The 8 Mile Road of Chicago

[chi-det8]

Like in Detroit, 8 Mile Rd. divides the affluent suburbs and the inner city. 8 Mile is both economic and racial dividing line.

Unlike Detroit, Chicago's streets are based on the "grid system," it is built on a simple grid and it is easy to remember the streets, the house numbers, and the intersections. I wonder what street in Chicago is like their "8 Mile." I always think that Howard St. is the 8 Mile Rd. of Chicago, it separates Evanston and the city proper. If you're riding the "L" train aka the CTA Red Line, it doesn't go through Evanston. In order to get to either Skokie or Evanston, you had to change trains at the Howard St. station. One is the Purple Line, which runs through Evanston and the other one is the Yellow Line or the Skokie Swift, which leads to Skokie. I also suggest that 138th St. in Chicago's south side is compared to 8 Mile Rd., the southernmost street in Chicago, dividing the south suburbs [[e.g. Dolton and Burnham). The city is slowly becoming the next Detroit.

Note that it's hard to compare Chicago to Detroit.

[ejames01]

That theory does not hold water any more [[if it ever really did). There are plenty of suburbs near Detroit that are not affluent.

[kryptonite]

The days of the Eight Mile Rd racial division are largely history. Inner-ring suburbs almost all have substantial black populations. Southfield is majority black, Oak Park may be. Hazel Park, Berkley, Lathrup Village, Warren, Farmington Hills all have significant black populations, due largely to the black middle-class flight that began in the late 1990's.

[313WX]

Unlike Detroit, Chicago's streets are based on the "grid system,"

Last I checked, Detroit has a grid system too.

[313WX]

What ultimately saved Chicago that could have easily saved Detroit is that their local politicians and business owners didn't think it was a bright idea to decentralize all of their jobs.

[Magnatomicflux]

Last I checked, Detroit has a grid system too.

I agree. It's really only that radial layout for the core then goes to a grid.

[wolverine]

Chicago has a radial street system on top of a grid as well. The big difference is they are much narrower and would be an awful way to commute out of the city because of the congestion. But they make some very powerful intersections.

I can't think of an 8 mile road in Chicago either. And seeing how highly gentrified Rogers Park has become in recent years, I'd say Howard isn't really that good of an example. Not to mention, completely different in character as well. More urban, demographics [[becoming) balanced on both sides, narrow street, etc.


If you wanna see a huge divide in the city, Wells street over by cabrini green is still very pronounced. Just 3 city blocks of blight remain entirely surrounded by new condos. Currently 2 highrise pj's still standing and 2 midrise reds over on Oak. The rowhouses are getting renovated. The pjs aren't so bad. In fact incidents of crime have been rare in the past year or two. The two reds have been problem spots. Despite renovations of some of the rows, that area still has lots of reports of criminal activity to the point it sounds like CHA may not renovate, but tear down the remaining rows. I don't think that's necessary, but instead employ better security, like the fingerprint identification system to get into the complex over at Marshall Field Apartments.

[Goose]

32 Mile Rd. is the new SE Michigan 8 Mile Rd.

[jerrytimes]

That theory does not hold water any more [[if it ever really did). There are plenty of suburbs near Detroit that are not affluent.

I also recall seeing black people living north of 8 mile, so I would have to agree with you. 8 mile doesn't divide much anymore. The only thing that it does divide is that north of it the police seem to do a better job.