Anybody here ever been to Chicago?

[stuart]

My sister and i got in an argument about Chicago the other day, I won't get too into detail about it but I wanted to gather some information from the people on this site--

1) How many times have you been to Chicago and why were you there?
2) How long did you spend in the city and did you enjoy your stay?
3) Did you feel that Chicago was a dangerous city? If you thought it was a dangerous city, why?
4) What was your perception of the Chicago before visiting, and did your perception change after visiting?
5) Would you like to live in Chicago?

Thanks in advance for your answers...

Stuart

[Phantim3dx]

I'm sure my answer won't have any real form of evidence to support your argument or maybe side w/ your sister's argument Stu but if it counts I have been to the airport 10+ times...So the answers you will recieve will be about my experiences about the airport, and does not include my trip to Chicago this Sun before when I head out to Beijing.

My sister and i got in an argument about Chicago the other day, I won't get too into detail about it but I wanted to gather some information from the people on this site--

1) How many times have you been to Chicago and why were you there?
10+ times....Airport
2) How long did you spend in the city and did you enjoy your stay?
longest layover was 7 hrs...and it sucked
3) Did you feel that Chicago was a dangerous city? If you thought it was a dangerous city, why?
Couldn't tell you because I was only in the airport
4) What was your perception of the Chicago before visiting, and did your perception change after visiting?
Where in the world can I get a Chicago style deep dish Pizza in this airport?
5) Would you like to live in Chicago?
No I would not like to live in Chicago b/c of high cost of living...big city... and I am sick, tired, jealous of the people who live in descent warm weather which isn't too hot/cold i.e. San Francisco...I prefer Texas or the Carolinas though
Thanks in advance for your answers...

Stuart

[HIGHLANDER]

I went to Chicago about 15 years ago when i was a kid with my folks. My parents where living out there for 1 year and i went to join them for Christmas from Oklahoma where i was playing basketball.
I loved the city and of Course i to took in a Bulls game which was like gold dust for me.
Jordan was not playing at that time but i got to see Kukoc whom i loved and Pippen.
As far a the city it self went i liked it a lot as well.
My old man worked out there in a college and he had the time of his life. He met a lot of nice people and still talks about his time there.
I don't remember it being dangerous but there where a few shady areas which we passed. Can't really tell you much more because it was years ago.
Why you ask about Chicago anyway?

[cheezdoodle]

1) How many times have you been to Chicago and why were you there?

I used to live there for about 6 months and have been back a few times since on basketball related business.

2) How long did you spend in the city and did you enjoy your stay?

6 months, a week, a weekend, a few days...Chicago is amazing and I always enjoyed myself there.

3) Did you feel that Chicago was a dangerous city? If you thought it was a dangerous city, why?

Depends where. The Loop is pretty safe, except maybe certain parts late at night. The North side is very safe almost at all times. Certain parts of the South Side aren't safe and you might get unlucky there, especially at night. That's excluding Hyde Park (where I lived), which is very safe.

4) What was your perception of the Chicago before visiting, and did your perception change after visiting?

I always heard its a great city, and nothing I saw changed my mind. Its got great museums, excellent public transportation, beautiful architecture, very friend people...its not too expensive (compared with New York), and the nightlife is fantastic. The only shitty part is the weather.

[lfont]5) Would you like to live in Chicago?[/lfont]

I lived there, and would gladly return. The winters are brutal though, and the summers unbearably hot.

Thanks in advance for your answers...

You're welcome.

[Czarkazem13]

1) How many times have you been to Chicago and why were you there?

Once, visiting friends.

2) How long did you spend in the city and did you enjoy your stay?

Not long, just a couple days (also hit Indianapolis and a small towns)

3) Did you feel that Chicago was a dangerous city? If you thought it was a dangerous city, why?

No, but I've lived in ghettos and feel the media (and people's fears) get the best of them - not that there aren't bad hoods. William Upski Wimsatt wrote a book - I believe it was "Bomb the Suburbs" - in which he talked about perception over reality. He traveled around the U.S. by hitchhiking to some of the worse neighborhoods in the U.S. to see what would happen to him - nothing did.

Though with all that said, it depends where in Chicago (like anywhere) you go.

4) What was your perception of the Chicago before visiting, and did your perception change after visiting?

I thought it was cleaner then most major U.S. cities. I was amazed the water was still blue (though been a while since I've been there).

5) Would you like to live in Chicago?

I could think of worse places, but not exactly what I have planned.

[23_for_life]

I have been to Chicago once, I was there for about 7 days visiting one of my best friends, he was also my former roommate in College.

I loved it man, I did not feel it was dangerous at all. Me and my wife also took the suwbay a few times by ourselves, sure you go by some scary neighborhoods, but you'll be ok.

I even got to meet Rick Mahorn, he was kinda of a dick, but I got his autograph at a Nike store.

My perception changed a little bit, I thought it was more dangerous that it actually is.

I would live there, but not for more than a year maybe. Hope this helps.

[mktackabery]

1) How many times have you been to Chicago and why were you there?

I visited Chicago many times in the late 80s when my youngest sister went to college there (Northwestern University), then I moved there in 1992.

2) How long did you spend in the city and did you enjoy your stay?

I lived there 3 years and I enjoyed it very much, except for the harshness of the winters.

3) Did you feel that Chicago was a dangerous city? If you thought it was a dangerous city, why?

Like any large city, there were dangerous areas of Chicago. There were some areas where, at night, I knew I was in a dangerous place. However, I did a lot of things that people who did not live in Chicago had told me would be dangerous, and never had any problems. These included riding the subways at night, walking downtown unescorted, walking most anywhere unescorted, etc. Like any urban area, one had to be careful where one goes, and not put yourself in dangerous situations. There are gang territories in Chicago (west of the el, large blocks of the south side) but you can easily identify these by grafitti signs) and even those areas are generally safe during the daytime.

4) What was your perception of the Chicago before visiting, and did your perception change after visiting?

Before I ever visited there, I imagined that it was a harsh place to live. Once I arrived there, I found it a really wonderful place, and not at all as I had imagined it. The people there are really great. I was born in New York City, so I feel I have a good basis of comparison. People in New York will go out of their way to be rude to you or even hurt you. People in Chicago may not go out of their way to be polite and are busy, and everything is packed full of people like any other large city, but when asked, they will be polite to you, offer directions, and in general are very warm, down to earth people. It is an exciting place to visit, lots of things to do, full of very passionate folks who love their basketball, their baseball, their football teams, their city, their art, their music, etc.

5) Would you like to live in Chicago?

Chicago is the one major city in the U.S. that I would not hesitate to move back to. However the winters can be very severe. I really love North Carolina's weather, and ACC basketball, so it would have to be a great job or a great person that would take me back there, but I would definitely go back.

There are a lot of things I miss about Chicago: all the great restaurants with food from every country in the world, the cultural activities - the Lyric Opera, the symphony, the free music festivals at the outdoor parks - biking along the lake, the ferris wheel at Navy Pier, the elevated train, Chicago Cubs games - but I do not miss twenty degrees below zero in February, lake effect snow, having to wear long underwear five months a year, and not having any spring or fall. When I lived there I did miss the fall in North Carolina, but I visited Wisconsin a lot to get my seasons. Because of the city lights, you don't get to see the stars much and there are always people around, but that is true of any large city.

Hope this helps for whatever you need it for Stuart.

[Phantim3dx]

"People in New York will go out of their way to be rude to you"

how true in the streets of NY, as an upstate NY i found this quite true