Climate cataclysm.

The intensifying and impending droughts across the southwest are going to send people back to Chicago in droves.

Chicago has got clean drinking water and plenty of it.*

We'll be back, baby!


* Just ignore the fact that Lake Michigan serves as the region's collective toilet.

Climate cataclysm.

The intensifying and impending droughts across the southwest are going to send people back to Chicago in droves.

Chicago has got clean drinking water and plenty of it.*

We'll be back, baby!


* Just ignore the fact that Lake Michigan serves as the region's collective toilet.

People will think this is a joke but long investors are bullish on chicago for this reason. In fact, I just finished a conference where it was voiced by people with more money and intelligence than I.

Chicago will continue to have the significant natural advantages it has had for 150 or so years. Some of those advantages may diminish a bit but others are increasing.

I think we are poorly represented politically. It is damaging us in many facets of life. I can see a glimmer of hope of it changing as the old guard is pretty old. On the other hand, I don't exactly have full confidence in the abilities of the replacements.

I think the premise of the OP is flawed to begin with. 2020 was an anomaly as Covid and riots changed the playing field but prior to that Chicago was absolutely considered a great city. Whether it's as "cool" as NYC, LA or Miami in the eyes of millennials doesn't really matter when it's still viewed as a popular destination worldwide. Also, the suggestion that Chicago was cooler in the 1970's & 80's than now is absurd. For all of his many flaws, the younger Daley left Chicago as a much better tourist destination with a reputation as a world-class city. Not only is it much more aesthetically pleasing but the quality of restaurants and attractions has gone up exponentially in the last 2 decades.

wfr's idea of keeping homegrown talent here isn't a bad idea, but its incredibly hard to keep the talent here if you tax the shit out of them.

I think the premise of the OP is flawed to begin with. 2020 was an anomaly as Covid and riots changed the playing field but prior to that Chicago was absolutely considered a great city. Whether it's as "cool" as NYC, LA or Miami in the eyes of millennials doesn't really matter when it's still viewed as a popular destination worldwide. Also, the suggestion that Chicago was cooler in the 1970's & 80's than now is absurd. For all of his many flaws, the younger Daley left Chicago as a much better tourist destination with a reputation as a world-class city. Not only is it much more aesthetically pleasing but the quality of restaurants and attractions has gone up exponentially in the last 2 decades.

It's not even taxing at first. I know that a lot of people leave the state because they get nice scholarships including full tuition at a lot of places, but the in-state schools offer nothing. Starting there would be great.

The in state university should always be the cheaper alternative.

They should be matching offers for the best students. My boy goes to a private, east coast school for less than it would have cost to go to U of I. I think Indiana, Wisconsin and Iowa were all less expensive out the door as well.

The in state university should always be the cheaper alternative.

Back in the day it was. That is a big reason why I went. I don't know which genius changed that.

It's not just lake water. The central location. Very little incidence of natural disaster. Relatively higher grade above sea level to counter rising water. Relatively temperate climates. Ability to access markets by water, rail, air and road. Regional dominance with no real challengers presenting themselves within 500 miles.

I have never understood why the Illinois state university system doesn't enter into reciprocal agreements with bordering states on tuition, especially the Big 10 schools.

Wisconsin and Minnesota had reciprocity but I think Wisconsin cut it off because too many people were going to Minnesota for school and staying there.

I think the premise of the OP is flawed to begin with. 2020 was an anomaly as Covid and riots changed the playing field but prior to that Chicago was absolutely considered a great city. Whether it's as "cool" as NYC, LA or Miami in the eyes of millennials doesn't really matter when it's still viewed as a popular destination worldwide. Also, the suggestion that Chicago was cooler in the 1970's & 80's than now is absurd. For all of his many flaws, the younger Daley left Chicago as a much better tourist destination with a reputation as a world-class city. Not only is it much more aesthetically pleasing but the quality of restaurants and attractions has gone up exponentially in the last 2 decades.

Illinois literally created a strategy to recruit international students to plug in diminishing or uncertain funding from the state. They wanted to have at least 20 percent international (mostly Chinese) so that those students could be counted on paying full out of state tuition. At that point the university became a private institution that was chasing the highest possible tuition

Chicago's issues began before that. The entire state has been bleeding residents all decade and that's not going to change anytime soon. The pension time bomb is still ticking and no one wants to stick around when that one goes.

People who stay in the Chicago area will continue to move to the suburbs, but even then it won't offset the overall loss in population the state is suffering. The one thing just about every Illinois transplant agrees on is the fact that they don't want to go back.

I posted on another thread how far Chicago has fallen in the U.S.

Growing up in 70s and 80s Chicago was seen as a cool place. The Second city, vibrant, people flocking. I understand loss of manufacturing jobs since then, but what can be done to see the city flourish again.

If you look around at the big cities NYC is on its own place. Basically the "capital" of the country let alone world. L.A. is No. 2.

Chicago used to be in that consideration, not even close now. Also, bigger citie with higher real estate and more desirability are Miami, San Fran Seattle metro, Boston and metro. Philly is getting close. Then you have Houston that I personally find hideous, but constant growth since the 90s.

Then the smaller cities like Austin, Nashville have been the boom cities, on a lesser note Atlanta, Charlotte.

So what can be done?

Chicago weather sucks, nothing can be done about that, but it sucked in the 60s and 80s.
I think an overhaul of our tax structure. At 5% now which is not bad, but the property taxes esp in in the burbs are just insane and one can only write off 10K off taxes.

So what can be done for CHicago and Chicagoland.

The pros - a beautiful downtown area, great entertainment, restaurants when no pandemic. Great sports scene. Great culture.

It just seems like Chicago has been unsexy to people in all industries. No free agent in the NBA wants to play here, everyone I know up here who gets a job elsewhere is gone, look at the stats since 2000.

Can anything be done to reverse course? Curious some thoughts