Having to live most of life in Chicago, I’ve learned a few things about this city that make it the worst city to live in. I can remember traveling to different cities and countries and people would ask where are you from. I’d proudly shout out “Chi-Town”. Their response would usually be oh yea, Michael Jordan or the Bulls, Oprah Winfrey, President Obama and sometimes pizza. We always had the best pizza they believed. Well today is an entirely different story. Now if I’m asked that same question the response is always… oh wow, they do a lot of killing there. Crime is out of control and so on and so on. . As sad as the crime is in Chicago that’s not all what makes this city so horrible to live in. The weather is awful, the winters are artic and the summers are full of pollen. Not to add the cost of living is ridiculous, it’s completely out of control. Why is crime so high in Chicago? it wasn’t always this bad.

Chicago is responsible for nearly half of 2015’s increase in homicides in the United States. In 2015, Spike Lee produced a film called Chi-Raq. The focus was on gang violence throughout neighborhoods on the south side of the city. The highlight was an area known as Englewood. So when you say you live on the southside of Chicago people automatically associate you to a crime infested community. I can tell you not all communities on the south side are crime infested. Many have proud African American citizens living productively. They work hard everyday to ensure their family live a comfortable life and be positive citizens. Yes in certain areas children are being killed like cattle back in the old days when you had to hunt for your food. I often wonder what happened to these communities and how is so easy to gun down innocent children or even one another. My answer to that question could take for ever to explain, so I’ll address it at another time. But, long story made a little short. Everything positive was taken out of these communities. Schools closing, projects torn down, closing the factories that provided 80% of the jobs in these communities. Social events dropped due to no funding so they say, leaving these children victims of the streets and prey to gangs. With all that being said, the weather is awful. Trying to plan an outdoor event has it’s challenges,

You can’t trust the weather here. A beautiful sunny day can turn into an evening of rain, snow, hail and lower temperatures. I’ve been fooled on many occasions, you leave home on a normal nice day so you think. The temperature is in the low 70’s, you grab a light jacket and set out for the fun. A few hours later the temp drops to the low 40’s and you are freezing. This is not the place to be if you suffer with allergies or sinus. You could open a clothing factory if you collect all the pollen that fill the air the entire spring and summer seasons in Chicago. The cold artic winters will destroy your body if you have sensitive skin or suffer with any form of arthritis. You will ache constantly and have flare ups due to the cold air and you’ll have crackling skin. Now that you survived this crazy weather you want to enjoy the sights. Chicago is full of things to do but it will be costly.

You can always find something to do in Chicago but be sure to add in all the extras. Yes extras!! You get to the Zoo and it already cost you an arm and a leg for you and the children to enter, you also have to pay to park. When you shop in Chicago you have to pay for the bags to put your purchases in. Rent is off the chain, a two bedroom apartment can cost $1,250.00 monthly and in certain areas it’s a whole lot more. If you work downtown or go to school get ready to cough out cash to park. Parking downtown can add up. Bad enough the city requires city stickers on your vehicle, of course they are expensive but here comes the extra. You will be fined if you don’t have your stickers when they say you are late. Late fees run from $60.00 and up. So you don’t want to pay the high cost to park in the lots so you park on the street. Be careful to park in the right spot if not you will be towed and of course if towed you are fine with the extra charges in order to retrieve your vehicle. Don’t pay the ticket and get another one, will you will be booted. This is when they lock your tire so you can’t move it and you have to pay to get the boot off. Are there additional fees of course. When you purchase a home you are stuck with yearly property taxes even once you pay off the home. A new car is taxed, your income is taxed, there are many cities with no city taxes, liquor is taxed, cigarettes are taxed, hell most everything here is taxed. This city is out of control. I once classified myself as middle class. I now have to give this some thought.

Martin Luther King once said” an individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity”. I was born and raised in Chicago. I often heard Chicago was a very segregated city. Once upon a time I believed that to be true. Today I can say Chicago is the best city to live in because of it’s diversity. In 2015 Chicago was ranked the seventh most diverse cities in the United States. Chicago is known for culturally diverse neighborhoods like Little Italy, China Town, Greek Town, and many more. So when your hunger and thirst starts to take over, you are not limited, you have a large selection to choose. You can always be sure to find something to do in Chicago. It could be a broad way play, a movie, or dancing in the park. Chicago offers a variety of entertainment.

The city consist of many neighborhoods, I believe it’s a total of seventy seven (77). We have the North Side, South Side, West Side and East Side of Chicago. Albany, a north west side community where they have a large population of Hispanics. Albany also has Whites, African Americans, and Asians that reside in this community. Avondale is another neighborhood in Chicago, Polish, Hispanic and Central Americans live in this part of the city also located on the north side of the city. Beverly is a south west side neighborhood. Even though the majority of the population consist of African American and Irish, other ethnicities live in this community. Another great diverse community is Hyde Park. It is located on the south east side of the city and it’s population consist with Whites, Blacks, Asians and Hispanics. The University located in this area play an important factor to race and age.

The food choices are endless. You can be in Hyde Park and enjoy some delicious Jamaican cuisine while also enjoying a taste or some good ole fashion Italian pizza. Keep walking in this area and you’ll come across Middle Eastern eats. Make your way to Beverly and stop in Horse Thief Hollow and enjoy it’s rustic microbrewery with gastropub grub. Ken’s on Western offers you a Cajun classic dining experience. When you get tired of the South side you and always make your way over North and enjoy a variety of eatery’s. Take a ride to Avondale and feast on some Argentinian dishes. You can also sit down for traditional food and cocktails at B’el Bar + Kitchen. How about you visit Albany and enjoy some Mediterranean food. There are so many different styles of food in this area. You could eat Korean for lunch and sit down for a Mexican dinner. You could just grab some Japanese or Filipino take-outs. The choices are endless and I’ve only detailed four communities. Remember I mentioned there are seventy seven (77). I’m so full and now I need some entertainment.

What do you enjoy doing? I love to sing and dance. Anything with music and I am hooked. I like to go up north every now and then and catch a great female impersonator show. Kit Kat Lounge, where they make the best drinks in the “Chi” and Batons are my favorite spots. I can never get enough of watching these men look fabulous as they perform female artist tunes. I don’t do bars and clubs often because I DJ and I feel like I’m working but we have some great bars on the north, south and west side. I can always find a hot Raggae band up north and hear some good ole blues on the south side and downtown areas. For some day time fun we have so many museums, my favorite is Dusable located in Hyde Park. Brookfield Zoo always have a diverse schedule of events, from Mexican Day to a House Music party in the gardens and live jazz bands, etc. I could really go on and on about the diverse events in Chicago but it would go on for a very long time.

Every person has it’s own favorite space or room in their home, for most people,the word “space”, itself sounds grand, however, for me, it’s more than a favorite room or space; it’s my serenity. It’s the place that I go to, to work, study, gather my thoughts, cry, pray, relax, entertain family and friends, watch television and listen to some great music.

The colors in this room are burgundy and ivory which reflect a peaceful atmosphere. The ceiling is painted ivory and there are a total of six(6) globe lights, one in each area of this spacious room. There’s the back storage area and it holds all my supplies needed for work and some of my son and daughter things, the furnace and water tank are also in this area. A floral wine colored curtain close off this space and now you are in my work area where I get creative.

This area has my desk and chairs and a file cabinet where I keep paper and contracts for work and a huge mirror on one side of the wall. Sheer curtains that swag on a rod are burgundy, white and ivory separate and close off my office space. My bar that seats four(4), made of solid oak wood with brown leather along with the seats that are brown with chrome is directly in front along the wall of this area. The shelves on the wall display the collection of my glasses and the bar is stocked with our favorite drinks. My son’s obituary sits on the first shelf near the shot glasses. There’s a portrait of him and myself along the wall near the bar. This bar is the same age as my son if he were still alive today and that’s thirty six years (36) old. A lot of memories were made at this bar, the good and the bad. There are jazz pictures around the bar area also. Across from the bar is a tall wood table with high chairs with brown leather seats. Now you have the couch and chaise which is located behind the table and chairs, they could be considered across depending on where you are located. The set has a paisley print of brown,burgundy and green, there’s a large plant that stands next to the chaise. My television sits on top of the fireplace which is a brown wood base. On the wall is a fish tank that is now empty and the wooded stand that holds my African Women figurines and family pictures, lots of pictures. You can see the area where I keep extra stuff and then there’s the door to enter the laundry room. I love this room in my house as I stated in the beginning, as I walk down the stairs and enter in the basement, I find a calmness.

The person I am describing is my daughter. She is Black American. She is short in height and weighs 135 pounds. Her hair is mixed with light brown and dark brown, today the length is pass her shoulders. Her eyes are shaped like a doe and they are brown in color. She has a perky little mouth. No lipstick or earrings in her ears. Her complexion is a very light brown. She looks young for her age but she is 32 years old. She’s wearing a hot pink top, long sleeves with a pair of black leggings. She’s wearing a pair of black boots, they favor gym shoes but they are boots. She is sitting to the left of me.

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton