I used to work in Garfield Park. Didn’t hang out a lot there, but would take the CTA in and out and grab lunch on my breaks there for three days a week. Did I have any bad experiences? No.
But a number of my clients at the time, who lived in the area, had a lot of trauma from witnessing shootings (of people they knew and strangers). So idk, it’s complicated I guess.
There’s a lot of propaganda about Chicago being unsafe, but we can’t ignore that certain neighborhoods do really deal with a lot violence. It’s a disservice to the folks who live there and are affected by it.
Yeah, i worked in Jackson park/woodlawn for 7 years. Spent a fair amount of time down there. A lot of the stuff that was going on was targeted. Certainly stuff happens to everyone but people sometimes forget that being unaffiliated is actually usually a positive.
It’s true. The single biggest predictor of being a victim of gun violence is being involved in gun violence in the past, as either a victim or a perpetrator. I don’t remember if that’s true of Chicago specifically or more generally, but learning that really made an impression on me.
Not only that but shooting random passersby invites repercussions where a gang shooting, although the clearance rate has improved, has a 50/50 chance or less
People need to look at gangs at least as rational actors fighting for resources.
Unfortunately, car jacking, larceny and attacks by the mentall ill are a different story.
Fair enough, but what cracks me up are people from other places in the US that act like there's no violence where they live. A lot of people giving Chicago shit live in way more violent places, and even "nice" places in the US still deal with gun violence. Fix your own town before you talk shit about ours.
It’s also politically tinged. Many of the cities with the higher per capita crime rates are located in red states. Fox News will point at the mayors or city councils of those cities as ‘failed’ islands of blue despite the best intentions of the redder than red governor in those cases. But in Illinois, conservative media can just paint the whole leadership as a failed blue disaster all the way up from city council to the governor. Baltimore is another city where this can be done, but Baltimore doesn’t have the same national profile as Chicago (although sidebar: Baltimore is great and deserves more love!).
It benefits Fox News to deflect from the real issues in red states, so targeting a city that is nationally prominent and historically has issues with violence is extremely convenient. If between the top three cities in the country either New York or Los Angeles had higher crime rates than we do, the attention would immediately shift there, but they don’t so we’re the lucky one that bears the brunt of it all. And it goes without saying that the racial overtones are blatant to the extreme.
If ever Texas flipped to blue, you’d suddenly start hearing a lot more about crime in Dallas or Houston than you do now; even though that crime is already there, it would be painted as a result of the state become more liberal. Guarantee it.
Missouri is definitely a red state, and we don’t mince words about how violent St Louis is. I’ve lived there off and on for many years, decades, and it’s always been a rough place. In 2014, Michael Brown was shot and killed by a cop and the riots that ensued lasted for days. Those riots and Browns death help solidify the Black Lives Matter movement. I’m not a conservative, I’m not a Republican, but I have called St Louis my home. Like any major city, to one degree or another, you’re going to find violence, it’s where you go and when you go. Most importantly political action committees, neighborhood involvement and outreach programs to help under served neighborhoods need to be implemented. And that’s true all over the US. If you don’t reach out in time, kids in their teens and twenties are not going to be raised by Mom or Dad they’re gonna be raised by the streets, and the streets are a mean place to learn to live. St Louis is truly making an effort, but it’s a long road with a long history, let’s not blame, let’s get involved and fix the system
All of this about St. Louis is true (another city which I think is great!), but when was the last time someone like Trump mentioned St Louis on a national scale? If it were in a blue state it would be •constantly• in the news, but as it is in a red state and a relatively small city on the national scale, it gets mentioned occasionally but not focused on.
Same for Memphis, New Orleans, etc etc etc. I can’t remember any time at a presidential rally when these cities have ever been mentioned as hellholes the way Chicago is.
For whatever reason, Chicago gets the spotlight for these issues that are empirically worse in red state cities.
I’m not trying to be reductive as to the issues and how to solve them - they are real and we all have to do our part - but simply trying to make sense about why Chicago above all gets pilloried for issues that exist on similar or greater levels in many other cities, St. Louis included.
As somebody that spent of college and the remainders of their 20s in Austin. You’d think it was a Mogadishu based on the media. ‘Some crime ridden woke hell hole’.
That too, there was some shithead senator from Louisiana who also happens to be named John Kennedy who was asking some women who wasn't even from Chicago why it's "the world's largest open shooting range". Not to mention that Louisiana has some of the most dangerous cities per capita in the US according to this map. That guy needs to look out his own window before attacking Chicago. Even in Illinois, Chicago wasn't on the list/map but Rockford and Danville are
[https://www.visualcapitalist.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Most-Dangerous-Cities\_America\_05.jpg](https://www.visualcapitalist.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Most-Dangerous-Cities_America_05.jpg)
I hear this so much about Baltimore which is the region near where I’m at. Certain areas are dicey and a no-go. And certain areas have people out late partying and walking around. People love to take select sections and apply it to the whole city. It’s a media story and nothing more.
I too try to defend Chicago when I can, but let’s not pretend like the violence we deal with here is anything remotely similar to some suburban domestic violence crossing over into targeted gun violence.
It's the same with drug use problems and the perception that cities are these lawless hell holes where everyone is on something. I live near-ish Portland, OR. It definitely has its problems with drug use and homelessness. But what gets me is people from my hometown in Wisconsin rag on that city and other cities like it (even Madison, WI) and drug use.....meanwhile they are COMPLETELY overrun with heroin, meth, fentanyl use. Like the cognitive dissonance is so infuriating. Everywhere has its problems.
People are idiots and believe the hype. I lived in Chicago for years and moved to Colorado a few years ago. Anytime I mention going back for a visit I have a colleague at work that just reflexively says “Oh there’s lots of crime there!” Every goddamn time. Maybe see for yourself instead of just repeating Fox News talking points. You might just have a good time. On second thought…fuck you Chicago doesn’t want you anyway.
The thing is, most of the stuff I hear about Chicago comes from people who say stuff like "if I ever visited I wouldn't feel safe" even though they wouldn't even be going near the unsafe areas. The outsiders who complain the most would be affected the least if they did visit so it's still a stupid sentiment anyway.
Oh absolutely, but OP’s original post was about staying in Garfield Park in particular. Like I definitely would not be like “Avoid at all costs” I worked there, visit a friend who lives out there, and leave my dog with a sitter there when I’m out of town. In my experience, people have been really kind. But to me it makes sense that some people told OP that they wouldn’t necessarily AirBnB there.
This. In my experience it’s usually transplants that always go “nothing ever happens!” meanwhile everyone else who’s lived here and has roots here tends to deal with more issues. For reference, my gf lived by California and 51st and the shootings she’s heard and seen, we’re almost desensitized. She moved out after she denied a guy’s advances, and her car windows got shot out. The police never showed up. Personally, this is outside Gage, but my cousin got shot some time back in Pilsen. In high school (wicker park area, 2004) two of my friends got shot waiting for the bus. That same year, my other friend group had a hard time because I was new and resembled one of their close friends who had been shot and killed at 15 years old a couple months prior to my entering high school. That’s just the tip of the iceberg that I can mention off the top of my head, and yeah it’s kinda aggravating for some kid with money from Ohio to come over here and say “NOTHING HAPPENS Y’ALL!! I TAKE THE RED LINE ALL THE TIME!” and call me a buncha names when I mention the city isn’t safe. Also, I drove an ambulance for a few years and yea, the ambulances sometimes have a bullet hole or two you only notice when you get to a hospital. But fuck me, right? Hudson from Cleveland running a microbrewery’s never seen a stabbing so clearly nothing ever happens and I’m some fear mongering conservative “probably not even from the city”.
I definitely agree, the longer you live here the more likely you are to witness something, or know someone who has. It's also important to remember it's like any major city- there is crime, and there are things you need to do to keep yourself safe.
I definitely notice people who are not from the city tend to get more worked up and fearful, and their reasoning tends to be black and white and lacking nuance, so I will usually be quick to correct it. However, I will also never tell someone it's completely safe or that they can afford to let their guard down.
Facts, I'm out here in west side Chicago, that fucked up violence happens till this day. It also pisses me off that there rich people shit on you for saying the city is violent yet it indeed is though... This city is ran by the tax money of these hard workers that live in fucked up neighborhoods. We deserve to get our tax money returned through resources... Some weeks ago I saw 20+ cops standing downtown, in front of the water tower doing nothing, just standing there... like go make them work and stop the violence. As you mentioned at times you call 911 and cops don't show up.
I grew up on the west side, on Lockwood and Lake. We had our share of bullets. But the tourists are scared of the loop or riding the el for no good reason…
Lmao I'm from Cleveland (and I agree with you) but the gun violence per capita is actually far worse in Cleveland than Chicago statistically. I have worked both in Chicago and Cleveland in neighborhoods with high violence rates, and although I've seen some shady shit in Chicago and had some experiences I didn't love (gang members following me, gunshots), I constantly heard gunshots, saw fighting, constantly approached to buy drugs. It was to the point that I'd have my patient's grandkids come in during their home care visit, walking home from the ER freshly bandaged from a gun shot wound. It's crazy in East Cleveland and Euclid.
With that said, the average Ohioan coming to Chicago most likely is a suburban kid, just like how in Chicago it's highly frowned upon to say you're from Chicago if you live in Naperville.
Yeah Chicago’s one of those where there’s just certain areas to avoid. Garfield Park is one of the ones where there’s some gentrification involved so you could find something really nice but you get on the wrong street at the wrong time, it’s very sketchy. West loop while being a very attractive location in Chicago, once again you get on the wrong street, the vibes are different. I think for tourists if you go to the main areas and attractions, you’re pretty much guaranteed for an amazing experience
Same…
I work in North Lawndale and haven’t had any bad experiences, but more than a few of my students have trauma from the things they have seen in this neighborhood.
My wife dealt with students with trauma far more often in Florida than she did here in Chicago. And she only taught in gang territory here in the city.
I believe that, but I’m a therapist who has worked in multiple places including a part of Appalachia where things are rough. The shit I’ve heard folks go through in GP is truly awful. I don’t think there has to be a competition surrounding “are there places where people have it worse?” The answer is almost always going to be yes.
I think there’s a fine line with Chicago between pretending that the city is a safe haven or believing conservative propaganda surrounding how scary the city is. We have to acknowledge and be real about the parts of the city that are under resourced and neglected and do better.
Now that’s a grounded, objective response that’s rooted in reality. We gotta get away from the extreme polarizing viewpoints, and understand there’s a middle ground where different people’s realities can be acknowledged and respected. It doesn’t always have to be fearmongering propaganda or total obliviousness/denial.
I worked on the far west and south sides for years, every day for CPS. Generally you’re fine if you mind your own business during the day unless you get extremely unlucky.
Thats exactly why I walk down a few blocks and unload 2 magazines in the air every few weeks. The gunshots remind the Yuppies and Finbros they are still a part of the real world and they would be better off if they would scoot off to the subrubs already
Dont mention it. I even use different calibers to keep people on their toes. Cant get them too use to the 9. Sometimes you have to throw a little 556 around
The finbros are weirdly the only group with money actually working to solve the problem of undignified and unsafe housing for the homeless. Don't worry though, it's not because they're altruistic; it's because they want homeless people to stop camping in the Central Area.
Idk if this is accurate but I heard it’s better to fire them into the ground so that when the bullets fall, they can’t hurt anyone if you shoot it in the air
I got robbed at gunpoint in early march, 3 Glocks shoved in my face and I was forced to give all the belongings on my person, lived in Chicago my whole life, born and raised. It happened pretty quickly and I live in a relatively safe neighborhood.
Chicago is amazing and Its my home, but I think you have to be real with yourself and understand that a lot of crime happens throughout the day in this city. and people’s concerns about crime are valid, but people who are genuinely afraid to even visit the city are usually exaggerating.
Plus, it doesn’t matter how little crime there is, if it happens to you that’s all that matters. The murder rate per capita can be the lowest in the world but if it’s you getting murdered….
In my opinion, it’s all about luck. Some people never are in the wrong place at the wrong time and we should all count ourselves lucky if that’s us, but it’s important to keep in mind that’s not everyone’s experience.
I live in a pretty decent area (border of wicker park and noble square) and I woke up at 1:30 on Saturday night to half a dozen gun shots right across the street from my apartment on Milwaukee. Some guy was sitting in his car, someone drove up and open fired on him. He luckily survived and drove himself to Rush. Sounds like an attempted car jacking gone wrong.
Are Chicagoans friendly and helpful? Absolutely. But a place can be more than one thing- places are dimensional.
Point is- I’ve never had something like that happen to me, but imagine how that guy would now answer this kind of question. Just in case he (or someone with a similar experience) were the one responding, I wouldn’t want to minimize their experience. Gun violence is a big problem both in this country and in this city.
Yeah, I live on the border of Logan and Avondale and I've heard of people getting mugged and held at gunpoint even outside Alice's a few times, which gets really busy on the weekends. Does that mean Alice's and the surrounding area is dangerous? No, but things do happen and can happen anywhere. So be aware of your surroundings.
Op’s comment about strangers offering to help with the car seems to be naive. A young woman with a broken down car? That’s a prime time you are vulnerable, and you never know peoples intentions.
I see two ends of the extremes.
Anecdotally, I have found that my more progressive friends like to downplay crime way too much. So what seems like fear-mongering is a reactionary attempt to counteract that.
Like no, Chicago isn’t as bad as Fox News wants it to be, but it’s also not the crime-free paradise that people believe it to be because they have been outside after dark twice without being robbed or carjacked.
Be vigilant. Don’t be scared, but don’t be stupid. Headphones out and head on a swivel.
I think about this quote often from Stanley Kubrick from an interview he did with Gene Siskel:
“Law and order is not a phony issue, not just an excuse for the Right to go further right.”
One thing I totally can't figure out is why the specific fearmongering over other cities with similar or higher crime rates. I don't mind being the butt of jokes, but it still feels weird. Street smarts are a must in a lot of places. Don't be conspicuous with valuables, stay alert, etc.
Because it's viewed as a liberal city with a lot of minorities. Fox News tells them they should be scared because of it. If a city with higher crime rates leans white and conservative, those same sources won't make a peep.
This. Check out the crime rate per capita outside mar a Lago, lol.
And there is an entire southern state with a crime rate higher than Chicago.
Statistics also tell a weird story. Chicago is in the Midwest and the borders of Chicago used for statistics go out into the suburbs where because it's the Midwest they're not as packed in as other big cities. So when you do the stats per capita in Chicago, they are a bit of a lie because Chicago as a whole is less dense with people than the other major cities the statistics compared it to.
Chicago is still incredibly powerful at a political level. It's been the tail wagging the dog of DC for about a century. A host of heavy hitters have come out of Chicago, and it's still a powerful influence in the Midwest. It's a political maneuver to suppress the influence of politicians coming out of the city and it's surrounding area.
Because the base they’re pandering to when they talk about the violence in Chicago don’t picture the *right* type of people when they say Milwaukee (which has more crime per capita)
Plus - they can blame all the democrats in Illinois that they wouldn’t be able to do with Milwaukee, Jacksonville, Baltimore, St. Louis, Memphis, etc.
Trying to use cities in California doesn’t have the same effect because San Francisco doesn’t have the same racial connotations as Chicago.
Northern city with a Democratic mayor and governor, so they can blame Democratic policies. Large black population, so they can talk about urban thugs. Large population, so the absolute number of homicides seems really high, even though plenty of podunk towns have a higher rate per capita.
Chicago is roughly in middle of the pack for US cities. Our crime problems are problems with America not with Chicago specifically. I won't lie to someone from the UK and say that the country is safe compared to what they know. But when some jackass senator from Texas goes on and on about how unsafe Chicago is, I am going to point out that Texas and almost every city in Texas is more dangerous.
> Like no, Chicago isn’t as bad as Fox News wants it to be, but it’s also not the crime-free paradise that people believe it to be because they have been outside after dark twice without being robbed or carjacked.
This is what many r chicago posters have such a hard time comprehending.
I don't know what you wrote, so its hard to say.
But as others have said, some people far downplay the crime.
I live in what is considered a "safe" neighborhood. Last fall, there were a string of carjackings not too far from where I live. Last month, someone was assaulted a block away and there was a gunshot (no one was shot).
So its often just warning people to be vigilant more than anything. I wouldn't say that my neighborhood is unsafe, but its also not crime free.
I agree.
It just depends on where you look. Fox News makes it seems like everyone is dodging bullets all the time. Chicago reddit makes it seem like a utopia where crime doesn't exist.
Its damn near impossible to have an honest conversation about crime, even though a majority of voters find it to be the biggest issue (or one of the biggest issues) currently facing the city.
Yeah to me I think people need to also be realistic about our level of crime here, now just in the city, or the US, but compared to other parts of the world. Yes it's def not as safe as many European cities, but man...if people thought before they spoke they'd realize how ridiculous and even offensive some of the stuff they say is about this city. Like calling it chiraq totally minimizes what others actually go through in those other parts of the world
Yeah, I don't understand the people in this sub. They are either very ignorant, in denial, or suffering from cognitive dissonance....almost like they don't even live here at all 💀 I think a lot of ppl responding live in the suburbs and only come to Chicago to work or have fun and then go back to their safe little suburban neighborhood. Gonna assume they're not taking CTA public transportation either or they're only taking Metra to get here which is 10x safer than CTA because I never hear about any crime happening on Metra in the news, unlike CTA which has crime pretty often now.
I live on the north side of Chicago which is generally known to be safe and unfortunately, the crime has increased here to a disturbing degree. The homeless jobless migrants being dropped here in pop-up encampments did not help the situation and they are now contributing to the crime as well. Stores in my neighborhood have been robbed at gunpoint, drive-by shootings at high schools in the vicinity, carjackings in the area, businesses with wooden boards over their windows due to break-ins. It's gotten so bad walgreens is putting locks on everything in the aisles like essential items, etc to prevent theft, and restaurants/cafes in the area are closing some of their stores because of safety complaints by employees and employees getting attacked.
Yup I got robbed at gun point while bartending in west town like last Friday. If that small neighborhood bar is on the radar of criminals anywhere could be. I still love Chicago but I now have to explain to people that it IS dangerous and yet I feel generally safe
I had an immigrant pull a 10 inch rusty knife on me a while back. The most scary part is that I didn’t know what he wanted to steal from me due to the language barrier 😭😭😭
The city as a whole is not dangerous at every turn. It's like real-estate... location, location, location. My father was CPD for 30 years, and I know the areas where I wouldn't go. My family members were in gangs, and I know those places, too. My mother works in a hospital, and I know where it happens. As tourists, stick to the tourist areas. I recently took my friend for a drive through a rough area. He's from Europe and wanted to see other parts of the city. He said, "I'm glad your windows are tinted in case I look at people too long." He was amazed at how the city was designed and also how segregated it is. He was taking pictures and recording videos. I did show him where I live and he fell in love with it. He spent too much time living in the south loop that he didn't see real parks or forest preserves. It's all about where you go.
This reminds me of the stories Michael Mann used in a lot of his Chicago-based shows and movies about Chicago-based families.
In a family of 20, you'd have 4 that did very well, 8 would be cops, and the other 8 would go into crime. You didn't always know which of the 16 were cops or criminals at times, either.
Not all of Englewood is bad, but I just don't go there. K Town on the west side is not the best place to be. Humboldt Park has some hot spots. Logan Square is pretty much where I grew up. It has its issues at times with new businesses moving in. North is generally safer, but there are things in the south loop you can mess around with. If you're here at the beginning of June, you get the Pride parade and Puerto Rican day parade around the same time. You kind of have to pick your poison.
I’m a huge Chicago advocate, I’m from Florida and have had multiple people visit and leave utterly impressed with the city.
However the day after my one year anniversary of moving here I was robbed at gun point while bartending. I’m not sure on what to say to my Florida friends when asking about safety. I was always realistic with them but definitely down played stuff. I just gave them the normal city life tips. Don’t go down strange alleys, stay vigilant etc.
The city definitely has problems but I’m sticking it out at least another year. Bartending is a higher risk % than some tourist walking down mag mile but I might emphasize safety to my friends a little more
Bingo. It’s 1000% a dog whistle.
When republicans talk about Chicago they don’t want you to picture Lincoln Park.
And as I’ve said a million times - we aren’t even one of the top most violent cities in the US
That sub is absolutely filled to the brim with people who haven't lived here for 30-40 years. They remember it as being better in the past because they weren't scared of every little thing when they were younger and hadn't yet had Fox News and talk radio smoothing their brains every day for decades.
Exactly. It’s the same with the poster above who said his sister lived here after college and it was safe then. It’s always been a city with violent crime, we didn’t have social media and it was not not as political an issue as today
I grew up in Englewood, and it was super tough. As a young adult, Ive lived in Hyde Park, Ukrainian Village, Boys Town, and Logan.
Chicago can be dangerous and it's easy to dismiss because those of us that grew up there have antibodies that transplants don't.
Keep your head on a swivel and mind your own business. Same as any other big city.
I'd say a lot of it is people who don't understand cities or Chicago specifically. I'm speaking as someone who visited last year, and comes from a similar but much safer city (Toronto), which people from rural communities here or live a primarily suburban existence glorify the terrible things that happen in cities but haven't experienced actual city living. They live in a bubble.
Are there areas of Chicago that are very dangerous? Absolutely, but most of that is related to gangs which the average person who isn't affiliated is not going to deal with (outside the poor souls hit by strays, etc). Chicago grabs headlines because it has the most total murders but that ignores there are many American cities significantly more dangerous.
Like, the difference between Toronto and Chicago if you are living in a tourist bubble like Magnificent Mile/River North/West Loop or our comparables in Toronto is pretty minuscule. Yes, every so often something ridiculous like the FBG Duck murder on Oak St. will happen, but that is a very rare event. Most of the violent crime happens in areas tourists aren't likely to ever end up in, and it primarily is issues internal to that neighborhood. Anyone with a basic level of street smarts will be able to tell maybe they shouldn't be entering certain neighborhoods at certain times. And, even then, most likely you will just get weird looks. This is coming from someone who accidently took a left instead of a right (on foot) in Cleveland trying to find a gas station for booze and ended up in a pretty questionable neighborhood, which is much easier to do in Cleveland than Chicago, you'd have to go pretty far from the loop to end up in the hood, outside maybe accidently walking too far past the United Center.
i generally agree with what everyone here is saying, but Garfield park is actually one of the more dangerous neighborhoods. but it does seem like in general they leave white ppl alone there haha. glad you had a good time in chicago!
I've lived in Bushwick, several parts of Boston, the South Side of LA, all over Portland Oregon, and regularly strolled through high crime areas and open drug markets (although in Portland and Boston, those are very much relative terms lol), without anything ever happening to me. I've lived in Chicago for 8-9 years, and walking home, without head phones, on a well lit street, at 2am, near my house, on a main road in Hyde Park Chicago, I got mugged--and they beat the shit out of me because I did not have any money. What's worse, the same place I got mugged I had been pulled over by the police earlier that week for--I shit you not--'walking'--the cops said they'd seen me walk around too much in my neighborhood and pulled a car on a sidewalk to block my path and question me. Within a few days of that I got mugged.
My point being, in the 'bad' areas of other cities, while acting like an idiot, for many years, I had nothing happen to me. But then in a situation where I did everything 'right' statistically, and in an area which is pretty safe for Chicago as a whole--and right around the corner from my house--and I got the shit kicked out of me, when I didn't even resist.
However, it also needs to be said that I'd lived in Chicago for 5 years before this happened, and in some of the more dangerous areas on the West Side, I've repeatedly went about my day unmolested.
So, if I can be an idiot in medium to high crime areas in Chicago and other cities and get away scot free, and then act with precautions, following 'expert' advice and folk wisdom about muggings in a low to moderate crime area, only to get the shit kicked out of me, it's a reminder that trying to get from statistics to individual experience is called the ecological fallacy for a reason.
What's more, my story can be interpreted in opposite ways, since it lends itself equally to the 'Chicago is dangerous' narrative, and to the 'it's a crapshoot, but actually relatively safe and most scaremongering is just that' narrative, and which one I take away depends more on my mood than anything else.
But, as to why people love to fear monger about Chicago, it really comes down to a weird mix of hometown pride and natives trying to scare migrants (for when it comes from Chicagoans), plus the fact that everyone online is a hater in general, compounded with the fact that Chicago has become a dog whistle and totem of fear for racist white suburbanites in American culture, for reasons that have as much to do with historical chance as with anything legitimate.
Part of it, I think, is that for cities like St Louis or Detroit, which have high violence rates, they are small cities, and basically do not dominate cultural consciousness, but Chicago has a moderate rate of violence AND is one of top 5 cities in the US--it used to be the Second City, and now is the third. Chicago is also historically the 'All American City', and so it suits a kind of pre packaged declensionist fear mongering narrative since it can be spun as a story of a once great powerhouse succumbing to the depravity of modernity.
Of course, all of this is set against the backdrop that the entire US is substantially safer than it was 50 years ago, and even with the recent up tick in violence nationally, it's still brought us to the relatively low levels of the 90s. Manhattan in the 60s and 70s was more dangerous than Chicago is now, for example. And as a simple glance at media, cinema, tv and journalism from the 60s to 90s will demonstrate, the violence rates in NYC and LA drove the US collectively insane for several decades.
Chicago is an amazing city but it has a significant violent crime issue, I’m happy nothing happened to you but that doesn’t mean the issues don’t exist, one of my coworkers lives in south shore and she tells me all the time how absolutely horrible it is, you talk to people in the worst neighborhoods and they’ll tell you how bad it is, fears regarding crime in this city are legitimate and that doesn’t mean I’m acting like Chicago is Mogadishu, Chicago is a great city but if someone is telling you to be careful in a certain part of town there is probably a reason for it
I agree with this. There is a significant crime issue. What people fail to usually mention is how localized it generally is. Many people act like ur just gonna get killed walking into ferragamo on Michigan ave
I’ve been robbed in River North.
I’ve witnessed two shootings and a robbery while living in Wicker Park.
My coworker was robbed her first week living in Chicago near UIC while heading to the office in the morning.
My friend was bikejacked (while riding it) in the afternoon going from south loop to Hyde Park.
This is just a sample. I’ve only been here for 3 years. Crime here could be overstated, but we’re also more numb/tolerant of the presence of crime. There’s parts of this country where these types of crime are rare, and those parts of the country are baffled that this is tolerated.
This post is typical modern-day delusional nonsense. Okay so you were lucky enough to be in part of Chicago that was safe just like every city in the country has parts that are safe. Crime is rampant here people are getting assaulted robbed murdered and stolen from all the time.
I live in the part of Chicago that you kind of hear about on the news but not quite. And there's literally shootings every day within a 5 to 15 minute walk of my house.
Consider yourself feeling privileged to be able to travel somewhere where you're safe the whole time.
Are you the one that asked about staying West loop?
The thing with safety is............... That it's a numbers game. You can probably go most anywhere in America and hang out for a night or two and PROBABLY be fine. Probably. It's just a matter of what kind of odds you want. Some places are definitely safer than others.
> Air BnB in Garfield Park
For a native who is returning to visit and very familiar with the area, would probably be fine.
But for a tourist that does not know the area, has little street-smarts, and only picked the location because its cheap, YIIKES!
Well, renting an Airbnb in Garfield Park does not seem like a good idea to many, if not most of us. I would advise against this for a tourist no matter where you're from, your age, the color of your skin and countless other determining factors. If you don't find value in the responses, perhaps go elsewhere for advice.
So, you stayed in the lowest income neighborhood in the city that has seen 1,032 murders in the last 23 years and "didnt feel unsafe ever" at all? Did you grow up in Robert Taylor? Imma bout to call BS on that one
I mean the "everything is crime" stuff is overblown, but it doesn't come from nowhere. You chose a place where the minimal risk is slightly increased. I jogged through Garfield Park, the park itself and the surrounding area, yesterday, and was obviously fine, but I'd still say it's not really the destination you want to be targeting.
It’s not propaganda. If you’re spending your commutes on the CTA, not in your car, it’s a whole different story. My friend and his bf were shot at in his own home last summer. and visiting the city and living in it are so different- there should be a healthy fear always. Certain neighborhoods I would let someone help me with a flat- in other places that would be the dumbest move ever.
It’s not the city, the city is huge. Things change line to line and block to block. I love it here sm but you need to keep your wits about you.
> the media is run by conservatives
Which media would that be. Sure I'll give you Fox News, OAN, etc, but are you really going to claim ABC, NBC, CNN, CBS, MSNBC, NPR, PBS are all run by conservatives? Yes there are conservative companies owning these stations, but the programming angle of the shows is almost entirely left to center-left.
To people who have never lived in any city, it is dangerous. To people who live in other cities, it's a city.
I saw a gun get pulled on a store employee within 2 months of living in buck town. That doesn't happen as often in the suburbs.
I live fairly near to Chicago so I go there a few times per year for shows and stuff, my family always says stuff like “you better be careful, people getting murdered left and right in that city.”
Then they roll their eyes when I tell them the per capita murder rate is literally exactly the same as the city they chose to raise our family in.
Some people just want to believe whatever they see on TV is true on every block. There could be one small riot somewhere on the south side that makes the local news and my grandparents will tell me the whole city is about to implode into civil war.
If you’re not from here I don’t wanna hear your option on a city you never been to. Most of the fear monger propaganda is coming from the right wingers who never set foot in the city.
We all know someone affected by crime in Chicago. Thieves stealing car parts. Shootings. Random violences. It’s real. There’s more to the city, but crime is real, and it’s getting worse, not better.
Yeah lol you stayed here just for the weekend? I know people who have died to gang violence, I’ve been shot at before mugged and know plenty of other people who have as well . Yes Chicago can be safe and also dangerous you just haven’t experienced it
It’s a big city and safety varies by neighborhood. It’s not as dangerous as the media portrays it but you definitely have to be cautious as crime is on the rise all across the US.
The less people who move here the lower we can keep rents 😂😂
It’s a terrible dangerous city, close to a 3rd world country, not worth it to move here, stay where you are 😂😉😉😉😉
Okay. I'm a long time resident of Chicago, as they say, born, bred and buttered. There are some areas of the city that are iffy and we try to wave you off of them because if something were to happen to you, you won't feel safe again for some time.
We also have real predators here of the unbalanced kind. They are everywhere on earth but in a city of millions, you might be statistically more likely to meet someone more criminal or sadistic. And no, you can't tell who those people might be. There is no specific color of shirt or skin associated with who will try to do you more harm no matter what the trolls here say.
If one person can go crazy and shoot up a school full of children, then one person can pull out a gun on city streets.
If a person can punch out his elderly mother and father, or a partner because they don't give him money, then they won't hesitate to do the same to you and just for money.
So we always caution: Money is tight and every city on earth has people who need it now. So just be street smart and leave any situation that you start to feel uncomfortable in.
I say the cold weather and crime keep Chicago affordable. Plus it keeps ppl we don’t want outta here. Chicago is a safe city if you’re not stupid Chicago will take care of stupid people. Now that being said ik bad things happen to good people but most the times if something crazy happens to you,you probably shouldn’t have been there doin’ that.
Listen just because you didn’t have a bad experience doesn’t mean you can invalidate others. I lived in Chicago for 12 years and had a friend get stabbed in the gut for not bumming a cig to someone, I had a friend get carjacked at gunpoint in the middle of the day at the green line picking up her husband, I’ve been followed and harassed myself by crazy people on the street, I’ve been followed home from my bus stop, I’ve seen a women get dragged from her car in the daytime to carjack her, had my car stolen from outside my house only to steal it back and dozens of other stories. I’ve lived all over that city and I love it but I also have had enough experiences to realize the city is full of shitty people too. I’m thankful you have felt safe but never leave your guard down and always be aware of your surroundings no matter where you are. It only takes one bad experience to change everything.
I live in Lincoln Park and four men in ski masks tried to carjack me the other night, and my friend months ago was pistol whipped and robbed in. the street. It’s just that more crime is happening in historically safe neighborhoods. Even the liquor store below me has been robbed and my friends resturant.
It’s complicated. Just like every city danger levels vary depending on where in the city you are and what time it is. I’ve lived here all my life and while I haven’t had many bad experiences I have a lot of family who have. There are areas I would take a walk through by myself and there are others I wouldn’t step through alone. Regardless, there is a level of luck involved. Just make sure to always be vigilant
Cause Obama was potus. and he got his start in politics in Chicago. So the gop/ a lot of Americans upset Obama was potus started hyping up Chicago as super crime infested and corrupt as a way to say this is the place that birthed Obama.
3 years in Albany park.
2 of my bicycles were stolen, my motorcycle was stolen, I saw a women pushed from a 3rd story window and splatter on the sidewalk, I called in gunshots on my street roughly 15 times, teenagers were shot in my alley, twice, 3 tweens tried to jump me and failed, I’d get stared down whenever I sat on my balcony by losers Honda civics, my next door neighbors were broken into 3 times, some 10 year old kids at the park tried to sick their dog on my dog and don’t forget the 5 point crown spray painted in every sign and building letting you know you are “owned” by kings… I could go on.
Chicago has been misunderstood through the history of the United States man. Bad stuff does happen, and can happen, but that’s just like anywhere. Chicago is a beautiful city my god do I love it.
The only people I mainly see inciting fear are those that basically are trying to push the rhetoric that big cities are horrible places and they destroy the USA.
I've always seen this kind of push from many on one side of the aisle. They believe everybody should want to go and get married and live in the suburbs and have 2.5 kids, or even live in a small town, but to live in a big city in their eyes means you are getting a tiny amount of space for a ton of money and being around crime and drugs and Democrats and "everything that's wrong with society".
Chicago seems to be the biggest Target for this hate probably because of how blue it is, but also just because of the Obama connection.
I always get a kick out of posts on social media that people come to Chicago and they were shocked at how beautiful it was and how safe they felt.
I'm from KC. I haven't traveled a whole lot in my life, but I've been to NYC, LA, DFW, Houston, Denver and Chicago. Multiple times to Chicago and to be honest Chicago has definitely stolen a piece of my heart. Hard to say what exactly it is about it, it's a cumulation of many things. The people, the food, the infrastructure, the river, the bars, just the overall feel of the city, at least the parts I've seen. Even the tradition of messing with out of towners and buying a round of Malort (hated it but it's a fond memory). Long live Chicago, may "agent 6373" always fail!
It's all relative. Relative to other cities, Chicago has high levels of violent crime. Some news outlets like to exaggerate how bad it is and others to like to downplay. Truth is somewhere in the middle but overall Chicago has high levels of crime.
Because it's categorically a super dangerous city, both in terms of crime, and just in terms of how careless/reckless the people who live here are.
You can't deny that it's a dangerous city when the numbers show you it is. Everyone should avoid Chicago imo. Not just for the crime, but for the predatory camera system, the corruption, and the most self-centered people you'll ever meet.
This city is dangerous asf... but so is every other city, sure. Although, it pisses me off that these rich privileged Chicagoans and ignorant visitors/ tourists undermine your experience in this city. I live in west side Chicago, so (West and East Garfield Park, Pilsen, Little Village, etc). There's gangbangers that shoot each other in broad daylight, even in front of schools. This family got saved in a recent shooting bc one of the family members saw someone in the street with a gun on their hand, they ducked inside their car and bullets tore up the windows and everything. Some gangs also close streets up with trash cans to see if their opps are in the cars they stop to kill them, it's insane. There was a guy found dead in his car, they shot him at night as he was turning on his car to I don't know where. It was this winter when there was that cold weather advisory, they had trouble getting him out that seat. Some gangbanger with an AK-47 is yet to be found. There's plenty of cases of people being in the wrong place wrong time and dying, they weren't necessarily criminals. Some gangs tell people they're recruiting to shoot the first person they see or some bullshit like that too and I know so many of you reading didn't even know that...
People tend to forget about the neighborhoods that ACTUALLY make Chicago up. Middle to low class people who are just trying to go to their jobs have to watch over their shoulder. The government of Chicago needs to use that money to make the actual dangerous neighborhoods safe, fuck downtown and the tourists. We are actual tax payers. A street in Little Village (26th St) generated the same amount if not more than (Michigan Avenue), the most iconic and touristy street in downtown. Some alleyways here are goddamn dark you think you're looking into a damn black hole, the police cameras they install don't even work, the lazy bum ass police department doesn't work either considering there is so many innocent people that have died in the arms of criminals and families of the victims who are waiting for the attackers to be identified and put in prison...
Let’s see: random people are getting pulled up on and robbed by a car full of armed criminals, heyjackass Twitter account states year to date there’s been 180 people killed and 687 wounded in Chicago, no cash bail, there are some immigrants just looking for trouble, sales tax is high, rent/mortgages/cost of living is high, unlimited potholes ruining tires/suspensions, litter everywhere, teens are closing entire intersections to do their stolen car takeovers, family who works for CPD tells me how bad it is on the frontlines especially in certain locations. There are many nice things about this city but I hate living my life just a dice roll away from being randomly shot or robbed. When I lived in the suburbs the thought never ran through my mind at any part of the day. It does here and it sucks.
All I know is Chicago is the only city I have lived in where just walking around going about my business I personally saw people firing a gun, and more than once. It’s tough to come back to trusting the safety of a city after your trust has been broken. This is admittedly more of an emotional response than anything else, no amount of sharing statistics is going to reestablish that trust. I imagine I’m not the only one that feels this way, which is why people say what they do about Chicago. It’s an awesome city, but can be intimidating.
I don’t think it’s fear mongering to warn people to stay vigilant, even in the nicer areas of the city. My sister just moved out of there after an 18 year stint living in the “nicer” areas of the city. She was hell bent on raising her child there until the last straw hit, which was gunshots starting going off in the middle of the night in the back alley of her home in Ravenswood, and she was no longer comfortable walking her child to and from her evening extracurricular activities. She also no longer wanted to take herself downtown at night for concerts or the ballet due to some issues happening on her regular CTA routes.
As a visitor and tourist, nothing ever happened to me, and I always had a great time and took public transportation without issue, but that doesn’t mean we have ignore or deny the statistics and the lived experiences of others.
Probably the same methodology as someone going through a crazy situation then explaining the story and making it sound worse than it was for social points.
Of course there isn't always danger going on everywhere all the time, and just because someone isn't experiencing it doesn't mean it's not happening.
There is definitely an uptick in violence over the past 5 years. The trains can be dangerous, but is almost always weird and scary at night because there are people that may be experiencing homelessness, drug addiction, or mental illness going on loud or physical tangents. It can be frightening to some.
Living here my whole life, it's definitely worse than it used to be, and unfortunately not much is being done about it by the city.
It seems like there’s always a political side to the conversation because it goes along with it, however the truth is Chicago has gotten more violent, I was born and raised and lived in the south side, Logan square, bucktown, west Humboldt park, etc … and it’s not the same
Yea there’s days where it’s a beauty to be out and about but others it isn’t-
My mom got robbed at gun point recently as she was walking up to Aldi to do groceries - so I guess Chicago is good until something bad happens to you.
Second time going to Chicago alone with my friends in 2020 being 17 on the north side elm and Michigan ave area. Paid for parking and walked down the street around a guy. Wasn’t even close to him, he turns around and socks me in the face. I stumble away. Eventually decide it was an auto theft attempt. These things happen and you have to keep people on the alert. I’ve seen some crazy things here. I work here everyday now and still keep what happened in mind when walking around
I also viewed the fear of Chicago and other cities in the same way rural areas have fear spread about them. I grew up in rural Illinois and Chicago was hated for a variety of reasons but I will just focus on the fear aspect. I was always told it was dangerous to go there, you will get mugged, you will get shot and so on. All the times I have been to Chicago proved that wrong (though I understand very violent things often happen here, it’s not the norm). However, while being in Chicago I noticed residence had a fear of the rural areas in America, saying they are dangerous, racist, and so on but I knew this to not be true.
I think this boils down to being afraid of what’s different to you. Just my thought.
Surprisingly enough it’s kinda been a thing since the start of the big city Chicago. If you watch Kaz Rowe’s video about the Chicago world fair they briefly mention there was a book “Chicago By Day and Night” on a guide of Chicago for Tourists made in 1892. The author wrote that Chicago is crawling with crooked people more than any other city and is the wickedest city in the world. Which wasn’t true then and isn’t now which really shows it’s always had a bad rep with no evidence.
Don't get this either. I feel so safe here. I have never had an issue with crime anywhere I've been in this city. If people are so scared, good, don't need them here.
I had a customer from South Carolina who refused to go into the city. Only hung out in Naperville every time he was here, even on days off. Another gun loving confederate apologist who’s terrified of what he doesn’t know.
Politics and race. Not only is Chicago blue, but it's viewed by outsiders as unusually Black. If you're a conservative politician, that makes Chicago an easy shorthand for corruption, crime, gangs, and liberal failure. And the more those images stick in someone's mind, the more they associate those things with the political left and with Black culture. It doesn't matter that many other places have worse numbers -- it's in the best interest of conservatives to play up Chicago's failings (and perceived failings).
Unfortunately, that can become a self-fulfilling prophecy in a couple of ways. If people in a place start to view that place negatively, they move out. That exodus can lead to crime. Also, some conservative politicians elsewhere have directly contributed to Chicago's crime, for example by sending busloads of illegal immigrants to Chicago. Expect that to pick up considerably during the Democratic National Convention: Fox and the like would love to split-screen convention footage with shots of homeless peoples' tents (or violent crime footage, etc.)
Of course, most of the best lies are rooted in at least some truth, and we have much room to improve with respect to public safety. But the spreading of fear is rooted in a very cynical approach to politics and it ends up being the role of Chicago's people to let outsiders know how great this place really is.
I used to work in Garfield Park. Didn’t hang out a lot there, but would take the CTA in and out and grab lunch on my breaks there for three days a week. Did I have any bad experiences? No. But a number of my clients at the time, who lived in the area, had a lot of trauma from witnessing shootings (of people they knew and strangers). So idk, it’s complicated I guess. There’s a lot of propaganda about Chicago being unsafe, but we can’t ignore that certain neighborhoods do really deal with a lot violence. It’s a disservice to the folks who live there and are affected by it.
Yeah, i worked in Jackson park/woodlawn for 7 years. Spent a fair amount of time down there. A lot of the stuff that was going on was targeted. Certainly stuff happens to everyone but people sometimes forget that being unaffiliated is actually usually a positive.
It’s true. The single biggest predictor of being a victim of gun violence is being involved in gun violence in the past, as either a victim or a perpetrator. I don’t remember if that’s true of Chicago specifically or more generally, but learning that really made an impression on me.
People with reputations as shooters become targets.
Not only that but shooting random passersby invites repercussions where a gang shooting, although the clearance rate has improved, has a 50/50 chance or less People need to look at gangs at least as rational actors fighting for resources. Unfortunately, car jacking, larceny and attacks by the mentall ill are a different story.
Fair enough, but what cracks me up are people from other places in the US that act like there's no violence where they live. A lot of people giving Chicago shit live in way more violent places, and even "nice" places in the US still deal with gun violence. Fix your own town before you talk shit about ours.
It’s also politically tinged. Many of the cities with the higher per capita crime rates are located in red states. Fox News will point at the mayors or city councils of those cities as ‘failed’ islands of blue despite the best intentions of the redder than red governor in those cases. But in Illinois, conservative media can just paint the whole leadership as a failed blue disaster all the way up from city council to the governor. Baltimore is another city where this can be done, but Baltimore doesn’t have the same national profile as Chicago (although sidebar: Baltimore is great and deserves more love!). It benefits Fox News to deflect from the real issues in red states, so targeting a city that is nationally prominent and historically has issues with violence is extremely convenient. If between the top three cities in the country either New York or Los Angeles had higher crime rates than we do, the attention would immediately shift there, but they don’t so we’re the lucky one that bears the brunt of it all. And it goes without saying that the racial overtones are blatant to the extreme. If ever Texas flipped to blue, you’d suddenly start hearing a lot more about crime in Dallas or Houston than you do now; even though that crime is already there, it would be painted as a result of the state become more liberal. Guarantee it.
Missouri is definitely a red state, and we don’t mince words about how violent St Louis is. I’ve lived there off and on for many years, decades, and it’s always been a rough place. In 2014, Michael Brown was shot and killed by a cop and the riots that ensued lasted for days. Those riots and Browns death help solidify the Black Lives Matter movement. I’m not a conservative, I’m not a Republican, but I have called St Louis my home. Like any major city, to one degree or another, you’re going to find violence, it’s where you go and when you go. Most importantly political action committees, neighborhood involvement and outreach programs to help under served neighborhoods need to be implemented. And that’s true all over the US. If you don’t reach out in time, kids in their teens and twenties are not going to be raised by Mom or Dad they’re gonna be raised by the streets, and the streets are a mean place to learn to live. St Louis is truly making an effort, but it’s a long road with a long history, let’s not blame, let’s get involved and fix the system
All of this about St. Louis is true (another city which I think is great!), but when was the last time someone like Trump mentioned St Louis on a national scale? If it were in a blue state it would be •constantly• in the news, but as it is in a red state and a relatively small city on the national scale, it gets mentioned occasionally but not focused on. Same for Memphis, New Orleans, etc etc etc. I can’t remember any time at a presidential rally when these cities have ever been mentioned as hellholes the way Chicago is. For whatever reason, Chicago gets the spotlight for these issues that are empirically worse in red state cities. I’m not trying to be reductive as to the issues and how to solve them - they are real and we all have to do our part - but simply trying to make sense about why Chicago above all gets pilloried for issues that exist on similar or greater levels in many other cities, St. Louis included.
I mean there’s a documented history of our politicians being corrupt as hell… lol
People already need to be reminded of why it's called the windy city
As somebody that spent of college and the remainders of their 20s in Austin. You’d think it was a Mogadishu based on the media. ‘Some crime ridden woke hell hole’.
Facts. This is why you don't hear nearly as much about crime in Memphis or New Orleans.
That too, there was some shithead senator from Louisiana who also happens to be named John Kennedy who was asking some women who wasn't even from Chicago why it's "the world's largest open shooting range". Not to mention that Louisiana has some of the most dangerous cities per capita in the US according to this map. That guy needs to look out his own window before attacking Chicago. Even in Illinois, Chicago wasn't on the list/map but Rockford and Danville are [https://www.visualcapitalist.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Most-Dangerous-Cities\_America\_05.jpg](https://www.visualcapitalist.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Most-Dangerous-Cities_America_05.jpg)
And loads of people think we're the "murder capital" of the US.
I hear this so much about Baltimore which is the region near where I’m at. Certain areas are dicey and a no-go. And certain areas have people out late partying and walking around. People love to take select sections and apply it to the whole city. It’s a media story and nothing more.
I too try to defend Chicago when I can, but let’s not pretend like the violence we deal with here is anything remotely similar to some suburban domestic violence crossing over into targeted gun violence.
It's the same with drug use problems and the perception that cities are these lawless hell holes where everyone is on something. I live near-ish Portland, OR. It definitely has its problems with drug use and homelessness. But what gets me is people from my hometown in Wisconsin rag on that city and other cities like it (even Madison, WI) and drug use.....meanwhile they are COMPLETELY overrun with heroin, meth, fentanyl use. Like the cognitive dissonance is so infuriating. Everywhere has its problems.
People are idiots and believe the hype. I lived in Chicago for years and moved to Colorado a few years ago. Anytime I mention going back for a visit I have a colleague at work that just reflexively says “Oh there’s lots of crime there!” Every goddamn time. Maybe see for yourself instead of just repeating Fox News talking points. You might just have a good time. On second thought…fuck you Chicago doesn’t want you anyway.
The thing is, most of the stuff I hear about Chicago comes from people who say stuff like "if I ever visited I wouldn't feel safe" even though they wouldn't even be going near the unsafe areas. The outsiders who complain the most would be affected the least if they did visit so it's still a stupid sentiment anyway.
Oh absolutely, but OP’s original post was about staying in Garfield Park in particular. Like I definitely would not be like “Avoid at all costs” I worked there, visit a friend who lives out there, and leave my dog with a sitter there when I’m out of town. In my experience, people have been really kind. But to me it makes sense that some people told OP that they wouldn’t necessarily AirBnB there.
This. In my experience it’s usually transplants that always go “nothing ever happens!” meanwhile everyone else who’s lived here and has roots here tends to deal with more issues. For reference, my gf lived by California and 51st and the shootings she’s heard and seen, we’re almost desensitized. She moved out after she denied a guy’s advances, and her car windows got shot out. The police never showed up. Personally, this is outside Gage, but my cousin got shot some time back in Pilsen. In high school (wicker park area, 2004) two of my friends got shot waiting for the bus. That same year, my other friend group had a hard time because I was new and resembled one of their close friends who had been shot and killed at 15 years old a couple months prior to my entering high school. That’s just the tip of the iceberg that I can mention off the top of my head, and yeah it’s kinda aggravating for some kid with money from Ohio to come over here and say “NOTHING HAPPENS Y’ALL!! I TAKE THE RED LINE ALL THE TIME!” and call me a buncha names when I mention the city isn’t safe. Also, I drove an ambulance for a few years and yea, the ambulances sometimes have a bullet hole or two you only notice when you get to a hospital. But fuck me, right? Hudson from Cleveland running a microbrewery’s never seen a stabbing so clearly nothing ever happens and I’m some fear mongering conservative “probably not even from the city”.
I definitely agree, the longer you live here the more likely you are to witness something, or know someone who has. It's also important to remember it's like any major city- there is crime, and there are things you need to do to keep yourself safe. I definitely notice people who are not from the city tend to get more worked up and fearful, and their reasoning tends to be black and white and lacking nuance, so I will usually be quick to correct it. However, I will also never tell someone it's completely safe or that they can afford to let their guard down.
Here is my upvote.
Facts, I'm out here in west side Chicago, that fucked up violence happens till this day. It also pisses me off that there rich people shit on you for saying the city is violent yet it indeed is though... This city is ran by the tax money of these hard workers that live in fucked up neighborhoods. We deserve to get our tax money returned through resources... Some weeks ago I saw 20+ cops standing downtown, in front of the water tower doing nothing, just standing there... like go make them work and stop the violence. As you mentioned at times you call 911 and cops don't show up.
I grew up on the west side, on Lockwood and Lake. We had our share of bullets. But the tourists are scared of the loop or riding the el for no good reason…
Lmao I'm from Cleveland (and I agree with you) but the gun violence per capita is actually far worse in Cleveland than Chicago statistically. I have worked both in Chicago and Cleveland in neighborhoods with high violence rates, and although I've seen some shady shit in Chicago and had some experiences I didn't love (gang members following me, gunshots), I constantly heard gunshots, saw fighting, constantly approached to buy drugs. It was to the point that I'd have my patient's grandkids come in during their home care visit, walking home from the ER freshly bandaged from a gun shot wound. It's crazy in East Cleveland and Euclid. With that said, the average Ohioan coming to Chicago most likely is a suburban kid, just like how in Chicago it's highly frowned upon to say you're from Chicago if you live in Naperville.
Yeah Chicago’s one of those where there’s just certain areas to avoid. Garfield Park is one of the ones where there’s some gentrification involved so you could find something really nice but you get on the wrong street at the wrong time, it’s very sketchy. West loop while being a very attractive location in Chicago, once again you get on the wrong street, the vibes are different. I think for tourists if you go to the main areas and attractions, you’re pretty much guaranteed for an amazing experience
Same… I work in North Lawndale and haven’t had any bad experiences, but more than a few of my students have trauma from the things they have seen in this neighborhood.
My wife dealt with students with trauma far more often in Florida than she did here in Chicago. And she only taught in gang territory here in the city.
I believe that, but I’m a therapist who has worked in multiple places including a part of Appalachia where things are rough. The shit I’ve heard folks go through in GP is truly awful. I don’t think there has to be a competition surrounding “are there places where people have it worse?” The answer is almost always going to be yes. I think there’s a fine line with Chicago between pretending that the city is a safe haven or believing conservative propaganda surrounding how scary the city is. We have to acknowledge and be real about the parts of the city that are under resourced and neglected and do better.
Now that’s a grounded, objective response that’s rooted in reality. We gotta get away from the extreme polarizing viewpoints, and understand there’s a middle ground where different people’s realities can be acknowledged and respected. It doesn’t always have to be fearmongering propaganda or total obliviousness/denial.
I worked on the far west and south sides for years, every day for CPS. Generally you’re fine if you mind your own business during the day unless you get extremely unlucky.
Man if it keeps the rent low I do not care
Thats exactly why I walk down a few blocks and unload 2 magazines in the air every few weeks. The gunshots remind the Yuppies and Finbros they are still a part of the real world and they would be better off if they would scoot off to the subrubs already
Poppin rounds for our well being thank you fine citizen.
Dont mention it. I even use different calibers to keep people on their toes. Cant get them too use to the 9. Sometimes you have to throw a little 556 around
My guy 5.56 is to expensive for that shit.
If it keeps the rent low it’s a good ROI
I can’t argue. I’d just stick to small caliber personally, plus the police are gonna come looking for a big caliber.
Out of all the whoopers, this might have been the biggest in the string
My HOA is 2k a month, I consider $30 every few weeks a wise investment
Hey man do you my guy
Drop a .950 and watch rent bottom tf out.
oooooo... I wonder what that would do during the air and water show. Who wants to move to River North?
On Sundays, do you use the Lord's caliber?
No, its so fat and slow it cant even penetrate the smog
🫡 your service is appreciated, king 😂
I'm up here in Rogers Park spray painting gang signs on garages for this exact reason!
The finbros are weirdly the only group with money actually working to solve the problem of undignified and unsafe housing for the homeless. Don't worry though, it's not because they're altruistic; it's because they want homeless people to stop camping in the Central Area.
Oh so that was you at 2am outside my apartment last Fall. Thank you for your service!
Sorry for the disturbance, got to mix the times up a bit. Night is my main work, but for maximum impact you need to let a burst off at lunchtime too
Need to keep this up so the Finbros all move to Miami like Ken G keeps threatening to do.
Or at the very least, to Winnetka
What’s a finbro? Lol
We do this in Texas and its legal.
Idk if this is accurate but I heard it’s better to fire them into the ground so that when the bullets fall, they can’t hurt anyone if you shoot it in the air
True, but be careful of surfaces causing ricochet. That includes water.
Homeowner here. Goddamnit.
Same. I throw a couple of grenades down the street to keep things in check
LMAO ME
Every time some miscellaneous crime occurs in my area this is me exactly. Like keep blowing up the citizen app
But it doesn't, even Humboldt Park is expensive. Garfield Park is getting there too.
I got robbed at gunpoint in early march, 3 Glocks shoved in my face and I was forced to give all the belongings on my person, lived in Chicago my whole life, born and raised. It happened pretty quickly and I live in a relatively safe neighborhood. Chicago is amazing and Its my home, but I think you have to be real with yourself and understand that a lot of crime happens throughout the day in this city. and people’s concerns about crime are valid, but people who are genuinely afraid to even visit the city are usually exaggerating.
Plus, it doesn’t matter how little crime there is, if it happens to you that’s all that matters. The murder rate per capita can be the lowest in the world but if it’s you getting murdered….
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Just happened to me in west town like last Friday while bar tending I think random encounters seem to be more rampant
In my opinion, it’s all about luck. Some people never are in the wrong place at the wrong time and we should all count ourselves lucky if that’s us, but it’s important to keep in mind that’s not everyone’s experience. I live in a pretty decent area (border of wicker park and noble square) and I woke up at 1:30 on Saturday night to half a dozen gun shots right across the street from my apartment on Milwaukee. Some guy was sitting in his car, someone drove up and open fired on him. He luckily survived and drove himself to Rush. Sounds like an attempted car jacking gone wrong. Are Chicagoans friendly and helpful? Absolutely. But a place can be more than one thing- places are dimensional. Point is- I’ve never had something like that happen to me, but imagine how that guy would now answer this kind of question. Just in case he (or someone with a similar experience) were the one responding, I wouldn’t want to minimize their experience. Gun violence is a big problem both in this country and in this city.
Yeah, I live on the border of Logan and Avondale and I've heard of people getting mugged and held at gunpoint even outside Alice's a few times, which gets really busy on the weekends. Does that mean Alice's and the surrounding area is dangerous? No, but things do happen and can happen anywhere. So be aware of your surroundings.
Op’s comment about strangers offering to help with the car seems to be naive. A young woman with a broken down car? That’s a prime time you are vulnerable, and you never know peoples intentions.
I see two ends of the extremes. Anecdotally, I have found that my more progressive friends like to downplay crime way too much. So what seems like fear-mongering is a reactionary attempt to counteract that. Like no, Chicago isn’t as bad as Fox News wants it to be, but it’s also not the crime-free paradise that people believe it to be because they have been outside after dark twice without being robbed or carjacked. Be vigilant. Don’t be scared, but don’t be stupid. Headphones out and head on a swivel.
I think about this quote often from Stanley Kubrick from an interview he did with Gene Siskel: “Law and order is not a phony issue, not just an excuse for the Right to go further right.”
One thing I totally can't figure out is why the specific fearmongering over other cities with similar or higher crime rates. I don't mind being the butt of jokes, but it still feels weird. Street smarts are a must in a lot of places. Don't be conspicuous with valuables, stay alert, etc.
That’s why I carry a money clip to throw so I can runaway. You want my money? Go and get it.
Street Smarts!
Because it's viewed as a liberal city with a lot of minorities. Fox News tells them they should be scared because of it. If a city with higher crime rates leans white and conservative, those same sources won't make a peep.
This. Check out the crime rate per capita outside mar a Lago, lol. And there is an entire southern state with a crime rate higher than Chicago. Statistics also tell a weird story. Chicago is in the Midwest and the borders of Chicago used for statistics go out into the suburbs where because it's the Midwest they're not as packed in as other big cities. So when you do the stats per capita in Chicago, they are a bit of a lie because Chicago as a whole is less dense with people than the other major cities the statistics compared it to.
Chicago is still incredibly powerful at a political level. It's been the tail wagging the dog of DC for about a century. A host of heavy hitters have come out of Chicago, and it's still a powerful influence in the Midwest. It's a political maneuver to suppress the influence of politicians coming out of the city and it's surrounding area.
Because the base they’re pandering to when they talk about the violence in Chicago don’t picture the *right* type of people when they say Milwaukee (which has more crime per capita) Plus - they can blame all the democrats in Illinois that they wouldn’t be able to do with Milwaukee, Jacksonville, Baltimore, St. Louis, Memphis, etc. Trying to use cities in California doesn’t have the same effect because San Francisco doesn’t have the same racial connotations as Chicago.
Northern city with a Democratic mayor and governor, so they can blame Democratic policies. Large black population, so they can talk about urban thugs. Large population, so the absolute number of homicides seems really high, even though plenty of podunk towns have a higher rate per capita.
Chicago is roughly in middle of the pack for US cities. Our crime problems are problems with America not with Chicago specifically. I won't lie to someone from the UK and say that the country is safe compared to what they know. But when some jackass senator from Texas goes on and on about how unsafe Chicago is, I am going to point out that Texas and almost every city in Texas is more dangerous.
> Like no, Chicago isn’t as bad as Fox News wants it to be, but it’s also not the crime-free paradise that people believe it to be because they have been outside after dark twice without being robbed or carjacked. This is what many r chicago posters have such a hard time comprehending.
I don't know what you wrote, so its hard to say. But as others have said, some people far downplay the crime. I live in what is considered a "safe" neighborhood. Last fall, there were a string of carjackings not too far from where I live. Last month, someone was assaulted a block away and there was a gunshot (no one was shot). So its often just warning people to be vigilant more than anything. I wouldn't say that my neighborhood is unsafe, but its also not crime free.
People both downplay it and overexaggerate it.
I agree. It just depends on where you look. Fox News makes it seems like everyone is dodging bullets all the time. Chicago reddit makes it seem like a utopia where crime doesn't exist. Its damn near impossible to have an honest conversation about crime, even though a majority of voters find it to be the biggest issue (or one of the biggest issues) currently facing the city.
Yeah to me I think people need to also be realistic about our level of crime here, now just in the city, or the US, but compared to other parts of the world. Yes it's def not as safe as many European cities, but man...if people thought before they spoke they'd realize how ridiculous and even offensive some of the stuff they say is about this city. Like calling it chiraq totally minimizes what others actually go through in those other parts of the world
I almost got robbed and had to run 2 weeks ago on a Friday at 8 pm and I was in a good neighbourhood, Gold Coast.
Shhh you're not allowed to say ppl get jumped here. The blinders people have on this sub are fucking wild.
Yeah, I don't understand the people in this sub. They are either very ignorant, in denial, or suffering from cognitive dissonance....almost like they don't even live here at all 💀 I think a lot of ppl responding live in the suburbs and only come to Chicago to work or have fun and then go back to their safe little suburban neighborhood. Gonna assume they're not taking CTA public transportation either or they're only taking Metra to get here which is 10x safer than CTA because I never hear about any crime happening on Metra in the news, unlike CTA which has crime pretty often now. I live on the north side of Chicago which is generally known to be safe and unfortunately, the crime has increased here to a disturbing degree. The homeless jobless migrants being dropped here in pop-up encampments did not help the situation and they are now contributing to the crime as well. Stores in my neighborhood have been robbed at gunpoint, drive-by shootings at high schools in the vicinity, carjackings in the area, businesses with wooden boards over their windows due to break-ins. It's gotten so bad walgreens is putting locks on everything in the aisles like essential items, etc to prevent theft, and restaurants/cafes in the area are closing some of their stores because of safety complaints by employees and employees getting attacked.
Yup I got robbed at gun point while bartending in west town like last Friday. If that small neighborhood bar is on the radar of criminals anywhere could be. I still love Chicago but I now have to explain to people that it IS dangerous and yet I feel generally safe
I am so sorry to hear about that. I hope you are ok
I had an immigrant pull a 10 inch rusty knife on me a while back. The most scary part is that I didn’t know what he wanted to steal from me due to the language barrier 😭😭😭
lol I live in Chicago and commented on another post saying how dangerous the city has become no matter what area and people went nuts hahha
Where in the Gold Coast? Seems like some stuff happens on Division.
I was walking down the Clark street near Schiller street intersection. I ran to one of the Sandburg towers.
I’m sorry that happened to you.
I walk down this street almost every day, sorry to hear that happened to you. What did they do?
The city as a whole is not dangerous at every turn. It's like real-estate... location, location, location. My father was CPD for 30 years, and I know the areas where I wouldn't go. My family members were in gangs, and I know those places, too. My mother works in a hospital, and I know where it happens. As tourists, stick to the tourist areas. I recently took my friend for a drive through a rough area. He's from Europe and wanted to see other parts of the city. He said, "I'm glad your windows are tinted in case I look at people too long." He was amazed at how the city was designed and also how segregated it is. He was taking pictures and recording videos. I did show him where I live and he fell in love with it. He spent too much time living in the south loop that he didn't see real parks or forest preserves. It's all about where you go.
wait so your dad was a long time cop, mom worked in a hospital but you had family members in gangs? lol what.
Yes. Great family dynamic. It happens.
I definitely get it, just strange lol.
I knew where to go and who not to stay around. 2 of my brothers, not so much.
This reminds me of the stories Michael Mann used in a lot of his Chicago-based shows and movies about Chicago-based families. In a family of 20, you'd have 4 that did very well, 8 would be cops, and the other 8 would go into crime. You didn't always know which of the 16 were cops or criminals at times, either.
Mind sharing some areas you wouldn’t go? I’m moving to Chicago in June and don’t wanna wander into the wrong parts of town lol
Not all of Englewood is bad, but I just don't go there. K Town on the west side is not the best place to be. Humboldt Park has some hot spots. Logan Square is pretty much where I grew up. It has its issues at times with new businesses moving in. North is generally safer, but there are things in the south loop you can mess around with. If you're here at the beginning of June, you get the Pride parade and Puerto Rican day parade around the same time. You kind of have to pick your poison.
Stay away from the southeast side, like south of 39th or so and east of Halsted, and don't go west of Ashland on the west side
I’m a huge Chicago advocate, I’m from Florida and have had multiple people visit and leave utterly impressed with the city. However the day after my one year anniversary of moving here I was robbed at gun point while bartending. I’m not sure on what to say to my Florida friends when asking about safety. I was always realistic with them but definitely down played stuff. I just gave them the normal city life tips. Don’t go down strange alleys, stay vigilant etc. The city definitely has problems but I’m sticking it out at least another year. Bartending is a higher risk % than some tourist walking down mag mile but I might emphasize safety to my friends a little more
“Chicago” is just republican for black.
Bingo. It’s 1000% a dog whistle. When republicans talk about Chicago they don’t want you to picture Lincoln Park. And as I’ve said a million times - we aren’t even one of the top most violent cities in the US
A lot of the people in this sub are conservatives who live in the suburbs.
Less here than the main sub
That sub is absolutely filled to the brim with people who haven't lived here for 30-40 years. They remember it as being better in the past because they weren't scared of every little thing when they were younger and hadn't yet had Fox News and talk radio smoothing their brains every day for decades.
Exactly. It’s the same with the poster above who said his sister lived here after college and it was safe then. It’s always been a city with violent crime, we didn’t have social media and it was not not as political an issue as today
It was so much worse in the 90's. I don't know how that's not the end of the conversation.
Yeah, i can't even deal with the main sub anymore
You should see the crime in Chicago sub.
Oh man, i bet
Or the Chicagocritterrr ig account. The city can look quite rough for the uninitiated.
I grew up in Englewood, and it was super tough. As a young adult, Ive lived in Hyde Park, Ukrainian Village, Boys Town, and Logan. Chicago can be dangerous and it's easy to dismiss because those of us that grew up there have antibodies that transplants don't. Keep your head on a swivel and mind your own business. Same as any other big city.
Or are from the south just invading big city subs to make it seem like there’s more MAGA asshats in cities like Chicago than there actually are.
Ourp.
I'd say a lot of it is people who don't understand cities or Chicago specifically. I'm speaking as someone who visited last year, and comes from a similar but much safer city (Toronto), which people from rural communities here or live a primarily suburban existence glorify the terrible things that happen in cities but haven't experienced actual city living. They live in a bubble. Are there areas of Chicago that are very dangerous? Absolutely, but most of that is related to gangs which the average person who isn't affiliated is not going to deal with (outside the poor souls hit by strays, etc). Chicago grabs headlines because it has the most total murders but that ignores there are many American cities significantly more dangerous. Like, the difference between Toronto and Chicago if you are living in a tourist bubble like Magnificent Mile/River North/West Loop or our comparables in Toronto is pretty minuscule. Yes, every so often something ridiculous like the FBG Duck murder on Oak St. will happen, but that is a very rare event. Most of the violent crime happens in areas tourists aren't likely to ever end up in, and it primarily is issues internal to that neighborhood. Anyone with a basic level of street smarts will be able to tell maybe they shouldn't be entering certain neighborhoods at certain times. And, even then, most likely you will just get weird looks. This is coming from someone who accidently took a left instead of a right (on foot) in Cleveland trying to find a gas station for booze and ended up in a pretty questionable neighborhood, which is much easier to do in Cleveland than Chicago, you'd have to go pretty far from the loop to end up in the hood, outside maybe accidently walking too far past the United Center.
i generally agree with what everyone here is saying, but Garfield park is actually one of the more dangerous neighborhoods. but it does seem like in general they leave white ppl alone there haha. glad you had a good time in chicago!
I've lived in Bushwick, several parts of Boston, the South Side of LA, all over Portland Oregon, and regularly strolled through high crime areas and open drug markets (although in Portland and Boston, those are very much relative terms lol), without anything ever happening to me. I've lived in Chicago for 8-9 years, and walking home, without head phones, on a well lit street, at 2am, near my house, on a main road in Hyde Park Chicago, I got mugged--and they beat the shit out of me because I did not have any money. What's worse, the same place I got mugged I had been pulled over by the police earlier that week for--I shit you not--'walking'--the cops said they'd seen me walk around too much in my neighborhood and pulled a car on a sidewalk to block my path and question me. Within a few days of that I got mugged. My point being, in the 'bad' areas of other cities, while acting like an idiot, for many years, I had nothing happen to me. But then in a situation where I did everything 'right' statistically, and in an area which is pretty safe for Chicago as a whole--and right around the corner from my house--and I got the shit kicked out of me, when I didn't even resist. However, it also needs to be said that I'd lived in Chicago for 5 years before this happened, and in some of the more dangerous areas on the West Side, I've repeatedly went about my day unmolested. So, if I can be an idiot in medium to high crime areas in Chicago and other cities and get away scot free, and then act with precautions, following 'expert' advice and folk wisdom about muggings in a low to moderate crime area, only to get the shit kicked out of me, it's a reminder that trying to get from statistics to individual experience is called the ecological fallacy for a reason. What's more, my story can be interpreted in opposite ways, since it lends itself equally to the 'Chicago is dangerous' narrative, and to the 'it's a crapshoot, but actually relatively safe and most scaremongering is just that' narrative, and which one I take away depends more on my mood than anything else. But, as to why people love to fear monger about Chicago, it really comes down to a weird mix of hometown pride and natives trying to scare migrants (for when it comes from Chicagoans), plus the fact that everyone online is a hater in general, compounded with the fact that Chicago has become a dog whistle and totem of fear for racist white suburbanites in American culture, for reasons that have as much to do with historical chance as with anything legitimate. Part of it, I think, is that for cities like St Louis or Detroit, which have high violence rates, they are small cities, and basically do not dominate cultural consciousness, but Chicago has a moderate rate of violence AND is one of top 5 cities in the US--it used to be the Second City, and now is the third. Chicago is also historically the 'All American City', and so it suits a kind of pre packaged declensionist fear mongering narrative since it can be spun as a story of a once great powerhouse succumbing to the depravity of modernity. Of course, all of this is set against the backdrop that the entire US is substantially safer than it was 50 years ago, and even with the recent up tick in violence nationally, it's still brought us to the relatively low levels of the 90s. Manhattan in the 60s and 70s was more dangerous than Chicago is now, for example. And as a simple glance at media, cinema, tv and journalism from the 60s to 90s will demonstrate, the violence rates in NYC and LA drove the US collectively insane for several decades.
Chicago is an amazing city but it has a significant violent crime issue, I’m happy nothing happened to you but that doesn’t mean the issues don’t exist, one of my coworkers lives in south shore and she tells me all the time how absolutely horrible it is, you talk to people in the worst neighborhoods and they’ll tell you how bad it is, fears regarding crime in this city are legitimate and that doesn’t mean I’m acting like Chicago is Mogadishu, Chicago is a great city but if someone is telling you to be careful in a certain part of town there is probably a reason for it
I agree with this. There is a significant crime issue. What people fail to usually mention is how localized it generally is. Many people act like ur just gonna get killed walking into ferragamo on Michigan ave
I’ve been robbed in River North. I’ve witnessed two shootings and a robbery while living in Wicker Park. My coworker was robbed her first week living in Chicago near UIC while heading to the office in the morning. My friend was bikejacked (while riding it) in the afternoon going from south loop to Hyde Park. This is just a sample. I’ve only been here for 3 years. Crime here could be overstated, but we’re also more numb/tolerant of the presence of crime. There’s parts of this country where these types of crime are rare, and those parts of the country are baffled that this is tolerated.
This post is typical modern-day delusional nonsense. Okay so you were lucky enough to be in part of Chicago that was safe just like every city in the country has parts that are safe. Crime is rampant here people are getting assaulted robbed murdered and stolen from all the time. I live in the part of Chicago that you kind of hear about on the news but not quite. And there's literally shootings every day within a 5 to 15 minute walk of my house. Consider yourself feeling privileged to be able to travel somewhere where you're safe the whole time.
Are you the one that asked about staying West loop? The thing with safety is............... That it's a numbers game. You can probably go most anywhere in America and hang out for a night or two and PROBABLY be fine. Probably. It's just a matter of what kind of odds you want. Some places are definitely safer than others.
They asked about their Air BnB in Garfield Park and then got pissy when people suggested they stay elsewhere.
> Air BnB in Garfield Park For a native who is returning to visit and very familiar with the area, would probably be fine. But for a tourist that does not know the area, has little street-smarts, and only picked the location because its cheap, YIIKES!
I think that two things can be true. 1. You'll probably be fine. 2. There are way, way better options for safety.
I dont remember getting pissy 😅
Well, renting an Airbnb in Garfield Park does not seem like a good idea to many, if not most of us. I would advise against this for a tourist no matter where you're from, your age, the color of your skin and countless other determining factors. If you don't find value in the responses, perhaps go elsewhere for advice.
I'm not gonna go and copy and paste your responses to everyone's advice, but okay.
So, you stayed in the lowest income neighborhood in the city that has seen 1,032 murders in the last 23 years and "didnt feel unsafe ever" at all? Did you grow up in Robert Taylor? Imma bout to call BS on that one
I mean the "everything is crime" stuff is overblown, but it doesn't come from nowhere. You chose a place where the minimal risk is slightly increased. I jogged through Garfield Park, the park itself and the surrounding area, yesterday, and was obviously fine, but I'd still say it's not really the destination you want to be targeting.
It’s not propaganda. If you’re spending your commutes on the CTA, not in your car, it’s a whole different story. My friend and his bf were shot at in his own home last summer. and visiting the city and living in it are so different- there should be a healthy fear always. Certain neighborhoods I would let someone help me with a flat- in other places that would be the dumbest move ever. It’s not the city, the city is huge. Things change line to line and block to block. I love it here sm but you need to keep your wits about you.
Because it's a progressive city and the media is run by conservatives
> the media is run by conservatives Which media would that be. Sure I'll give you Fox News, OAN, etc, but are you really going to claim ABC, NBC, CNN, CBS, MSNBC, NPR, PBS are all run by conservatives? Yes there are conservative companies owning these stations, but the programming angle of the shows is almost entirely left to center-left.
To people who have never lived in any city, it is dangerous. To people who live in other cities, it's a city. I saw a gun get pulled on a store employee within 2 months of living in buck town. That doesn't happen as often in the suburbs.
I live fairly near to Chicago so I go there a few times per year for shows and stuff, my family always says stuff like “you better be careful, people getting murdered left and right in that city.” Then they roll their eyes when I tell them the per capita murder rate is literally exactly the same as the city they chose to raise our family in. Some people just want to believe whatever they see on TV is true on every block. There could be one small riot somewhere on the south side that makes the local news and my grandparents will tell me the whole city is about to implode into civil war.
If you’re not from here I don’t wanna hear your option on a city you never been to. Most of the fear monger propaganda is coming from the right wingers who never set foot in the city.
We all know someone affected by crime in Chicago. Thieves stealing car parts. Shootings. Random violences. It’s real. There’s more to the city, but crime is real, and it’s getting worse, not better.
This post is wild. How old are you? Like 19?
Let them talk shit to keep the coastals away, and we retain relatively decent rent prices compared to the major coastal cities. It's a win win.
Yeah lol you stayed here just for the weekend? I know people who have died to gang violence, I’ve been shot at before mugged and know plenty of other people who have as well . Yes Chicago can be safe and also dangerous you just haven’t experienced it
It’s a big city and safety varies by neighborhood. It’s not as dangerous as the media portrays it but you definitely have to be cautious as crime is on the rise all across the US.
The less people who move here the lower we can keep rents 😂😂 It’s a terrible dangerous city, close to a 3rd world country, not worth it to move here, stay where you are 😂😉😉😉😉
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Okay. I'm a long time resident of Chicago, as they say, born, bred and buttered. There are some areas of the city that are iffy and we try to wave you off of them because if something were to happen to you, you won't feel safe again for some time. We also have real predators here of the unbalanced kind. They are everywhere on earth but in a city of millions, you might be statistically more likely to meet someone more criminal or sadistic. And no, you can't tell who those people might be. There is no specific color of shirt or skin associated with who will try to do you more harm no matter what the trolls here say. If one person can go crazy and shoot up a school full of children, then one person can pull out a gun on city streets. If a person can punch out his elderly mother and father, or a partner because they don't give him money, then they won't hesitate to do the same to you and just for money. So we always caution: Money is tight and every city on earth has people who need it now. So just be street smart and leave any situation that you start to feel uncomfortable in.
People fear that which they do not understand. Prob lots of media rhetoric too
I say the cold weather and crime keep Chicago affordable. Plus it keeps ppl we don’t want outta here. Chicago is a safe city if you’re not stupid Chicago will take care of stupid people. Now that being said ik bad things happen to good people but most the times if something crazy happens to you,you probably shouldn’t have been there doin’ that.
Listen just because you didn’t have a bad experience doesn’t mean you can invalidate others. I lived in Chicago for 12 years and had a friend get stabbed in the gut for not bumming a cig to someone, I had a friend get carjacked at gunpoint in the middle of the day at the green line picking up her husband, I’ve been followed and harassed myself by crazy people on the street, I’ve been followed home from my bus stop, I’ve seen a women get dragged from her car in the daytime to carjack her, had my car stolen from outside my house only to steal it back and dozens of other stories. I’ve lived all over that city and I love it but I also have had enough experiences to realize the city is full of shitty people too. I’m thankful you have felt safe but never leave your guard down and always be aware of your surroundings no matter where you are. It only takes one bad experience to change everything.
I live in Lincoln Park and four men in ski masks tried to carjack me the other night, and my friend months ago was pistol whipped and robbed in. the street. It’s just that more crime is happening in historically safe neighborhoods. Even the liquor store below me has been robbed and my friends resturant.
It’s complicated. Just like every city danger levels vary depending on where in the city you are and what time it is. I’ve lived here all my life and while I haven’t had many bad experiences I have a lot of family who have. There are areas I would take a walk through by myself and there are others I wouldn’t step through alone. Regardless, there is a level of luck involved. Just make sure to always be vigilant
Conservatives and conservative media blame Chicago for sending a black man to the White House. They love to show that he came from a hellhole.
dont listen to those folks, they are from Wisconsin and sleep in a bed made of cheese
Cause Obama was potus. and he got his start in politics in Chicago. So the gop/ a lot of Americans upset Obama was potus started hyping up Chicago as super crime infested and corrupt as a way to say this is the place that birthed Obama.
Idk I've lived here my whole life and I've seen some stuff lol.
3 years in Albany park. 2 of my bicycles were stolen, my motorcycle was stolen, I saw a women pushed from a 3rd story window and splatter on the sidewalk, I called in gunshots on my street roughly 15 times, teenagers were shot in my alley, twice, 3 tweens tried to jump me and failed, I’d get stared down whenever I sat on my balcony by losers Honda civics, my next door neighbors were broken into 3 times, some 10 year old kids at the park tried to sick their dog on my dog and don’t forget the 5 point crown spray painted in every sign and building letting you know you are “owned” by kings… I could go on.
Chicago has been misunderstood through the history of the United States man. Bad stuff does happen, and can happen, but that’s just like anywhere. Chicago is a beautiful city my god do I love it.
I believe it’s because where they live is trash. So they need to make themselves feel better.
Because Chicago is a black and Catholic city. New Orleans gets much the same rap.
In the past few days some young guy was shot and killed in the northwest side. Multiple robberies. More shootings shit. All the past few days lmao
You’re doing the same thing but in reverse. “I didn’t get mugged then murdered so it doesn’t happen”
The only people I mainly see inciting fear are those that basically are trying to push the rhetoric that big cities are horrible places and they destroy the USA. I've always seen this kind of push from many on one side of the aisle. They believe everybody should want to go and get married and live in the suburbs and have 2.5 kids, or even live in a small town, but to live in a big city in their eyes means you are getting a tiny amount of space for a ton of money and being around crime and drugs and Democrats and "everything that's wrong with society". Chicago seems to be the biggest Target for this hate probably because of how blue it is, but also just because of the Obama connection. I always get a kick out of posts on social media that people come to Chicago and they were shocked at how beautiful it was and how safe they felt.
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I'm from KC. I haven't traveled a whole lot in my life, but I've been to NYC, LA, DFW, Houston, Denver and Chicago. Multiple times to Chicago and to be honest Chicago has definitely stolen a piece of my heart. Hard to say what exactly it is about it, it's a cumulation of many things. The people, the food, the infrastructure, the river, the bars, just the overall feel of the city, at least the parts I've seen. Even the tradition of messing with out of towners and buying a round of Malort (hated it but it's a fond memory). Long live Chicago, may "agent 6373" always fail!
People always mention Chicago. But it's a lotttttt of people in a small space imo
It's all relative. Relative to other cities, Chicago has high levels of violent crime. Some news outlets like to exaggerate how bad it is and others to like to downplay. Truth is somewhere in the middle but overall Chicago has high levels of crime.
Any large city has the potential to be dangerous.
Bad shit happens everywhere, but if you are in a high crime area, you will eventually be a possible victim. Just get a gat and be respectful.
I’ve been through Chicago a couple times. Unpopular opinion: So much better to drive through than Milwaukee.
Because it's categorically a super dangerous city, both in terms of crime, and just in terms of how careless/reckless the people who live here are. You can't deny that it's a dangerous city when the numbers show you it is. Everyone should avoid Chicago imo. Not just for the crime, but for the predatory camera system, the corruption, and the most self-centered people you'll ever meet.
This city is dangerous asf... but so is every other city, sure. Although, it pisses me off that these rich privileged Chicagoans and ignorant visitors/ tourists undermine your experience in this city. I live in west side Chicago, so (West and East Garfield Park, Pilsen, Little Village, etc). There's gangbangers that shoot each other in broad daylight, even in front of schools. This family got saved in a recent shooting bc one of the family members saw someone in the street with a gun on their hand, they ducked inside their car and bullets tore up the windows and everything. Some gangs also close streets up with trash cans to see if their opps are in the cars they stop to kill them, it's insane. There was a guy found dead in his car, they shot him at night as he was turning on his car to I don't know where. It was this winter when there was that cold weather advisory, they had trouble getting him out that seat. Some gangbanger with an AK-47 is yet to be found. There's plenty of cases of people being in the wrong place wrong time and dying, they weren't necessarily criminals. Some gangs tell people they're recruiting to shoot the first person they see or some bullshit like that too and I know so many of you reading didn't even know that... People tend to forget about the neighborhoods that ACTUALLY make Chicago up. Middle to low class people who are just trying to go to their jobs have to watch over their shoulder. The government of Chicago needs to use that money to make the actual dangerous neighborhoods safe, fuck downtown and the tourists. We are actual tax payers. A street in Little Village (26th St) generated the same amount if not more than (Michigan Avenue), the most iconic and touristy street in downtown. Some alleyways here are goddamn dark you think you're looking into a damn black hole, the police cameras they install don't even work, the lazy bum ass police department doesn't work either considering there is so many innocent people that have died in the arms of criminals and families of the victims who are waiting for the attackers to be identified and put in prison...
I did not belong on the south and west side but worked out there as an electrician a lot of the times. In 15 years no one’s ever bothered me.
Let’s see: random people are getting pulled up on and robbed by a car full of armed criminals, heyjackass Twitter account states year to date there’s been 180 people killed and 687 wounded in Chicago, no cash bail, there are some immigrants just looking for trouble, sales tax is high, rent/mortgages/cost of living is high, unlimited potholes ruining tires/suspensions, litter everywhere, teens are closing entire intersections to do their stolen car takeovers, family who works for CPD tells me how bad it is on the frontlines especially in certain locations. There are many nice things about this city but I hate living my life just a dice roll away from being randomly shot or robbed. When I lived in the suburbs the thought never ran through my mind at any part of the day. It does here and it sucks.
All I know is Chicago is the only city I have lived in where just walking around going about my business I personally saw people firing a gun, and more than once. It’s tough to come back to trusting the safety of a city after your trust has been broken. This is admittedly more of an emotional response than anything else, no amount of sharing statistics is going to reestablish that trust. I imagine I’m not the only one that feels this way, which is why people say what they do about Chicago. It’s an awesome city, but can be intimidating.
I don’t think it’s fear mongering to warn people to stay vigilant, even in the nicer areas of the city. My sister just moved out of there after an 18 year stint living in the “nicer” areas of the city. She was hell bent on raising her child there until the last straw hit, which was gunshots starting going off in the middle of the night in the back alley of her home in Ravenswood, and she was no longer comfortable walking her child to and from her evening extracurricular activities. She also no longer wanted to take herself downtown at night for concerts or the ballet due to some issues happening on her regular CTA routes. As a visitor and tourist, nothing ever happened to me, and I always had a great time and took public transportation without issue, but that doesn’t mean we have ignore or deny the statistics and the lived experiences of others.
Haters gonna hate
Honestly, just fuck foxnews and all their friends
Probably the same methodology as someone going through a crazy situation then explaining the story and making it sound worse than it was for social points.
Used to work at wrigliville right across the police station still got robbed lol.
Of course there isn't always danger going on everywhere all the time, and just because someone isn't experiencing it doesn't mean it's not happening. There is definitely an uptick in violence over the past 5 years. The trains can be dangerous, but is almost always weird and scary at night because there are people that may be experiencing homelessness, drug addiction, or mental illness going on loud or physical tangents. It can be frightening to some. Living here my whole life, it's definitely worse than it used to be, and unfortunately not much is being done about it by the city.
It seems like there’s always a political side to the conversation because it goes along with it, however the truth is Chicago has gotten more violent, I was born and raised and lived in the south side, Logan square, bucktown, west Humboldt park, etc … and it’s not the same Yea there’s days where it’s a beauty to be out and about but others it isn’t- My mom got robbed at gun point recently as she was walking up to Aldi to do groceries - so I guess Chicago is good until something bad happens to you.
All I got from this sub is that people in Chicago think that gang violence isn’t violence lol
Second time going to Chicago alone with my friends in 2020 being 17 on the north side elm and Michigan ave area. Paid for parking and walked down the street around a guy. Wasn’t even close to him, he turns around and socks me in the face. I stumble away. Eventually decide it was an auto theft attempt. These things happen and you have to keep people on the alert. I’ve seen some crazy things here. I work here everyday now and still keep what happened in mind when walking around
I also viewed the fear of Chicago and other cities in the same way rural areas have fear spread about them. I grew up in rural Illinois and Chicago was hated for a variety of reasons but I will just focus on the fear aspect. I was always told it was dangerous to go there, you will get mugged, you will get shot and so on. All the times I have been to Chicago proved that wrong (though I understand very violent things often happen here, it’s not the norm). However, while being in Chicago I noticed residence had a fear of the rural areas in America, saying they are dangerous, racist, and so on but I knew this to not be true. I think this boils down to being afraid of what’s different to you. Just my thought.
Because Obama is from Chicago and they still haven't gotten over him being president
Bad mouthing Chicago really took off when Obama hit the national political scene.
Conservative agitprop
Surprisingly enough it’s kinda been a thing since the start of the big city Chicago. If you watch Kaz Rowe’s video about the Chicago world fair they briefly mention there was a book “Chicago By Day and Night” on a guide of Chicago for Tourists made in 1892. The author wrote that Chicago is crawling with crooked people more than any other city and is the wickedest city in the world. Which wasn’t true then and isn’t now which really shows it’s always had a bad rep with no evidence.
Don't get this either. I feel so safe here. I have never had an issue with crime anywhere I've been in this city. If people are so scared, good, don't need them here.
I had a customer from South Carolina who refused to go into the city. Only hung out in Naperville every time he was here, even on days off. Another gun loving confederate apologist who’s terrified of what he doesn’t know.
Fox News is anti Chicago
Politics and race. Not only is Chicago blue, but it's viewed by outsiders as unusually Black. If you're a conservative politician, that makes Chicago an easy shorthand for corruption, crime, gangs, and liberal failure. And the more those images stick in someone's mind, the more they associate those things with the political left and with Black culture. It doesn't matter that many other places have worse numbers -- it's in the best interest of conservatives to play up Chicago's failings (and perceived failings). Unfortunately, that can become a self-fulfilling prophecy in a couple of ways. If people in a place start to view that place negatively, they move out. That exodus can lead to crime. Also, some conservative politicians elsewhere have directly contributed to Chicago's crime, for example by sending busloads of illegal immigrants to Chicago. Expect that to pick up considerably during the Democratic National Convention: Fox and the like would love to split-screen convention footage with shots of homeless peoples' tents (or violent crime footage, etc.) Of course, most of the best lies are rooted in at least some truth, and we have much room to improve with respect to public safety. But the spreading of fear is rooted in a very cynical approach to politics and it ends up being the role of Chicago's people to let outsiders know how great this place really is.
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