Most people don’t live in cities big enough to comprehend that being 30-45 minutes away from high a crime areas is a basically a different city. Crime happens mostly in the same areas and it’s usually gang related. It’s a city so there will be crime like any city but outside of a few neighborhoods…if you think Chicago is a dangerous hell hole I assume you’ve just never been there. It’s truly beautiful

@KentoKei

10 ай бұрын

people who assume Chicago is a dangerous hell hole has not been to northern and eastern St. Louis metro (the eastern of which being in Illinois)

@knucklehoagies

10 ай бұрын

What San Francisco is going through these day is basically what the media is trying to portray Chicago to be. But it's simply not. I moved here recently and within my 1st week here I was literally like "Where is this crime ridden hell hole they talk about? I don't see it anywhere."

@TohaBgood2

9 ай бұрын

@@knucklehoagies I'm going to have to disappoint you here. SF is not going through anything of the sort that the right media is trying to portray. I live here. Literally nothing has changed here except the Fox News segments. The locals are laughing their backsides off. The disparity in what some of the MSM say is happening and what is actually happening is so insanely large that we have new bar games related to it! Like, we watch Fox News segments and whoever spots more shots of the same intersection from more angles to make it look like a new place wins! They literally shoot all of their "San Francisco is dying" in the same four-block radius in the Tenderloin. You can't make this stuff up! Oh, and SF is a lot safer than most US cities, even then Chicago (which I absolutely adore and visit regularly). The techies are still refusing to be forced back into the office, so some of the downtown businesses that depended on them are indeed struggling. There is a lot of homelessness and drug use in the Tenderloin, but this has literally always been the case in that neighborhood going all the way back to the mid 1800s. That's the rug where the city admin sweeps all of its messes to so that they can keep the city clean and pretty for the tourists. Tourism btw went from 30% of pre-pandemic in 2021, to 50% in 2022, and to 80% in 2023. They are projecting that it might surpass pre-pandemic levels by next year. In other words, be careful with the propaganda. You might think that you're smarter than the propagandists, but they will eventually get you with enough repetition!

@sm3675

8 ай бұрын

Late reply, but that is not a well-thought comment. Comparable cities of Berlin, Toronto, Copenhagen, Warsaw, Boston, etc do not even come close to the violence seen in Chicago.

@NKim-gj9vk

8 ай бұрын

@@sm3675none of that changes what I said lol. Most Americans don’t.

Chicago is a city that has both worlds, you can live in a city or in a suburb. There is also always fresh water from the lake and it is always gonna be near agriculture. It is a city of abundance. It is a city that is meant to exist.

@Xilladan093

11 ай бұрын

Shootings lol

@Xilladan093

11 ай бұрын

How is lori lightfoot lol

@GeorgeOneEleven

11 ай бұрын

​@@Xilladan093and other US cities don't have shootings? What's your point?

@Xilladan093

11 ай бұрын

@@GeorgeOneEleven yawn missing the point hippie

@Xilladan093

11 ай бұрын

@@GeorgeOneEleven clown 😘

I visited Chicago just a few months ago and I have to say I was shocked. My expectations were completely off. I was expecting the city to be dirty, crime-ridden, and polluted, but the opposite was true. The downtown of the city is extremely clean, I never felt unsafe in the parts that I visited, and the air quality felt pretty good. Additionally, the city has loads of attractions and the public transportation system works like a wonder; I myself took the train from O’hare to the inner city. Honestly, Chicago is easily one of the most-if not, THE most, underrated city in the country. Truly a top-tier city.

@knucklehoagies

10 ай бұрын

totally agree. I moved here recently and it's nothing like they portray in the media. Sure there are bad parts but they're isolated to certain neighborhoods far away from the city. Everywhere else is clean, organized, and safe. Chicago is a great city but since it's located in the midwest, people tend to ignore it for coastal cities. Fine by me... keeps the rent low.

@mtns340

10 ай бұрын

@@knucklehoagies The cost to live in Chicago is amazing compared to NYC, and I'm talking clean, nice apts near train stations.

@tortellinifettuccine

7 ай бұрын

It's by far the most underated. It's one of the most hated cities in the country, the crazy fear mongering is mostly done by far right media like fox. They do the same for new york, but they of course have an easier time doing it to Chicago because they can use the high black population to pretend that means a high crime rate. Chicago is funnily enough one of the only cities in the country that's actually considered completely safe, and the only one other than Boston that can match new york in general saftey, and actually beat it, in areas like homelessness.

@justamaninTN

7 ай бұрын

It is the best city in America, overall. New York is bigger. LA has far better weather. But in terms of a city that has the best cost of living, best cleanliness, most cosmopolitan attractions, best food, best architecture, best public transit, most diversified economy overall…you can’t beat Chicago.

@tortellinifettuccine

7 ай бұрын

@justamaninTN la has good weather which is sadly the end of the positives for LA. Lived in Chicago most of my life and never once needed a car. In LA, if I didn't rent, I had to get an Uber, to go literally ANYWHERE. Want food? CAR. Want to go for a walk in the park? CAR. Want to go to your friend's house less than a mile away? CAR. CAR is your only option.

Chicago is probably the only city in the US that rivals New York in terms of architecture. Some of the earliest skyscrapers were built there, lots of famous names like Daniel Burnham and Louis Sullivan,

@phillygrunt2154

11 ай бұрын

What is Philly then? Genuinely asking your opinions. Philly may not have the tallest but our urban fabric is 🤌 We also have also held the tallest in the country/world.

@vianabdullah2837

11 ай бұрын

@@phillygrunt2154 At least in the modern era, Chicago is more influential

@StLouis-yu9iz

11 ай бұрын

@@phillygrunt2154 kinda like the Lou. ❤

@gumerzambrano

11 ай бұрын

Nah Chicago is way better than NYC

@40nights40daystv

11 ай бұрын

I love our downtown

I lived in Chicago for 23 years. I loved it. I loved hearing five different languages walking to the corner store. I loved the vibrancy of the city and every neighborhood I lived in. There is an energy and personality to the city that is unmatched. I moved out a few years ago because of a major personal loss and I couldn't move forward with the memories the city held. But I still visit and will go after anyone who talks shit about the first city that truly felt like home to me.

@JohnGalanek

6 ай бұрын

Chicago man, it’s the city that sticks together! It’s our spirit that scares the $h1t out of the haters!

As a New Yorker, Chicago is a beautiful city, nice people, great food, great sports city, poor weather and leadership and would like to add that crime is only in pockets

@claudermiller

7 ай бұрын

Every city has crime. I live 45 miles from the closest city in a village of 1,000. 99% Republican and we have plenty of crooks running around.

@CortexNewsService

7 ай бұрын

As a former Chicagoan, this is an accurate summary.

@Paralda

7 ай бұрын

@@snap__shot How so? Driving in Dallas is a nightmare, and there are hardly any walkable spaces in the city. I know downtown has improved somewhat, but every time I go to Dallas I have to rent a car and I feel like I'm going to die on their highways. Contrast that to Chicago where I've never had to rent a car, plenty of walkable spaces, really good transit (by American standards), and some of the best food in America.

@frankd.506

7 ай бұрын

​@@snap__shotGross

@peteroberts6771

7 ай бұрын

​@@snap__shotPLEASE😂😂 Dallas is its own thing. You can't compare anything from Chicago to Dallas.

I was honestly almost in tears by the end of this video, to my surprise. I didn't realize how much I needed (or at least wanted) to hear some praise of our great city, which of course is not without its problems. All I ever hear is how awful of a place it is, and the intensity of that negative coverage is so great from national media outlets that some Chicago residents who live in expensive and extremely safe neighborhoods (including many that you visited) even repeat the nonsense. It's one thing when the national media attacks your city in bad faith. It's another, much sadder, thing entirely when its own residents do.

@beback_

11 ай бұрын

The negative press keeps gullible idiots out. I'm all for it.

@alan2102X

11 ай бұрын

A lot of the negativity is right-wing political stuff, and racist. These assholes WANT Chicago to fail, to "prove" that the Democrats are evil and incompetent.

@SomeLazyDr

11 ай бұрын

Chicago is a secret gem. I have travelled to most big cities in the United States. Chicago is cleaner than most. The public transit is better than most. There are less homeless and bums and drug dealers on your streets than other cities. It's far from perfect, your winters are shit, but Chicago is really awesome.

@jfungsf882

11 ай бұрын

Same can be said about my beloved City of San Francisco.

@SomeLazyDr

11 ай бұрын

@@jfungsf882 yeah but the good news is, if people actually believe it long enough, san francisco might become affordable again. ;-)

Chicago is simply the most affordable large city in the US, with all the amenities that anyone could possibly ask for. And having two subway lines (Red and Blue) that run 24/7, with the Blue going right to the door of the airport, is absolutely unique in America. Great city for people of all ages, to visit or to live in.

@alan2102X

11 ай бұрын

I'm thinking of moving. Except I need a plan to escape for January/February. :-)

@WarrenSvoboda

11 ай бұрын

@@alan2102X The cold makes you stronger. Bundle up and keep moving to retain body heat.

@JeremyBaret24

11 ай бұрын

Big facts

@patrickboldea599

11 ай бұрын

Yeah its so unique! DC, Boston, SF, Cleveland, Portland, Denver, Seattle, San Diego, Atlanta, Miami, St Louis, Salt Lake City, Phoenix, and Los Angeles (in the next few months) all just don't exist! Chicago is the only city with a rail connection to the airport! It's certainly not the case that pretty much every major city with a rail line that isn't NY has rail that goes to the airport. Only Chicago does... God people in this city will think of any reason to sniff their own ass

@paulvigliotti444

11 ай бұрын

Chicago is the best

Having a car in New York doesn't really make sense. Having a car in LA is a necessity. In Chicago, you can have a car or not have a car - both are totally doable!

@tortellinifettuccine

7 ай бұрын

Definitely, but most choose to live without a car. If you choose to drive in the city, you can look at people's plates, and you'll see most driving are either out of state, or in state, but from the outer suburbs. The best thing too, you don't need a car to go downtown from the suburbs, nearly all the suburbs have transit acess wether it be cta and metra or just metra

@rban123

7 ай бұрын

@@tortellinifettuccine Nahhh lots of people in Chicago own cars. Plenty don't though. It's a 15 minute walk to the blue line for me, and a 30 minute walk to the nearest grocery store. Especially in the winter a car is pretty much a necessity for me.

@tortellinifettuccine

7 ай бұрын

@rban123 definitely agree, still an American city, but nevertheless there's always transit around for the vast majority of people, and stores are everywhere, just depends...are you in the suburbs? A lot of people in Chicago own cars, but most don't and even more don't use their cars at all or very little. Anyone living in proper Chicago is covered by 24 hour transit, but as soon as you get out of proper Chicago it definitely gets less well covered. I lived both in and right outside proper Chicago, and there's definitely a difference, but still, transit was always there, just a little further. Even so a lot of people outside the proper borders use cars, especially to get into the city and it causes traffick but I get it, especially during winter. Wouldn't make the 30 min walk to the station back when I lived near ohair during winter either.

@Good_Enough4

7 ай бұрын

@@tortellinifettuccine I've never lived in Chicago proper, but if I'm just going downtown for the day, I just drive to the Metra and take the train in. If I'm going to the north or near south side, I'll just drive so I don't need to worry about using transit (also because in those situations I'm usually gonna be out past the last train home.)

@AssBlasster

7 ай бұрын

​@@rban123having a car looks like more of a PITA in winter (digging it out, heating it up, more maintenance and treacherous driving conditions) than just riding a studded tire bike or taking the L. I only lived in a small city during winters but biking worked for a few miles of a commute.

The opinions of suburbanites on the matters of the city are fundamentally worthless

@yg6484

11 ай бұрын

Finally some said it!

@BrendanSullivan-ll7fz

8 ай бұрын

The opinions of a lot of the city’s residents are also effectively worthless.

@timstrobel9220

7 ай бұрын

If Chicago could have, the entire Chicago Metro would be within the city limits of Chicago...there would just be more neighborhoods 😊

@samueldocski4426

7 ай бұрын

@@BrendanSullivan-ll7fzyou sound mad.

@slakcheetah4989

7 ай бұрын

The opinions of people in small towns hundreds of miles away are worth even less.

We moved a friend to the far North side of Chicago, the Edgewater neighborhood, last week. I felt as safe there as in our small town. Their building was 2 blocks off the beach of Lake Michigan and tons of people were walking with their beach gear to the beach. I never thought of a Northern, dense city being right on the beach...very cool. Anyway, the reality on the ground in many Chicago neighborhoods is much better than portrayed in the media. CHI town is way under-rated.

@BroadwayLTDProductions

8 ай бұрын

I used to live in Edgewater and it was very safe. There were a few shootings when I lived there but they were all just targeted, gang related shootings that happened in the middle of the night with nobody around. But compared to places like Englewood or Auburb Gresham, it was super safe.

@mostmost1

7 ай бұрын

That beach extends to the south side of Chicago and people bike and run all night long with few problems. I've watched them do it over 20 years as I commute to work.

@jj6282

7 ай бұрын

One of the many things that Daniel Burnham did right in designing Chicago was to give the majority of the lakefront, both north and south of downtown, to the people. It's parks, paths, and beaches are accessible to everyone. Many waterfront cities have been developed right up to the water's edge, leaving that amenity only for those who can afford to live there. Edgewater has been my home for 17 years and is one of the best neighborhoods in Chicago IMO

@shaqolaaan

6 ай бұрын

from rogers park, i love how close the lake is haha

I just visited Chicago from Philly and absolutely loved it. Compared to a philly it felt so useable and a lot safer. Going to move my family there. Thanks for the video.

@euphegenia

7 ай бұрын

I can't say Chicago is more safe than Philly because I've never been to Philly for an extended period of time. There are so many places that aren't safe to be in Chicago. And lots of places that were once considered safe are gradually becoming not safe.

@mostmost1

7 ай бұрын

​@@euphegenialots of places that were unsafe are now safer. Cabrini green area for one, west loop, near west side around the United center, The whole of Madison was skid row in the 70s and 80s. Near south side were many condos were built.

@ExtremePlantGrowing

7 ай бұрын

it’s has relatively safe neighborhoods but there are still plenty of robberies in nice areas. Plus its cold as shit by the lake in the winter

@euphegenia

7 ай бұрын

@@mostmost1 you must not pay attention to what goes on in those areas at all

@tortellinifettuccine

7 ай бұрын

​@@euphegenialmao nice fear mongering Naperville native

I lived in NYC and retired to Chicago. Thank you for a positive take on this beautiful city.

Those are valid points given about the CTA and having lived in Chicago for over 20 years who rides the trains often, I agree that it needs improvements. I also wish there was still the old streetcar system so you could reach more areas of the city without having to drive, take a bus or get a ride.

@chris1789

11 ай бұрын

Same. I have turned to divvy to fill in the gaps between cta lines but I would go crazy for some tram/streetcar type thing that did that instead

@mochistorm8687

11 ай бұрын

Divys too expensive . They should make it cheaper and you should be able to pay for the bikes with Ventra. I would make life so much convenient for many commuters.

@jhodapp

5 ай бұрын

Indeed, this is a US problem though. The places that have truly outstanding transit in the world, like a lot of Europe and Asia, invest in their systems at a national level and they also allow their transit authorities to own land around the stations generating a TON of revenue directly for the systems. Why we generally don’t allow/do that in the US is beyond me…

As a European without driving license Chicago and new York are the two only US cities I would consider visiting

@Shaunfromboston

11 ай бұрын

Add Boston and San Francisco to your list and you have the only 4 walkable cities in the USA.

@tobilobafashae7110

11 ай бұрын

​@@Shaunfromboston God damn this is so funny and sad at the same time 😭

@AlRoderick

11 ай бұрын

This is actually a little bit more flexible if you don't have to live and work there and are only visiting. A lot of the popular vacation spots have walkable areas that are designed to be used by people who arrived by plane. Amtrak rides across the country are a wonderful vacation in and of themselves if you're not relying on the train to actually take you places in a timely fashion, and happily a lot of the trains terminate in Chicago. So if you did visit Chicago, you could also take most of a week to have a nice leisurely train trip out to Emeryville which can deliver you to San Francisco. DC isn't too bad either, Philly is good. And in any of these places, you can stay in an Airbnb that used to be someone's affordable rental property, so that's nice.

@AssBlasster

11 ай бұрын

Lol you Europeans. If you are visiting, you will be fine in PLENTY of big cities. You can easily add Seattle, Portland, San Diego, Los Angeles, New Orleans, and others. They will be some struggle but I have enjoyed car free vacations in these cities. Hell it's common to not rent a car for Vegas trips. The strip area and downtown is miserable for walking but the buses (15-30 min frequency) and Ubers are sufficient for getting places. I even rented a bike once and hopped on the bus for rides on some cool trails. Living here without a car is the real issue.

@highway2heaven91

11 ай бұрын

DC is pretty good as well. It’s on par with Boston and ahead of Philly, SF and Chicago imo.

Glad you loved Chicago. Couldn't agree more that it's one of the best cities for young professionals. I lived 3 train stops from downtown and only paid $1200 a month renting a floor in a triplex in wicker park. Not only that but i didn't need a car the whole time i lived there. Couple that with the higher salaries in the city and it really helped me climb my way to eventually homeownership. Sadly I left Chicago a few years back, but I highly recommend it to anyone!

@TheErik1119

11 ай бұрын

Why did U end up leaving Chicago ?

@faheemabbas3965

11 ай бұрын

Why’d you leave?

@rexx9496

11 ай бұрын

How difficult was getting used to the winter? I'm considering Chicago but I live in the south where most winter days are in the 40s and 50s.

@neosapienz7885

11 ай бұрын

⁠@@rexx9496 it will be a transition for you, but doable depending on what you like to do. There are a lot, and I mean a lot, of things to do indoors. Chicago has amazing museums, arts, sports, entertainment, and among the best food scenes in the world…and a few of the top cocktail lounges are here. Plus, housing is relatively affordable for a big cities with the amenities and infrastructure, so if you’re a hobbyist, you’ll be more productive in the winter months. I will say this, too. Come February, you’ll want to schedule a week in a warm place. There are direct flights to a lot of destinations you would be surprised. We go to Palm Springs and rent a house with friends. Direct flight. World class city and the people are overall very friendly.

@7054irvin

11 ай бұрын

@@TheErik1119 family & work took me out of state

I love chicago. When I try to tell people that they think I’m crazy

@rexx9496

11 ай бұрын

So stupid. I looked at a list of homicides per capita and Chicago is #28 on the list. People think Chicago is #1.

@AngelloDelNorte

11 ай бұрын

They think right.

@knucklehoagies

10 ай бұрын

@@AngelloDelNorte don't believe everything the media tells you.

@zebo3531

9 ай бұрын

​@@AngelloDelNortesays someone who NEVER lived here Chicago is a wonderful city

@micosstar

7 ай бұрын

@@AngelloDelNortemaking false claims isn’t respectable; there’s a reason why english classes teach about fallacies

I was born and raised In Gary Indiana and Chicago was so convenient for me that I took it for granted. As I got older and visited other cities it’s size like NYC, LA, Houston etc I realized that Chicago is so historic and modern and probably the cleanest big city of its size. I love Chicago. I never felt threatened there at all, it has its neighborhoods but so does every city.

@piglet7943

7 ай бұрын

Chicago is definitely not cleaner than Houston that’s ridiculous. And it’s not just in some neighborhoods that the crime is bad. The criminals in the bad neighborhoods have now started going to the safe neighborhoods and started terrorizing them as well. It’s terrible.

I retired to Chicago and it was the best decision I ever made. I love living here. As a weather nerd I love its ever changing climate. And, I don't mind the cold and snowy winters. (The outside L stations, have heat lamps to wait under!). It is a world class city with world class amenities, friendly people ("Midwest Nice" is a reality here), excellent transit, and lower cost of living than New York or San Francisco. What more could I want. I am very happy living here.

@fleadoggreen9062

8 ай бұрын

Whst neighborhood do you live

@davidberlant5096

8 ай бұрын

@@fleadoggreen9062 Rogers Park

@garryferrington811

7 ай бұрын

Or Los Angeles.

@degraves2003

7 ай бұрын

@@garryferrington811 Illinois doesn't tax retirement income so Chicago ends up being much more affordable then expected.

@dblissmn

7 ай бұрын

@@degraves2003 it also discounts property taxes for seniors if your income in retirement falls below a certain level (I think the threshold is $70K or something like that) and that discount is on top of the homestead discount.

Chicago is my favorite city to visit. It's very underrated and I highly suggest people give it a chance

@princerak8881

11 ай бұрын

lmao

@railroadforest30

10 ай бұрын

Agreed

@al99795

10 ай бұрын

@@princerak8881 whats your fav city to visit?

i'm moving to Chicago next month and could not be more excited. I fell in love with the city for all the reasons you listed! i wanted to relocate to a walkable city with lots to explore while still being affordable, and its one of the only options in country.

@faheemabbas3965

11 ай бұрын

I live near Chicago. I just hope you’re prepared for one of the highest tax rates in the nation lol

@neosapienz7885

11 ай бұрын

@@faheemabbas3965I hate the taxes here for sure. But you need to check the facts. Also, if you think about everything that’s here-it ain’t free to maintain. We could do better, but taxes are not nearly what they would be elsewhere with so much going on.

@kay2187

11 ай бұрын

@@neosapienz7885 make sure you dont buy property the taxes are worse than texas

@knucklehoagies

11 ай бұрын

@@faheemabbas3965 everyone thinks they have the highest tax rates in the nation... Chicago is nothing compared to California. Hell, even Pennsylvania, where I am originally from has a higher gas tax and collective income tax than California. The sales tax here is alittle high but everything else feels about as expected for a liberal metro area.

@jthecool9225

11 ай бұрын

@@faheemabbas3965 The tax rate is high but considering the cost of living is legit way lower than every comparable American city, I'd say it's not a huge price to pay.

I just moved to Chicago. After being well aware of this city's reputation, I have to say this is a grossly underrated city. I love living here. The lake makes you feel like you're living next to the ocean and it's transit system is very reliable, second to NYC in my opinion. The media makes this city out to be some crime ridden decaying hell hole.... I'm standing here looking around like "bitch where?" lol. Don't believe everything you hear. Visit a place and see for yourself before judging it.

@Xilladan093

10 ай бұрын

Lol so all those old asians getting shot in chicago isnt real?

@Xilladan093

10 ай бұрын

Lori lightfoot. Now bow to her

@knucklehoagies

10 ай бұрын

@@Xilladan093 what's a digger? can you spell, little boy?

@Xilladan093

10 ай бұрын

@@knucklehoagies little? Who you,

@Xilladan093

10 ай бұрын

@@knucklehoagies neantherdal

Chicago is a jewel. I love it so much. It has a great vibe full of culture and diversity. When I first moved here, I really felt right in like I belonged. The people are so down to earth.

@GravityBar231

7 ай бұрын

The people are very nice and the city has a positive energetic vibe.

Visited Chicago on a school trip (architecture major) and stayed in Wicker Park. Couldn't agree more. Loved the city and can't wait to go back.

Recently saw a video with Fran Leibowitz who said” there are only two cities in America; New York and Chicago.“She’s right.

@AndySaputo

4 ай бұрын

Anthony Bourdain also said there are two metropolis' in the US; New York and Chicago.

as a long time chicago resident (originally from nashville) it's wild to me you didn't go to uptown/edgewater/rogers park. to me that's the most beautiful part of chicago and the most "neighborhoody". what other city has affordable, cute apartments literally a block from the beach?

Every time I tell someone I live in Chicago who is from another state I get get this question, “oh my God, are you OK? Is it safe there?” I live in the Logan Square area and I love it! Obviously with any city, there is always going to be crime and there are areas with higher crime rates than others, but overall, it’s a great city. Great food, people, skyline, lake front, and activities. People really need to read more about per capita crime statistics which would show that Memphis has the highest crime rate currently. Chicago isn’t even in the top 10. Doesn’t mean we can’t improve because we still have many issues

the biggest compliment i can give chicago is that i live in a top floor corner unit one bedroom in a very nice neighborhood with all utilities included and a gorgeous view of the skyline and it's only about 1500$. in new york this place would easily be 6k.

@rhythmpatel5665

Ай бұрын

Hey, I'm planning on moving to Chicago soon and am apartment hunting. Do you mind sharing the name of your apartment? That fits perfectly with my budget. Thanks!

Thanks for this great summary of why I love living here. You are correct - the gap between perception and reality is massive.

I thought I was the only person in the world who actually dreamed of living in Chicago (everyone else just shouted "BUT THE CRIME MAAAAAAN!"), so I'm glad to see I'm not alone.

@dtraw9573

6 ай бұрын

I moved here from florida and chicago is 100x better in every way. Dont listen to idiots who get their info from faux news

Chicago is often painted as a great city that falls short in x,y,z compared to NYC. As someone born and raised in Brooklyn, ny and went to college in Chicago and lived there for 5 years, Chicago is an amazing city in many ways distinct from nyc. The publicly accessible lakefront and lakeshore multi-use trail, the fact that it’s almost entirely flat makes it extremely bike friendly. Chicago also has fewer zoned historic districts so you get more of a housing and architectural mix within its neighborhoods compared to New York, which I personally enjoy. And obviously the cost of living. While I love New York, Chicago still feels like a place that’s welcoming to newcomers while also still working for its long term residents. The two groups intermingled much more from what I’ve experienced in New York. This shouldn’t overshadow the problems however. Chicago is extremely segregated with dismal public schooling and economic development it’s more distressed neighborhoods. As someone who’s lived in Chicago and is fairly thick skinned, the crime isn’t negligible. I had to fight off an attempted assault once, was approaching my front door to leave my apt when a drive by shooting occurred just 20 feet away, and a student was shot and killed just blocks from my campus a couple months into my freshman year (Rogers park neighborhood for those curious). For anyone moving to Chicago, don’t let crime deter you but also be street smart and be selective about where you live. Even nice looking neighborhoods can have scary incidents.

@brycebeverly9537

7 ай бұрын

Mount Greenwood here. Tbh the crime is part of the gig. There are more shootings in Lincoln park than in my little southside bungalo, but that hasn’t stopped me from witnessing 2 shootings in the past month. It’s not a crime ridden hellhole like the media says, but it is a fact of life out here.

@JohnGalanek

6 ай бұрын

This is all true. Statistically speaking though Chicago doesn’t even come close to the top 10 for violent crime per capita. Many in the top 10 are cities in red states. You won’t hear that on faux news.

Chicago as a city is amazing, but the inner suburbs are world-class. They contain walkable main streets, good public transit, tree-lined streets, and a wide variety of housing types with a wide variety of prices in the same neighborhood. Single-family homes on 5000-square-foot lots exist, as do apartment buildings and townhomes. Everything coexists just fine, and the fact that there are high-rises near low-rise buildings doesn't bother anyone - life just goes on. Chicago is exactly how you build a good suburb, not Phoenix or Atlanta.

@brycebeverly9537

7 ай бұрын

I’ve just moved to the city after being stuck in the suburbs due to Covid and I second this! I love the suburbs with my whole heart. Super easy to access the city with great connections to the CTA.

@disgustedandamused

7 ай бұрын

Some of the inner burbs are, in fact, THE template for modern suburbs. Built in the 1800s, the commute was (often still is) by train, not expressway, since autos weren't a thing yet. They invented the idea here, then cheaper knock-off versions were developed for the Sunbelt Post-WW2. I grew up in those Sunbelt suburbs, now live in Chicago - everything you've said here is true.

I’m from Texas. Chicago the best city in American I’ve seen. I love Dallas Austin & Houston but Chicago on another level!

@barb8664

17 күн бұрын

You don’t pay taxes here. Suburbs real estate tax funds most of the illegals and council

Chicago has its bad areas, but the majority of the violence is gang related. If you're not attached to the gangs and stay away from gang hotspots, it's as safe as any other city. Maybe there are some break-ins every now and then. I don't think Chicago is more dangerous than New York or Baltimore.

@kaifahrlender8324

9 ай бұрын

Chicago isn’t even in the top 25 cities with the most violent crime per capita but republicans act like it’s syria

@athiestjesus8133

7 ай бұрын

Chicago is waaaaaaayyyy safer than Baltimore

@dubreil07

5 ай бұрын

Chicago is by far more dangerous than NY. Just accept it

@chicagonorthcoast

3 ай бұрын

Not as safe as NYC- most cities aren't. But it's way safer than Baltimore, Kansas City, Detroit, New Orleans, Milwaukee, Memphis, Atlanta, Philadelphia, or St Louis. (Every city is safer than St. Louis).

Great video. I've lived in the Loop, Lincoln Park, and now Wicker Park and agree that Wicker Park really is the ideal Chicago neighborhood. The bars, shops, and restaurants along Division and Milwaukee are pretty unbeatable. I also agree that while the city's public transit infrastructure is phenomenal, the CTA has been run terribly for at least the past 3 years. I think it's the best city in the country, but the CTA needs to figure themselves out before federal funding runs out in a couple years.

@mochistorm8687

11 ай бұрын

Wicker parks to expensive for most Chicagoans. It’s not very easy to move into for working middle class people.

@chicagonorthcoast

3 ай бұрын

@@mochistorm8687 There are many other great neighborhoods for middle-class families in Chicago. Try West Ridge -West Rogers Park, Edison Park, Peterson Woods, Edgewater, Budlong Woods, Jefferson Park, or North Park. They're beautiful, safe neighborhoods with nice housing stock and plenty of parks, and safe enough to let your ten-year-old ride her bike to the ice cream parlor.

I love that he was like, it took TWENTY minutes! Man, the day I can depend on a train coming within 20 minutes in Denver is the day I shit my pants voluntarily our of sheer joy.

@renewashington791

Ай бұрын

😂😂😂😂😂

Rogers park in Chicago right under Evanston has been one of the nicest neighborhoods I've lived in. There is so much reliable transit and mom-and-pop stores with multiunit housing; it almost doesn't feel American.

@patrickboldea599

11 ай бұрын

Roger's Park is probably the only Northside neighborhood I don't hate. It's the one place in the city that isn't segregated that is still safe and fun to be in.

@40nights40daystv

11 ай бұрын

@@patrickboldea599 facts, plus people are being really careful not to let the neighborhood gentrify too. Our alderwoman does a great job with community outreach and really listens to us.

Highly recommend Chicago to anyone in their early 20's looking to get a start in anything. The cost of living is incredibly affordable relative to other big cities in America, you don't need a car, and you're at the center of the United States meaning you can take a bus, train, or plane anywhere quickly for an affordable cost. There are so many incredible free parks and amenities. The food, the sports, the music, the museums - Chicagoans are spoiled.

@Cyrus992

8 ай бұрын

I’m in my early 30s and rather go to Michigan City, Indiana and be an hour of a train ride away

Lifelong San Franciscan, but I have to agree with you about Chicago. I think it is as livable, a big city as can be found in United States. I’m sure you’ll have plenty of haters, probably from small towns in Alabama who will disagree with you.

@AaronRClark

11 ай бұрын

Tribalism is dumb.

@justSTUMBLEDupon

11 ай бұрын

How is San Francisco doing?

@knucklehoagies

11 ай бұрын

I love Chicago but the whole dumping on people from rural communities is overly cliche and just dumb. Haters come from all walks of life. Hell, there are haters who are actual people that live in Chicago. Enough with the tribalism.

@robertwilliams4682

10 ай бұрын

Probably from Dallas suburbs haha

@Xilladan093

10 ай бұрын

@@robertwilliams4682 like u

Chicago local here. Thx for the props 😘. I dog on the CTA for being deafening, dirty, bumpy and infrequent but it is nice to have a working metro system. (The bar is set so low in the US!😅). I also haaaaaate the hub and spoke system.

@Meta7

7 ай бұрын

Oh my gosh same! I used to trash the CTA for being a shitty metro system, but after having to move to Houston for work, I now completely cherish the fact that it EXISTS. :(

As a native of the Chicago area, and a professional transportation planner, I love to hear these positive words about the city. Another important thing to note about the transit is that METRA is an amazing commuter rail service. So, not only can you reach most city neighborhoods on the L, but you can also make it to most suburbs on the commuter rail - though the surrounding land use is suspect at many of the stations. The most interesting line is the electric line, which I heavily recommend taking. Homewood and Flossmoor are great suburban stops with urban-like land use. What you say about avoiding 'bad' areas @1:54 is an important note about urbanism in general. As urbanists, it is exciting to see the transit-oriented, dense, and socially upbeat areas of a city. But, in Chicago, 60% of the neighborhoods have major struggles with crime and local economic conditions. Many inner-belt suburbs are even worse off. This is why most of the neighborhoods you visited are clustered heavily on the map. The urban planning/enthusiast community needs to better figure out how to bring amenities and improved quality of life to non-trendy neighborhoods without also pricing people out and inducing gentrification. This is something I think a lot on.

@sammymarrco47

11 ай бұрын

me too, i realzied he just went to the nice gentrifying or historically upper class neiborhoods.

@mochistorm8687

11 ай бұрын

The Metra sure works for commuting but using it in daily life is awful. Fare integration is rough as it it’s not Ventura turnstiles service. The wayfinding is awful and some Chicagoans have never taken metra because it’s hard to navigate. Also get off the wrong stop well you’ll be waiting another one to two hours for a train. They need to adopt regional rail like Toronto and make the trains come every 20 mins or 15 so more people could use it not just commuters.

I’m not living in Chicago anymore, but when I grew up there and lived there as a young woman, I treasure the memories of the el, the beautiful music in the park, the interesting and rememberable events that I experienced when I worked under the clock in the Wrigley Building during the 60’s and 70’s. It was an experience I would never forget. Glad to hear it is surviving.

Great analysis. Chicago is one of the only cities I would buy property in. You do not need a car!

@patrickboldea599

11 ай бұрын

Because you like losing money? Buying in Chicago is just burning money. Almost every city neighborhood has either depreciated or remained stagnant for a while now. The taxes are out the ass too. Renting is honestly better for your pocketbook here.

@warpet2011

11 ай бұрын

You have no idea how bad the infrastructure of this city is in, I work a job that sees things you would not imagine, I would never buy a place in Chicago.

@mochistorm8687

11 ай бұрын

Lol have you even been there. We have more construction cranes than New York. I’m sure if you went you would see how rapidly some neighborhoods are growing.

@kay2187

11 ай бұрын

@@patrickboldea599 yup best to rent

@patrickboldea599

11 ай бұрын

@@mochistorm8687 en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cities_with_the_most_skyscrapers NY has more under construction but anyhow keep deluding yourself like all Chicagoans do that you're somehow comparable. Chicago is the Manchester to NYs London

A large part of why Chicago is so cheap is that it's population peaked at 3.6M people in 1950. Chicago's population is currently around 2.7M, which leaves a lot of surplus housing that was built in the 1920s-1960s that occupies the "missing middle" of 2-6 apartments per building. This keeps rents low and neighborhood character high. It's unfortunate how much golden age housing we've lost to misguided and racist policies from the 50s and 60s, especially on the south side (look up Richard Nickel's photography to see what was destroyed). If Chicago is going to keep it's current reputation, it's got to plan for growth by expanding housing (especially affordable housing) and beefing up public transit and active transit infrastructure. Fortunately, as of 2023, it seems like we're headed in the right direction

@Cyrus992

8 ай бұрын

Believe or not the blacks are moving away from Chicago. The city was also pumped by immigration especially from Latin America. Also the high property taxes aren’t helping either

Chicago has a few suburbs that do things right. Oak Park & Evanston are the gold standards of urban-burbs

1:25 Chicago had the “temerity” to be home to the 44th president. Some people will never let that go.

Loved the more casual, conversational tone in this video! That flyover transition from Wicker Park to Chandler also was real shocking.

Los Angeles is also absolutely a metro that gets people frothing at the mouth. "yOu'Ll GeT sTaBbEd" etc, meanwhile I've been taking it for 6 years, traveled every line, and only once felt *possibly* in danger. And don't get me started on the city itself that people think is nothing but skinny white Hollywood people when half of LA is Latino immigrant families

@ficus3929

11 ай бұрын

Also underrated for all the walkable neighborhoods. Obviously the car is king here but there are a surprising number of places one could live car light.

@mochistorm8687

11 ай бұрын

That’s the problem. You can’t live car free. Even if you live car light your paying for a car.

@hyemuhyemu8221

11 ай бұрын

Chicago is evenly split between all races. About the same number of whyte people, as hipanics and blaqs, with ashins rapidly catching up

@chicagonorthcoast

3 ай бұрын

I love Los Angeles. It has gorgeous scenery, many interesting and lovely neighborhoods, and some of the most interesting architecture in the country. And it's friendly and strangely relaxed. The only things it has going against it, is its total car dependence and its absolutely outrageous housing prices.

I lived in the city my whole life. You nailed it on this review. Never had a problem in 57 years.

Chicago is absolutely amazing. Moved from Ohio to Portage Park and love it. The city definitely needs improvements but its not the doom and gloom like people make it out to be and most of those people have never visited the city.

I want to visit Chicago again one day. It's such an amazing looking city. I went there when I was 17, but I think I would appreciate it more now as an adult.

You should also add that Chicago is the capital of the Fresh Water Belt. People from the south and west that are living in areas where water is running out, will look to the Chicago and the Great Lake States for relocation.

Under appreciated factor is the massive lakefront with dozens of public beaches. Private beaches are extremely rare and during the summer, the Lake remains clean and cool. It’s an ideal for spot to just hang out with friends and picnic for free. It even abounds with great fishing locations for perch, bass, trout, catfish, drum, and salmon. And best of all, it’s drinkable. So the city’s tap water is quite clean and crisp which plays a role in Chicago’a booming craft beer scene.

@GravityBar231

7 ай бұрын

Yes Lake Michigan tap water is some of the best quality in the country.

I’m planning on moving to Chicago this Winter. Looking forward to it. My very small hometown has an Amtrak station that goes directly to Chicago, so it’s very convenient.

My favorite "next big project" for Chicago would be to convert the Cicero Avenue Belt Railroad (part, at least) to a CTA line connecting the O'Hare Airport leg of the Blue Line to the Orange Line at Midway Airport. You can already take these CTA el-trains directly to the airport terminals - this Cicero leg would allow express and local trains that would nearly directly connect the two airports. It would also start to address Thomas' (legit) gripe that the CTA train connections all require going through downtown. The right-of-way is there. The hardest part would be threading the connection from the Cicero Belt Rail ROW to the Blue Line, which at that point is in the Kennedy Expressway median. A real pain to engineer, but not impossible.

@chicagonorthcoast

4 ай бұрын

That would be a massive improvement to the system. We need more rail lines in the city, especially on major east-west streets on the dense north side. It's easy to get downtown on the el and easy to travel north-south, but traveling east or west over Chicago Ave, Fullerton, Belmont, Lawrence, or Touhy is hellish. I've always dreamed of a line running over Touhy from the Red Line terminus at Howard St, to the Rosemont station on the Blue Line, which is the last station before OHare and has the train yard for the north branch of the Blue.

Chicago has its problems but I love this city the food, vibes, things to do, people everyone rushing to Texas and Florida you can have it

@BroadwayLTDProductions

8 ай бұрын

I live in TexASS and I hate it. Too hot, you have to drive everywhere and deal with god awful drivers. TexASS sucks!

@brycebeverly9537

7 ай бұрын

Everyone wants to move to Austin…. Sure, have it guys, I’ll take my seasonal metropolis with a body of water over a desert liberal walkway the size of Mount Greenwood.

@GravityBar231

7 ай бұрын

@@BroadwayLTDProductions Texsucks!

My god! Finally a wonderful review of my city. Loved your video. Thank you!

As a Chicagoan, I’m so glad you made this video. I cannot tell you how embarrassed I’ve felt when I’m in other parts of the country and I tell them I’m from Chicago because they always result in shitting on the city. All they do is talk about the bad things about the city and don’t mention anything good. Does Chicago have crime? Yes it does, but a lot of cities have crime. A lot of cities have their areas you should not go, but everyone seems to hyper focus just on Chicago. Shitting on Chicago has literally become an American pastime, so much so, that even the Chicago suburbanites shit on Chicago. I’m sick and tired of the bad rap that Chicago gets. Chicago is a fantastic city. It has its bad areas, but so does every city. We need to break the stigma of living in Chicago

@foxesamu

11 ай бұрын

Plus the violent crime rate per capita just barely puts it in the top twenty most violent cities in the country. It’s ridiculously overblown.

@BrennanZeigler

11 ай бұрын

@@foxesamu exactly. Last I saw, Chicago is like number 18 on that list. Rockford, IL was ranked as number 6 in terms of violent crime per capita so per capita, Chicago isn’t even the most violent city in Illinois. St Louis, MO was rated number 1 in violent crime per capita, yet nobody ever seems to shit on St Louis

@AngelloDelNorte

11 ай бұрын

Most cities don't have street takeover like Chicago had two times this year. All cities do have crime, but some are way crazier than others.

@railroadforest30

10 ай бұрын

@@AngelloDelNorteChicago has dangerous areas but most of Chicago is relatively safe

@knucklehoagies

10 ай бұрын

@@AngelloDelNorte I've been to cities smaller than chicago that have worse crime. These "street takeovers" are isolated incidents and not something that happen often. The media just likes to pick on Chicago. You want to see a crime ridden hellhole, go visit San Francisco these days. I love my California cities but SF is basically what the media tries to make Chicago out to be.

I just got a job offer to move across the country to Chicago and your video has me so pumped! Enjoyed hearing your thoughts.

Having moved from Tempe,AZ to the Chicago area recently, your video is spot on !

You may not have had time to mention it in your video, but at 6:57, Chicago is actually building out its bus lanes! Every time I go back to Chicago, I'm surprised at all the new bus and bike lanes!

As someone who visited Chicago in early March by train, I have to say it's the only other Metropolitan area I would want to live in. And I do specify that because Chicagoland is one of the best in Urbanism and good transit I've seen. I used the Cta L+Bus system, as well as Metra Electric and regular Metra, and have to agree with many of your criticisms and complements of both. Absolutely massive potential with the right planning and funding in place. I went to some of the rougher parts of the South Side and not only was it fine, it was absolutely beautiful and full of great architecture. With some more investments and support to those neighborhoods they would be truly amazing places to live. I would like to say though that if you want another place to visit, somewhere just as controversial as Chicago but also home to much of the same kind of upper Midwestern urban charms? You should come visit us in the Twin Cities. We have a reputation for crime and whatnot in the same ways but the reality is so far from the perception. Our public transportation network is arguably the next most solid in the Midwest outside of Chicago, and it is rapidly expanding. The Minnesota state legislature this year put some Absolutely bonkers level of funding into Metro Transit, expanding LRT+BRT lines to every corner of the region. What we don't have with a heavy rail metro system we are building in an actually solid bus and light rail+regional+Intercity rail network. There's already the two main LRT lines in operation as well as 5 BRT lines, with extensions and new lines opening every single consecutive year for the next decade onward. We're funding extensions of both LRT and building orbital+radial BRT lines all over, even funding stuff like the higher speed rail plan Northern Lights Express from Minneapolis to Duluth! It's an aggressive push that has led to major successes in rebounding transit ridership and improving reliable services. What also helps is good land use policy, upzoning and infill development and TOD from the cores of Minneapolis-St Paul to even outer suburbs of the Twin Cities. Tens of thousands of new apartments all over the place. We also did the whole "highway median station" a little better than Chicago did hahaha

@grahamturner2640

11 ай бұрын

How is the highway median station better?

@goldenstarmusic1689

11 ай бұрын

@@grahamturner2640 We have three notable median stations; Lake St & I-35W, 46th St & I-35W and Cedar Grove Transit Station. Those are listed in ascending order from best to worst quality on sound protection, but they're also good stations that have internal waiting areas to block the noise of waiting for vehicles. Lake St & I-35W is a massive structure with huge walls that block the sound on the waiting platforms, 46th St & I-35W has sound walls for the outside platforms but it's louder, and Cedar Grove doesn't have any sound protection but it's on a less used highway so the noise volume is less egregious compared to some other stations I was at in Chicago. There's some room for improvement for sure but there's good bones with the 3 median stations we do have.

@highway2heaven91

11 ай бұрын

Pretty excited about the twin cities plans. The only bummer is that they’re trying to make BRT the backbone of those plans. BRT is great for cost and efficiency but isn’t as good for high ridership, isn’t as noticeable by visitors and is just more boring to ride compared to a train (imo).

@goldenstarmusic1689

11 ай бұрын

@@highway2heaven91 For what it's worth, the reason we are going with BRT is moreso because it is an upgrade to high demand local bus routes and some Express bus corridors. It simplifies operational costs, provides a higher quality service on routes that desperately need it, and can be done cheaply, quick and efficient. That's how we can open so many lines so fast. The LRT and regional+Intercity rail plans are still very much for our highest demand corridors and are being planned out in accordance, like extending Northstar to St Cloud, building Northern Lights Express to Duluth for that sweet 90mph services, and even overturning study bans on the regional rail corridor known as Dan Patch, as well as a high speed rail corridor from the Twin Cities to Rochester known as Zip Rail. Think of the BRT plans here as not a replacement to rail, but as a comprehensive system to support a growing transit system that makes our core bus service better. Some BRT lines here are questionable but not unfixable, and should the need arise + cost controls are implemented for LRT projects, we could see long term rail upgrades to many corridors; The Gold Line is one that is a likely candidate.

@devilpuppetsinc

7 ай бұрын

I’m a Chicagoan who was in the Twin Cities back in 2015 and it was a great trip. I would definitely go back again in the future especially to see some baseball.

Thanks for being honest about Chicago. I rent in Evanston and am really tired of people making the same baseless jokes.

Chicago is definitely much better than most people make it out to be (if you live in the right neighborhood) mainly because it gives you the choice of walkability or car-dependent suburbia. Many cities in the US only really give you one option. The sunbelt cities are growing and popular and “cheaper” to live in, but don’t give you much choice if you don’t want to live car-free. Hopefully Chicagoland will build less suburbs with so many people leaving though. However, unlike most US cities much of the urban development is already in place to make many of these changes. Other improvements they could make is adding more bike infrastructure, adding some light rail/streetcars to supplement the L and connect outer branches, and increasing public transit to its malls

@faheemabbas3965

11 ай бұрын

I live near Chicago. The population loss is not going to serve Chicago well in the next 10 years. The taxes are BAD.

@patrickboldea599

11 ай бұрын

Honestly glad you added the caveat "live in the right neighborhood." Glad someone here at least acknowledges that Chicago has a lot of neighborhoods that deserve the rep they get lol. Source: I live in one.

@Pomeray8

11 ай бұрын

I live in a 'bad town' and regularly travel all around some of America's most dangerous (and love them). Some of these places are trying to mend old wounds and not price people out in the process. Chicago is one of my 3 favorite cites. I've been from englewood to 83rd & pulaski, chinatown to garfield park conservatory, and on up to norwood park and northern burbs (winnetka). It's hard not to notice the north-south economic divide along 55. the southside contains the traces of economic segregation, divestment. The legacy of the homan square blacksite leaves a bad aftertaste. I live in a town with a large black population, and it doesn't feel so divided up. Do you feel like chicago will try to improve those areas that are hurting? Is positive change coming to your hood? So much of the southside is not as dense as the north. The west side feels easier to fix from an outsider than the south because of this.

@neosapienz7885

11 ай бұрын

@@faheemabbas3965the city is growing, but I agree, taxes will be more and more of an issue. They’re not bad for a big city, though. I’d just like to see more clearly just what I’m paying for. We need to make some repairs.

@AngelloDelNorte

11 ай бұрын

​@@faheemabbas3965 Chicago closer and closer is becoming the new Detroit.

My fiancé is from Chicago and ever since we started dating, my favorite trips have been to visit the Windy City. We recently subletted an apartment in uptown near edge water for 6 weeks and absolutely loved it. We could get downtown jn 15-20 minutes from that far north using express buses. The bus map is extremely good and getting around was generally pretty easy. The L can be slow compared to NY and taking the red line is like a time capsule in a negative way with people smoking on the train and generally 90s NY vibes. It also doesn’t help the train cars are much smaller. But being from Brooklyn and it now being prohibitively expensive relative to when I was a child, we are looking to build our family in Chicago. I want a place i can afford where my kids can be independent the way me and my siblings are. In my 6 years on the west coast I’ve seen improvements but it’s not nearly fast enough. I love Chicago and can’t wait to go back this summer. Completely off topic, but the best urbanism city I’ve ever seen by 9000 miles is Tokyo. Going there is like being in a perfect cities skylines build.

Hi Thomas! This was my first time coming across one of your videos and I must say, you've earned my subscription that easily. I am from Chicago. And like most, if not all Chicagoans, I absolutely love this city. I really appreciate the way you talked about the city in positive light for the most part. Your honest reviews of the CTA we're pretty spot on. Yes the CTA has its problems and deserves a lot more funding (especially in expanding the lines out west), but at the end of the day, it is a pretty good transit system when compared to other large metros. Keep it up! :)

Ah man this video could've been way longer, there's so much more to see and do! You didn't even touch on the lakefront, the cultural attractions, the diverse neighborhoods, and the food scene!! Hope you get a chance to go back someday!

I visited Chicago in May and I agree with all of your positive points. The transit system is very comprehensive (I took the L, Metra, and buses while I was there and they were all cheap and very reliable), the people are great, there are incredible parks all over the city, there is awesome food, and the architecture is gorgeous. I am considering moving to Chicago next fall and I couldn't be more excited. But I would add that Chicago is an old city that doesn't get enough funding for maintenance. A lot of the crosswalks are in poor shape (cold weather and the freeze/thaw cycle doesn't help), the blue line (and I am sure other subway lines have the same issue) is incredibly bumpy and the track maintenance is much overdue, and a lot of the transit stations are not accessible. Nevermind that every elevated L guideway, bridge, and overpass is so rusty it looks like it is about to fall apart (there were some ominous chunks of concrete recently fallen from the deck above lying on the sidewalk under Lakeshore Drive near Navy Pier that made me nervous). I would not have noticed the accessibility and poor street/sidewalk surfaces, but I was travelling with my wife and daughter and navigating the city with a stroller was difficult at times. Chicago has incredibly good bones and culture, and the population growth of the Loop and surrounding core neighborhoods is a positive trend. I just hope the post-COVID recovery and a rural-minded state house doesn't make maintaining and building old and new public infrastructure even more difficult than it has been.

The best city! I’ve lived in Evanston, Mount Greenwood, Pilsen, and Melrose Park. Totally different parts of the city, different vibes, love them so much! Technically I’ve lived in more suburbs than city but the whole area is perfect.

Great video man. Glad to see how quickly your channel is growing!

I lived in Chicago in 2006 in college for about a year and I loved it. Very beautiful city, lots to see, lots to do.

Love this video! The brown line being the most unreliable is too relatable. I used to work in old town near a brown line station and I kid you not, one time waited 30+ minutes for my train to come. I love the cta but some of the frequencies can be disappointing, but hopefully they can improve service in the future.

@beback_

11 ай бұрын

Post or pre COVID?

@jordantroche9505

11 ай бұрын

It was 2022, nearing the end

@mochistorm8687

11 ай бұрын

The brown line is the most reliable lol

@davidberlant5096

8 ай бұрын

As a regular rider of the Brown Line, I've hardly ever experienced the delays you mention.

@jordantroche9505

8 ай бұрын

@@davidberlant5096 tbh that's fair. it was a couple years ago and I only took it on the thurs, fri, and Sat (mainly). from my pov the service was infrequent but if you're a regular rider, you have a better say in experiencing the frequency than I did.

Been living in Chicago since 2015 and have been proud to call it my home. It really is one of the best cities in the US, especially in terms of urban planning. But I also agree on the gripes with the CTA; the lack of a line that connects the north and west side seems like an oversight, and it's really difficult to go from east to west once you get out of the loop. Having a line (or even a street car) along western ave that could connect the brown, blue, pink, green and orange lines would benefit the city as a whole tremendously.

@Cyrus992

8 ай бұрын

There were plans to do that in the late 2000s

@sSomeawesomeneSs

7 ай бұрын

yessssssssssssssssssssss

@chicagonorthcoast

4 ай бұрын

I've always thought that there should be a spur off the Brown Line up Western Ave to Howard. However, the Western Ave bus line 49B runs every 5 minutes throughout the day between Howard St and the Brown Line el station at Western & Lawrence.

Finally something online that is absolutely point about the reality online vs the reality on ground in Chicago. As a foreigner among the many strange American ways I have noticed over years is how people are obsessed with their hatred of Chicago especially the ones that have never been here leading the way. And once they visit it and find how wrong their views were they hate and avoid the reality even more!

@morewi

7 ай бұрын

He specifically went to high income areas. You can find the same in any city and he ignores a lot of the problems in the city that a visitor wouldn't see.

@BlownMacTruck

7 ай бұрын

@@morewiExcept that’s where the city has high density and tons of public transit options. That’s where people visiting would typically start off. And it’s not like like venturing off into other neighborhoods puts you in sudden danger. The violence in Chicago is concentrated in a few areas, and you would have to actively seek those areas to get there. The point is that the media and the general population have glommed on to this idea that this violence is everywhere and you’re going to be a victim once you step out the door. That’s untrue, and the statistics bear this out - Chicago’s per capita violence isn’t even in the top 20. But go ahead and believe otherwise. It just makes the rest of us roll our eyes at you.

@morewi

7 ай бұрын

@@BlownMacTruck ignoring the crime waves hitting the nicer areas of the city doesn't help

@BlownMacTruck

7 ай бұрын

@@morewiNo one’s ignoring them. We’re just not blowing them completely out of proportion. But go ahead and- give us the data that shows there are greater incidents of violence per capita in these neighborhoods versus other cities.

@morewi

7 ай бұрын

@@BlownMacTruck sure reality and politics is your answer.

Loved your take on our city, great points. People who have never been have the most to say about it usually

I'm a student in Chicago and I love this city. I rarely feel unsafe and I love the fact that I don't need to deal with traffic or stupid drivers with a decent public transportation network. My parents live outside of the city and they worry constantly about my safety because of the cherry-picked news they watch. Definitely a great place to be!

Chicago resident here. The CTA suffers from neglect because unlike NYC we are car centric - exhibit #1, Lake Shore Fuckin' Drive?. And people feel entitled to use a car and expect cheap parking- see lake front parks. For one we subsidize suburbanites driving into our congested cities and we are reluctant to discourage it. And regarding personal safety - it depends on what news you listen to. My brother is right-wing fed so he thinks it's so dangerous, etc.. I don't watch TV and see with my own eyes what to avoid and I feel very safe in the areas I want to live and visit.

@tortellinifettuccine

11 ай бұрын

What? First off, around nearly half of Chicago residents use public transportation, that's not far off from New York city. Second off, New york has much more highway than Chicago, and also much more in the downtown as well, Chicago dosent have any highway downtown unless you consider lake shore drive, which again, is nowhere near as bad as a massive highway in the middle of downtown, and surrounding the entire city.

@ryanjacobs836

11 ай бұрын

@@tortellinifettuccineYeah and the reason that it's hard to remove parking spots is that they legally aren't allowed to remove any metered spots without paying a mega fine because of that contract Daley signed

@tortellinifettuccine

11 ай бұрын

@ryanjacobs836 Yeah, that's probably one of the biggest things currently stopping a lot of places from making good change in the US. I live in Chicago, but my parents are in the suburbs. Granted, the suburbs there are better than 99% of all American suburbs, but it's still just that, an American suburb. The only close transit I have other than a 30-minute walk to the metra is one bus that takes me to the rosemont stop for the blue line. There are stores nearby though in walking distance, but they are behind a massive empty parking lot, though at least you don't have to deal with it if you're walking. There's plans to remove the parking there, the issue is there's meters on it, and the cost of turning it into a park or even just destroying the thing went from 100k to over 20 million dollars. 20 million fucking dollars to get rid of a shit, not even that BIG parking lot. And right next to it is a bigger lot, that I'm not joking is 24/7 completely empty, because the business there is BASICALLY abandoned, idk how it's still in business. This one did not have meters, and there were plans to tear it down for about 200k to 400k. The fucking peice of shit owner I assume got meters put there, and now the fucking cost is upwards of 40 million. WHAT THE FUCK. When I went to a city meeting (where I'm surprisingly taken very seriously) for the suburb, I was told they had zero way of getting rid of the lots since the cost would be insane, and it would literally be cheaper to just improve the downtown of the suburb since there's so much open real estate, and there's PLENTY of parking that needs to be abolished and thankfully none of it is metered. The downtown of the suburb surprises me every time I visit my parents because they actually take my suggestions seriously. I told them we need rapid transit busses at a minimum downtown along with the train station we already have, and boom, next 2 months when I visited we got a rapid transit line and some badass stations. Next month I came they turned nearly all the apartments downtown that had like 3 bottom floors of just parking, into mixed density housing, some with commercial, some with office, all with residential combined regardless. I was BEYOND shocked. The thing is, this is a pretty small suburb, and a very rich one. I've tried this in other suburbs with no success, I've gotten muted before in another suburb. There's definitely areas in the usa that want to change, they just don't know how, and even when they do they can't, and even when they can, their neighbors can't. It's just a fucking shit show.

@mochistorm8687

11 ай бұрын

Chicago is also very easy to live multimodal. Like you can own a car but you don’t need one and all the trips you could do you could bike drive walk take a bus and sometimes a train.

@mochistorm8687

11 ай бұрын

What suburb is that

Honestly, coming from Southern Illinois, Chicago is basically the utopia of opportunity, down in the metro east's lack of jobs and high crime rate, It's basically where I want to go to college and live post college

Great video! Thanks for your research and actually going to these places

I’m glad you gave us a chance! As a long term Chicago resident I have a lot of love for the city, but I can def see the influence gentrification has had over the years that has led to some harm of local communities. As I was growing up, a lot of the third places/community spaces were either closed, commodified, or became heavily regulated. It’s a bit worrying when trying to maintain community, but there’s still a lot of heart here and things to love for sure :)

I live in chicago and all those neighborhoods you went are beautiful. I would explore more of the south side too. Yes it’s not the most beautiful place compare to the other neighborhoods but what makes it so special are the working class people that live there. There are a lot of communities there that really do care about their people and it’s not just violence and crime down there. I personally work in the Brighton park community at a non profit and so far it’s been a very enriching experience working and being with people who care about equity and building community.

Yes I’ve lived in multiple US cities, living in Vegas now and realize how great & no natural disasters Chicago has , and I’ve had more trouble in Los Angeles never any problems in Chicago besides red light cameras 📸

@bigtrader7924

11 ай бұрын

Chicago just flooded. Spoke too soon 🤣🤣😂😂

@chicagonorthcoast

4 ай бұрын

@@bigtrader7924 There was very little flooding, just in a couple of small areas. I'm on the north lakefront and that rain bomb only flooded our machine room.

@thomasgrabkowski8283

26 күн бұрын

Chicago does get natural disasters such as tornadoes and blizzards

@_Chicagosfinest

26 күн бұрын

@@thomasgrabkowski8283 better than what other states experience

There was a poem written by Carl Sandburg that was also saying Chicago isnt as bad as people say it is, but with cooler words. Basically said call them trash, berate them, they dont care. A very powerful poem that i recommend.

In Melbourne where I live, high-rise public housing towers are often scattered throughout some of the most affluent and desirable areas. The sky doesn't fall in. The areas become no less desirable or affluent (in fact they have all become more affluent over the decades). It's so bizarre to hear about places that are so fearful of that. There's a large demographic of Americans who I feel try to project an image of tough, rugged individualism but in actual fact are some of the most fearful, scared and paranoid people around.

I mean, you avoided all the violent areas of the city. People frothing at the mouth online are largely talking about the high crime rates in the South Side, not the Loop.

@jacobkorducki6940

11 ай бұрын

I hear all the time from people (even ones that live in Chicago or an adjacent suburb) that they’re scared to go downtown. It’s mind boggling as someone who goes 3+ times a week myself and never has an issue

@isaacliu896

11 ай бұрын

No they trash the Loop too, particularly the CEOs that try to use crime as an excuse for why they're leaving.

I am from a state next to Illinois and I just loved Chicago.Sure it does have its flaws and its not as very popular compared to NYC or LA,but I love that unlike New York, the streets are much cleaner but the weather in both the summer and winter is brutal.But I do like that it is not as complicated to get around the city despite how bad traffic is.

Chicago is a beautiful city. The food scene there is amazing and there’s plenty of green space. One of the best skylines in the world.

Chicago native: I grew up in what is considered a “bad” neighborhood and now live in Wicker Park. Chicago gets bad press in the media these days when it was actually MUCH worse in the 80s and 90s. Not sure why it became a focus AFTER things have relatively calmed down in the past 15 years. And even the ‘bad’ parts aren’t as bad as portrayed. @0:40 We only abandoned the downtown area during the quarantine, the crowds you show are relatively the same as pre COVID ( maybe a small percentage less than normal) but some higher trafficked areas can have more. It’s always been less crowded than NYC though.

The Purple Line goes clockwise not counter-clockwise. Only the Brown Line does counter-clockwise in full.

@ThomasFromPHX

11 ай бұрын

Shoot, that was a mistake on my part. I'll put a note in the description.

Yoo needed this video. Will comment on after i finish the whole video.

This is...THEE best Vid of Chicago I've seen! Great Job!

Coming from Texas, i used to take Amtrak's Texas Eagle to Chicago's Union Station, and board Metra to the burbs to visit family. Easy-peazy.

Moved to Chicago a little over a month ago as my partner and I wanted to be in a larger city without breaking the bank. We're living in the Loop, within walking distance to Grant Park and all it offers and can see the Sears Tower when leaving my apartment, and we pay less thsn $1900 a month. My apartment in NC in a town of approximately 100k was $1100 and of course had less amenties nearby. Chicago is a steal, especially for those with an itch for the city.

Chicago is cool

@briankrosky3567

11 ай бұрын

Bruh rolled up the sleeves and I’m like yeah not gonna argue with any of his points

I don’t care how much people try to crap on Chicago, I love this city. From the not doing so well neighborhoods to the doing well neighborhoods Ive spent time in them all and I love my fellow Chicagoans.

Wicker Park is amazing. Walking takes you to so many nifty places for a bite, shopping or a drink. Highly recommend it even for summer tourists.

As a resident of Illinois I can say anywhere far away from the border with indiana and the south side is going to be clean and safe, the city will do anything they can to keep it that way. Chicago sucks because their yearly budget is multiple times the revenue they bring in from taxes, and it increases every year while the population has been on a consistent downward trend for DECADES. The rest of the state is living under the boot of this city's debts and paying for its ✨localized ✨ instances of murder/ gang violence/ organized theft, its institutional corruption of the police; the drug epidemic; the mismanaged migrant influx; the constant technical and expensive infrastructure repair. The list could literally go on and on and on. The only praise anyone should be giving Chicago is for its beautiful architecture and effective public transport. edit - the food is also good

I just moved back to my city after living in Texas for school. This time, I really appreciate Chicago so much more. Wicker Park is my favorite neighborhood too, so much to see in the city.

Looks like you had a good time here! Thanks for sharing honest insights :D Hope you'll have an equally good experience on your next trip here!

Yessir! Love this video. Would love a TOUR series of a ton of cities including those with terrible walkability and transit like Austin/Houston.