Chicago info wanted

kuvvy said:
Well I’m hoping Chicago is not as bad as it’s painted. As a photographer searching google with the words ‘Chicago’ and ‘street shooting’ brings up more guns than cameras:)
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I would not worry about Chicago for the occasional visit. It's Gary Indiana that's off the charts for extreme danger.
 
airfrogusmc said:
Where you will be it's not unsafe at all.
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Oak park is NICE! I would not at all feel unsafe there.

I really liked one fountain I saw on Harlem (???) last time I was there.

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The big asset in Chicago is its people. You'll find they are helpful, generous and agreeable to visitors. Besides, one thing I like is that most speak English with an accent (be it Polish, Spanish, Italian or Ukrainian, if not anything else). I hope you're enjoying your stay! :)

BTW, I live 65 miles away, West from the Loop, and there was a time we used to go there for long weekends. Now, with a kid, things cost a bit more, but we still enjoy going there for day trips.
 
And to think Chicago isn' even in the top 20 nation wide. But again the majority of violence is really concentrated in a few gang infested areas on the west and south sides. And those are areas most tourists would never go into. They are not all that easy to get to from the loop. You can't just walk into one of those areas from Mich Ave.
 
airfrogusmc said:
Thats on Marion. Harlem is a big busy street.
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Ok, now I have my bearings. We were walking from a parking lot to the first bar we went to which was at the intersection of that street with the fountain with Lake. We moved over to another bar near Harlem later. That's why I was confused, thanks. :)
 
Ted Striker said:
I would not worry about Chicago for the occasional visit. It's Gary Indiana that's off the charts for extreme danger.
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Neighorhood Scout just listed their top 100 most dangerous cities (population 25,000+) in the US. Gary didn't make the cut. Chicago did.

Ditto USA Today's danger list. No Gary on the list, but Chicago is there.

These "most dangerous" lists scare visitors unnecessarily. Just be smart. Don't be a target. Philly, where I photograph, is on the danger list too, and it's rare for me to go for a photowalk without running in to other happy photogs snapping away, even in the "dangerous" parts.
 
jawarden said:
Neighorhood Scout just listed their top 100 most dangerous cities (population 25,000+) in the US. Gary didn't make the cut. Chicago did.

Ditto USA Today's danger list. No Gary on the list, but Chicago is there.

These "most dangerous" lists scare visitors unnecessarily. Just be smart. Don't be a target. Philly, where I photograph, is on the danger list too, and it's rare for me to go for a photowalk without running in to other happy photogs snapping away, even in the "dangerous" parts.
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Then those publications aren't worth the electrons they are printed with. Murder rates do not lie. Period.

Look at the property values in Gary Indiana. You can't give away houses there.

I lived in Chicago 42 years and for one summer worked in the USS steel mills in Gary and Portage Indiana. There I met people who had the very unfortunate lot in life to actually live in Gary. They described an absolute urban hell hole of a life. Several people I met there had lost extended family members due to gun violence.
 
Ted Striker said:
Then those publications arent worth the electrons they are printed with. Murder rates do not lie. Period.

Look at the property values in Gary Indiana. You can't give away houses there.

I lived in Chicago 42 years and for one summer worked in the USS steel mills in Gary and Portage Indiana. There I met people who had the very unfortunate lot in life to actually live in Gary. They described an absolute urban hell hole of a life. Several people I met there had lost extended family members due to gun violence.
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I suspect the USA Today list excluded Gary because of the city's very small size. Gary has been losing population, and now only has about 75,000 people. Gary is no longer a major city even within Indiana. Many of these lists like the one in USA Today only include fairly large cities.

That said, Gary's murder rates have declined a lot since the days when you lived in Chicago. They're still the highest in Indiana, but a lot of American cities now have higher murder rates. I have lived in Indiana most of my life, and I would still not ever visit Gary unless I could afford several armed men to accompany me.
 
jawarden said:
Hey we're trying to save lives here. Wait, you're from Chicago? It's so dangerous there - are bullets whizzing past you right now as you type like they are here in dangerous Philly? Duck!!!

:D:D:D
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Oh, most likely! Our Gary is your Camden NJ... :eek:
 
css9450 said:
Oh, most likely! Our Gary is your Camden NJ... :eek:
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Exactly. The thing with most cities is that murders and other violent crime tend to be concentrated in a 'bad' part of town, usually the inner-city. The rest of the city is very safe. That's true of Chicago, and its true of my hometown, Fort Wayne. I can leave my doors unlocked at night with no fear, even though Fort Wayne averages 45 murders a year. The middle class area where I live, like most of Fort Wayne, has virtually no crime, violent or otherwise. The city's southeast side, however, is run by street gangs, crack dealers, and thugs; because there are no jobs there, people earn their living through crime.

The problem with Gary is that there is no nice part of town. The entire city is the 'bad part of town.'
 
There are so many things to do in Chicago in late June! Well, I love food trucks, so I would totally vote for Chicago Food Truck Festival - lots of great food and a great chance to meet locals.
Regarding the tours…when I’m not sure where to start, I usually join a free walking tour to get some basic intro into the city’s life. There are some free walking tours in Chicago as well.
For accommodation, I would choose AirBnb, so far it has proven to be the best option for me.
You can also have a look at rove.me for some ideas on seasonal experiences in Chicago in June
 
Well, only days to go before our trip. Been studying all the places you guys have suggested plus tons more. Loads of things to cram in in nine days and looking forward to it.
For the gear curious, I’ve finally decided on the Fuji XT1, 16/2.8 and 23/2. Still considering whether to slip in the super wide Laowa 9mm. Not sure if it’ll get that much use. Ricoh GRIII for the pocketable option. All carried in the Hadley Pro as my carry on bag but using the BBBe daily.

Paul.
 
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