What is Digg?228 Comments
- Hobbsies, on 08/04/2008, -2/+73It's been like that a long time. The nice neighborhoods are near the lake, obviously, but as you go farther and farther west, the income level declines pretty fast.
The scariest parts though are when you cross a street where on one side are nice upper-middle class homes, and on the other is a ghetto. I'm not joking. Once you cross a street called division at certain parts, it does just this. The famous Cabrini Green is located right next to a lot of REALLY nice homes. Chicago is also one of the most segregated cities in the US. - borez, on 08/05/2008, -1/+57Happened in London in the 80's, my advice, buy the most run down but structurally intact building you can find just outside of the zone, wait a couple of years, then profit big time.
- noblestrife, on 08/04/2008, -6/+52Chicago: My middle-income folks live on the west side, where you can buy a gallon of milk, a McDonald's meal, and a handful of candy for under $10. Travel just 10 miles east towards downtown and everything skyrockets. Walgreens boosts the price of milk a good buck higher, and McDonalds charge two dollars more for every meal.
I'm a struggling artist and can't afford to rent a place downtown; there are no studio apts, while rent for 1 bedrooms cost over $1300 a month. What used to be Chicago's artist mecca (Lincoln Park) is now completely yuppified, with rent for a tiny studio costing upwards of $800. Wicker Park is the size of a blemish and teeming with expensive family condos. So what are we left with? Places that the CTA doesn't serve properly, or neighborhoods that shut down at 9pm, still crime-ridden, and racially hostile (hi, Logan Square and Ukraine Village!).
I love Chicago, but we are rapidly heading towards (as per the comment section) "becoming a cultural vacant lot." - musicmanryan, on 08/05/2008, -1/+36Its called gentrification, and it is nothing new.
- inactive, on 08/04/2008, -0/+34It's a phenomenon here in DC as well. Expensive condos going up downtown, low income folks driven further and further out into the burbs.
- thegrantman, on 08/05/2008, -4/+34*****...now I'm gonna get mugged watering my suburban lawn.
- AriaStar, on 08/05/2008, -2/+27See, the inner city areas are closer to the jobs. Used to be you wanted to live away from where you work so you can be somewhere quiet and relax. Now that travel costs so damned much, everyone wants to save, and those who can afford to do it best are those who can afford to spare the most. This "trend" in Chicago isn't at all surprising.
- Andrew7, on 08/05/2008, -0/+20Somehow I dont see this becoming a huge thing where I live, Detroit.
- inactive, on 08/05/2008, -5/+25Good. Now I can enjoy the fruits of the city; without the threat of being mugged.
And if you don't agree, go to hell. - judicar, on 08/05/2008, -4/+22Fish don't fry in the kitchen,
Beans don't burn on the grill.
Took a whole lotta tryin'
Just to get up that hill.
Now we're up in the big leagues,
Gettin' our turn at bat!
As long as we live,
It's you and me, baby!
There ain't nothin' wrong with that!
Hooray, We're Movin' on Up!
Movin' on Up! - Barackalypse, on 08/05/2008, -1/+17That doesn't bode well for mass transit, does it? The people near it won't use it, and the people that need it are dispersed too far from it to be practical.
- diemunkiesdie, on 08/05/2008, -0/+16Who is surprised at this? Who did you think was living in those high-rise penthouse suites? The people who can afford it, of course!
- Barackalypse, on 08/05/2008, -1/+17I think that's called speculation and I don't think that it has been working out real well in Phoenix, California, and Florida these last few years.
- inactive, on 08/05/2008, -2/+17Chicago is one of the most self segregating places Ive ever lived.
- Jayg28, on 08/05/2008, -1/+16The sales tax in Chicago is now 10.25%, which is highest in the country I believe.
- Jergens, on 08/05/2008, -2/+16Ha! I'll take your Chicago and raise you a Detroit!
- Jayg28, on 08/05/2008, -0/+13Cabrini Green has been almost completely torn down.
- tomarocco, on 08/05/2008, -0/+13$1000 for a 1 bedroom apartment? That is pretty much entry-level on the West Coast. You're lucky to get a decent studio for that in a desirable neighborhood.
- inactive, on 08/05/2008, -0/+13I remember when you could buy a handful of candy for a nickel!
- RudeTurnip, on 08/05/2008, -2/+15Try saying that with a straight face when you have a family to raise and keep safe.
- batmanz, on 08/05/2008, -1/+13Inner city life, inner city pressure...
- Hetman, on 08/04/2008, -0/+12I agree. I live close to division. From what I hear of the 80s, and early 90s though the entire community there has been getting better. But you are right Cabrini Green is on one side of the road, and million dollar town houses our right across the street. There is also only 2 building left in Cabrini Green and I hear one is condemmed. It will not be long before the last one is gone.
- Burgoo, on 08/05/2008, -0/+11Vancouver has been like this for ages.
- ieee, on 08/05/2008, -1/+11Its not a fad. Cities have historically had the rich people in close to all the things people want and the poor further out. That changed for a blip in history in the US after WW II with the construction of suburbia.
- carpespasm, on 08/05/2008, -1/+11Nah, the trend in those places was to plow down such buildings, then build 15 cramped houses out of the cheapest material that's quickly assemblable and tell the new "home owners" that their new $200k+ stucco and particle board house will never lose value and never point out that living 50 miles from work might be something other than utterly fantastic. Turns out that burning 300 dollars a week in your hummer to and from work in a traffic jam with thousands of similar idiots isn't quite the relaxed living experience the billboards made it out to be.
I live in Jacksonville, Fla and it amazed me to see signs advertising homes in Georgia 50-75 miles from downtown Jacksonville in the middle of town here. They're still advertising those homes now, just with "1990's prices" since people have somewhat wised up. - MoneyShot, on 08/05/2008, -0/+10If anyone wants to see how sobering the situation is in Detroit, check out the prices on these homes: http://www.waynecounty.com/WCAuctions/Auction/
You can literally buy a house in Detroit using a credit card. - andy3109, on 08/05/2008, -2/+11It's a hard problem to remedy noblestrife. People who will pay more money and pay more taxes than you demand housing downtown. Many of them aren't struggling artists who have steady high income and in many ways they deserve having the luxury of living downtown because of that. It is tough to swallow but you may have to live with the fact that downtown chicago isn't affordable for your chosen career path.
- Donwangugi, on 08/05/2008, -0/+9I agree with Jergens. I am not familiar with Chicago, but from what you said, and from what i read in this article, this it much better than the segregation that can found in Detroit. Even with these divisions, it still means that poor people and rich people are living in city centers.
Detroit on the other hand, is the complete opposite There is a donut separating a square mile of downtown form the suburbs where you will not find any wealthy people, only the poor, and this is a large blighted donut. THAT is segregation. The only time rich or middle class people go through that area is when they drive on the highways to downtown. - inactive, on 08/05/2008, -0/+8You're a complete moron. Are really suggesting that if thugs leave the city we'll loose arts and music? When I say enjoy the fruits, I mean nice shops and festivities.
- Gndoab, on 08/05/2008, -2/+10I grew up in Montgomery County, the wealthy MD suburb to the north of DC, and I have to say, the difference in mindset between my parents and I is astounding. I love DC, and they fear it like the plague. They love the suburbs, and I hate them as fake, resource wasting, time consuming places of the McMansion.
- shauncorleone, on 08/05/2008, -0/+8I hear the smug problem in San Francisco makes it almost unbearable to live there anyway.
- spiderman222, on 08/05/2008, -1/+9I dunno about Atlanta. I stayed in downtown Atlanta a year ago. On my walk right through the middle of downtown everyday, I was like the only white guy. Plus at night, everything was shut down...meaning everyone departed the downtown areas...except for homeless people - of course they came out at night - mostly black. Vancouver on the other hand...yeah, probably the best downtown in North America.
- NerdzCo, on 08/05/2008, -0/+8The concrete world is startin to getcha
- misterjangles, on 08/05/2008, -0/+8Noble strife, you must not have been to the city in a while! The artists moved out of Lincoln park over 30 years ago. Wicker park is trying to hang onto it's artist community, but it's gotten pretty yuppified in the past 10 years. The musicians and artists have mostly headed to Logan Square, Humbolt Park and Pilsen. You'd be right to say those places are still a little rough around the edges, but that's where the young people are going and so cool shops and clubs are popping up. You should go check those neighborhoods out, you'd be blown away. Chicago is changing so fast it's crazy.
- ancientshoes, on 08/05/2008, -0/+8this is especially true for Dallas, companies are buying up old run down apartments, homes and projects around the city center and building high-end luxury low, mid and highrise apartments on them. Just 10 years ago, the brand new neighborhood of Victory Park near downtown used to be called "little mexico" and was populated by mexicans in extremely run down houses, and what stands there now is Victory Park (the 'times square' of texas) and multiple high-rise apartment and office buildings. Very cool.
- Gndoab, on 08/05/2008, -0/+8no it's not.
- airwalkery2k, on 08/05/2008, -3/+11All according to THE PLAN.
- italics, on 08/05/2008, -0/+8NYC? Manhattan is filled with rich white people while others flock to the outer boroughs for affordable housing. In the future I see the island as the new Disney World, filled with only bright lights, tourists, castles and giant mouses.
- pennvneff, on 08/05/2008, -1/+8Only in Chicago will you find a living situation so ***** up that they invented a new term for it, "Hypersegregation."
- Endit, on 08/05/2008, -0/+7That's insane! We shouldn't even have a sales tax.
- inactive, on 08/05/2008, -1/+8Wow, you're a real *****. I am none of those things, and I don't mind telling you that I wouldn't move to the burbs if you held a ***** gun to my head.
- strictnein, on 08/05/2008, -2/+9A huge ass-yard?
- funktimus, on 08/05/2008, -0/+7Ha, make sure she just hangs onto that *****. Not even for the money, but just to piss off those developers.
- Typhoon2009, on 08/05/2008, -0/+6Yup, gentrification. 10 years ago, you probably wouldn't see anyone medium-high income (especially white) on U Street. Now they're putting up really nice apartments and condos. Meanwhile, the poor who can't afford it are pushed into SE or into Maryland.
- misterjangles, on 08/05/2008, -0/+6Actually downtown Chicago (where the high-rises are) hasn't really changed that much. It's the neighborhoods near downtown that fell into disrepair in the 70's and 80's that turned into ghettos. Those neighborhoods have incredible old mansions that are being restored and/or torn down and converted into condos. The minority families who have been living there, mostly hispanic, are being displaced due to soaring property tax and rents.
- inactive, on 08/05/2008, -0/+6Vancouver has its pockets of expensive 'burbs though.
North Vancouver, West Vancouver, White Rock, parts of Richmond. - Jauladeoro, on 08/27/2008, -1/+7McCain, is that you?
- serif69, on 08/05/2008, -0/+6Yeah. It was great back then. Full of "life". After the mob was taken out of Manhattan, and before Giuliani started putting cops all over the place. When you couldn't walk in midtown Manhattan without worrying about getting mugged. When Times Square was full of peep shows and the homeless. When the number one cause of death was murder. If you think the arts left New York, you're blind. You live in Brooklyn, which is fast becoming the center for music and art in NYC. If you're an artist who struggles because there isn't enough plight, you're not a good artist. And if you miss the days when the city was a hell hole, then you're a cynical *****.
- AROZ, on 08/05/2008, -0/+5Atlanta seems hopeless in this regard.
- rjb696, on 08/05/2008, -0/+5inner city pressure!
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