Used to take road trips to the UC for Hawks games in the 90's. The UC was more like a mausoleum then.

I referred to it as the "Ring of Death" that one must cross to get to some great suburbs. Made the mistake of heading west on Madison from the UC...apparently the cops avoided that area if they could.
- grinder10

Far as I know that is still the case. Was definitely willing to deal with the ridiculous post-game traffic to avoid that neighborhood.

Got to jump in here - lifetime Chicagoan. Born here. Raised here. I'm out in the burbs and have been for the past 25+ years.

Absolutely beautiful city (and honestly, in spite of those who hated Richie Daley, under his reign the city really "cleaned" itself up quite well). It's been in the last half-dozen years things have gone to hell-in-a-handbasket -- the last few yrs of Richie's rule forward.

The downtown area is about as nice as you'll find, especially compared to L.A., San Fran, NY. Beautiful lakefront.

Traffic is simply awful and only getting worse. Very good public transportation (trains, buses and the L).

But this whole shoot-em-up thing in a good part of the city just blows. I sometimes wish they would all kill themselves and leave the city to the rest of us. I really don't know if it's a case of the haves vs have-nots (I mean, for the most part they are killing each other. Dammit, just do a Thunder-dome, drop em all in there and let them wipe one another out).

Honestly, it's very sad. It's a great city with mostly great people and some of the hardest working people around. Just blows that they cannot and may not ever get this whole killing thing under control. I don't have the answer and it saddens me because I love Chicago.
- savvyone-1

It isn't close to a "good part of the city". It is certain neighborhoods on the west side and the southside. And, it is primarily the areas that Daley flat out ignored during his reign.

But I agree that it is sad, especially when it is kids being shot. But to suggest that the city is becoming like Detroit or something else is just assinine.

Got to jump in here - lifetime Chicagoan. Born here. Raised here. I'm out in the burbs and have been for the past 25+ years.

Absolutely beautiful city (and honestly, in spite of those who hated Richie Daley, under his reign the city really "cleaned" itself up quite well). It's been in the last half-dozen years things have gone to hell-in-a-handbasket -- the last few yrs of Richie's rule forward.

The downtown area is about as nice as you'll find, especially compared to L.A., San Fran, NY. Beautiful lakefront.

Traffic is simply awful and only getting worse. Very good public transportation (trains, buses and the L).

But this whole shoot-em-up thing in a good part of the city just blows. I sometimes wish they would all kill themselves and leave the city to the rest of us. I really don't know if it's a case of the haves vs have-nots (I mean, for the most part they are killing each other. Dammit, just do a Thunder-dome, drop em all in there and let them wipe one another out).

Honestly, it's very sad. It's a great city with mostly great people and some of the hardest working people around. Just blows that they cannot and may not ever get this whole killing thing under control. I don't have the answer and it saddens me because I love Chicago.
- savvyone-1

I am from just outside Toronto. I first visited your city about 20 years ago to see a game the last year of the old Stadium. With a bunch of buddies all we did was party and go to the game so I didn't get to really see the city.

Two years ago we visited the city because my daughter was in an ASA fastpitch (softball) tournament in Rockford. Last November my wife and I visited again and saw a game Vancouver at the US, then followed the team to St. Loiuse then to Columbus. While in Chicago we checked out a few places and walked the downtown core. We were so impressed with the City and the people we went back there this past July to see the Jays play the WhiteSox and to really check the city out.

Not sure why anyone wouldn't like the City? It is clean, there are lots of activities, the people are amazing, the restaurants are great, the nightlife is fun and it has the best hockey team in the world.

Hey, whatever works. He did get the 2 minute PP, so good on him. That's putting the team first.
- moondawg

And his face as well

Holy f'n shyt it's a miracle we actually agreed about something. Like I said the food and downtown area are great but the weather gets tiresome and the crime is out of control.
- CanUSA17

No, it isn't. You could walk around 90% or more of the city at any time of the day and never have a rationale fear. Chicago is no different than any other major city in the U.S. There are pockets of the city that are high crime areas. And most people, including Schaumburg-ites like yourself, would never set foot in any way.

Holy f'n shyt it's a miracle we actually agreed about something. Like I said the food and downtown area are great but the weather gets tiresome and the crime is out of control.
- CanUSA17

Yeah, a childhood of Chicago winters certainly made me hate snow with an unrivaled passion. The phrase "at least you don't have to shovel rain" was welcome enough coming over here to sunny, cheerful Scotland.

Holy f'n shyt it's a miracle we actually agreed about something. Like I said the food and downtown area are great but the weather gets tiresome and the crime is out of control.
- CanUSA17

Crime is out of control because poop heads run wild under the knowledge and protection of Chicago's anti gun laws . They know people are not allowed to defend themselves. Once the people are allowed to arm themselves the robberies, car jackings and home invasions will plummet . When those crimes decrease so does murder.

Yeah, a childhood of Chicago winters certainly made me hate snow with an unrivaled passion. The phrase "at least you don't have to shovel rain" was welcome enough coming over here to sunny, cheerful Scotland.
- prd797

I have nothing against the snow but add the wind and forget about it.

Far as I know that is still the case. Was definitely willing to deal with the ridiculous post-game traffic to avoid that neighborhood.
- prd797

I'll add that I've been to Detroit too (since it came up). If you take the worst parts of Chicago and multiply (a lot), then you have Detroit IMO. Though both are community-type cities. Detroit was the one place that I made a conscious decision to keep driving until I ran out of rim IF I had a tire blow out on any one of the many potholes. I'm sure Detroit has some nice areas, I just never saw them when traversing the city...

I'll add that I've been to Detroit too (since it came up). If you take the worst parts of Chicago and multiply (a lot), then you have Detroit IMO. Though both are community-type cities. Detroit was the one place that I made a conscious decision to keep driving until I ran out of rim IF I had a tire blow out on any one of the many potholes. I'm sure Detroit has some nice areas, I just never saw them when traversing the city...
- grinder10

NO


They don't

NO


They don't
- mrpaulish

Was about to say the same. A few trips to Joe Lewis took me through some less than ideal locales. Add in getting stuck in a blizzard coming back from the Joe last year....

1 day I'll make it out there and meet some of you dudes. I also want to sit in the Roxy and watch Kane find a clan of slump busters for his postgame hotel room party.
- SteveRain

Right on! Finally someone else who is familiar with this term in that context.

Crime is out of control because poop heads run wild under the knowledge and protection of Chicago's anti gun laws . They know people are not allowed to defend themselves. Once the people are allowed to arm themselves the robberies, car jackings and home invasions will plummet . When those crimes decrease so does murder.
- mrpaulish

Well . . . I am not going to get into the whole NRA gun debate here.

But I will say that a great deal of this is GANG RELATED. As per my Thunderdome comment, I say lock em in somewhere and kill each other. Lots of innocent people (young people) dead because they were mistaken for someone in a gang, wearing clothes similar to rival gang's colors, were in a place that's "owned" by a particular gang.

Get rid of the gangs, you get rid of 99% of the problem.

No, it isn't. You could walk around 90% or more of the city at any time of the day and never have a rationale fear. Chicago is no different than any other major city in the U.S. There are pockets of the city that are high crime areas. And most people, including Schaumburg-ites like yourself, would never set foot in any way.
- QStache

Don't give me your I'm from the ghetto and your just a white collar suburbanite bullshyt. I had a couple kids get shot at a 7-11 down the street from me and plenty of other shyt go down around here as I know a couple cops and detectives in Schaumburg. The fact remains whether it be shootings or kidnapping or robberies it's happening more and more in the city and suburbs whether you want to remain blind to it is up to you. I don't give a shyt either way but I just pray none of you or your families are a victim to it. Don't be so blind and stubborn to think it doesn't happen around you and just in certain POCKETS of the city.

NO


They don't
- mrpaulish

Hey now Mr. P!

Moved up here a few years ago from East Village (lived a mile and a qtr away from the UC
)

My wife is from the area (she's a Wang's fan) and both our jobs allowed us to move up here. Anyway we live in Troy and the burbs here are pretty nice (Birmingham and Royal Oak in particular).

The city is sad; lots of great old buildings but some not kept up as a lot of businesses have moved out of the city. There are a lot of bad areas but it's not all bad.

What's up with your avatar? Is this a month long homage to St Pat's Day? Miss the CA shield.

I wouldn't be so sure about that. Bieksa is a pretty tough fighter when he decides to fight but the trade off isn't worth as Bollig is a bum. I bet Juice would kick his azz anyway.
- CanUSA17

Im sorry but if Eager kicked Bieksa azz acouple years back then Bollig would destroy him. Eager isn't even that tough, Bollig...... The kid can fight and likes doing it, he throws both hands really well. It would make my year to see Bieksa get knocked out.

Well . . . I am not going to get into the whole NRA gun debate here.

But I will say that a great deal of this is GANG RELATED. As per my Thunderdome comment, I say lock em in somewhere and kill each other. Lots of innocent people (young people) dead because they were mistaken for someone in a gang, wearing clothes similar to rival gang's colors, were in a place that's "owned" by a particular gang.

Get rid of the gangs, you get rid of 99% of the problem.
- savvyone-1

Never going to happen in Cook County . Ever. There isn't enough Police, the States Attorneys are very very very lazy , no one south of 35th Street ever signs complaints which i whats needed to make arrest , The City of Chicago as a whole is an D- place to be and thats saying something since the downtown area is so gorgeous , clean , and active.

No, it isn't. You could walk around 90% or more of the city at any time of the day and never have a rationale fear. Chicago is no different than any other major city in the U.S. There are pockets of the city that are high crime areas. And most people, including Schaumburg-ites like yourself, would never set foot in any way.
- QStache

BTW before I got married I spent a lot of my childhood in the city and around the parts you say I would never step foot in. Don't judge and assume things about someone you know nothing about.

Don't give me your I'm from the ghetto and your just a white collar suburbanite bullshyt. I had a couple kids get shot at a 7-11 down the street from me and plenty of other shyt go down around here as I know a couple cops and detectives in Schaumburg. The fact remains whether it be shootings or kidnapping or robberies it's happening more and more in the city and suburbs whether you want to remain blind to it is up to you. I don't give a shyt either way but I just pray none of you or your families are a victim to it. Don't be so blind and stubborn to think it doesn't happen around you and just in certain POCKETS of the city.
- CanUSA17

Not to say nothing happens in Rich Schaumburg areas or anything but you can't compare it to the jungle that the city had become. How many murders already in Chicago ? How many in Schaumburg or all other suburbs combined ?

BTW before I got married I spent a lot of my childhood in the city and around the parts you say I would never step foot in. Don't judge and assume things about someone you know nothing about.
- CanUSA17

You don't like the people on this board yet you spent the whole day here and have probably contributed to over 30% of the posts. You don't like where you live yet you still live there and all you do is complain about it. My first comment about you being dropped on your head as a child seems to have been accurate.

Never going to happen in Cook County . Ever. There isn't enough Police, the States Attorneys are very very very lazy , no one south of 35th Street ever signs complaints which i whats needed to make arrest , The City of Chicago as a whole is an D- place to be and thats saying something since the downtown area is so gorgeous , clean , and active.
- mrpaulish

On a roll, you are, Mr. P.

The "it's not my problem" mentality frustrated me for the longest time living in Chicago, certainly still notice it whenever I go back to visit.

Got to jump in here - lifetime Chicagoan. Born here. Raised here. I'm out in the burbs and have been for the past 25+ years.

Absolutely beautiful city (and honestly, in spite of those who hated Richie Daley, under his reign the city really "cleaned" itself up quite well). It's been in the last half-dozen years things have gone to hell-in-a-handbasket -- the last few yrs of Richie's rule forward.

The downtown area is about as nice as you'll find, especially compared to L.A., San Fran, NY. Beautiful lakefront.

Traffic is simply awful and only getting worse. Very good public transportation (trains, buses and the L).

But this whole shoot-em-up thing in a good part of the city just blows. I sometimes wish they would all kill themselves and leave the city to the rest of us. I really don't know if it's a case of the haves vs have-nots (I mean, for the most part they are killing each other. Dammit, just do a Thunder-dome, drop em all in there and let them wipe one another out).

Honestly, it's very sad. It's a great city with mostly great people and some of the hardest working people around. Just blows that they cannot and may not ever get this whole killing thing under control. I don't have the answer and it saddens me because I love Chicago.
- savvyone-1

GREAT POST SAVVY

Really? Turn on the news then where kids are getting shot on a daily basis and yeah it happened even in Schaumburg right down the street from my house. I know crime is everywhere but don't be so blind as the statistics are out there proving it...Chicago is becoming worse than Detroit whether you want to believe it or not.
- CanUSA17

You forgot to drink the cool aid. Chicago has some of the toughest gun control requirements in the USA so there is no gun crime because the guns have been removed from law abiding citizens that would use them to protect their family and themselves.

Except that whole thing that you NEVER see that on ice and it is widely considered not only incredibly unsportsmanlike on ice BUT quite a pansy move.. hey! All good!
- CaptainBlackhawk

Maybe if Keith didn't have a chicks haircut...

I'm just kidding before you guys take my comment out of context.

BTW before I got married I spent a lot of my childhood in the city and around the parts you say I would never step foot in. Don't judge and assume things about someone you know nothing about.
- CanUSA17

That's rich. You hear about a shooting near you, and you have a couple of buddies who are cops and that makes you an expert on crime patterns in the whole Chicago area. Before you belittle others - you are very passive-aggressive, BTW - why don't you do some research and get some facts and stick to another subject you know little about, like hockey.