CHAT Went to Chicagoland Friday and Saturday....how do they do it?

[OldAndCrazy]

Had to go to the West and North burbs to pick something up for a family member. My God, how in the world do people live like that? The traffic, the houses every 10 feet on top of each other. Don't even get me started on the prices of everything. I was only there for 24 hours and vowed to never go back. Looks like most of the population hates their governor too, funny he even got elected (that's rhetorical).

 

[Red Baron]

LOL. We lived in the city until the early 60's and then moved to the far western suburbs.

Left the state in the mid-80's. The traffic was formidable then, must be brutal now.

Which suburbs did you have to go to?

 

[Jeff B.]

We lived in Crete for several years 1989 - 1991 and I worked in Chicago, near 115th & Cottage Grove.

That was my wife’s favorite house, a 1930’s brick Cape near the Lincoln Oaks GC. I spent every waking hour working on renovating that place.

We went back up for work and a Christmas Party a few years ago. It is jam packed when compared to what we’ve become accustomed to in Texas.

Jeff B.

 

[OldAndCrazy]

Friends were in Oswego then I had to manipulate my way up to Algonquin (90 minutes) in Friday night traffic through all the little city's. By the time I got to my destination, my brakes were smoking and I could definitely smell my new tires as they were plenty hot. What a PITA.

 

[Red Baron]

Friends were in Oswego then I had to manipulate my way up to Algonquin (90 minutes) in Friday night traffic through all the little city's. By the time I got to my destination, my brakes were smoking and I could definitely smell my new tires as they were plenty hot. What a PITA.

Yup,

A 60 mile drive with a stoplight every half mile.

Rt. 25 and Rt. 31 in the Fox Valley are horrible drives. Rt. 47 or Rt. 59 are not any better as an alternative.

 

[OldAndCrazy]

Yup, that's where I was. How I didn't get in an accident I have no idea. Every 1/2 mile? I wish, it was like every 200 yards, probably not but seemed like it Friday night. Tons of money too. Lots of shiny metal boxes with tinted windows and fancy wheels. Big houses and apartments everywhere.

Prime place not to be if the world goes just slightly off kilter.

 

[artichoke]

Used to live in the north suburbs which was pretty nice. Metra train into the city.

I went out to the western suburbs a few times, and the last time I did, I had the definite impression they were farming people. Not people who do farming, but that the area was a farm and the people were the crop, or maybe that their money was being harvested. So unpleasant, massive traffic jams, no charm at all.

I don't know what the price ratio is, north suburbs are a bit more expensive, but I'd pay the diff. if I had to go back there. Which I don't, because I have resolved never to do it.

 

[WalknTrot]

Alien species..and getting "aliener" every day.

Sad that the majority of the population in this country doesn't even know there is any other way to live.

 

[Illini Warrior]

We lived in Crete for several years 1989 - 1991 and I worked in Chicago, near 115th & Cottage Grove.

That was my wife’s favorite house, a 1930’s brick Cape near the Lincoln Oaks GC. I spent every waking hour working on renovating that place.

We went back up for work and a Christmas Party a few years ago. It is jam packed when compared to what we’ve become accustomed to in Texas.

Jeff B.

that old Lincolnshire CC area (now Lincoln) has/had some fantastic architecture - went to a garage sale this summer that could have been your old place - great brick work & design - Crete in town has a few unique gems >> mixed bag these days unfortunately depending on the degree of the human trashload

 

[Jeff B.]

Yep. There was a 1950’s modernist place next to ours that was really cool, wasn’t out taste, but it was unique.

When we drove around, I think we came away thinking the area hadn’t held up as well as we’d thought it would.

My favorite place was a house we had in Columbia County (Martinez) outside of Augusta. We went by there a few years ago (last Masters trip) and I’d live there again in a minute. Area was great and looked better than before.

Jeff B.

 

[Josie]

DD lived one block from Wrigley 2005-2007 while in grad school. Said it got "a little crazy" on game days. Moving her in was a test of my patience. Moving her out was just as bad, if not worse because her brothers were all busy and couldn't help. Ya know, that city burnt down once and they had a chance to build it up right...but they chose not to! I was beyond thrilled to see the sign for I-57 south. I thought, "I'm home!" which I wasn't. It was another couple of hours driving away from that nest of I don't know what. We went back a few years ago for a wedding in Cicero. We about got hit three times. There was a UPS guy that probably had to go change his underwear after standing on his brakes to avoid rear ending us.

 

[Illini Warrior]

LOL. We lived in the city until the early 60's and then moved to the far western suburbs.

Left the state in the mid-80's. The traffic was formidable then, must be brutal now.

Which suburbs did you have to go to?

"far western suburbs" back then was probably Aurora, Elgin and St Charles >> it's now another 50 miles further west - Rockford and south of there are the far west suburbs now ...

had a poor SOB "kid" years ago that took a work transfer from poh dunk Iowa - could only afford to move half way to Chicago from the IA border

 

[OldAndCrazy]

Yeah, best thing about Illinois is leaving it.

 

[Millwright]

Went to Chicagoland Friday and Saturday.

By OldAndCrazy....emphasis on Crazy.

 

[SSTemplar]

If you live 60 miles from anyplace in Chicago that is to close. I live 54 miles from Dallas and I haven’t been there in years and don’t need to go.

 

[Red Baron]

Yup, that's where I was. How I didn't get in an accident I have no idea. Every 1/2 mile? I wish, it was like every 200 yards, probably not but seemed like it Friday night. Tons of money too. Lots of shiny metal boxes with tinted windows and fancy wheels. Big houses and apartments everywhere.

Prime place not to be if the world goes just slightly off kilter.

"Suburban" Chicago was and is essentially a mélange of bedroom communities, strip malls, office buildings, and not much else. Core industry is diminishing. Many areas are blighted. Most of it is actually much more urban rather than suburban. Big homes on tiny lots all crammed together on crowded highways.

Not my idea of any "quality of life". Every daily commute was a supreme effort and shopping on the weekends was another pain in the rump. Between commuting and work, we would be out of our house for at least twelve hours a day. Not acceptable IMHO.

We left the state in the 80's because of the horrible traffic and the wildly expensive home prices.

I think the City of Chicago is essentially unsustainable now. Not enough good jobs and a crime culture gone unabated.

The Chicago suburbs are not far behind IMHO.

Not saying that Milwaukee County is a Golden Gem of the Midwest, but things are a lot simpler and cheaper up here.

Except for the confiscatory state and local taxes.

At least, a 30 minute drive yielded some decent hunting and camping opportunities away from the city. Something you never can find in Illinois.

Illinois is just the rats feeding on the rats.

 

[Magdalen]

Yup,

A 60 mile drive with a stoplight every half mile.

Rt. 25 and Rt. 31 in the Fox Valley are horrible drives. Rt. 47 or Rt. 59 are not any better as an alternative.

Dad drove that 60 miles every day for years until he started taking the train out of Aurora.

When I was a kid, we bought a piece of my grandfather's dairy farm and moved to a little farming community off Rt. 47. The only way into town was a gravel road. It got paved two years after that. After college, Mom and Dad couldn't take the overgrowth of the area and moved to the top of a mountain in Colorado. Last I heard, the asparagus farm at the corner of the gravel road and Rt.47 had been turned into a waterpark. What a pity.

 

[Red Baron]

"far western suburbs" back then was probably Aurora, Elgin and St Charles >> it's now another 50 miles further west - Rockford and south of there are the far west suburbs now ...

had a poor SOB "kid" years ago that took a work transfer from poh dunk Iowa - could only afford to move half way to Chicago from the IA border

In the early 70's I went to high school and junior college in Elgin.

Pretty sketchy back then and will win no awards now.

 

[Red Baron]

Dad drove that 60 miles every day for years until he started taking the train out of Aurora.

When I was a kid, we bought a piece of my grandfather's dairy farm and moved to a little farming community off Rt. 47. The only way into town was a gravel road. It got paved two years after that. After college, Mom and Dad couldn't take the overgrowth of the area and moved to the top of a mountain in Colorado. Last I heard, the asparagus farm at the corner of the gravel road and Rt.47 had been turned into a waterpark. What a pity.

We used to take Rt. 47 to Lake Geneva, WI from the far west Chicago suburbs on the hot summer weekends.

Anything further east was a traffic nightmare.

Used to be a decent burger/shake stand in Woodstock IL on Rt. 47 IIRC.

Saw a bunch of Mexican illegal immigrants have a shootout in the sleepy town of Hebron, IL back in the seventies on Rt. 47.

Three cars in front of us, and some muchacho decides to shoot his father in law with a Remington 1100 shotgun.

Even in the sticks, driving was a challenge!

 

[Blacknarwhal]

Dad's side of the family was from Oak Park River Forest. Great-grandmother--who insisted we call her "Granny" after I was born--spent years as a Bell Telephone operator. Great-grandpa drove a truck. It's a noteworthy story that he occasionally drove a few loads for one Alphonse Capone. Turns out a lot of people secretly worked for the mob in one way or another thanks to all the front businesses. Anyway, great-grandpa was often requested for his discretion, and was periodically rewarded with steaks, show tickets and such. It's a fun story these days.

Mom and Dad went on a Chicago trip a couple years back; just an overnight. They enjoyed it, but they got lost a couple times. I actually went once myself on a class trip to the art museums out there. They really are something else. Dropped a couple bucks into a busker's hat as he was a tuba player. Tuba players have to stick together, and frankly, I'd never seen a man playing a tuba on a street corner before and felt that called for something.

 

[The Snack Artist]

Had to go to the West and North burbs to pick something up for a family member. My God, how in the world do people live like that? The traffic, the houses every 10 feet on top of each other. Don't even get me started on the prices of everything. I was only there for 24 hours and vowed to never go back. Looks like most of the population hates their governor too, funny he even got elected (that's rhetorical).

There's LESS room in illannoy because of the guvnah. Look at the jowls on that beast! - Steve Irwin

I commuted an hour and a half each way for 30+ years to keep my family out of the sh***y area called chicago. Kids grew up in a great area. I slept on the train, a LOT.

 

[artichoke]

DD lived one block from Wrigley 2005-2007 while in grad school. Said it got "a little crazy" on game days. Moving her in was a test of my patience. Moving her out was just as bad, if not worse because her brothers were all busy and couldn't help. Ya know, that city burnt down once and they had a chance to build it up right...but they chose not to! I was beyond thrilled to see the sign for I-57 south. I thought, "I'm home!" which I wasn't. It was another couple of hours driving away from that nest of I don't know what. We went back a few years ago for a wedding in Cicero. We about got hit three times. There was a UPS guy that probably had to go change his underwear after standing on his brakes to avoid rear ending us.

They did build it right. That was the South Side. Lock your car doors (and put in bulletproof window glass) and drive around there someday. The blacks took over the best part of Chicago -- beautiful old architecture.

In the late 1800's Chicago had a World's Fair to attract the world elite to live there, partly on the basis of the architecture. There are at least one or two known comments from then along the line of "it's a beautiful city but they can't do anything about the weather, I'll stay in NYC."

 

[samus79]

I live out in the southwest suburbs (Naperville area) and it’s pretty nice in my little corner of suburbia. Since I work odd hours the only time I have trouble with traffic is in the morning on the way into Midway airport but it honestly only adds about 10-15 minutes onto my commute unless there’s a huge wreck.

I used to avoid the city like the plague until the girlfriend moved to the West Loop now I go down there every weekend but I still avoid the downtown area like the plague, I can’t stand driving in the city. I need to get the hell out of Illinois sometime soon it’s just finding a good place to relocate where I can find a decent job.

 

[artichoke]

Dad's side of the family was from Oak Park River Forest. Great-grandmother--who insisted we call her "Granny" after I was born--spent years as a Bell Telephone operator. Great-grandpa drove a truck. It's a noteworthy story that he occasionally drove a few loads for one Alphonse Capone. Turns out a lot of people secretly worked for the mob in one way or another thanks to all the front businesses. Anyway, great-grandpa was often requested for his discretion, and was periodically rewarded with steaks, show tickets and such. It's a fun story these days.

Mom and Dad went on a Chicago trip a couple years back; just an overnight. They enjoyed it, but they got lost a couple times. I actually went once myself on a class trip to the art museums out there. They really are something else. Dropped a couple bucks into a busker's hat as he was a tuba player. Tuba players have to stick together, and frankly, I'd never seen a man playing a tuba on a street corner before and felt that called for something.

I thought Big Al spent most of his time in Miami and called in instructions. Nobody actually wanted to be in Chicago.

 

[Mary Contrary]

Alien species..and getting "aliener" every day.

Sad that the majority of the population in this country doesn't even know there is any other way to live.

But if the majority came to the country it wouldn't be the country anymore. Thank God most stay away.

 

[vestige]

I spent some time on Lakeshore Drive in the mid 1970s.

It was a NIHH then and I am sure it has not improved.

 

[samus79]

I spent some time on Lakeshore Drive in the mid 1970s.

It was a NIHH then and I am sure it has not improved.

Nothings changed, and in fact I would bet that the infestation is even worse now.

 

[Blacknarwhal]

I thought Big Al spent most of his time in Miami and called in instructions. Nobody actually wanted to be in Chicago.

Entirely possible. But it was still his organization.

 

[ChicagoMan74]

Yep. We is crazy.

But I'm less crazy because I work out of the house. I HATE rush hour traffic here. It may only be worse in Atlanta or New York. It does wear on you.

 

[pauldingbabe]

Yep. We is crazy.

But I'm less crazy because I work out of the house. I HATE rush hour traffic here. It may only be worse in Atlanta, New York. It does wear on you.

Man that's saying something. Atlanta traffic ain't no joke.

 

[samus79]

Chicago traffic sucks, but the absolute worst traffic I’ve ever experienced was in Southern California. The day I left San Diego for good I got stuck in a 4 hour traffic jam driving north out of San Diego on the I-15. I’ll never forget it because my air conditioner quit working the day before I left.. .

 

[pauldingbabe]

Chicago traffic sucks, but the absolute worst traffic I’ve ever experienced was in Southern California. The day I left San Diego for good I got stuck in a 4 hour traffic jam driving north out of San Diego on the I-15. I’ll never forget it because my air conditioner quit working the day before I left.. .

Just one last FU on your way out huh?

Not fun.

 

[samus79]

Just one last FU on your way out huh?

Not fun.

I guess you could say that, it didn’t get real bad until I hit the Mojave desert but at least at that point the sun was starting to set and the traffic had cleared up so I could at least get some wind blowing with the windows rolled down

 

[PghPanther]

 

[IceWave]

I had to go to Chicago in Jan 2019. Got there Thursday mid afternoon and left Friday before noon. Was blown away at the price of stuff. My hotel room was reasonable enough ($68 at a Holiday Inn Express near the Magnificent Mile), but parking was $48 self or $54 valet. Went out to eat dinner at Pizzaria Due (the 2nd location of the original Pizzaria UNO) and again got smacked upside the head with the price. $48 for 1 small deep dish pizza, breadsticks, and 1 draft beer. I went to the John Hancock building that evening since I could see it from my hotel room, and that was the only really enjoyable part of my trip there. Once I got my business done Friday morning, I got the hell out of there and was so happy when I hit the Indiana state line.

 

[teedee]

Back in the late 1950's I lived on a farm about 20 miles south of Dixon. My father at the time said the problem was we were only 1/2 tank of gas from Chicago!

 

[Firebird]

My home office was on S Blue Island Ave, and the commute in from Orland Park was brutal. Used to like that city, but haven't been back in 30 years, and don't intend to return.

 

[nomifyle]

DH is from Illinois, born in Ramsey. He lived in the Bloomington Normal area. When I went to visit him, before his move to Louisiana, I was scared to even cross into Illinois. I was there a couple of months and it was basically like anywhere else. The people were nice and it was clean, I'm use to the dirty New Orleans. Clinton, Illinois has a couple of really great thrift stores.

We haven't been back to visit his children in a couple of years, the drive is just too hard. Not sure we will ever go back.

God is good all the time

Judy