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.
Phillip151 