# Chicago -A dying city



## bulla (May 26, 2006)

Everytime i drive into the great midwestern city of Chicago- I get this weird feeling that the city is dying of neglect. Maybe because Mies van der rohe abandoned it? Or maybe Mayor Daley is so interested in spending $$$$ on the millenium park that he seems to disregard the decaying highways and the rusted girders on the overpasses. How can this be an olympic city? As i walk along the great michigan avenue, my roving eye gets tired trying to find a well dressed person. All i see is women who are trying so hard to dress as pre-pubescent girls, and men in their thirties wearing loud graffiti on their T-shirts. I have yet to see a post modern building shoot up in chicago. The claws of greedy builders is scraping the skyline and bleeding it with bland monstrocities. Alas, everything is not lost, driving through Roger's Park, i see a gentleman wearing a Fedora, his shoes spit shined in a tweed jacket, walking along the shores of lake Michigan.


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## BertieW (Jan 17, 2006)

Hmmm.

What you describe could apply to many parts of the country. Older women dressing like teenagers? I don't think that's exclusive to Chicago. Most of the other complaints you raise are hardly confined to us. 

Bland, sad, generic landscapes are a pandemic in America today. I'd bet Chicago was still above average if you really look around. 

Plus we have the Cubs, and a couple pretty nice art museums. 

This doesn't feel like a dying city to me, though, admittedly, I live on the North Shore.


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## bulla (May 26, 2006)

Good art museum, Yes.


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## pt4u67 (Apr 27, 2006)

On the contrary, "Da Mayah" has done much to beautify the city. From parks to a revamping of the river front there is much happening. 

What you see on Michigan Ave. is not Chicago. Its suburban rubes who come to shop because the Old Navy on state street has stuff that no other Old Navy has. If you want to see the real Chicago go around the the tree lined neighborhoods.


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## bulla (May 26, 2006)

i guess Santiago Calatrava twisting torso reincarnation called Spire might rejuvinate the shoreline. I have heard the comparison of the river front revamp to the Dockland/Canary Wharf, but we dont have our own Norman Foster. What neighborhoods do you have in mind? Wilmette, Highland park have gargantous 8000 sq ft homes which spoil the beauty. I love Skokie etc., the ethnicity is what differentiates Chicago from St Louis. Skidmore owens and Merrill dont have a canvas to paint in Chicago but Shanghai.



pt4u67 said:


> On the contrary, "Da Mayah" has done much to beautify the city. From parks to a revamping of the river front there is much happening.
> 
> What you see on Michigan Ave. is not Chicago. Its suburban rubes who come to shop because the Old Navy on state street has stuff that no other Old Navy has. If you want to see the real Chicago go around the the tree lined neighborhoods.


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## JRR (Feb 11, 2006)

bulla said:


> Everytime i drive into the great midwestern city of Chicago- I get this weird feeling that the city is dying of neglect. Maybe because Mies van der rohe abandoned it? Or maybe Mayor Daley is so interested in spending $$$$ on the millenium park that he seems to disregard the decaying highways and the rusted girders on the overpasses. How can this be an olympic city? As i walk along the great michigan avenue, my roving eye gets tired trying to find a well dressed person. All i see is women who are trying so hard to dress as pre-pubescent girls, and men in their thirties wearing loud graffiti on their T-shirts. I have yet to see a post modern building shoot up in chicago. The claws of greedy builders is scraping the skyline and bleeding it with bland monstrocities. Alas, everything is not lost, driving through Roger's Park, i see a gentleman wearing a Fedora, his shoes spit shined in a tweed jacket, walking along the shores of lake Michigan.


Bulla,

You need to get out more. Visit Detroit, Youngstown, Cleveland....

Chicago is much, much better shape than much of its Great Lakes brethern...


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## xcubbies (Jul 31, 2005)

Looks like Wrigley has been rejuvenated.


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## Tom Bell-Drier (Mar 1, 2006)

I can`t claim to know Chicago very well, but we were there one weekend in August (weekend of the airshow) and I thought it was a lovely clean city , with friendly people,I know visiting is diffrent from living someplace but I liked Chicago from what I saw of it.


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## Will (Jun 15, 2004)

From what I can see it's the only midwestern city that isn't in an accelerating state of decay as the population moves to the coasts.


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## KenR (Jun 22, 2005)

The two times I have visited Chicago (once for business and once for play) I have been very impressed with it. I think it is a lovely city.


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## JRR (Feb 11, 2006)

Will said:


> From what I can see it's the only midwestern city that isn't in an accelerating state of decay as the population moves to the coasts.


Domestic pop is going more inland. Southern and western, but inland. Coasts still get immigrants.

See Mike Barone:

https://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110010045


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## burnedandfrozen (Mar 11, 2004)

Just ask the mayor to put in a Starbucks. Problem solved!
Regards,
mark


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## KenR (Jun 22, 2005)

burnedandfrozen said:


> Just ask the mayor to put in a Starbucks. Problem solved!
> Regards,
> mark


No need, they have Caribou Coffee shops! :icon_smile:


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## yachtie (May 11, 2006)

IMO the best thing that could have happended to the City was Mies abandoning it. Talk about monstrosities- ever see the Federal Center on Jackson and Dearborn? Yes, you'll see sartorial anathema on Boul Mich as elsewhere, but that is really touristville. Chicago is a city of neighborhoods- Rogers Park is a good example ( that may have been me with the fedora if it was by Morse Avenue beach.) :icon_smile_wink:


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## globetrotter (Dec 30, 2004)

After living in 4 countries, 3 continents, 18 cities and spending the past 2 years in New York - I moved to Chicago last summer. by far the most livable place. we are very happy with it. it is hard to find a single catagory that I would say NY is better, in my opinion.


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## pt4u67 (Apr 27, 2006)

bulla said:


> i guess Santiago Calatrava twisting torso reincarnation called Spire might rejuvinate the shoreline. I have heard the comparison of the river front revamp to the Dockland/Canary Wharf, but we dont have our own Norman Foster. *What neighborhoods do you have in mind?* Wilmette, Highland park have gargantous 8000 sq ft homes which spoil the beauty. I love Skokie etc., the ethnicity is what differentiates Chicago from St Louis. Skidmore owens and Merrill dont have a canvas to paint in Chicago but Shanghai.


Try wicker park, hyde park, lakeview.


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## rip (Jul 13, 2005)

globetrotter said:


> After living in 4 countries, 3 continents, 18 cities and spending the past 2 years in New York - I moved to Chicago last summer. by far the most livable place. we are very happy with it. it is hard to find a single catagory that I would say NY is better, in my opinion.


MOMA, the Met, the Metropolitan Opera, Central Park, the Guggenheim, Greenwich Village, both east and west, the King Cole Bar at the St. Regis, Chez Josephine, Beekman Towers Hotel, Top of the Towers at the Beekman, the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, Chelsea galleries, the Statue of Liberty...


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## KenR (Jun 22, 2005)

Plato's Retreat.......:icon_smile_big:


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## globetrotter (Dec 30, 2004)

rip said:


> MOMA, the Met, the Metropolitan Opera, Central Park, the Guggenheim, Greenwich Village, both east and west, the King Cole Bar at the St. Regis, Chez Josephine, Beekman Towers Hotel, Top of the Towers at the Beekman, the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, Chelsea galleries, the Statue of Liberty...


actually, I should say "I haven't found a single catagory that makes living in new york better than living in chicago"

and, actually, that isn't correct - in terms of modern art, I would say that new york has better modern art available. while I like the Met, I find the art institute to be as good for my needs, in two years, I walked in central park a handful of times, and find that the parks on the lake in chicago are as nice, if not nicer. frankly, I haven't walked in greenwich village in almost 20 years, and then it was as a tourist. in terms of archetecture, new york has nothing on chicago, in my opinion. I can get to 87th story of the john handcock building without waiting in line and have a $5 beer while enjoying the view - I can tell the difference between the 87th floor and the observation deck at the empire state building.

the big difference between chicago and new york is accessability - while in new york, I had to think about doing things, because it took so long to get from place to place, and cost so much. in chicago, it is relatviliy easy to get from place to place, and parking is almost free. a day at the met may have been $100 if you count parking and a hotdog (without tickets, we were members) the same day at the art institute is $40, with better hotdogs and the same parking.


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## pt4u67 (Apr 27, 2006)

rip said:


> MOMA, the Met, the Metropolitan Opera, Central Park, the Guggenheim, Greenwich Village, both east and west, the King Cole Bar at the St. Regis, Chez Josephine, Beekman Towers Hotel, Top of the Towers at the Beekman, the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, Chelsea galleries, the Statue of Liberty...


Art Institute, Field Museum, Sears Tower, *THE home of the American skyscraper*, Wrigley Field, Charlie Trotter's, Topolobampo, Lincoln Park, Wicker Park, John Cusack, Malkovich, Steppenwolf Theater, John Belushi (RIP), University of Chicago, potholes on the Dan Ryan, Hemingway, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Frank Lloyd Wright, Louis Sullivan, The Rookery, Oak Park, *THE best pizza in the country......*


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## KenR (Jun 22, 2005)

pt4u67 said:


> Art Institute, Field Museum, Sears Tower, *THE home of the American skyscraper*, Wrigley Field, Charlie Trotter's, Topolobampo, Lincoln Park, Wicker Park, John Cusack, Malkovich, Steppenwolf Theater, John Belushi (RIP), University of Chicago, potholes on the Dan Ryan, Hemingway, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Frank Lloyd Wright, Louis Sullivan, The Rookery, Oak Park, *THE best pizza in the country......*


Best pizza?!! Uh, uh!


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## globetrotter (Dec 30, 2004)

oh, and food is definatly better in chicago. no question about it. pretty much in every single catagory.


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## Wayfarer (Mar 19, 2006)

Sorry, but Toronto has both of those cities beat. Except for the fact that it's in Canada. That is the one great hurdle.


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## BertieW (Jan 17, 2006)

Wayfarer said:


> Sorry, but Toronto has both of those cities beat. Except for the fact that it's in Canada. That is the one great hurdle.


Speaking of Toronto, a city I thought exceptionally clean and cosmopolitan last time I visited, I hear they are doing some odd things these days:

https://kozinets.net/archives/75


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## Wayfarer (Mar 19, 2006)

BertieW said:


> Speaking of Toronto, a city I thought exceptionally clean and cosmopolitan last time I visited, I hear they are doing some odd things these days:
> 
> https://kozinets.net/archives/75


It is still incredibly cosmopolitan by any standard and exceptionally clean by US standards. But I agree, the public transportation there has suffered under a decade of mismanagment. The infra-structure for the metro, trolley, and go-train is wearing out. That was a good article but he started to confuse city issues with federal and provincial. I mean, the mail? If you think that's a city issue, please. And health care? Again, not a city issue.



> I won't even talk about the Health Care House of Horrors here. That's a full enough topic for another blog. Or two.


Like I said, great city, the main problem is it is in Canada


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## Laxplayer (Apr 26, 2006)

Besides the Cubs, I love Chicago. My friends that live there are all Sox fans anyway.


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## rip (Jul 13, 2005)

globetrotter said:


> a day at the met may have been $100 if you count parking and a hotdog (without tickets, we were members) the same day at the art institute is $40, with better hotdogs and the same parking.


What parking? $2 for the 86th st. crosstown bus ($1 if you're a senior citizen as I am ), hotdog on the street, $2; entry to the Met, $0 (I guess I could amortize the membership, but I go frequently, so it's probably less than $1 per visit) so, in total, it's less than $5, maybe $12 for 2 with a couple of sodas.


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## rsmeyer (May 14, 2006)

KenR said:


> Plato's Retreat.......:icon_smile_big:


Closed down years ago, no?


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## cgc (Jan 27, 2007)

One part of Chicago that is truly dying a slow, horrible death is the mass transit. Commuting by the CTA borders on the intolerable and the petty, imbecile games played by the administrators and politicians do not help matters one bit.


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## Howard (Dec 7, 2004)

I think New York is more of a dying city,If anyone has been here,You'd know that crime is way down and The MTA is raising the fare to $2.25 most likely in 2008.


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## bulla (May 26, 2006)

*defensive*

Not to mention the most racially segregated neighborhoods.


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## Howard (Dec 7, 2004)

bulla said:


> Not to mention the most racially segregated neighborhoods.


Yeah,New York has a lot of that.


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## Francisco D'Anconia (Apr 18, 2007)

pt4u67 said:


> Art Institute, Field Museum, Sears Tower, *THE home of the American skyscraper*, Wrigley Field, Charlie Trotter's, Topolobampo, Lincoln Park, Wicker Park, John Cusack, Malkovich, Steppenwolf Theater, John Belushi (RIP), University of Chicago, potholes on the Dan Ryan, Hemingway, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Frank Lloyd Wright, Louis Sullivan, The Rookery, Oak Park, *THE best pizza in the country......*


Lets not forget the Berghoff Cafe. Not what it once was, but still worth the trip to jackson Street.

Yachtie, I completely agree with you on van der Rohe.


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## a tailor (May 16, 2005)

KenR said:


> Best pizza?!! Uh, uh!


sorry but ny pizza?yuk!!!

chicago pizza, mmmmm good.


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## a tailor (May 16, 2005)

Wayfarer said:


> Sorry, but Toronto has both of those cities beat. Except for the fact that it's in Canada. That is the one great hurdle.


toronto is a nice town except theres too many polar bears.


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## a tailor (May 16, 2005)

cgc said:


> One part of Chicago that is truly dying a slow, horrible death is the mass transit. Commuting by the CTA borders on the intolerable and the petty, imbecile games played by the administrators and politicians do not help matters one bit.


but the cta workers for the most part are great.


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## gar1013 (Sep 24, 2007)

One of these days I might actually see what's outside of the airport..

I do enjoy a good deep-dish pizza.

Damnit, now I'm hungry. I wish Uno's would deliver!


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## zegnamtl (Apr 19, 2005)

Wayfarer said:


> ......
> 
> Like I said, great city, the main problem is it is in Canada


Careful boy, I'll send this Harper and his boys.....and you know what he'll do to ya and the family! 

There are worse things in life than being in Canada.


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## yachtie (May 11, 2006)

One BIG GRIPE...
about Chicago is their lack of bridge maintenance. Richie Daley is no friend of boaters that's for sure. Time was that the bridges were manned every Saturday and you could "make the transit" from the Lake to a berth on the river quickly as they would raise all the bridges on the north side of the Loop at once to get you to the turning basin by Lake and Wacker and then raise ALL the bridges west of the Loop to get you to the South Side yards quickly and safely.
NOT ANY MORE! Instead, they raise *one* bridge and close the one behind you .And the bridges aren't maintained so your stuck in a 300x300' space between bridges with about 20 other boats with NO MOORINGS. Instead you have rotting wood rails and foot long steel bolts sticking out of the walls of the river facing buildings.It takes a frickin' maestro of a helmsman to avoid crashing into someone in the about 30-60 minute wait it takes to try to get the next bridge to open. ( Some boob in a 50' steel trawler almost put my mizzen boom through his window trying to jockey his tub around). Grrrrrrr! I guess it'll take someone getting seriously injured or killed to get the city govt's attention.
Finished the transit without incident (except some additional grey hairs).

End of rant, I feel much better now :icon_smile_big: Thx.


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## The Gabba Goul (Feb 11, 2005)

gar1013 said:


> One of these days I might actually see what's outside of the airport..
> 
> I do enjoy a good deep-dish pizza.
> 
> Damnit, now I'm hungry. I wish Uno's would deliver!


...wait...

where is there an Unos in MTZ??? I'm in Benicia, and it'd be worth crossing the bridge for a halfway decent Chicago style pizza every now and again...


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