4 ms·

I cannot imagine what living in downtown Chicago is like. On top of being prohibitively expensive, where would you shop for groceries or other domestic service

I cannot imagine what living in downtown Chicago is like. On top of being prohibitively expensive, where would you shop for groceries or other domestic services? Its like a double whammy of expensive living and poor access.

l33r 7y ago
I live in downtown Chicago. I'm one block away from Trader Joe's and Osco Jewel. Cost of living in downtown Chicago is cheaper than NYC/SF and maybe even LA. Within 20 minutes of walking, I can get to two separate Targets, Whole Foods and even a Home Depot.
- chapium 7y ago
  River North is insanely expensive even with NYC/SF to compare to.
Javantea_ 7y ago
It's been a while since I visited Chicago, but I stayed in a hotel downtown. Not only was public transit excellent and easy to use, but walking was a delight. I don't remember there being a grocery story anywhere, but Google Maps shows quite a few. Chicago's downtown may have a lot of problems including being expensive and a high crime rate, but poor access seems inaccurate.
jakemal 7y ago
I live in downtown Chicago with a Whole Foods, Trader Joes, and a Jewel Osco all within 3 blocks of me. I'm not sure what makes you think there is a lack of access in this area. I live here because I love how accessible everything I want to do is.
pgsbathhouse2 7y ago
>where would you shop for groceries or other domestic services? What kind of weird question is this? "Downtowns" are _more_ accessible for people, not less. That's why they are more expensive by the foot. Are you under the belief that there are no markets or services in cities? This seems like a perspective you can get from only living in the suburban non-sense that America has constructed.
- freehunter 7y ago
  You'd be surprised. Maybe not Chicago, but there are a lot of cities with zero grocery stores. It was big news in my Midwestern city when a Meijer went in downtown because people living downtown used to have to drive or take the bus outside of the city to do their grocery shopping. It's always a big question in my city, "can you live here without a car?" and most of it has historically hinged on grocery shopping.
  - beart 7y ago
    I think we're from the same city. However I was fortunate enough to live within walking distance of a market a few miles outside of downtown before moving.
  - pgsbathhouse2 7y ago
    >It was big news in my Midwestern city What city?
    - freehunter 6y ago
      Grand Rapids MI
- chapium 7y ago
  Why presume what I believe? I live in the city and the closer I get to the core of the city the fewer venues there are for domestic living and everything turns into restaurants and offices.
  - pgsbathhouse2 7y ago
    >Why presume what I believe? It was a question. You asked the question, and it can only be asked as a non-rhetorical question if it is predicated on ignorance and some a priori perspective. >I live in the city Are you talking about an "actual" city, or an urban sprawl?
Scott_Sanderson 7y ago
Decade-long Chicago resident here: used public transit, biking, and walking exclusively and never needed a car the entire time. Wish Chicago's density would be legal in more American cities.
- Redoubts 7y ago
  > Wish Chicago's density would be legal This really is the most ridiculous thing about America. The Loop and River North are really nice! And yet most of the country has decided that this should be simply forbidden from occurring anywhere else.
projektfu 7y ago
Chicago has a large area that can be considered "downtown". There's the Loop at the center, which didn't have a lot of living amenities except restaurants and entertainment when I was there but is not very large either, then there is the whole outer downtown area from the South Loop to Lincoln Park. That's about 6-8 square miles. In that area there's everything you need and very little is more than 3/4 mile walk from you. There are buses and trains everywhere. I never wanted a car while living there, but rented a pickup truck or moving van for a day every now and again, and I actually lived a little further north in Lakeview.

l33r 7y ago

I live in downtown Chicago. I'm one block away from Trader Joe's and Osco Jewel. Cost of living in downtown Chicago is cheaper than NYC/SF and maybe even LA. Within 20 minutes of walking, I can get to two separate Targets, Whole Foods and even a Home Depot.

chapium 7y ago
River North is insanely expensive even with NYC/SF to compare to.

Javantea_ 7y ago

It's been a while since I visited Chicago, but I stayed in a hotel downtown. Not only was public transit excellent and easy to use, but walking was a delight. I don't remember there being a grocery story anywhere, but Google Maps shows quite a few. Chicago's downtown may have a lot of problems including being expensive and a high crime rate, but poor access seems inaccurate.

jakemal 7y ago

I live in downtown Chicago with a Whole Foods, Trader Joes, and a Jewel Osco all within 3 blocks of me. I'm not sure what makes you think there is a lack of access in this area. I live here because I love how accessible everything I want to do is.

pgsbathhouse2 7y ago

>where would you shop for groceries or other domestic services? What kind of weird question is this? "Downtowns" are _more_ accessible for people, not less. That's why they are more expensive by the foot. Are you under the belief that there are no markets or services in cities? This seems like a perspective you can get from only living in the suburban non-sense that America has constructed.

freehunter 7y ago
You'd be surprised. Maybe not Chicago, but there are a lot of cities with zero grocery stores. It was big news in my Midwestern city when a Meijer went in downtown because people living downtown used to have to drive or take the bus outside of the city to do their grocery shopping. It's always a big question in my city, "can you live here without a car?" and most of it has historically hinged on grocery shopping.
- beart 7y ago
  I think we're from the same city. However I was fortunate enough to live within walking distance of a market a few miles outside of downtown before moving.
- pgsbathhouse2 7y ago
  >It was big news in my Midwestern city What city?
  - freehunter 6y ago
    Grand Rapids MI
chapium 7y ago
Why presume what I believe? I live in the city and the closer I get to the core of the city the fewer venues there are for domestic living and everything turns into restaurants and offices.
- pgsbathhouse2 7y ago
  >Why presume what I believe? It was a question. You asked the question, and it can only be asked as a non-rhetorical question if it is predicated on ignorance and some a priori perspective. >I live in the city Are you talking about an "actual" city, or an urban sprawl?

Scott_Sanderson 7y ago

Decade-long Chicago resident here: used public transit, biking, and walking exclusively and never needed a car the entire time. Wish Chicago's density would be legal in more American cities.

Redoubts 7y ago
> Wish Chicago's density would be legal This really is the most ridiculous thing about America. The Loop and River North are really nice! And yet most of the country has decided that this should be simply forbidden from occurring anywhere else.

projektfu 7y ago

Chicago has a large area that can be considered "downtown". There's the Loop at the center, which didn't have a lot of living amenities except restaurants and entertainment when I was there but is not very large either, then there is the whole outer downtown area from the South Loop to Lincoln Park. That's about 6-8 square miles. In that area there's everything you need and very little is more than 3/4 mile walk from you. There are buses and trains everywhere. I never wanted a car while living there, but rented a pickup truck or moving van for a day every now and again, and I actually lived a little further north in Lakeview.