Zel-kun’s Words

I’m halfway through my second week of living in the big city.  Its definitely different.  I have, at different points in my life lived in the suburbs and the country, but this is my first real city experience.  I’ve spent most of my life within viewing distance of the city (you can see Chicago for 30-40 miles in any direction on a clear enough day if your view is unobstructed, even as far back as Gary, Indiana), but this is the first time I’ve had the chance to live there.

I’m not living in the ritzy neighborhoods to the north, where a studio apartment may cost upwards of $2000 a month, nor am I living downtown, where the shadows of skyscrapers cover the streets.  Nope, I live on the south side of Chicago, about five miles outside of downtown.

There’s no nice way to say it, I live in the grungy part of town.  The sidewalks are covered in old gum and discarded fliers and newspapers blow in the breeze.  There is garbage in the gutter, and a boarded-up building or two.  By anyone who is passing through, I live in a terrible neighborhood, and need to get out.

*ahem*

I would say my neighborhood is the most classic example of the saying, ”Don’t judge a book by its cover.”

I see it everyday, little things that say, “Hey, its not so bad.”

First and foremost: Parking

Its not easy to find parking, but when I find a space and pull into it, I can rest assured that I’ll have space to pull out in the morning.  I’ve been to many neighborhoods where the cars will pull bumper-to-bumper, but here there’s always a few feet to work with.  Its a little bit of common courtesy (or at least forethought so their bumpers don’t get smashed when I pull out) and that’s always a good thing.

Secondly: Children

I see children (of all ages, teenagers too) playing EVERY day when I come home from work.  They set up in the schoolyard I park near, playing softball, volleyball, and soccer.  There’s a few parents watching, and there’s a sense of community there.  One time, as I got out of my car, a ball rolled up to my foot, I picked it up and tossed it back, and the little kid thanked me.

Thirdly: People

When I walk from where my car is to my apartment, I see a lot of people.  Some are chatting on their porches and others are working on their homes.  Nearly EVERY occupied house if fixed up.  Fresh paint, clean siding, new decks.  I’ve seen people with garbage bags cleaning up the area in front of their homes.  As I go around, the establishments are clean, and the food is good.  There are a LOT of people that seem to just want to make their neighborhood better.

Sure, its not the best neighborhood in the world, there still are the litterbugs, and there is some gang violence, but there will always be the bad types wherever I go.

So, for the time being, I’m happy to live where I am.  Now if I could only do something about the commute….

Zel-kun out.