CHICAGO | General Discussions

[twister244]

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

First no cicadas.

Now no fireworks.

Cruel summer.

Go to the beach.... That's where I saw my first one this past weekend. It tried to crawl up my back and I still have PTSD.

Makes sense given there's much more room for them to burrow, etc without urban disturbances.

[Steely Dan]

Apparently riot fest has now been moved back to Douglas Park.

God only knows why that was so hard.

[Randomguy34]

Lol, will moving Heaven and Earth mean the Sox become good?

https://blockclubchicago.org/2025/05...b-fan-reports/

[Velvet_Highground]

Not that this is anything but tangentially on topic in the most basic of ways but it made me crack a smile when the thought popped up. On a Chicago photo thread a couple years back someone was talking about a friend who was NY born and raised, never left the city.

As a kid he took a school field trip to Boston and knew Boston as another big east coast city, NY - Boston rivalry looming large in his mind but upon entering the Boston he asked when are we gonna get to Boston? The scale of the cities was so different that the kid thought coming into central Boston he was entering a suburb or something. Years later as a young adult he comes to Chicago and says ah this is a real city not quite NY but NY on Valium.

I feel like the Boston from that school kid’s story sometimes looking at Chicago putting up 600-700 footers rain or shine, seismic economic shift or not, media fixation on the city as Afghanistan brought to America or not. Chicago keeps on building gotta respect that.

[Steely Dan]

Originally Posted by Velvet_Highground

On a Chicago photo thread a couple years back someone was talking about a friend who was NY born and raised, never left the city.

As a kid he took a school field trip to Boston and knew Boston as another big east coast city, NY - Boston rivalry looming large in his mind but upon entering the Boston he asked when are we gonna get to Boston? The scale of the cities was so different that the kid thought coming into central Boston he was entering a suburb or something. Years later as a young adult he comes to Chicago and says ah this is a real city not quite NY but NY on Valium.

Back in college, one of my good friends was a born and raised Manhattanite. He had never been to Chicago before, so he came to visit me one summer break. I took him on a drive down LSD to check out downtown (as it's always a pretty easy way to impress out of towners).

About 10 minutes into it, after driving past miles of lakefront skyscrapers, and with Big John and the rest of the mag mile skyline staring him right in the face, he turned to me and said "damn, Chicago is the first city I've ever been to whose skyline isn't a complete joke."



"Not a complete joke"

That's the highest praise a New Yorker can give any place, LOL!

[moorhosj1]

Lower crime numbers continue through May. There is an outside shot at coming under the historical target of 400 homicides. We will see if it holds over the summer, but good news.

From the Sun-Times:

But this year, with four men killed and at least 21 others wounded in shootings across the city, Chicago saw the least violent Memorial Day weekend in at least 16 years.

Tallies from 5 p.m. Friday through 5 a.m. Tuesday show violence levels dropped dramatically from each of the last three years, when between 9 and 12 people were shot and killed over the holiday weekend and total shooting victims ranged from nearly 40 to nearly 50, according to city data.

Thought this was of note:

Residents who have seen violence over Memorial Day weekend in recent years said the fall in crime has been noticeable, but the city can do more to improve their safety and quality of life.

[Tom In Chicago]

Originally Posted by moorhosj1

Lower crime numbers continue through May. There is an outside shot at coming under the historical target of 400 homicides. We will see if it holds over the summer, but good news.

Seems to me that we've had an unusually cold beginning of the year. . . my guess is that has had something to do with it. . .

. . .

[moorhosj1]

Originally Posted by Tom In Chicago

Seems to me that we've had an unusually cold beginning of the year. . . my guess is that has had something to do with it. . .

I think everybody understands this, it is even referenced in the article I posted. But nobody knows how much of an effect it has had. That is why we will wait until after the summer to understand how sticky the lower violence numbers are.

Either way, I'll gladly accept the significantly lower levels of violence that we've had so far this year. That's the goal, it's ok to be happy about it.

[sentinel]

Originally Posted by Tom In Chicago

Seems to me that we've had an unusually cold beginning of the year. . . my guess is that has had something to do with it. . .

. . .

"Murderous gangbangers hate this one cold weather trick.."

[moorhosj1]

Originally Posted by Tom In Chicago

Seems to me that we've had an unusually cold beginning of the year. . . my guess is that has had something to do with it.

It may be time to bury this talking point. The drop in violence has accelerated as the weather has warmed up. Even the violence cheerleaders at heyjackass have started acknowledging the drop.

The year-to-date murder count is down 32%, and July 2025 was down 39% from July 2024. It was the least violent July in at least 10 years.

[moorhosj1]

70-degree Weekend: 3 killed and 10 wounded.
10-year Average: 8 killed and 39 wounded.

https://heyjackass.com/

[twister244]

Originally Posted by moorhosj1

70-degree Weekend: 3 killed and 10 wounded.
10-year Average: 8 killed and 39 wounded.

https://heyjackass.com/

I need a piece of news like this today with so much going on in the world...... Great to hear.

I was on Mag Mile Saturday and it felt completely normal. Tons of people out, cool sidewalk performers, etc.

[Steely Dan]

Originally Posted by moorhosj1

70-degree Weekend: 3 killed and 10 wounded.
10-year Average: 8 killed and 39 wounded.

https://heyjackass.com/

And one of those 3 killings that hey jackass recorded for this past weekend was allegedly a non-gun homicide on Saturday night on the 5600 block of W Fullerton in Belmont-Cragin that I can find absolutely zero info about from any other local media outlet.

Only the fatal shootings in South Shore and New City have been corroborated by other media reporting.

Was the Belmont-Cragin death even truly a homicide? Hey jackass has been known to jump to conclusions about suicides in the past.


EDIT: Sun-times finally posted an article late monday afternoon regarding the Belmont-Cragin stabbing homicide on Saturday, so that one is legit.

Still though, blessedly less violence than an average summer weekend of recent memory. Let's pray the trend holds.

[Chicagolover88]

Just curious, has anyone ever tried to build something on the little L shaped lot across from cirrus and cascade?

[Velvet_Highground]

True that my friend, true that

[pip]

There is construction on the roof of the public school building across the side street from me that starts at 6pm and goes through the night for the past couple of weeks during the weekdays. Sometimes it has kept me up to almost 2am but I'm not sure how much later after that they are working. From the noisy cranes that when lifting sound like a jet, the beeping of trucks backing up, to the giant pot of tar steaming away, I think it is a bit much. Sure I get the work has to be done but at those hours? I'm sure they are working not to disturb the kids during the school day but school ends shortly for the summer. They can work during the day time when school ends. I have to work in the morning. If this is an emergency then they wouldn't have the school open at all?

My question is, is this legal at those hours? I've googled noise ordinances and construction type work and there are hours that you may not work but maybe this is an exception? And how long does it take to replace a roof on a school building?

[pip]

Looking more deeply on the Internet this is the work they are going to do:

"Scope of work includes roof replacement, targeted masonry repairs, and related interior finishes at main building at Nettelhorst."

Anticipated to end middle of Aug. I seriously hope when the school is over for the summer this switches to daytime work. Still though for now while school is in session, are they allowed to work through the whole evening and through the early morning hours? People have to sleep. It is loud with trucks constantly beeping while backing up and the engines of the crane lifting and such.

I seriously get that the work has to be done but 6pm through at least 2am (I eventually fall asleep by then with the noise so I dont know how late this goes on) or later?
https://www.reddit.com/r/lakeview/co...nt_working_at/

Enough of my rant lol.

[SIGSEGV]

From what I understand, GEMS is closing, isn't it?

[2PRUROCKS!]

Originally Posted by SIGSEGV

From what I understand, GEMS is closing, isn't it?

I thought I heard that as well...and construction on the high school building has been stalled for well over a year.

[twister244]

Was there some hidden air show I missed the memo on?...... Did anyone else see the contrail A symbols this evening at sunset?