Ray Bianchi replies to Curtis Faville’s comments on Chicago:

 

Dear Ron:

 

Read the post on your Blog about Chicago from your friend Curtis and some of the things that were stated were I think a little unfair and untrue. To say that Downtown Chicago Died is not only unfair but untrue, in fact apart from Midtown Manhattan downtown Chicago and North Michigan avenue is the largest and most vibrant downtown in the United States. Show me another city, apart from New York, that has the vibrancy of the Loop or North Michigan Avenue? Michigan Avenue is a far nicer street that 5th Avenue and yes it is cold but that is life. Thousands of new people are living in Downtown Chicago in new and rehabbed buildings. Is this a sign of death?

 

Regarding the comment about the police and Chicago's segregation and the comment about ' dropping black teenagers across La Salle street" shows a lack of knowledge La Salle street is downtown, both sides are in the city. Chicago is segregated but no worse than other big American cities and frankly Chicago has many more livable, open neighborhoods than New York or Philly or many others. I bet ya that the police in New York harass Black kids in the Upper East Side and I know that the police harass minority kids in Dallas – this is an American problem not a Chicago problem.

 

Regarding Oak Park, where I live, it has a great collection of Wright houses and the wonderful Home and Studio which has one of the greatest children's rooms ever constructed. Chicago has allot of problems and it is a raw place, like Nelson Algren said loving Chicago is like loving a woman with a broken nose, but at least we are not a fake city of faux urbanism at least you know where you are in Chicago.

 

Regards

 

Ray