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Part of the argument in favor of bringing a second Wal-Mart into Chicago, at 83rd and Stewart in Chatham, is that the neighborhood is a "food desert". This argument has been bandied about a lot lately, most recently by a certain Sun-Times columnist. But if you've spent any time around Chatham, you'll know that it isn't the desperately poor black neighborhood that much of the South side is characterized as. In fact, as Rich Miller over at Capitol Fax and this Google map show, there are quite a few food stores near the proposed location.
While not all of the locations listed are probably the best locations for fresh food and wide selection, the presence of a Jewel-Osco (A) just blocks from the proposed Wal-Mart location (B) makes one wonder about the veracity of the claims that Wal-Mart will bring desperately needed food and jobs to the community.
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Great article. It really makes you wonder if the food dert phenom is being abused here.
I mean, yeah, there's a jewel. Many neighborhoods don't have that. So it's not a food desert.
Well--I think a lot of the blame has to be handed to the "activists" who have partnered with Wal-Mart to perpetuate this misperception, notably Leon Finney and The Woodlawn Organization. The heart of Woodlawn--63rd and Cottage--is 4 miles from 83rd and Stewart and is an entirely different neighborhood from Chatham, but never mind, TWO protestors were en masse at City Hall, just like with the Children's Museum.
Anyone who falls for this barest of ploys is an idiot--and what I really wanted people to ask these so-called activists is how they feel about the fact that there is no Green Line east of Cottage because Mr. Finney didn't want it there. I am assuming the removal of a mile of mass transit represents a greater strain on people's lives than a big box store 4 miles away, but oh well.
Of course, since the local newspapers and Tv stations don't bother to differentiate the South Side at all-it is a code word for poverty and violence, no matter how decked out your Chatham or Pill Hill bungalow or ranch may be--it's kinda their fault too.
Why don't you tell that to the people who live and shop on the South Side? Tell them that "You don't need a walmart, you have a jewel. That's good enough." Tell them they don't deserve a choice.
Then, when you're done telling the people who live in the 21st ward & surrounding communities what's good enough for them, you can go back to shopping in your own neighborhood where I'd guess you have plenty of grocery options.
West Chatham (where the proposed site is located) IS a food desert. You can read that yourself in Mari Gallagher's food desert studies:
http://marigallagher.com/projects/
The notion that Chatham is "decked out" is a joke for anyone who has ever been there. The site at 83rd & Stewart is massive -- and empty-- and has been for years despite repeated union promises to Brookins that they would bring him a non-Walmart retailer.
Gotta agree with Vote...one stinkin Jewel does not end a food desert. Near my place on Bryn Mawr and Sheridan, I've got one Dominicks a couple of blocks north of me, another a few blocks south of me and a Jewel a couple of blocks west of the second Dominicks. Not counting the small but adequate grocery story just around the corner from me and Devon Market a bit north and west. I mean, look at that map. If you're some elderly grandmother who doesn't drive, would you consider the addition of a Wal Mart grocery store overkill? Does that Target on the map even sell food (not all of them do)? And that convenice store, if it's like others on the South Side, is convenient only if you want Flamin' Hot Cheetos and a Mr. Pibb to wash it down. I'm not saying Wal-Marts claims are not motivated by profit, but seriously, that's a pretty big area to only have even those few stores.
Why don't you shop at Jewel Vote4Chatham?
BTW, my nearest Jewel is 14 blocks away.
i'm not arguing for or against wal-mart - it's not my neighborhood. but the majority of the south side is underserved in terms of grocery stores and available fresh food.
i would suggest zooming out on that map and looking at where all the little red dots are throughout the city. chatham and the surrounding neighborhoods have way fewer fewer dots than other areas. We have no idea the quality or types of food sold at those stores. A convenience store is different than a grocery store. Additional grocery stores would likely have a positive impact on chatam as well as the surrounding neighborhood where there are even fewer options.
Vote4Chatham,
Actually, there are plenty of people in Chatham who are annoyed by this, from what I've heard. Honestly, I don't care one way or another if this gets built.
But I dislike the dishonest politics that TWO is promoting, and I dislike the misperception that the South Side is universally run down. I've spent plenty of time in Chatham and it has plenty going for it--not just Jewel but Best Buy, new homes near this site, etc.
Finally, I have closely watched Wal-Mart and Target do business in metro Chicago and Target always works better with the community needs in terms of design, layout, etc. Neither are union, but one company consistently makes an effort and the other thinks its mere presence should make us bow our heads in tribute.
If you want to use a recently thought up tagline to promote this for Brookins, Wal-Mart or whoever, fine. But nobody is going to be fooled.
Yeah, there is already a Jewel down there! Sorry minorities, we white elitist democrats have already determined what is best for you, and that is to not have a WalMart!
Could you imagine what would happen if the neighborhood Jewel had to face competition from a large retailer? I mean, they might have to ensure they price their goods competitively, maintain a nice environment in their store, and research customer purchase habits, all to ensure repeat business from consumers. The horror!
Can't say that I'm surprised to see that you're a white elitist Democrat. Democrats and Republicans always love to give away your tax money in the form of massive corporate welfare to giant corporations like Wal*Mart (the biggest corporation in the world).
Sears, would you guys quit trying to throw away all our hard earned money? Please? I work hard for it.
1. "Black neighborhood" does NOT equal "desperately poor." There's loads of well maintained homes there and people who are extremely active in the community (as well as a lot of "Rosie the nosy neighbor" types who are just looking for a reason to call the police). The crime rate in Chatham is also significantly lower than other parts of the city. Is it Lincoln Park? No, but it's a long way from being a slum.
2. There's a definite need for food options in that area but I'm not sure if Walmart is the answer. Then again, I don't live in Chatham, and if the residents want a Walmart it's none of my business. Plus I'm biased...I'm a Pete's Market type of girl. :D
I reckon Vote4Chatham is off PR spamming other blogs for Walmart now...
This article pretty much says all that needs to be said on the subject: http://www.blackagendareport.com/?q=content/people-chicago-vs-wal-mart
I agree that Chatham isn't the worst food desert on the South Side, but the proposed site is in West Chatham, which is borders much more impoverished areas like Englewood. A google map view of the area immediately to the north and west of the proposed Wal-Mart location shows only one real grocery store (a Save-A-Lot at 79th and Halsted) for many blocks.
Having said that, the strongest motivation is that you have a relatively nice new shopping district at this site that needs more tenants.
For the record, I hate Wal-mart, but so far this is what I've seen:
1. A bunch of people who live in Chatham who want a Wal-mart badly enough that they'll wander all over town to get people to sign their petitions.
2. A bunch of people who for the most part don't live in Chatham--but who largely, from what I've seen and for what it's worth, are of a different demographic than Chatham's majority--are fighting desperately to keep a Wal-mart out of a neighborhood where they don't live and rarely visit, thanks to a pro-union bias.
Given a choice between these two groups, I'll side with the group that lives there over the group that doesn't.
(It's not my fault if this posts twice ... my machine burped in the middle of it.)
Lesson to be learned:
100 something years of institutionalized racism has created impoverished ghettos in the city that have all been neglected. So here's a low wage paying, local business harming behemoth as a gift to fix it all, oh and btw, you taxpayers will pay for it, not Walmart, and the aldercreatures and mayor's friends will get their cuts too. We're cool now right? We can go back to neglecting job building, roads, schools, public trans there and stuff right? It's the Chicago and American way.
So you propose solving 100 years of institutionalized racism by deciding you know better than those who live there?
Unlike you I think it's a raw deal for the people that live there. I see you didn't have much to dispute in what I said.
"the presence of a Jewel-Osco (A) just blocks from the proposed Wal-Mart location (B) makes one wonder about the veracity of the claims that Wal-Mart will bring desperately needed food and jobs to the community."
Unless that Jewel is going to hire 400 more employees, I don't see how its presence has anything to with adding jobs in that community.
Frankly, I could care less if they put a Wal-Mart there or not. Let the people who live there decide.
You know, if you really take a look at those maps, you see that they're kind of misleading, in that they don't give you any sense of distance. For instance, the distance from the Jewel-Osco (point A in the second map pictured) to the proposed Wal-mart (point B in the second map) is actually 1.01 miles, tracing the route shown in Google Earth ... not exactly a brief stroll for someone of limited mobility.
Some other distances from the proposed Wal-mart to select locations:
Target, 1.81 miles
Chatham Foods, 1.41 miles
Omar Convenience Store, 1.85 miles
Paradise Supermarket, 1.67 miles
Main Line Convenience Store, 1.88 miles.
Well I judge the distance by the fact that there are three el stops along the right side of the map and from personal experience know that they're a good distance apart. i guess the best way to see how far apart those shopping options are is to zoom in and scroll the distance from one to the other.
Also, I personally wouldn't include convenience stores in the tally of grocery shopping options. Most of the time, those places just sell chips and soda and junk (and, of course, liquor). Not much of factor in squelching the food desert.
Unrelated to this article (as it’s solely about food), I’d like to hear more about the objections to the conveniences that a Wal-Mart brings? I can personally attest to the sigh of relief of a glowing Wal-Mart sign at 11:30pm when one realizes that they forgot to pack additional boxers the night before a wedding…..can you get that Jewel or a run-of-the-mill-not-AM/PM-type convenience store?
That's a situation that most non-morons wouldn't find themselves in that often.
I'll remember that the next time that I leave my old ones at your mom's house. Tell the ol' bag hello for me.
Brilliant come back,
So you're both a moron and a guy who bangs old ladies. You win!
My alderman was for it until she was against it. Reasons given are all BS. Bottom line: It is all about getting paid, in true Chicago politricks fashion. The end.
My alderman was for it until she was against it. Reasons given are all BS. Bottom line: It is all about getting paid, in true Chicago politricks fashion. The end.
What you transplants forgot is that there are two Chathams: East and West. East of the Dan Ryan is a pretty nice place. It looks a lot like Evergreen Park, Oak Lawn or Mount Greenwood. West Chatham, not-so-much. What's interesting is that the Jewel is four blocks away from the proposed site. The moronic Alderman - Brookins - also allowed for Lowes and Home Depot to open within four blocks of one another. But hey, there's a Potbelly across from Simeon now (right by the Lowes), so this little stretch of ghetto be movin' on up! Funny thing is, it's always dead.
West Chatham is underserved, plain and simple. I just object to Wal-Mart and its ways. The better option would be a Food 4 Less or Aldi.
Maybe a very successful film like the Promotion can come back to film at the empty grocery store at 87th and the Dan Ryan, right by that Reggios?