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jackjjackson @
LeopoldBloom Hahaha. Yeah the winters are especially bad in Chicago.
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jackjjackson whoo, where to start. I like Chicago. I'm a big fan of downtown, feel totally comfortable walking the loop late at night. They've done alot of work to make the city more beautiful and green. I remember popping down the moment they finished work on the new riverfront. It's way cleaner then Manhatten for example. Has better access roads too, etc.
The city is a mosaic of neighborhoods with different history and influences, we love popping down to ethnic shops. Though we've been sad to see a change over the past five-10 years. Lots of shops and restaurants and unique little things changed or gone. Maybe because first generation has turned over more to second generation. Anyway...In fact lots of little business are gone and more major chains like dominoes pizza instead. There is still a lot of nice places for food and a good nightlife. I also love the cultural stuff to do in Chicago. I'm always learning more about the history and architecture. Good stuff. I like the public transportation , biking is also doable in many places. Chicago is also the cheapest to live downtown for a city it's size in America. Lots of gentrification currently happening there- Lots of new young people moving in-but also people moving out. Lots of investment in about 12 neighborhoods of the 77 or so in Chicago is happening from what I can see. But that amounts to neighborhoods that are already thriving or plateaued, are getting more money to grow. While struggling neighborhoods aren’t getting enough help.
Chicago still has lots of business and has a diversified economy. It's not overly manufactured or service based for example. It's lost some business. But also gained in some ways. Could it benefit from more jobs. Absolutely. Still has a lot of unemployment and it still needs a kickstart back from covid. What city doesn't need that right now?
It's no secret in Chicago that there are also massive inequalities in income, racial inequality, business loans, investment, opportunities, goods, services, housing affordability, in many neighborhoods. It remind me of Detroit and Milwaukee in a way only with more gun violence. You travel just a few miles in one direction and suddenly there are only a few corner stores (with crap food choices)all covered in bullet proof glass and bars, etc. Maybe a couple hair salons and bars, maybe one or two other barely surviving businesses. If you don't have a car to travel to a proper grocery store, you're stuck with processed food and few wilting veggies. I've heard of the go green market that got started in Englewood. I know they are hoping to emulate that in many other neighborhoods.
Chicago has programs to help build up economies in poor neighborhoods, and programs to help reduce gun violence. And while that’s good, it still isn’t even close to closing the gap, or lowering gun violence to a level in which the residents are happy. I used to have a post somewhere shouting out many programs that are making a difference in 13 neighborhoods that have the worst violence. Ah found it:
https://similarworlds.com/city-state/chicago/4381981-Shout-out-I-came-across-someone-over-the-weekend
Let's talk about the homicide rate. Since that is the one most remarked upon. There has been a huge rise. Most of it more concentrated in 15 neighborhoods or so. It's very tragic to go talk to someone who used to live in a neighborhood, where it's not uncommon for every child to have lost friends and family to gun violence, not uncommon for a teenager to have witnessed someone shot and killed. Not uncommon for people to turn to desperate measures to make money to get by.
The rate though isn't suddenly different from other years though. Chicago has had years with more homicides in the 70's for example. There are all kinds of reasons for jumps in violence.
I like how this article sums it up: https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/breaking/ct-history-of-chicago-homicides-htmlstory.html
That being said, some of the "bad" neighborhoods are very similar to the ones in my city. They have similar issues. I routinely walk through areas in which some of my friends outside the city wouldn't drive through for anything. But that is because of general racism,ignorance, fear, and a complete lack of any street smarts.
It's just a place where the lead poisoning needs to finally be dealt with. It's a place where people want to leave to somewhere with more opportunities to make something of themselves. It's also a place where some people have roots and want to stay. Sure gunshots become normal to hear after awhile, and hearing about who down the street is dead. It's A place where corrupt politicians is common.
Where aldermen stealing money seems to happen too often. It's A place where we need more jobs, better cost of living. Opportunities for higher paying jobs. Any disposable income to support local businesses, Services like daycare, clinics, pharmacies, banks, restaurants, stores, recreational activities, etc more commercial, public transportation, more investment, better policies with less racial bias and income bias. People in one neighborhood get evicted while people a couple.miles North don't get evicted even though both of them couldn't pay their rent. Stuff like that happens. You know? Weird differences in which people with a lower income generally face more struggles and hardship.
There are teenagers who carry guns in my city just as kids do in Chicago. That's a reality. It's A place where programs to help deal with issues rather then let it all escalate to violence and jailing everyone would be nice.
The people there will make it better if people have the opportunities and capital to do so. They want to make it better.
I guess the real question is...is enough of Chicago thriving enough to create enough capital to try to make an other parts of the city more livable and grow enough that they can start to thrive on their own rather then be poor and have poor conditions for its residents and dependent on programs that never seem to last more then a few years at at a time.
There's more I could mention. But I have to be going for now.
What do you think of this article and sources?
https://www.thirdway.org/report/the-red-state-murder-problem
Also what do you think of Lori Lightfoot?
