Lost in Chicago

Sarah W · Aug 17, 2009

I am tearing my hair out over this one and it should be so simple.

My MC is living in Chicago. He's a gambler/ex-con/opportunist and doesn't always make rent, though I don't think he'd live in a complete hole (he doesn't always lose). His apartment needs a fire escape.

He's mostly Italian a couple of generations back, but is Jewish on his mother's mother's side--and she's the one who raised him. I'm hoping there's an urban area that might combine these two cultural groups---if not presently, at least maybe two generations back?

I need to get him from his apartment (down the fire escape) onto a bus and from the bus to an El station, and from there, hopefully, to North Michigan Avenue, but I don't know where his apartment should be, so I don't know what station or lines he needs to use.

Can anyone help me figure out where this guy could live?

alleycat · Aug 17, 2009

I sent you a private message, Sarah.

StephanieFox · Aug 17, 2009

Off topic, but you should know: If his mother was Jewish, then he's (technically) Jewish, even if he doesn't practice the religion.

I wish he lived in NYC and then I could tell you. My dad was raised in aJewish nweighborhood right next to Little Italy and many of his friends were Italian. That's how he learned to make great spaghetti sauce.

Sarah W · Aug 17, 2009

StephanieFox said:
Off topic, but you should know: If his mother was Jewish, then he's (technically) Jewish, even if he doesn't practice the religion. quote]

Yep! That's going to be important later on.

And I guess I could move him to New York, and in a way, it might be easier . . . and maybe better. . . but, well, I'd have to kill a couple of really funny lines, whine, whine, drat it.

But if I do, can I ask for your help?

Calla Lily · Jun 5, 2012

Resurrecting a zombie thread

Braaaiiiiinsss....

(Actually, it's the fault of the work firewall, which won't let me start a new thread on this topic. Grr.)

I've visited Chicago, but that's all. May I ask for help?

My MC moved there to disappear because it's big, and I didn't want to put him in NYC or LA. He works in a used bookstore and does a hush-hush business banishing ghosts/exorcising demons. He's scraping by. He has few friends and doesn't go clubbing or anything like that. At the most he'd go to a hockey game.

What I'd love to know is:

1. What neighborhood(s) have cheap apartments, preferably in old houses that have been split into apartments. I'd hope that they wouldn't be in ridiculously high crime neighborhoods.

2. How is the city segmented? for example, Bflo has Black Rock, an old family-oriented city neighborhood. Ritzy 'burbs to the north and east. Ethnic neighborhoods to the west and south. The inner city that's a combo of high crime and pricey renovated yuppie lofts. The university district. Etc. Etc. Huge old house neighborhoods and dirt poor neighborhoods that grew up around Catholic Churches. Things like that.

Thanks so much!

Undercover · Jun 5, 2012

I live in Chicago and all you really need to know is the North Side and the South Side. For someone like your MC, I would say the South Side, there's a huge mix of race, mostly blacks and Mexicans, but there's a lot of Irish on the South side too and you have Chinatown too. It is pretty diverse.

The North side, along the Lake Shore, past Navy Pier and further North where the streets get tighter and it's nothing but one way streets, is the yuppies, the gay community and a lot of young people, some really nice and hip areas...expensive too.

But you can pretty much place your MC anywhere and it would be believable, like I said, really diverse and very cultural. Hope that helps.

Calla Lily · Jun 5, 2012

Thanks, Undercover!

RichardGarfinkle · Jun 5, 2012

callalily61 said:
Braaaiiiiinsss....

(Actually, it's the fault of the work firewall, which won't let me start a new thread on this topic. Grr.)

I've visited Chicago, but that's all. May I ask for help?

My MC moved there to disappear because it's big, and I didn't want to put him in NYC or LA. He works in a used bookstore and does a hush-hush business banishing ghosts/exorcising demons. He's scraping by. He has few friends and doesn't go clubbing or anything like that. At the most he'd go to a hockey game.

What I'd love to know is:

1. What neighborhood(s) have cheap apartments, preferably in old houses that have been split into apartments. I'd hope that they wouldn't be in ridiculously high crime neighborhoods.

2. How is the city segmented? for example, Bflo has Black Rock, an old family-oriented city neighborhood. Ritzy 'burbs to the north and east. Ethnic neighborhoods to the west and south. The inner city that's a combo of high crime and pricey renovated yuppie lofts. The university district. Etc. Etc. Huge old house neighborhoods and dirt poor neighborhoods that grew up around Catholic Churches. Things like that.

Thanks so much!

If he works in a used bookstore, he should live in my neighborhood, Hyde Park.

Anyway, on a more general note, Chicago is essentially built like a fan. The Loop and the River North district are the major business areas, the neighborhoods fan out north, south and west from there eventually hitting suburbs in all directions. To the east is Lake Michigan.

Inner city is mostly south of the Loop, but there are blips in it, and some is north and some west. Hyde Park and Kenwood are to the South but aren't inner city mostly due to the dominance of the University of Chicago. Chinatown is also south of the loop.

There are a number of neighborhoods that are strongly African-American, some strongly Hispanic. We have a Chinatown as I said, a Greek town to the west of the loop as well as neighborhoods with large Korean-American and Indian-American populations mostly to the north of the loop.

A number of older neighborhoods were largely settled by European immigrants with Polish, German, and Irish being quite common.

There are catholic churches all over the city (including a Cathedral (Holy Name Cathedral) with an Archbishop). There are also a number of Orthodox churches, various protestant churches, as well as synagogues and mosques.

We're pretty well set up for supernatural stories, so have fun with the writing.

Calla Lily · Jun 5, 2012

Many thanks!

mayqueen · Jun 10, 2012

Another Chicagoan here. I'm also a sociologist with friends who do urban sociology here. This really is a city of neighborhoods, so it really depends on how long your MC's family has lived in Chicago and how strongly he is connected to his ethnic roots. He might live in the Rogers Park area, which has the highest Jewish concentration in the city. Then he'd take the Red Line to the Loop. He could also live in the Little Italy area of Chicago. Then he'd take the Blue Line to the Loop. Both of these neighborhoods have fairly inexpensive housing. But if your MC isn't connected strongly to his ethnic roots, he could live a whole lot of places that are cheaper rent areas. Feel free to message me!

Lost in Chicago

Sarah W

Bibilophibian At Large

alleycat

Still around

StephanieFox

Maybull the Bulldog

Sarah W

Bibilophibian At Large

Calla Lily

On hiatus

Undercover

I got it covered

Calla Lily

On hiatus

RichardGarfinkle

Nurture Phoenixes

Calla Lily

On hiatus

mayqueen

practical experience, FTW