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Quote:

Originally Posted by jboy560 (Post 10112071)

I’ve heard West Englewood has a burgeoning Venezuelan community now. Any truth or stats behind that? Would love to see that area gain population and investment which, hopefully, spreads outward to other struggling neighborhoods on the south side (Englewood specifically).

I’m not aware of official stats at this point. But anecdotal evidence is definitely pointing to growing migrant population in the vicinity.
https://abc7chicago.com/thanksgiving...hope/14094598/

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChiMIchael (Post 10111621)

I honestly think weather hang-ups is a U.S. thing. Migrant are more likely to prioritize opportunity.

Spot on. Ever since DeSantis passed some of the cruelest laws targeting undocumented people, many of them have rapidly left Florida. Most seem to have moved to Georgia, but a sizeable number have moved to Chicago. Forumer Chisouthside mentioned their Venezuelan Uber driver recently moved from Miami, which is wild to think since Miami has the country's largest Venezuelan population. NYC has been paying tickets for migrants who want to leave and Illinois has been their top choice, followed by upstate NY, Texas, and then Florida

Yesterday's Sun-Times:

Quote:

Available legal representation not only facilitates the integration of immigrants into Chicago but also draws them to the city. I sat down with a 25-year-old Venezuelan named Arbert, who came to Miami a year ago, lived there for five months then decided to come to Chicago in March.

Why change cities?

“I could be legal here,” he said, in Spanish. “The immigration process would go quicker. There was no legal help in Miami.”

https://chicago.suntimes.com/columni...nter-attorneys

A fun back and forth on r/Chicago with Alderman Vasquez getting skewered for rejecting the conversion of a SFH to an apartment building with 18 units on Ashland.

https://www.reddit.com/r/chicago/com..._ashland_into/

Love to see it.

From a PR perspective why would you ever engage like that :haha:

What a sh*tshow

Quote:

Originally Posted by moorhosj1 (Post 10111730)

Lots of Americans think all decisions are made based on weather and taxes. Meanwhile, the happiest countries on earth (Finland, Denmark, Switzerland, Iceland, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden) are in cold climates with high taxes.

I was just in Munich over the holidays. My girlfriend and I were struck by how many people were sitting outside at sidewalk cafes, bundled up in winter gear, enjoying a drink with friends or a book. These were gloomy days in temps at or just below 40 degrees. The city still felt energetic despite the type of weather that has Chicagoans hiding indoors and moaning about the winter.

I have a hairbrained theory about how the east coast media was hell-bent on ruining Chicago's chance of overtaking NYC as the economic engine of the country during the 19th and early 20th centuries. Their campaign of propaganda to paint Chicago as a crime-ridden winter hellscape was so successful that it's remained the predominant image of the city to this day, including in the minds of Chicagoans. It's a collective neurosis that could be overcome with some smart leadership to "rebrand" winter in a way reminiscent of Northern European countries.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Handro (Post 10113047)

"Or Montreal"

Quote:

Originally Posted by Handro (Post 10113047)

I have a hairbrained theory about how the east coast media was hell-bent on ruining Chicago's chance of overtaking NYC as the economic engine of the country during the 19th and early 20th centuries. Their campaign of propaganda to paint Chicago as a crime-ridden winter hellscape was so successful that it's remained the predominant image of the city to this day, including in the minds of Chicagoans. It's a collective neurosis that could be overcome with some smart leadership to "rebrand" winter in a way reminiscent of Northern European countries.

No, the East Coast media frenzy over Chicago did not begin over economics.

When the major East Coast media attacks on Chicago first began, Chicago was still a smaller city than St. Louis, New Orleans, Boston, Philadelphia, and not even in the same galaxy as NYC.

NYC media in particular starts picking on Chicago over politics. The politics in question being so awful that modern NYC does not like to acknowledge why Chicago got so embroiled in a rivalry.

Chicago was a hard core abolitionist city. NYC was more pro-slavery.

The Winter stuff came from Chicago itself and was popularized by other Midwest cities. Chicago, Cincinnati, St. Louis and others loved to roast each other for fun in the newspapers. All the time. “Windy City” was a Cincinnati joke referencing how Chicago could never shut up during a Newspaper spat and that Chicagoans would brag and brag and brag some more about Chicago followed by complaining, complaining, complaining.

Quote:

CHICAGO ON THE RAMPAGE.

We have ever held the young City of Chicago in fair esteem as a representative of Western enterprise and prosperity. Its natural position at the extreme southern point of Lake Michigan, made it the gateway of a large commerce seeking water transportation to the East, and its bifurcated little river could not have been planned better by art to accommodate the trade that the young city was destined to control. . . . But in the year 1860 aforesaid, the National Republican Committee selected Chicago as the place at which their National Convention should be held . . .

From having been the most busy, business-like and admirable, if not modest city in the country, Chicago, since that Convention, has become one of the most blatant, crazy, and arrogant political communities that we ever read of. It has acted since 1860 as if it had not only created ABRAHAM LINCOLN from the dust of the earth, but had made him President; and would unmake him, and make others in his stead; and so continue ordering men and things for this poor Republic ad infinitum, according to the will and pleasure of the said City of Chicago. We can hardly remember a week since the present Administration came into office, when the newspaper press of Chicago was not badgering it for want of sense or backbone—not a month has passed without bringing a delegation to Washington to “look after things” and instruct the President. . . . . . .

Chicago surpasses Boston in conceit and self-idolatry, and, refusing to be only the “hub,” arrogates the importance of the axle-tree of creation. It is time to put down the breaks on this too ambitious town. It is going too fast. . . .

A pause, a season of reflection and a little ice-water to the head, will do all classes in Chicago a vast amount of good.

New York Times,
June 14, 1863.

Quote:

THE DAY NEW YORK TRIED TO SECEDE

During the first three months of 1861, New York City boldly flirted with leaving the Union. The reasons were decades in the making, but the sentiment was never more pointed than on January 6, 1861, when New York Mayor Fernando Wood addressed the city council. “It would seem that a dissolution of the Federal Union is inevitable,” he observed, noting the sympathy joining New York to “our aggrieved brethren of the Slave States” and suggesting that the city declare its own independence from the Union. “When Disunion has become a fixed and certain fact, why may not New York disrupt the bands which bind her to a venal and corrupt master—to a people and a party that have plundered her revenues, attempted to ruin her, take away the power of self-government, and destroyed the Confederacy of which she was the proud Empire City?”

Wood was preaching to the converted. Then, as now, New York City was the nation’s financial hub, and had made its reputation—and the lion’s share of its revenues—by supplying goods and services to the slave South. Most New Yorkers were decidedly pro-Southern and for years leading up to Abraham Lincoln’s election, two scoundrels—Wood and U.S. Marshal Isaiah Rynders—nurtured pro-slavery practices, both legal and illegal, in the city.

https://www.historynet.com/the-day-n...ied-to-secede/

Wow - You learn something new everyday.....

I didn't realize those vast differences in NY and Chicago existed during that time. Thanks for sharing.

Quote:

Originally Posted by galleyfox (Post 10113258)

WILD to think that NYC was politically pro-slavery, even for a very short period of time. I was ignorant of that history, thanks for sharing.

Quote:

Originally Posted by sentinel (Post 10113584)

WILD to think that NYC was politically pro-slavery, even for a very short period of time. I was ignorant of that history, thanks for sharing.

I think at least part of it was that its garment industry clothed slaves.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChiMIchael (Post 10113748)

I think at least part of it was that its garment industry clothed slaves.

NYC
-handled cotton, sugar and tobacco exports from the South to Europe.
-Sold manufactured goods to Southern states
-Issued insurance policies on enslaved individuals

It’s also the context behind the Draft Riots that happen just a few weeks after the “Chicago on a Rampage” article.

As shown in the 2002 Gangs of New York film
https://youtu.be/mdwLxOK7xLc?si=DIaw3XPFiBOW-KeJ

Much of the United States blamed Chicago for escalating the Civil War, so there was a large audience for Chicago bashing in the media, and the economic growth was just salt on the wound.

Even Abraham Lincoln himself alluded to it in private discussions.

Quote:

“. . . The argument went on for some time, and finally was referred to Lincoln, who had been sitting silently listening. I shall never forget how he suddenly lifted his head and turned on us a black and frowning face.

“ ‘Gentlemen,’ he said in a voice full of bitterness, ‘after Boston, Chicago has been the chief instrument in bringing this war on the country. The Northwest has opposed the South as the New England has opposed the South. It is you who are largely responsible for making blood flow as it has. You called for war until we had it. You called for Emancipation, and I have given it to you. Whatever you have asked you have had. Now you come here begging to be let off from the call for men which I have made to carry out the war you have demanded. You ought to be ashamed of yourselves. I have a right to expect better things of you. Go home, and raise your 6,000 extra men.

Quote:

Originally Posted by galleyfox (Post 10113780)

Stunning.

2024 is tied for the 2nd lowest number of murders in the first 5 days of the year (with 2015 and 2005) since at least 1991...which is as far as the data goes back to.

It's also the 3rd lowest number of shooting victims since at least 2010 (as far as that data goes back) in first 5 days of the year. Yes, even lower than 2019.

It's early but encouraging. The murders have taken a pretty big dip since September or October of 2023 so it's not necessarily a sudden thing.

It's cold out, we don't start shooting till the weather warms up.

This has so far been the 4th warmest winter in Chicago history. I only need a sweater on some days

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chi-Sky21 (Post 10115921)

It's cold out, we don't start shooting till the weather warms up.

Obviously things pick up, but no. The 1st week of 2018 average high temp was under 20 degrees and there were double the amount of shootings and homicides as same time period this year.

Again, this isn't a "in the last week only" thing. The last 3 to 4 months have been on par with years like 2015 for the same time periods. This covers part of summer.

And obviously its early but if the trend of the last 3 to 4 mo the extends to much of the year we will end up similar to 2015 or 2018. The rise from 2015 to 2016 then the fall to 2018 is almost identical in percentages as the rise of 2019 to 2021 and the fall to 2023. And robberies increase in thrse periods has taken an almost identical uptick as well.

I'm realizing that the city's migrant dashboard undercounts the number of migrants who have arrived in Chicago, since it doesn't include people who've made independent travel plans to the city. To give an idea by how much the city is undercounting, page 3 of this recent presentation lists the number of individuals processed at the SW border who listed Chicago as their destination: https://www.chicago.gov/content/dam/...fing%20(1).pdf

If we see from the week of May 13th to December 23rd, we see almost 57k migrants have Chicago as their final destination! This doesn't even include migrants who initially moved to NYC and Denver and were given tickets to relocate to Chicago. This is higher than the roughly 39k who were bused or flown by Texas. This population growth is on par, in some instances higher, than Chicago in the early 20th century!

Even though the city hasn't been great at taking care of migrants, I think the only reason it hasn't been as bad as NYC or Denver is cause we have so much more vacant units than either of them.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Randomguy34 (Post 10119670)

I wonder how many were able to get work permits? 100+ years ago that wasn't really a thing per se. Much harder today to make "legal" money for them than way back the last time the US had some massive immigration like this.

A bit of good census news. This correction will bring in millions in additional federal funding to Illinois.

https://justthenews.com/government/f...-altering-2020

New York, California, other blue states succeed in altering 2020 census numbers, report says

Just the News ^ | January 21, 2024 | Madeleine Hubbard

The Democrat-run states such as New York and Illinois are increasing 2020 census numbers after successfully asking for a review of the once-a-decade population survey that helps determine federal funding distribution as the states struggle with population losses.

...

The updates can be used in future population estimates through the rest of the decade to determine federal funding, but the new information cannot be used to redraw political districts or alter the number of congressional seats each state received during the post-census apportionment process.

Illinois, California, and New York all lost one congressional seat following the 2020 census due to population changes... The most significant increase in population is coming to Illinois, with an additional 47,000 people being added after the review.

Illinois officials had requested the review after believing that census officials overlooked more than 40,000 people in senior facilities and care homes as well as nearly 6,000 college students in dorms. These group homes were difficult to count as many were locked down at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
...

I know LaSalle Street Reimagined's future is uncertain, but is the city doing anything like this NYC program?

Quote:

Office Conversion Accelerator Team Will Help Expedite Conversions of Office Buildings to Provide New Homes

To advance office to residential conversions, which will help address ongoing office vacancies and create thousands of much-needed new homes for New Yorkers, Mayor Adams has established the Accelerator team to work with office building owners to advance opportunities for conversions. The Office Conversion Accelerator includes representatives from City Hall, the Department of City Planning, the Department of Buildings, the Department of Housing Preservation & Development, the Board of Standards and Appeals, the Landmarks Preservation Commission, and others.

The program will assist owners with conversions, from analyzing the zoning feasibility of individual conversion projects, to helping conversion projects secure necessary permits. Property owners of existing office buildings can seek the interagency team’s help to identify barriers to conversion and expedite pathways to overcome those barriers.

Source: https://www.nyc.gov/site/officeconversions/index.page

New York now has 46 (!) office-to-residential conversion projects participating in this program: https://therealdeal.com/new-york/202...i-accelerator/

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