Little Michigan

An article from the Freep today on Lincoln Park, Chicago's influx of Michiganders. I have to chuckle because it sort of makes us out to be a quasi-ethnic group, especially when Lincoln Park is titled as "Little Michigan". And while 45,000 UM or State alumnus [[and that's only the number for those unis) have moved there, I wonder what percentage of those were actually from Michigan. UM, because of its rep, gets many from out of state and out of county. Just thought I'd share...

http://www.freep.com/story/entertain...ends/70961714/

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Originally Posted by dtowncitylover

An article from the Freep today on Lincoln Park, Chicago's influx of Michiganders. I have to chuckle because it sort of makes us out to be a quasi-ethnic group, especially when Lincoln Park is titled as "Little Michigan". And while 45,000 UM or State alumnus [[and that's only the number for those unis) have moved there, I wonder what percentage of those were actually from Michigan. UM, because of its rep, gets many from out of state and out of county. Just thought I'd share...

http://www.freep.com/story/entertain...ends/70961714/

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These articles always sound so hick-ish.

Lincoln Park- where Big 10 trixies and bros find true love, in a cradle of frat-tastic delayed adulthood.

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Originally Posted by Bham1982

Lincoln Park- where Big 10 trixies and bros find true love, in a cradle of frat-tastic delayed adulthood.

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What? We are told to move out, pay for rent/mortgage, work 9-5, do other adult things. What "delayed adulthood" are they living? I know a high school classmate of mine, who lives in Chicago, State alumnus, making high five figures in the banking industry...already. Isn't that what we're supposed to be doing? Earning a living? Moving to Chicago and working. Most of these people who moved to Chicago are nearing 30 now. If you're in Chicago, you're probably living on your own [[with roommates but who hasn't been there?) and working.

Or until we get to a white picket fence Birmingham, are not truly adults?

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Originally Posted by dtowncitylover

What? We are told to move out, pay for rent/mortgage, work 9-5, do other adult things. What "delayed adulthood" are they living? I know a high school classmate of mine, who lives in Chicago, State alumnus, making high five figures in the banking industry...already. Isn't that what we're supposed to be doing? Earning a living? Moving to Chicago and working. Most of these people who moved to Chicago are nearing 30 now. If you're in Chicago, you're probably living on your own [[with roommates but who hasn't been there?) and working.

Or until we get to a white picket fence Birmingham, are not truly adults?

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Did I offend the Chad & Trixie contingent on Clark Street or something?

No, you are probably not "truly adults" in the settled sense, if you're wearing your Greek letters at 28, still hanging out with your college buddies, and playing beer pong with liquored up undergrads in sticky-floored bars.

Bham, please keep posting. Your lack of any knowledge about anything and everything is a never-ending source of hilarity. I wonder, do you sit around and just pull random stuff out of a hat, or do you really believe you know everything about everything?

On the subject of ex-pat Mittenittes, Chicago has several establishments which cater to fans of specific non-Chicago teams. If you want a St. Louis Cardinals restaurant, they have them. A Lions bar? Yep. I believe I have been to a place called O'malley's West to cheer my beloved Lions on to victory.

i did not happen to notice if the floor was sticky, unlike the last time I was in the Mayor's office in Birmingham; but then again that might have had more to do with those out-call massage ladies who spent so much time there.

Ziiiinnnnggggg!!!!

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Originally Posted by Bham1982

Did I offend the Chad & Trixie contingent on Clark Street or something?

No, you are probably not "truly adults" in the settled sense, if you're wearing your Greek letters at 28, still hanging out with your college buddies, and playing beer pong with liquored up undergrads in sticky-floored bars.

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Haha no, no. Some frats are so well established and tradition-bound, that men and women carry them on well into life. I see plenty of men and women here in the Detroit area that have their Greek letters blazed on their cars with decals or plate frames. I wasn't in a frat, but I know their honored traditions especially among the older schools [[especially African American frats and sororities) are important to some.

And yes, I still hang out with college friends. I'll do you one better and say I still see my high school friends. I love them. They're my friends. You don't see friends?

Where else are alumni going to get together and network and have fun but the bar? And beer pong? Really? Are we that naive?

Detroiters have been moving to the Windy City for quite a while. I moved there in the summer of 1977 and stayed until 1990, and indeed Lincoln Park was a happy home for a well satisfied contingent from SE Michigan. I lived at the Webster Hotel for a month until I found a studio in a Beaux Arts landmark building on Lake Shore, and later I got a bigger place around the corner on Melrose. Favorite casual places were Jerome's, My Pi and the Squash Blossom and La Canasta on Clark, Monday's [[later Tuesday's) and the Half Shell on Diversey, and Anne Sather's on Belmont, plus too many more to mention. Came 1990, and an expected promotion that did not materialize led me to a new career in San Francisco, whose Michigan transplants were far more scattered than in Chicago. I visited Chicago a few times during those years and it was still nice, but the magic it had held for me in those younger years was just a happy memory.

And the way things are trending in Detroit we may end up with a "Little Brooklyn". In a different way that already happened a while back with influx of Brooklyn Bengalis to east Hamtramck.

If this story was about Detroit, but in reverse, people here would be rightfully flipping their lids.

Take this quote:

Now, on the leafy neighborhood streets of Lincoln Park, Anderson says, life is fine, and there is lots to do. "You feel safe," he says. "You can walk the streets whenever."

And maybe, Free Press, spend the, oh, 30 seconds it takes to download the City of Chicago crime map. In the 60614 area code [[which is Lincoln Park, and much nicer than Lakeview or Logan Square), you'd find 10 crime reports--for just May 1st. There were 7 on April 30, and 11 on April 29. They include assault, motor vehicle theft, burglary, battery and other theft.

http://chicago.everyblock.com/locations/zipcodes/60614/?only=crime

As Erma Bombeck once wrote, "The grass is always greener on the other side of the septic tank."

For the life of me, I will never understand the satisfaction folks here get from trying to bash Chicago. It reeks of a severe superiority complex.

Quite frankly, for folks who weren't fortunate enough to experience 1940s-1970s Detroit or want NYC-like amenities in the Midwest, Chicago is the place to be. It is what it is.

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Originally Posted by 313WX

For the life of me, I will never understand the satisfaction folks here get from trying to bash Chicago. It reeks of a severe superiority complex.

Quite frankly, for folks who weren't fortunate enough to experience 1940s-1970s Detroit or want NYC-like amenities in the Midwest, Chicago is the place to be. It is what it is.

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+1.
If I couldn't live here Chicago would be my next choice.

There's definitely alot of Michigan folks around my part [[West Lakeview's Southport corridor). When I turned 30 I wanted to get away from the hustle and bustle of downtown since I was getting tired of the late night rowdy atmosphere. Southport which is a stone's throw from Wrigley likes to totally disassociate itself from Wrigley....anything but Wrigley. Often times people will say "North Center" or "Roscoe Village" to assert that they have nothing to do with the post collegiate mayhem of that neighborhood if that's what Bham want's to think the entire Northside is....which it's not.

I kind of wonder if the spatial characteristics of Michigan expats has substantially changed. Alot more grads are moving further north into areas like Ravenswood, the west side like Logan Square, and the South side like Bridgeport. I kind of judge this by how many Michigan Plates I see on cars. These areas are where you will find safe neighborhoods but also sensible rents that are comparable to places like Grand Rapids or Kalamazoo. Rents downtown hover somewhere around $3.50/sf, $3/sf in Lincoln Park, $2/sf in Lakeview and $1.50/sf in Ravenswood. I think this certainly helps for anyone looking to move here, but doesn't want to kill their budget with rent.

On the topic of sports, one thing I noticed is how much more people represent their home teams. I'll see plenty of folks wearing Lions jerseys during football season....almost proud to say "I'm from Michigan." or else "Bears suck!" It may be more apparent simply because you see more people in public taking the trains or walking to the bars.

In terms of Michigan bars, Duffy's is cool if you just graduated and want to still feel like you are in college. I've had beer dumped on me...maybe 3 times...although their Sunday brunches are on-point. My favorite Michigan bar is Diag on Southport ave. It's got a great outdoor patio to watch Wolverine and Lions football games and the crowd is older late 20's-40's. Though the place is a big hit with Blackhawks fans during playoff hockey season which is a strange juxtaposition against the Michigan decor.

wolverine: lately a lot of native Chicagoans have also been saying "Bears suck".

Hmmm? I clicked on this thread hoping to be about a blurb I caught a long time ago. I guess Detroit [[or within the area of around...) once had an area where the houses were custom designed to accomodate "little people" [[those that folks once called "midgets"). I have not had much luck searching the forums finding this. Did this actually exist?-or was this some sort of prank blurb I read in Orbit or something?....

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Originally Posted by G-DDT

Hmmm? I clicked on this thread hoping to be about a blurb I caught a long time ago. I guess Detroit [[or within the area of around...) once had an area where the houses were custom designed to accomodate "little people" [[those that folks once called "midgets"). I have not had much luck searching the forums finding this. Did this actually exist?-or was this some sort of prank blurb I read in Orbit or something?....

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http://www.detroityes.com/mb/showthr...s-Thread/page3

Thanks, that helps a bit. I don't know why I thought around Del-ray. A family member told me there were some houses outfitted for wheelchair folks, as well [[lower cupboards, etc.). Yet, this may be the "midget" ones.

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Originally Posted by dtowncitylover

UM, because of its rep, gets many from out of state and out of county. Just thought I'd share...

http://www.freep.com/story/entertain...ends/70961714/

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i dont think this was meant to be a putdown but i just want to point out, MSU also attracts a tok of out of state and out of country students. It actually has more international students by population than UM does.

I don't notice too many Michigan people in my neighborhood. I'm off of Halsted in Bridgeport, I noticed a bar a few years back on Diversey closer to the lake that was a Michigan Wolverine bar.

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Originally Posted by chicagoforlife

I don't notice too many Michigan people in my neighborhood. I'm off of Halsted in Bridgeport, I noticed a bar a few years back on Diversey closer to the lake that was a Michigan Wolverine bar.

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Is there a defining feature we have that you would notice us? We assimilate well I would imagine.

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Originally Posted by dtowncitylover

Is there a defining feature we have that you would notice us? We assimilate well I would imagine.

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Team merchandise, I see Tigers, Spartans and Wolverines fans and would think they are from Michigan.

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Originally Posted by 313WX

For the life of me, I will never understand the satisfaction folks here get from trying to bash Chicago. It reeks of a severe superiority complex.

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I think you meant inferiority complex. Unless you think Detroit is the superior city? I wouldn't argue with you if so... It goes both ways, I've heard the "Detoilet" chants during and after games I've attended at new and old Soldier Field. Chicago is kind of known for their superiority complex in regards to Detroit. They also suffer from their own inferiority complex regarding NYC so...

Heres a story written about a couple who moved from NYC to Chicago, their thoughts about the inferiority complex so many in Chicago display in regards to NYC:

http://chicagoinferiority.blogspot.com/

p.s. Maybe this couple is displaying their own NYC superiority complex regarding Chicago?:cool:

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Originally Posted by BankruptcyGuy

I
As Erma Bombeck once wrote, "The grass is always greener on the other side of the septic tank."

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She wrote' "The grass is always greener over the septic tank."

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Originally Posted by Dbest

I think you meant inferiority complex.

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Maybe so.

Both complexes are the same at the core. I admit to sometimes confusing them.