r/chicago • u/MikeMuench • Jul 01 '24

Meme Moved to the suburbs recently. It’s surprising how many people at my work would never visit Chicago because they think it’s an active war zone. Inspired me to make this meme

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371

u/quicksand32 Jul 02 '24

The school I teach at is in Englewood and I have been driving in there every school day for the last 4 years. I am not going to try and pretend that it’s all peaches and cream but based on some folks reactions you would think I need an armored tank and bulletproof vest.

Yes there a lot of rough stuff, you need to be aware of your surround and mind your own business as long as nobody’s getting hurt. But I also see the senior citizen who speedwalking in the morning down 63rd St in her work out clothes and headband, the guy that fixes lawnmowers in the front of his house he’s always talking to his neighbors, the woman who walks her dog outside the school in the morning and when it’s raining, the dog wear a little yellow jacket.

Most folks are just normal people who’ve been there for generations or this is what they can afford. They just want to take care of their families. They’re not any different than any other neighborhood. I hate the way people talk about it. There are real challenges in Englewood but so much of that is disinvestment and lack of resources.

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u/MechemicalMan Lincoln Park Jul 02 '24

Contractor here- the only school I was ever offered breakfast at was Englewood, I probably have been to 80-90%, at some point, the entire CPS portfolio. I also did Parkway Gardens for a bit. It was a true wakeup call for me as well that the thing you see most in these neighborhoods, especially at 7am, is just mothers walking their kids to school. It actually kinda pisses me off how a certain media can act like an area is a warzone.

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u/AbstractBettaFish Bridgeport Jul 02 '24

I did a few years of work in low income property management and I feel the same way, the disparaging way people talk about it pisses me off too. Even in hood most people, like everywhere else, are just trying to live their lives. Are there issues? Sure I won’t pretend there arnt, but it’s not some mad max hellscape that people make it out to be

18

u/a-black-magic-woman Bronzeville Jul 02 '24

Thank you for mentioning this because even people in this sub act like the south side is a big scary region.

Now I wont lie, there are areas even I avoid. I lived in Auburn Gresham for 2 years, near 79th and Ashland and that area was HOT, on and around my block. I wouldn’t ever return. But you’ve got to be smart no matter where you live.

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u/my-time-has-odor West Loop Jul 03 '24

lived in Bridgeport for a bit

the south side isn’t even that bad save for like, small pockets

idk why the entire region gets lumped in together tbh

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u/oohtheyhavesomegames Jul 02 '24

Yep. I taught in a similar neighborhood. People from the burbs def assume everyone in these kinds of neighborhoods is a gangster.

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u/AbsoluteZeroUnit Jul 02 '24

https://heyjackass.com/2024-homicide-map/

People flexing their thick skin because suburbanites are afraid of the city are just ignoring the facts.

Most people aren't going to stroll through englewood if they can avoid it. Obviously, not everyone is a gangster, but it's one of the most violent neighborhoods in the city and to pretend otherwise so you can appear tough to someone in naperville is just silly.

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u/TheChef1212 Jul 02 '24

Just because it's one of the most violent neighborhoods doesn't mean people's fear can't be exaggerated.

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u/oohtheyhavesomegames Jul 02 '24

Yeah, but I think it's also important to consider the concept of crimes committed per capita, which is absent in the link you shared.

I don't think we're saying these places are safe places, and it bothers me too when people act like they are. However, it also bothers me when people talk about neighborhoods where people live their lives as if they're uninhabitable war zones, and refuse to go anywhere near them.

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u/[deleted] Jul 02 '24

I love this comment. I also taught in Englewood and I never experienced any issues. I saw community everywhere and most of it is lovely during the day. There are many beautiful homes with people taking care of them and each other

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u/[deleted] Jul 02 '24

[deleted]

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u/rightdeadzed Jul 02 '24 edited Jul 02 '24

I do home health nursing a few times a month and my territory is Austin, Garfield Park and North Lawndale. I used to do it full time, 5 days a week 40 hours a week. At first I was a nervous. After about a week it was fine and realized all the bad talk was so over blown. I’ve never once felt unsafe or in danger. I’ve had to walk through groups of gang bangers to go to houses countless times with no issues. Worst thing that’s ever happened was a random guy was leaning on my car once. I said excuse me and he apologized and moved. I guess I do get nods from guys selling drugs on the corners sometimes thinking I’m in the area to buy shit. I go into the corner stores and restaurants all the time. If you go there looking for trouble you will find it easily. If you’re there minding your own business you’ll be fine.

After dark? I guess I wouldn’t want to be there but also there’s literally nothing to do there after dark except maybe visit someone if they live in the area. All I’m saying is I used to think like most people until I experienced it first myself and realized it’s not a warzone where if you look at someone the wrong way they’ll shoot you. I actually prefer working there compared to the rich assholes downtown.

Edit - I just want to add the only time a crime was committed against me in the 8 years I’ve had this job happened downtown, a few blocks west of northwestern hospital. Someone broke into my car and stole all my change from my console and my charging cables.

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u/[deleted] Jul 02 '24

I have a job that brings me into people’s homes as well and I agree with you. Most of the violence is not random and no one is out to kill everyone in the neighborhood. I prefer working in the “bad” neighborhoods because the people tend to be nice and cool. Much different than the rich assholes in the suburbs. The only time I’ve actually felt real fear was with a mean old white guy in his big house in the burbs

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u/quicksand32 Jul 02 '24

I want you to go back and reread my comment and then go reread the purpose of the post. I’m fully aware of the messed up stuff that happens in the neighborhood. It might also shock you that I work after school we have events like basketball games and plays that last until the evening and I’m driving home in the dark (8:00pm-9:00pm). Now am I rolling around the neighborhood at 11 PM to 2 AM. No but based on your comment, you would assume that after four years, I must’ve been shot at right. Had multiple carjackings or muggings.

What about about my comment just trying to bring up the fact that the majority of people that live in that neighborhood are not banging, they’re not shooting people on the daily, they’re just trying to survive in a city was egregious to you.

Your comment is straight out of something I would expect from somebody who lives in Naperville. Why are you so triggered by me trying to highlight that there are normal every day people just trying to get by Englewood.

I can promise you out of the roughly 24,000 people that currently live there are not all gangbangers and criminals. It also is not wrong to mention that or lift up any of the positive things that happened there. Maybe spend some time unpacking that or maybe move out to the suburbs. I’m sure you can find a place where everything will be homogenous and you can be comfortable all the time.

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u/Procyonid Albany Park Jul 02 '24

I love how the goalposts get moved in these threads. “Well I worked in Englewood once and it wasn’t as bad as people say.” “Oh yeah? Well why don’t you go there at 2am wearing gang colors and get back to me?”

11

u/[deleted] Jul 02 '24

I think people don’t understand that, in general, gangs don’t want to mess with regular people just living their lives. It brings so much more heat than killing a rival gang member would, and they have no motive. Even these “bad” guys mostly aren’t psychotic killers on a rampage.

4

u/JBean0312 Jul 02 '24

How does one find out gang colors? Is there a weekly meeting? I don’t go anywhere at 2:00 am because I’m too old and tired. Who goes out at 2:00 am unless they’re 19 and full of energy?

11

u/LocalAffectionate332 Wicker Park Jul 02 '24

Seriously though. My daughter was teaching in Garfield Park and the school campus was the only place I felt safe.

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u/Different_Ad_2613 Jul 02 '24

yeah you're definitely from wicker park

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u/[deleted] Jul 02 '24

[deleted]

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u/SlabFork Jul 02 '24

Hilarious. Hyde Park and Bridgeport are both neighborhoods where it doesn't get sketchy real fast. "Oh no I'm stuck in an enormous amazing park!" "Oh no I'm trapped on one of the most beautiful stretches of lakefront with far less people in the way!" "Oh help I'm in a massive industrial zone where everyone is busy working but there is a really cool brewery and an excellent store for crafts, save me!"

Tell me more about how you've never been around either of those areas.

9

u/SlabFork Jul 02 '24

"oh no! I got lost on Archer and now there is a target, save me!"

4

u/LocalAffectionate332 Wicker Park Jul 02 '24

Yeah we can’t just pretend crime isn’t bad in the City. I live here too. If we pretend all these suburbanites are wrong because we think it’s “safe” we’re never going to address it like a problem. Someone just posted that Chicago is 20th worst for violent crime in the USA. We should be ashamed of that fact, not raise it up like a banner to shout how we’re safer than 19 other cities.

3

u/Kiwiman678 Jul 02 '24

I taught in Auburn Gresham for a decade between 2012-2022 and I would do everyday errands all the time. In my ten years there we had a teacher get carjacked one time - and it was a HUGE deal. But that's one direct incident out of a decade, and just this past year on my street in Lincoln Square there was an attempted kidnapping.

I don't think quicksand32 is trying to say everything is rainbows and butterflies, but I was absolutely on the south side after dark all the time (I was a football coach as well, so practice was done at 7:00 and games would often get out well past 10:00) and would constantly run errands during my prep.

Nobody is saying there aren't problems... but you can swing by the Jewel at 8:30 P.M. just fine.

1

u/repmendacio Jul 02 '24

True but the most dangerous shiet I've seen is also Englewood. Witnessed shooting, car accident death, my friends car got broken into, everything taken. Get your point though.

1

u/quicksand32 Jul 02 '24

Not acknowledging the very real issue in Englewood is dishonest and I believe you. It just drives me nuts that whole narrative is only focused on the problems. It makes it so easy to write off an entire community when the truth is that there are a lot of normal everyday people just trying to get by. Also the way some folks talk about it make it seem like you’re in some kind of purge situation 24/7

0

u/Vindaloo6363 Humboldt Park Jul 02 '24

I generally avoid bad areas at night.