F-ing chicago!

THATS FUNNY!
I avoid "the city" like V.D.
The O'Hare parking garage is like shooting fish in a barrel, been nipped there myself.

 

You are right that there is an attraction to the downtown area and a few (very few) other areas. In the rest of the city, taxes are crushing business, home and rental property owners. Because pay and rents can't keep up with the tax increases, I see a lot of homes, stores and apartment buildings going under and the city will experience a lot of people "walking away" from them. Now the city gets to own these abandoned properties. I think you know what that will go.

Suburtopia isn't much better but we don't have something you do. The Crook County board.

 

First time I've ever seen "Chicago" and "republican government" in the same sentence.

 

Which I would understand having lived there for a while. If I wanted that kind of boredom I could have stayed in Switzerland.

 

Funny enough they keep building high rise buildings for rent or ownership. Are they all nuts? Probably not if you go by the success the whole area around the former "executive golf club" near the Swissotel is.

I'm not arguing that there are areas that are forelorn and shops are closing down. Just drive along Irving park for example. But that's the economy.

Sorry pal, but that's the GOP undertone I'm reading in most of these posts. No question Crook County is corrupt and there are quite a few things I'd like to see changed (let's start with the TIFs, shall we?). And so far Rahm-bo is doing a good job at cleaning up.

That said, how much of this stuff do you really let you get to you? How much of this does actually affect your life? People complain about a cab driver. Well, go out in the world and do a sample: There is an idiot in every city. Or two or three. The city has 6 million people, what do you expect? This ain't Disneyland. Thank God it's not.

 

Are they nuts? I think they are. We have new strip malls going up and they are all empty........empty for 12 months or more and there are still malls going up. I don't get it.

 

I actually agree with Andreas. I like the city. Yes, things may be expensive, but traveling from Skokie to downtown often (via the El when cold and bicycle when warm), it's enjoyable. Spending the whole day down there, eating, walking, shopping and carspotting. It's a great way to spend a day of fun. I took 5 other friends in the AM on black friday, where we all bought stuff. Mostly shoes, from NikeTown and the Adidas store. I've lived in suburbia all my life. I rarely traveled downtown. But now that I have the chance to, I go as often as I can. I enjoy it. It's a great city. Granted, I don't need to tip taxi drivers or hotel bellhops, but Chicago is great, and probably better when you don't have to tip people extra.

 

I for one,can not wait to get the hell out of the suburbs and never come back (as Andreas mentioned,I am going to be that "empty nester" next year).
My house goes on the market in February and I am buying an apartment in the city.
Do I love Chicago?
Hell no but what other choice do I have when I'm stuck in this God forsaken state ?

 

That was "Priceless"

 

I'm sure your cosmopolitan wife will love it.

And I'll be happy to have you as my "neighbor".

 

As a lifelong Chicago resident I'm glad some of you are sticking up for the city we love. It is far from a perfect city but it is my home and I love it.
I could start a Skokie is full of moronic cops thread... Napertucky is full of bigots thread… or the parents of GBN students should be in jail for paying for alcohol so their delinquent children can haze other children thread… but I won't. I didn’t chime in to attack where you live and I would appreciate it if you would exercise the same courtesy. Andreas said it best, there are idiots everywhere.
"What do all of those taxes and fees actually buy?" To start with, more free public beaches than any other city in America. What else?
Without Chicago's infrastructure, many of the suburban communities would be using well water. Like to ice skate outdoors for free? I know your wild kits and New Trier green teams love to have free "skating sessions" aka captain’s practices without sticks at Warren Park. What about schools? Last time I checked three of the top six public high schools in the state are Chicago Public Schools.
Where do you go for a great meal? Suburban strip malls with OCB? I think not.
Unfortunately, we do have some truly awful roads. I guess that is the price you pay for having roads that get plowed and salted all winter.

I know there are benefits to living in the burbs; however, they don’t outweigh the cons for me. Would I like a bigger yard? Yes. However, I can be at the beach in less than ten minutes. Centennial pool is very nice; however, I don’t have to pay an additional fee to take my kids to any number of CPD pools. I like walking to Cubs games with my son. He is going to skate with some of the Hawks next Wednesday at the ice rink down the street. It will take me 12 minutes to drive there. I could go on but why? I like where I live. I hope you like where you live. It isn't better, just different. There are more than a few great neighborhoods in Chicago. I'll be happy to take anyone on a walking tour when it is warmer.

I chimed in originally to help people who get tickets in the city. As a lifelong Chicagoan, I know a few things about how this city works. If you got a ticket, there was probably a reason. I’m not saying it doesn’t suck and I’m not saying it isn’t a PITA; however, you do have recourse.

It was on the back of your first notice. Check in person and the location and mail it in. A few weeks later they send you a week when you can come in and plead your case. Go in any day during that week and argue your case. Bring in pictures and paperwork and (usually) in less than 30 minutes you are done. Don’t go on Mondays or Fridays because it is usually mobbed. If you go to the Addison location, there is a small free parking lot in front of the strip mall.

Of course it may take longer if you have to commute in from the suburbs
Can we close this thread now?

 

FWIW, my wife and I love to visit Chicago. Traffic is not-so-fun, but the people are amazingly friendly and good natured, and there's tons of great dining, sightseeing, hotels, shopping, etc. Costs seem comparable to other major American cities for a visitor.

 

I know some people love the city. That's great. (I know the city isn't all bad, just some parts and some people.) I like to visit, but not stay. I would much rather be on some open farm land than in the city. It's all about personal interests.

Sorry if you feel the discussion was a personal attack, it wasn't. BTW we do have nice restaurants out here that aren't the choke and puke OCB types.

 

I didn't take it as a personal attack. I defend my city because I hate the stereotypes that pass for facts about Chicago. People beat up on Chicago without taking the time to get to know it.
FWIW I know there are some great restaurants in the burbs and it isn't all strip mall hell. I think Cafe Barcelona is as good as any of the tapas restaurants in the city. The food at Frogies is at least as good as LaBouchon and you can actually hear your dinner company when they speak. I went to Loyola Academy in the late 1980s and got addicted to Hackney burgers, etc...

I didn't suggested closing the thread because I thought it was a personal attack. I suggested closing the thread because it seems it is becoming a bit political and nasty in general.

I know what you mean about open fields and farm land. In my perfect zen universe I will have my house in the city and also a house in Wisconsin on a lake with a ten car garage. I can dream

 

How's the search for a 288 going?

 

Chicago is in Cook County. I live in Cook County but in the 'burbs'.

I had a professional appraisal done on my home and it was about $140k less(about a 25% decrease) than it was about 3 yrs ago; yet my property taxes went up about 40%.

Chicago sucks, Cook County sucks and Illinois sucks. All are trying to bleed us dry!

 

Everything is on a back burner now,one kid is in the Military Academy and it takes more of our time then we ever thought,the other is applying to colleges so we have to travel to see them.There is interest in my house but I decided to not actively search for a car until I am truly ready (and all the dust in my life finally settles down).

 

I've got that Schedoni 288 GTO luggage waiting for you.

 

Why do you think I want the car to begin with?

 

Your first mistake was leaving it at O'hare in the first place.

Use Pride Parking on Manheim. A buddy of mine owns it and they're very professional. Way cheaper that O'hare as well

 

Well, we got salt on the roads out here in Napertucky. It's 34F and the ground is warm.......yep, better get those salt trucks on the road.

 

And I'm sure overtime was paid to the salt truck drivers!

Your government at work for YOU..........what a bunch of BS!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I'm pretty sure they don't have garbage pick up it that state either. Looks like everybody just throws their trash out of their car windows. What a mess. Also the snow in the winter is black. Cost of living is nuts. Odd state that I hate to go through to go south. It's not all bad though. Some really good stuff there. Just hard to find sometimes.

 

Just to get back to the original question, a friend of mine had the same thing happen a few years back. IIRC, the law is that you have to have the renewal sticker on the car. Whether you paid before doesn't absolve you of the obligation to have the sticker on the car prior to expiration.