in fact act like they own the state, giving the rest of us a bad name. I will venture to bet that there are more people originally from wisconsin helping to support Chicago's economy, by becoming permanent residents here rather than just vacationers. You better believe there are Wisconsites living all over he North side. They are right there amongst the shoppers on Michigan Ave too. They are on boat tours, at the restaurants, you name it.

We have to understand that their are too many reasons for these little hatreds, and they go both ways. If people on both sides of the feud would just act a litlte more civil to each other, instead of LABELING people as "jealous" or having "inferiority" ...or "bad drivers" and "arrogant pricks" then maybe we can all move on together??

[ImaloneJill]

I have said in a different thread that rudeness is not indigenous to Il or Chgo. Look at how Americans are perceived to the rest of the world, esp. Europe, where many of us have ancestry.

It boils down to people mistrusting people who are different then they are.
Everyone has a bit of prejudice.