Chicago Neighborhoods

You know you’re from Chicago when…. Your school classes were canceled because of cold Your school classes were canceled because of heat You carry jumper cables in your car You drink "pop." You refer to Lake Michigan as "The Lake" You refer to Chicago as "The City" You know what goes on a Chicago Style Hot Dog You know what Chicago Style Pizza REALLY is You have at some time in your life, used your furniture to guard your parking spot in winter. (CHICAGO CLASSIC!!) You respond to the question "Where are you from" with a side" example:"WEST SIDE", "SOUTH SIDE" or "NORTHSIDE."

Your turn... Spend a few minutes thinking of your own “You know you’re from Chicago when…..” Write your ideas on a piece of paper Come up with at least three

Your Assignment… Directions: Write your answers in complete sentences. You need to write at least a page. 1. Which neighborhood do you live in? 2. What are three important or popular locations in your neighborhood? 3. What is your favorite part of living in your neighborhood? What do you dislike about your neighborhood? 4. If you could live in any neighborhood in Chicago besides your own, where would you live and why? 5. What makes a neighborhood “good”? What makes a neighborhood “bad”?

I live in the Edison Park neighborhood of Chicago. One important location in Edison Park is the “L” at Harlem and the Kennedy Expressway. This is the Harlem Blue Line stop. It is very important because it is good for transportation and it allows people to get to work without driving. Another important location is the gym I go to. It is called Zip Fitness and is at Harlem and Foster. I try to go there as much as possible because over the summer I got chubby. The last important location in Edison Park is the downtown area on Northwest Highway. There are lots of restaurants, bars, and shops. It is a nice area to walk around and grab some food. My favorite part of living in my neighborhood is how easy parking is and how quiet it is. I love having a drive way at my house. Now I can just park and walk right in to my house. I also like how quiet the neighborhood is. I used to live right near the “L” but now all I hear is the occasional airplane. Sometimes I dislike my neighborhood because there aren’t enough things to do. It is mostly just houses and families. I miss my old neighborhood because there were a lot of things to do around there. I feel like I don’t actually live in Chicago. It seems like the suburbs.

If I could live in any other neighborhood besides Edison Park I would live in Lincoln Square. I really like Lincoln Square because it is very family friendly and there are a lot of great restaurants. Lincoln Square also has a lot of festivals throughout the year. I also would like to live in Lincoln Square because one of my best friends lives there. I think a good neighborhood is one that is safe and has friendly people. I feel bad for people that live in neighborhoods in which they are afraid to go out at night. In a good neighborhood, people should feel safe to go for walks at night or hang out with their friends. I also think a good neighborhood has to have culture. A good neighborhood has restaurants, museums, or concert venues. A bad neighborhood is one that is unsafe. A bad neighborhood has gangs which prevent people from living their lives in peace and harmony. They may also not have many fun things for people to do.