Chicago - Tell me the Good, Bad, Ugly

I grew up in Chicago (Lincoln Park) and am currently a freshman at WashU in St. louis. While I love the university (St. Louis is not amazing), I miss, what I truly believe is that greatest and most beautiful city in the world. It is full of great neighborhoods/communities like Wriglyville, Wickerpark, Bucktown etc. and is home to the friendliest major city dwellers in the country. Also, I feel compelled to add a plug for the pizza...amazing.

Somebody on the first page of this thread recommended living in Hyde Park by the University of Chicago...wow...I went to high school down there and have to say it is not an ideal place for a recent college graduate; It is a quiet, suburban-esque environment. And yes, there are plenty of hot women in Chicago, but maybe not Hyde Park.

what I truly believe is that greatest and most beautiful city in the world

You need to travel more.

chicago sucks. it\'s the 2nd shittiest pisshole in the u.s. new york got you beat there.

Chicago SUCKS. I can only think of a what total bore the people are when I think of Chicago. What a total drag it must be to be sentenced to live in Chicago. Just die now and save us your sorry-ass attempts at making the dullest city in the U.S. some kind of Honolulu.

Alan,

Why is the style of air conditioning in an apartment so f***ing important to you? All your comments sound like you're trying to impart your well-to-do values on some young people who are just looking to live their lives.

You need A/C to filter out the pollution in Chicagodump, one of the most polluted cities in the U.S., and one of the most racially segregated metro areas in the U.S. The KKK thrives in Chicagodump.

Pigeon Shit wrote:

Chicago SUCKS. I can only think of a what total bore the people are when I think of Chicago. What a total drag it must be to be sentenced to live in Chicago. Just die now and save us your sorry-ass attempts at making the dullest city in the U.S. some kind of Honolulu.

Wow, you live in SoCal and you are critical of the lifestyle and the running in Chicago? What did you do in that one-year in Chicago? Doesn't sound like you got out much! Take a look around and see how many people in Orange County, LA, San Diego, etc... are living an unhealthy lifestyle. I saw plenty of "fat slobs" out there. There's a reason In'n'Out is so popular! Also, met and know lot's of great people out there (some of them misplaced Midwesterners who can't wait to get back to the Midwest!)

I have been fortunate to have lived in many parts of the US and realized at a fairly young age that just because things are different and/or unfamiliar does not make them bad. I have great friends from the Deep South, the Northeast, the West Coast and, of course, the Midwest. People are people. Most people think where they are from is great and other places that are different are not as good. I lived in some places that I couldn't wait to move away from, but I would never say they sucked. And, I was always able to find fun things to do (even in Birmingham, Alabama!). I was excited to get back to Chicago (live in the suburbs. Sorry. I know I am not cool). The problems in Chicago are not that different than the problems in the LA area or the SF area. Actually, despite how bad the traffic in Chicago is it's still better than LA or SF or NYC or Boston. I like the winter. I'm ready for it to be over come March, but I like the changes. I hate the humidity, but try living in Washington DC, Dallas, Nashville, Raleigh or Atlanta!

Oh well, I suppose it's not for everyone. There are a lot of places where a lot of people live that I have no interest in living. To each his own. Hopefully, you figure that out one of these days.

as far as training groups i think youll be ok if you take 5min to learn who runs here. 4-5 trials qualifiers and 3 competitive club teams with universal sole, fleet feet and dick pond.

chicago may not be the best city but it has everything you want if your willing to put in a little effort. Good places to run....30min outside the city are all the trails you could want. trails in the city, you have the lakefront and also a trail that runs ~30m north on a bike path from lincoln square to the northern burbs.

RunningArt2004, where can I find the best duck soup in Shanghai?

I know you've probably never been to Shanghai but that probably won't keep you from bloviating on ad nauseaum for a while.

I was raised in the Northern suburbs, and was lucky enough to spend most of my time at my grandmother's house in Lake Forest - in a house among the mansions that has been in the family for generations - my forebears being servants for the McCormack family who gifted the house to them for their dedicated service.

There is no nicer or quieter town in the Midwest than Lake Forest - and the educational quality of the schools is superb. And running was fairly pleasant, although the climate, even with the cooling lake effect in the summer and its warming impact in the winter, leaves a lot to be desired.

A few points: i) very few people can afford to live in Lake Forest, the housing prices are ridiculous and in many ways it does not reflect the real world ii) it is way too quiet for most young people (not for me, I never liked urban life); and iii) in any I would not go back to either Lake Forest or Chicago - life moves on and Chicago is yet another big, crowded city. But if a big, crowded city is your liking, and you like a change of seasons, Chicago is not a bad place to live.

I now live in outer Northern Virginia DC suburbs (I have some land), and I can say this about Chicago - it truly is a city of broad shoulders, and the work ethic of the people there far surpasses the entitlement ethic that I see around DC. But I like waking up to views of the Blue Ridge, and enjoy the trails around here from a running perspective, which are better than the trails in Chicago.

I love these threads!

The information I would like to get is the age of the person who posts "THIS PLACE SUCKS" whenever any city in the world is discussed on letsrun.

My guess would be no older than 25 (I hope), from rural or suburban areas, very white. When they do manage to get out of their very own little living utopia instead of taking in and enjoying different places.......and maybe not eating at Outback steakhouse, they only compare the differences to what they experienced in a 5 mile radius of their home and proclaim that the new place " sucks".

What I've learned from letsrun:

Boulder sucks

New Jersey sucks

Boston sucks

New York sucks

Chicago sucks

Indianapolis sucks

South sucks

Midwest sucks

Oregon sucks

Madison sucks

Gated communities suck

Big cities suck

Small towns suck

I guess the majority of the people in the US live in places that "suck". Good thing we all can live vicariously through these people and Runningart2004 so we can aspire to a standard of life that doesn't "suck".

The only one of those that rings true is that CHICAGO DOES TRULY SUCK!

Everywhere sucks wrote:

What I've learned from letsrun:

Boulder sucks

New Jersey sucks

Boston sucks

New York sucks

Chicago sucks

Indianapolis sucks

South sucks

Midwest sucks

Oregon sucks

Madison sucks

Gated communities suck

Big cities suck

Small towns suck

I guess the majority of the people in the US live in places that "suck". Good thing we all can live vicariously through these people and Runningart2004 so we can aspire to a standard of life that doesn't "suck".

Chicago used to be a great city until some Tribune editorial writers actually chastised the people that ran the Chicago Marathon 2007 this year for being "stupid" to run a marathon in the heat and humidity and that they were too fat, out of shape, etc. Way to go to make people want to come back to run the marathon.

Chicagodump wrote:

You need A/C to filter out the pollution in Chicagodump, one of the most polluted cities in the U.S., and one of the most racially segregated metro areas in the U.S. The KKK thrives in Chicagodump.

Actually EarthLab just voted Chicago the most environmentally friendly city in the country.

And I think all cities are segregated. Either way, if you want to see a truly diverse neighborhood go to Rogers Park on the far North Side. Or the Ukrainian Village, Pilsen, West Loop, etc.

I grew up in the Northeast, moved to Chicago after college, and I am now on the West Coast for two years because of my job. My job has also taken me multiple times to London, Brussels, Frankfort, and Buenos Aires. Chicago is my favorite city. From the Loop to the lakefront to the unique neighborhoods, Chicago is truly an incredible place.

The only complaint I see on here that has any merit is the weather. While it certainly gets cold in the winter, it is not detrimental to my running whatsoever. I just put on a pair of gloves and a hat, and I'm good to go.

Dan the Man wrote:

Chicago used to be a great city until some Tribune editorial writers actually chastised the people that ran the Chicago Marathon 2007 this year for being \"stupid\" to run a marathon in the heat and humidity and that they were too fat, out of shape, etc. Way to go to make people want to come back to run the marathon.

no, that was the Sun-Times. Get your facts straight.

Everywhere sucks wrote:

What I've learned from letsrun:

Boulder sucks

New Jersey sucks

Boston sucks

New York sucks

Chicago sucks

Indianapolis sucks

South sucks

Midwest sucks

Oregon sucks

Madison sucks

Gated communities suck

Big cities suck

Small towns suck

Spot on, mate! All those places actually DO suck! And guess what, Chicago is on the list!

gorney wrote:

RunningArt2004, where can I find the best duck soup in Shanghai?

I know you've probably never been to Shanghai but that probably won't keep you from bloviating on ad nauseaum for a while.

Try the Shanghai Terrace Restaurant in the Peninsula Hotel on Michigan Ave!...:)

Alan

Chicago sucks. Live life not in Chicagodump.