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The intersection of Catholicism, leprechauns and rumor play out in this boy's costume. He was one of thousands of kids on-hand at Sunday's festivities. (Kate Gardiner/Chicagoist)
More than 300,000 people. At least 115 floats and ten marching bands.
Green beer. Irish people.
It was the St. Patrick's Day parade on the South Side.
And we were there.
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They don't even throw candy. Pride is much better.
I'm so glad I don't live in Beverly anymore. 20 years of this BS is all I could take. It's good that at least something happens once a year down there. Where are the pictures of the boys and girls popping a squat in an alley? You can usually find more than dozen people doing that at a time. The random beer bottle thrown into the crowd-hitting-someone-in-the-face is always amusing as well.
I love how the south side is treated like some sort of foreign land separate from the rest of the city.
First of all it is called the South Side Irish Parade - not the South Side St. Patrick's Day Parade.
As for this caption: "For one day per year, residents overlooking this portion of Western Ave. have something to look at other than beaten pavement and a somewhat gritty neighborhood."
What does that even mean? A somewhat gritty neighborhood? It's one of the safest areas of the city. The majority of people live in nice average single family homes with yards. Some people (mostly east of Western) live in classic and expensive beautiful old homes. It may not be a haven for yuppies or hipsters, but it's not some vast wasteland either.
I've known enough South Siders in my years in Chicago--the vast majority of them fine and decent people--who themselves treat the South Side as distinct and almost foreign part of Chicago (or, at the least, the true homeland, different from the infidel North Side and the lost-for-all-time West Side), so perhaps that is one piece to the puzzle.
Matilda,
Some South Siders do have that attitude. I think sometimes that attitude is a defense mechanism. When you are constantly hearing how second rate you and your neighborhood are, you start your own boasting and deriding. Some people think of the south side as being more "real" and that northsiders are snooty yuppies. Neither the south or north side stereotypes are accurate or fair. All of chicago is real chicago.
I grew up on the south side, went to high school in a suburb, went to Loyola on the north side, currently live on the west side, and work downtown. My personal experience is that *most* people don't really have any clue about the south side and (like the caption I quoted) think that there is nothing down there unless they lived there at some point. I get sick of the misrepresentation. The south side is distinct and there is difference within the south side. All chicago neighborhoods are distinct, which is one of the things that makes the city great.
My original post was intended as a comment about this Chicagoist article specifically, not about people's attitudes in general. This is a report on an event within the city on a website about the city. Given that this is Chicagoist, I had expected that it would a little bit more informed or in touch.
I can live with the attitude; it's no big deal. It's really not anything different from your garden variety hometown pride. I'm just saying one source for this situation you note may be from the South Side itself.
Realize, though, that in a sprawling city of some 3 million or so, there are more than just different neighborhoods--there are different lifestyles and histories and languages and all that, and sometimes different parts of the city do feel "foreign," whatever that word might mean to an individual. The same situation applies to other big cities and certainly many states (Go to the region centered around Carbondale, for instance, which is closer culturally/geographically to the South than the upper Midwest, and which can feel "foreign" to many who grew up in the northern third of Illinois).
South side is about keeping things white, intolerant, and ignorant. If you are gay or non-anglosaxon, you live on the northside.
Yeah, vultureprotein, some people have that attitude, and it's wrong. I have also come across that same intolerance in just about every other area of the city too - you can find intolerance anywhere.
I would say that the south side is changing and becoming more accepting and more diverse along with the rest of the world. Also, I was not raised that way and most people I know were not raised that way. But I suppose that doesn't matter.
And when I say that I wasn't raised that way - I mean wasn't raised in an ignorant and intolerant household. I was taught that discrimination and racism was wrong. I was taught that stereotyping was wrong. I was taught to accept people different than myself.
You may have had a bad experience on the south side, but the south side is not a monolith. There are plenty of good people there.
I know a cop who works hate crimes who told me when some one bricks a synagogue or perpetrats some other racist act, every one on his detail knows where to start the search, in the 19th ward.
And they even have addresses to most of the perps houses because police officers can access the addresses of the homes of other cops. Often times a sergeant has to be present because cops never
voluntarily turn over their sons, no matter how guilty they are.
I call bullshit on that, Spook. Yes, I think you are making it up. Probably happened once or perhaps twice, and you simply extrapolated; or, you extrapolated from what you think you heard after your fourth or fifth beer. "A" for effort, though.
you extrapolated from what you think you heard after your fourth or fifth beer
Spook doesn't drink beer. :-)
Were we both( Five O and myself) drinking? Yes
Did Five-O say it, Yes.
Every one who knows how Chicago runs and works does knows about the 19th Ward
Spook,
Tell us all about the 19th ward - share all your knowledge with us.
Jackson, I'll tell you this. See them brotha's playing the horns for Morgan Park High? Well I bet they were outta the 19th Ward before sundown!
Irish, Why the insult???? I think beer therefor I am!
Spook...no insult intended. :-)
Thought you were straight up Irish Whiskey or a good Scotch.
Nothing like a shot and a beer....ahhhhhh.
I think beer therefor I am...nice!
Spook,
Have you ever set foot in the 19th ward? Are you seriously equating it with a sundown town?
I have stood on the curb countless times with friends and neighbors cheering on Morgan Park. Those "brothas" as you so respectfully call them almost certainly live in the 19th ward. Morgan Park is the local public high school in the 19th ward. The 19th ward encompasses beverly, morgan park, and mount greenwood.
I am not denying that there are racists who live in the 19th ward, but you can find bigots in any ward. I cannot believe that you can seriously state that an entire ward is full of violent bigots.
Honestly jackson, yea, I have been there, the thing about the 19th ward is that its a political strong hold of a certain very closed minded mostly Irish poltical clan that has always been hostile to black folks and more importantly Black political empowerment. But honestly its probably not worse than bridgeport. The thing about the 19th is its over representation of white cops and Cook County sheriffs which also is another layer of the racial devide. Remember Chicago is the most segregated city in the U.S.
With that said, I know the cop was over doing it as I was too but over doing it is mostly based in fact.
Hey, Spook, keep your comments about the 19th Ward to yourself. You're painting with a pretty broad brush and defamating the character of a lot of people. That ward you refer to does have its bad apples, but I would honestly put that number around 1%. In fact, I was at a party last night where there were several blacks, some with their kids, and both the adults and kids were the heart of the show. We have a black president now, and the fine folks of Beverly and Mount Greenwood supported him. Grow up. So what happens when me and my Irish brethren show up in Englewood? Tell me, oh wise Spook?
The entire point of having discussions attached to articles is NOT keeping your comments to yourself. So you disagree, that's fine. Explain why you disagree but don't tell people to shut up.
"Gritty neighborhood"?
You got to be fucking kidding me.
Vicebeer, slow your roll,son!
Now, Top O the morning to ya!
and for you information, I am a big supporter of the Chicago Police! They are on my speed dial. I after all reside more humbly in Logan Square than Dickens's Uriah Heep!
And I am enamored to hear that the fine folks Mount Greenwood supported Obama. It makes my heart light as
Green Ivy Spring!
I will make a note to tell all my friends who claim that Mount Greenwood votes republican in national elections that they are wrong, that Obama won the heart of Mount Greenwood over McCain ;-)
Now as far as what would happen if your Irish brethren showed up in Englewood? I would suspect that a massive amount of people would automatically get against the wall spread eagle awaiting to be searched. Then if they found out that no cops were in your green brigade, they would rush to sell you drugs at a discount bulk price. If you folks were not interested in drugs some of the bolder younger lads on the corner might curse you, before getting smacked upside the head by some of their elders statesmen who will then remind them that harming white people in black neighborhoods is bad bad bab bad for businesses.
Obama did not win Mt. Greenwood in the election. In the 19th ward, McCain won 13 precincts - all in Mt. Greenwood. Mt. Greenwood does have a history of leaning republican. Obama won the 19th ward with 65% of the vote.
http://gapersblock.com/mechanics/2008/11/09/19th-ward-results-concession-c/
I don't know that it really means anything, but those are the actual election results.
and the fine folks of Beverly and Mount Greenwood supported him.
I knew the Jackson,See a few people think I'm a cyber rabal rowser(?) I was just trying to be conciliatory to the Vicebeerman, while hoping that some one would point that out ;-)
Spook,
You'll see that I am interested in facts and fair representations - not assumptions and stereotypes. I have no problem calling it like it is or doing a little research to find out what is actually verifiable.
Well, Herr Jackson
it was the 19th ward hero
R. Reagan who said "facts are stupid things" I disagree
I do agree, sir, with
John Adams who said
"Facts are stubborn things" as they should be, but I do think they should always get in front of intelligent people having a good joke ;-)
Clarification:
For the record that's "I do NOT think they should always get in front of intelligent people having a good joke ;-)