Anti-Chicago
March 31, 2008 — DarcsFalconI seem to have collected a few posts on the subject of "Chicago sucks." It started as sort of a joke, when the Forbes article came out, and echoed my own personal feelings about the place. I blogged about that, and it seemed that lots of other people felt the same as I did, based on the number of searches for "Chicago sucks" that ended up at my blog. I’ve decided to dedicate an entire page to the posts I’ve done about this subject, and to have a spot where I can keep a sort of "running commentary" on things as they occur to me. If you’ve come here to hate on Chicago, please feel free to comment (here or on any of the posts) and get it off your chest. 
If you’ve come here to argue with me, please don’t bother. You’re never going to change how I feel about a place, or undo what I’ve dealt with. If you want to love on Chicago, I’m more than happy to point you to www.wordpress.com, where you can get your own blog and praise Chicago to the skies. No hard feelings. 
================================================================================
 |
| For us, Chicago Sucks |
| Visit this group |
| |
| Subscribe to For us, Chicago Sucks |
| Email: |
| Visit this group |
=================================================================================
Other things I hate about Chicagoland …
- The roads! Patch, patch, patch.
- I-94/294. This "expressway" is known locally as, "The World’s Largest Parking Lot."
- TOLLS!
http://sjthunder.deviantart.com
April 6, 2008 at 9:02 pm
What about the weather? Isn’t that kind of #1 on your list?
Attitude? Inbred population? How about the traffic?
Just some suggestions.
April 6, 2008 at 9:12 pm
Well, I addressed the weather and attitude in my posts, that’s why I didn’t go into them here. The Forbes article mentioned how bad the commutes are. As for the inbred population, well, I hadn’t thought about it much until you mentioned it the other day.
April 20, 2008 at 4:00 am
I’m starting a blog dedicated to this topic. It deals with the depression i feel of realizing how bad chicago is and how i dont fit in anywhere else is the U.S. and don’t want to go back to Chicago. “Chicago Withdrawal” like heroin withdrawal not homesickness, keep up the good anti-chicago posts.
April 20, 2008 at 4:01 am
http://chicagowithdrawal.blogspot.com
May 4, 2008 at 1:09 am
I don’t mean to be an ass and keep commenting on you wall but chicago does suck and your accounts of it are some of the most accurate i can find on the web, seriously. everyone will tell you what a great place it is, this is the “Rah Rah Chicago Kool-aid” I speak of, i think i’ll blog roll your site. I moved to wordpress because google is a bunch of censoring nazis and they own BLOGGER!!
http://chicagowithdrawal.wordpress.com/
May 9, 2008 at 7:38 am
Hey JR
Thanks for the nice comments you left, and thanks for your patience - it’s been hard being without the ‘net so long. I put a link to your new WP page on my Anti-Chicago page. It’s nice to find people who agree with me, it doesn’t happen often! 
Oh, and you’re not an ass! I like comments!
May 12, 2008 at 1:49 pm
I am not from Chicago but got this link from JR’s Chicago Withdrawal site.
I had mentioned (and I don’t want to re-post my long response), was not only the arrogance, which is more than unjustified since I said in his blog, Chicago is nothing but a series of inbred, racist,redneck low-brow trash.
These people have not only serious self-esteem, but some very deep mental issues as well.
My current apt. lease ends at the beginning of the fall of this year, and I am trying my best to get the hell out of here, and go back West (2000 miles away, that is just the right distance away from this place).
I was waiting on a transfer, but I been here way too long, and can no longer wait, I am leaving.
I didn’t know Forbes published an article on this place, I will have to find it.
May 12, 2008 at 2:09 pm
Nice to see you here R.
You sound just like someone else I know. It’s almost uncanny!
Which part of “back West” are you hoping to get back to? CA? WA?
Yes, Forbes published their article on the Top 10 Most Miserable Cities. That’s sort of what started the whole thing for me, here on my blog. Of course, it wasn’t anything I hadn’t been saying for decades. You can check out the link above to my “Proof that Chicago Sucks” post - I have links there both to the Forbes article, and the one from a Chicago paper commenting on Forbes.
Thanks for stopping by, and good luck with your move!
PS - just found your comments over on ChicagoWithdrawal. Wow, you have my sympathies R. I know exactly what you’ve been through.
May 13, 2008 at 9:00 am
Going to California for awhile, as I hadn’t been back there in ages.
Thanks, I did find the Forbes article, but the RedEye link is gone.
Until I found blogs from you and JR, I would see people in Chicago acting ridiculous like I described, and I used to think “I can’t be the only one here that doesn’t see how idiotic these people act”. I am thankful I at least found some intelligent people who see the same thing.
I had mentioned in my post in JR’s site, that my best friend was born and raised here, and even he now sees it. He calls it plastic (meaning fake). How everyone here tries to be something they’re not, and to me it is like people are still in the tenth grade, there is this whole high school mentality (from the 20 yr. old to the 60 yr. olds) where people want to act like idiots they’re whole lives. Thing is, outside Chicago, and especially in Europe, people do not act like this, even in high school.
My best friend is Latino, so I can verify the racist angle, he is built like a linebacker, but every once in awhile, the trailer trash of this city try to see how far than can egg him on, really stupid, these people are playing with fire.
I can also verify the people trying to get into your business angle, I wear my headphones on the street basically all the time (it seems to be a prerequisite for living here; do block out the inane ramblings of the people here), and as stated in my post, I had someone yell trying to get my attention (as stated after verifying with a person walking behind me).
I guess I didn’t give him enough attention, and ignored him, and why would he yell at me —I was wearing headphones.
I should stop trying to rationalize it, because there is not RATIONAL answer to it.
The people of this city seem to live the whole life trying to show others how great and/or cool they are and they really get upset if you ignore them.
They may think they’re cool, but to everyone outside of this area, they look like morons.
This city is so ridiculous, it is not even funny.
May 13, 2008 at 12:58 pm
No, R, you are not the only one who sees how ridiculous so many things are around here. It just seems to be “illegal” somehow to voice such thoughts aloud. I think your assessment of “high school mentality” is pretty fitting. It’s like the people here are so insulted by the whole “2nd city” thing so they are trying to show the rest of the world that they’re “better than 2nd.” I think they’re only ones buying their act.
Good luck in CA! The weather will be lovely.
I’m looking forward to hearing your thoughts on your new place!
May 13, 2008 at 5:16 pm
Thanks, I am trying to just look to the horizon of later this year, thinking all I need to do is think about getting out of here. Hope is a powerful thing don’t you know.
I decided to register so now I am realr, not original, but close enough to my non-registered user name.
May 13, 2008 at 7:41 pm
RealR - Hope IS an amazingly powerful drug. I try to take it on a regular basis. Sometimes it’s hard to score though.
Are you going to start a blog of your own, now that you’ve registered?
May 14, 2008 at 9:51 am
Yes, not only is it hard to score, but here in Chicago, it seems to be a Class A felony to possess.
Right now, I don’t think I will start a blog, can’t really think of anything to blog about. Maybe if I get the time and inclination, I will in the future.
May 14, 2008 at 1:22 pm
Class A felony … ROFLMAO! Too freakin’ true!
Well, if you change your mind, let me know - I’d be interested in reading.
June 7, 2008 at 8:51 pm
I found a posting about Chicago and how the people are not intelligent at all, and they don’t care that they’re morons.
This person is going back to New England, and he also has lived all over the US, but had stated how miserable these people are; he had called it “proudly ignorant”, I though that was just perfect.
Part of his post:
They have to be the most proudly ignorant and offensive people I have ever come across. The people are just so angry. Everybody hates everybody. It really is sad when you think about it, there are a ton of miserable people here.
_______________________________________________
It just says it all.
June 7, 2008 at 11:22 pm
RealR - proudly ignorant - I love it! It fits so well! Thanks for sharing that! Do you happen to know what blog it was? I’d love to stop by there and say hello! Or goodbye, as the case may be. I so envy him going to New England!
June 8, 2008 at 4:09 pm
The posting didn’t come from a blog. Over my lunch hour late last week, I was online looking at apts. in the area of California I am looking to move to this fall. It is still kind of early to be looking, but I am dying to get of this place. I truly hate this city and these trashy people who live here.
I was looking at online real estate sites, then craigslist, when out of boredom I found this on the local Chicago craigslist site.
A poster had posted this:
_________________________________________________
Two to three times a month, I purposely buy a LARGE chocolate shake from McDonald’s when I only consume half…
The rest I save.
I usually find some scruffily dressed poseur pedaling along on their bicycle, usually on the north side or Bucktown/Wicker Park area and then slow down just to ensure spot on accuracy before splashing the rest of the shake on their face and clothes….
I do this from my Chevy Suburban with a 5.3 Liter V8 which gets 13 mpg.
You should see their FACES!!!!!!!! LMFAO!!!!!!!
Especially the women!!!!!!!! LMFAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My stomach literally will STILL ACHE the next day from laughing so hard…
You know this is true.
You know if one of these skinny metrosexual pansy boys tried to swing “THEIR U-LOCK” at me, I’d use my Louisville Slugger in self defense on their KNEECAPS before zooming off.
I secretly would like one of them to TRY!!!!!!!!!!
_______________________________________________
I replied with this (and I never posted on cragslist before, but thought, hey typical Chicago moron, why not, I still have 20 min. left on my lunch hour):
Why am I not surprised at this typical behavior from the wonderful people of Chicago.
If it isn’t the homophobia, racism, no manners, and the typical “always going to act like a high schooler for the rest of my life” mentality, we get this winner with a room temperature IQ posting.
If anyone has been to any other city or town outside Chicago, and I am not talking about some suburb or nearby Midwestern state, will know that this only is typical behavior here. This isn’t normal in NYC, LA, San Francisco, only here, and I have lived in these cities also, and people act like normal people; not like this passive aggressive asshole.
A 10% tax rate (and you get nothing of value in return), dirty streets (outside of the Loop), and trailer trash racists hicks for citizens (this is not a metropolitan city, it is a trailer park with some large buildings, that’s all it is), Chicago is calling you home.
_______________________________________________
No one came after me regarding this anti-Chicago post, one guy who I quoted said (his full reply):
Great post. Seriously, there is something really wrong with people from this place. The high school reference was spot on. I’ve lived in New Haven, Ct, New York City, Charlottesville, Va and a summer in Austin, Tx. Yes, Texas. And I have never been so unimpressed with a group of people as I have with “native” Chicagoans. They have to be the most proudly ignorant and offensive people I have ever come across. Don’t get me wrong, I actually think this city is great. However, the people are just so angry. Everybody hates everybody. It really is sad when you think about it, there are a ton of miserable people here.
Well, one more year of residency and I’m off back home for a fellowship. I’ll miss alot of things about this place. However, the people definitely will not be missed.
_______________________________________________
This will be first and last time I will post on craigslist BTW, that place (at least the Chicago site) is a true wackjob, racist freak show (well, it is Chicago).
I am counting down the days, not months at this point.
I am also thinking of talking to my attorney to try and get me out of the last few months of my lease, so I can leave this place right now, but considering how little I have left, it might not be worth the trouble and cost.
June 8, 2008 at 6:53 pm
RealR - you know, I’ve never been to the craigslist site. I guess I haven’t missed a whole lot, no? lol Thanks for sharing though - it’s nice to know that our numbers are larger than even I thought.
I know you want to leave, but it’s probably not worth it to try and get out of your lease. They’ll hang you out to dry if you do.
June 8, 2008 at 9:59 pm
Always enjoy reading posts by Darcsfalcon and realr. I’m back in the suburbs now for a week. I’ve realized I firmly enjoy the town I am from because all the people from here know for the most part Cook County and the City sucks (I’m right across the border in Du Page). I regret ever leaving it for the “big city” of Chicago for high school. I really enjoy reading outsiders perspective because it took a good 22 years for me to figure Chicago out and I was to some degree a part of the problem for the time. I’m older and I realize that if Chicago is to survive, it can’t act like the Midwest’s annoying drunk cousin. Yeah the city too often just sucks and the suburbs have the tendency to be just as bad but There are pockets of towns and communities on the outside that realize how many idiots are here. I’ll be back in a week or so to write more extensively on this.
June 9, 2008 at 10:17 am
Hey JR! How’d you like the storms last night? Yeah, there are some towns that realize, in general, how Chicago is. I lived in DuPage for many years, and while some towns try to be “mini-Chicagos” others realize how ridiculous that is. I hope you enjoy your visit and can’t wait to see how you post about it when you get back.
June 10, 2008 at 3:18 pm
Thought I should drop by! I actually really like Chicago (gasp!) - I’ve been there three times, once as a proper tourist and twice to visit friends. I’ve often recommended it to people too! Maybe it’s different if you actually live there….
June 10, 2008 at 3:28 pm
Hey Pink! Good to see you here! Lots of people like the city, and there are spots where the architecture is interesting. They are very conscious downtown of the tourist industry so they make a concentrated effort to keep it clean down there. Outside of that however, and in the suburbs, it’s a different story. Plus, living here we get to deal with the politics of the place, which is a burden tourists don’t have to bear. It’s not a bad place to visit, but like you said, living here is another matter!