Chicago - Is Chicago a safe place?

I know that much of the violence and murder stays in the tired depressed areas. However, it seems a lot of stuff is happening in central and touristy areas too, with gangs running wild with no conscience.

We are due to spend 4 nights in Chicago staying at the IC mag mile.
Msnbc are reporting of very bad stuff going on in Chicago, with comments about areas like Gold Cost, Mag Mile etc to be avoided.

Will someone be so kind to shed more light for me please. Going with wife and 5 month boy. Not sure I wish to dwell around a city risking getting murdered or worse, having some lowlife's harm my family.

Seriously?

I generally feel as safe in Chicago as I do in any large US city. Is there anything specific that bothers you? I have not heard reports of murderous gangs roaming Michigan Ave.

I was recently in Chicago for a long weekend, staying at the end of the mag mile. It is very crowded in that area with tourists so besides some common sense like in all cities while traveling, you will be safe. Enjoy your trip.

I've never felt in any danger on the Magnificent Mile or anywhere along the lakefront during Summer months when tourism
Is in full swing. Fret not! Enjoy!

Are you friends with the OP of this thread:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/u-k-ireland/1350900-uk-safe-travel-news-riots-all-over.html

Seriously?

Yes, seriously; it's not just some fantasy. Do a Google News search using appropriate keywords. This for example:

http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/Police-Investigating-String-of-Separate-Muggings-158378725.html

Words like "Gold Coast," Magnificent Mile," and "Red Line Station at State and Lake" tend to focus the mind. This ain't just Englewood.

Same thing happened last year. Somehow it caught the cops off guard this time.

Fair enough. I realize my original response was unnecessarily dismissive, and I apologize for that. My point, had I had taken the time to explain it properly, is simply that Chicago, like any major metropolitan city, has its share of crime. But three incidents over a weekend in a city of several million is simply not reason not to visit one of America's great cities (or to worry about it). As in any world city, one has to be smart and aware: stay in well-lit areas, stay in groups when possible after dark, and be aware of one's surroundings.

Michigan Ave north of the river (i.e., the Magnificent Mile), which is where the OP said he'd be staying, is going to be just fine. South of the river, in the Loop, can get quite deserted after working hours and on weekends and so one has to be more careful.

At any rate, OP, I apologize for my initial tone, and wish you and your family a great trip to the Windy City. I was just there in April for work, will be returning next month with my wife and daughter for fun, and truly love it. Enjoy!

Just an observation: In many ways, Chicago's media reports the local news in ways that have a lot more in common with smaller towns than world-class cities. In other words: Stuff that qualifies as the lead story in Chicago wouldn't even make the news filler in NY. For example, "A woman was mugged in a parking garage in a suburb that's 45 minutes from downtown Chicago." (http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/Schaumburg-Woman-Attacked-in-Parking-Garage-Cops-159439945.html)

Would you ever see a news item on a NY TV station about a parking garage mugging in Bridgewater, NJ? Or on a LA TV station about a mugging in Irvine?

I'd echo the comments here. Chicago, particularly in the Mag Mile and Gold Coast, is very safe. No reason to stay home.

The reason the incidents of the past few weeks have been so jarring is that they are so rare. Things were relatively quiet last weekend downtown, it seems like the extra police are being effective.

One quick safety tip. Most of the crimes downtown seem to be related to stealing electronics, mostly iPhones. So I'd quickly scan your surroundings before whipping your phone out.

I've lived in various neighborhoods in the city for about 8 years, have friends who've been here for 10+ years, and none of them has ever been the victim of a violent crime. The worst that's happened to me is having a bike stolen (Chicago is one of the worst cities for bike theft for some reason). I host many foreign visitors for work, usually every month or so, and just about every one has remarked at what a tourist-friendly city it is.

For some perspective, there are just under 2.7 million year-round residents within the city limits, and another 7 million or so in the greater metropolitan area. In 2010* there were more than 39 million visitors to the city, including over 1 million foreign visitors. From a purely statistical perspective, your odds of having trouble during a four day trip are quite small. Enjoy!


*
http://www.explorechicago.org/etc/medialib/explore_chicago/tourism/pdfs_press_releases/chicago_office_of.Par.60218.File.dat/Statistics_2010.pdf

From a purely statistical perspective...thanks for the stat URL

thanks for the stat URL

That number surprised me - 39 million! Thought I better back it up with some facts. Interesting.

I'm sure this summer police presence will be beefed up in all tourist areas. I second the other posters, watch the iphones. Try not to take them out unless you need to and especially on public transportation. I take the el every work day and work in the loop and have never had any issues.

They're large groups of teens, high schoolers that come in from the south side on the CTA's Red line wearing their white tee shirts. There were incidences last year and it's carried over to this year.

I was downtown this past weekend and didn't see or experience anything that would cause me concern.

Thanks all, that is encouraging to hear. ^

I did a double-take at this question, as well, but then stopped to think how many places I've crossed off my list due to negative headlines.

Like many other cities, Chicago is a big place and, while there are undoubtedly neighborhoods to avoid, I have never spent a moment worrying about my personal safety there.

If you're staying anywhere near Michigan Avenue you are certainly going to feel safe. We were there last summer and walked back from dinner at Perennial Virant (fabulous restaurant, btw) in the Lincoln Park area through several neighborhoods just as it was getting dark one evening and we never even considered safety as an issue. Had such a great time I even did a blog post about it: http://polloplayer.wordpress.com/2011/07/23/10-things-i-love-about-chicago/

There's almost no experience that can measure up to going to a Cubs game at Wrigley Field. And the Art Institute of Chicago is not to be missed.

Great city!!!! (Unless it's February...)

And now we've had a shooting on Michigan Avenue at Ontario, right in the heart of the tourism/shopping district:

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-06-23/news/chi-man-shot-on-mag-mile-2-others-shot-across-city-20120621_1_suv-shooting-ontario-street

Yes, apparently gang-related, but still a serious black eye to the city. I have a friend who's lived here his entire life and he says he's never heard of a shooting in that immediate area.

One incident of course is not dispositive, but this summer is starting to feel a little different. Maybe the cops are right when they say the mayor is not doing enough to put cops on the street (I have no idea about that).

...
I have a friend who's lived here his entire life and he says he's never heard of a shooting in that immediate area.

One incident of course is not dispositive, but this summer is starting to feel a little different. Maybe the cops are right when they say the mayor is not doing enough to put cops on the street (I have no idea about that).

Definitely not dispositive, and maybe not a shooting within a single block of Ontario and Michigan, but there have been 3 murders within 5 blocks of that corner in the past 4 years+ (Near North Side neighborhood), and 5 homicides in the Loop since 2007*. And these are actual deaths, not just 'shootings' of which no doubt there have been many more.

Rather than focus on individual, anecdotal stories, to answer the OP I still say as a tourist destination Chicago is a perfectly safe destination. Refer to the statistics in my earlier post. Chicago is certainly not like Rio de Janeiro or Mexico City, both of which are wonderful cities and well worth visiting with MUCH higher crime rates/risks. Or even Miami, Baltimore, DC...


+http://homicides.redeyechicago.com/neighborhood/near-north-side/#homicide_link_2384107

*http://homicides.redeyechicago.com/neighborhood/loop/#homicide_link_2384107

For comparison purposes, using the RedEye site I provided in the above two links, pull up the results for Humboldt Park, a notorious West side neighborhood or Englewood on the South side.

One incident of course is not dispositive, but this summer is starting to feel a little different. Maybe the cops are right when they say the mayor is not doing enough to put cops on the street (I have no idea about that).

I am around Michigan/Chicago fairly often: usually early evening (or later) and both weekdays and weekends. Lately if I walk from Michigan Ave to the Red Line Stop on Chicago (about 4 blocks), I see at least 2 police on every block - and about 4 by the Red Line Station. I can not speak for the entire city, but there is no shortage of police here.

From the NY Times online:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/26/us/rate-of-killings-rises-38-percent-in-chicago-in-12.html?hp

The article clearly states the homicides are related to gangs and the vast majority are taking place in the gang-infested areas on the South and West sides. The article also notes that other violent crimes have decreased about 10% over last year. And murders (like in other US cities) have greatly decreased since the 1990's (from a high of over 900 to around 400 in recent years). I would have made the same argument in the early 1990's, when murders were more than double now, that Chicago is a reasonably safe, tourist-friendly city. Unless you're interested in a gang tour or buying heroin on the West side. Then all bets are off!

In terms of the OP, shouldn't we be trying to make an evaluation relating to the OP's concerns?

Yes, apparently gang-related, but still a serious black eye to the city.

The article clearly states the homicides are related to gangs...

Chicago needs to do something, fast. There are indeed gangs roaming around the Mag Mile and certainly on the Red line, where I see them almost every day. Two friends have had their phones stolen in the last week. I live in the near south loop and see groups of gang members walking or driving through the area pretty much every time I'm out. Huge problem.

You are just as likely (if not less versus Rio, SP, D.F., and others) to be a victim of theft or robbery here as any other major world city. As for the murders, those will happen anywhere in town but the overwhelming majority are gang related crimes in areas that tourists and businesspeople will not be near. The Trib has been throwing this stuff on the front page for months, now the national news outlets are looking for filler on slow news days.

The OP is not concerned about crime on the South and West sides. He should be concerned about crimes on the Mag Mile, the Loop, Gold Coast, Near North, on parts of the Blue/Red Line, etc. Most of the rest of the city is irrelevant to tourists.

Looking just at those touristy areas, things seem to be worse than they were, no? I have lived here since 1994 and don't recall simultaneous multiple stories of Red Line robberies, gangs on the Mag Mile or at North Beach or shootings near the Lincoln Park Zoo, etc.

Would like commentary from lifelong residents such as u2fan.

Sure, the media may be playing things up, but things do seem different now.

Looking just at those touristy areas, things seem to be worse than they were, no? I have lived here since 1994 and don't recall simultaneous multiple stories of Red Line robberies, gangs on the Mag Mile or at North Beach or shootings near the Lincoln Park Zoo, etc.

I hope you remember last year, when it was happening as well. There was such a big mess at North Avenue beach Memorial Weekend that the beach was closed (with a ludicrous claim of it being "too hot"). The thefts and wildings where happening last year too. This is worse than the past, but not anything suddenly new.

How about looking at facts and statistics, rather than the latest news story?

BUT the main point of this thread was to answer the question "is Chicago a safe place to visit" (as a tourist). Folks can point to this incident or that incident, but it doesn't really answer the question. The implied current "crime wavelet" in downtown areas should not, IMO, deter visitors, based on the sources I've cited earlier.

If you read the news about Rio, you should expect to be pick-pocketed while de-boarding at GIG, stabbed walking on Copacabana, and kidnapped into the favela's at breakfast. Yet somehow 1.6 million tourists managed to visit in 2010, the vast majority of them without incident (5 visits so far for me, somehow survived). I consider it a safe place to visit, but less so than Chicago.

The idea of roving gangs downtown gives an unnecessarily alarming and false impression. Yea, there are thugs and gangs and groups of idiots doing what they normally do. Maybe even more this year than in past years. Take the normal precautions. Odds are >99.999% a visiting tourist won't have any issues.

The OP is not concerned about crime on the South and West sides. He should be concerned about crimes on the Mag Mile, the Loop, Gold Coast, Near North, on parts of the Blue/Red Line, etc. Most of the rest of the city is irrelevant to tourists.

Which is why I posted the link to look up homicides in Mag Mile, the Loop, etc, along with the South and West sides for comparison purposes.

Looking just at those touristy areas, things seem to be worse than they were, no? I have lived here since 1994 and don't recall simultaneous multiple stories of Red Line robberies, gangs on the Mag Mile or at North Beach or shootings near the Lincoln Park Zoo, etc.

I disagree. Maybe somewhat worse than last year and perhaps the year before. But MUCH better than in the early 1990's. And not nearly enough to raise alarm or concern in me when advising friends/family/visitors thinking of seeing Chicago.


Would like commentary from lifelong residents such as u2fan.


Anecdotal 'evidence' is weak. I'd recommend looking at statistics as much as possible. Check out http://chicago.everyblock.com/crime/ if you really want to know what's going on in your neighborhood.

+http://homicides.redeyechicago.com/neighborhood/near-north-side/#homicide_link_2384107

*http://homicides.redeyechicago.com/neighborhood/loop/#homicide_link_2384107

For comparison purposes, using the RedEye site I provided in the above two links, pull up the results for Humboldt Park, a notorious West side neighborhood or Englewood on the South side.


Thx for the link. According to the site, since 2007, there’ve been 21 homicides within 1 mile of my current place….and 6 of those were <3 blks from my place. You know what? I still don’t fear for my life, or even my general safety. Maybe I’m naïve to think that way, but here’s why I do: a) I’ve lived in the City for a long time; b) I use common sense; c) I live on a busy street; and d) most importantly, I don’t fit the victim profile – the vast majority of whom were young, minority males.

While it’s sometimes hard not to get worked up by the breathless media reports, IMO, there’s absolutely no reason to be worried/scared of visiting any of the tourist areas in Chicago (eg., Mag Mile, Loop, Lakefront, etc.) or taking public transportation either. Same goes for most of the City’s neighborhoods too. (Petrus, I’d urge you to check out a few of the City’s neighborhoods if you have the time.)



If you read the news about Rio, you should expect to be pick-pocketed while de-boarding at GIG, stabbed walking on Copacabana, and kidnapped into the favela's at breakfast. Yet somehow 1.6 million tourists managed to visit in 2010, the vast majority of them without incident (5 visits so far for me, somehow survived). I consider it a safe place to visit, but less so than Chicago.



I’m planning a trip to GIG next year. Will bring my body armor. :p:D

I’m planning a trip to GIG next year. Will bring my body armor. :p:D

Based on your signature, we live in the same neighborhood (Wicker Park is my guess - Damen stop?). I feel the same as you. And have fun in Rio - it's great!

I've Been to Rio and felt quite safe besides concern for pick pockets. Probably not a great comparison as rio tourist areas are safe and beaches safe.

Chicago is safe but reality crime increases when economy/jobs are in the sewer. The best solution educate the youth and give them availability to jobs (even low skill employment) gives them a purpose. Unfortunately, Chicago is so divided between wealth and poverty it is difficult to move tax revenue to the under serve part of their population resulting in that segment leaking into popular areas.

I am much more afraid in Chicago vs NYC due to the higher number of gangs.

Since Jan 2007, there have been 11 homicides in Lakeview, 6 in Lincoln Park, and 3 in the Near North Side east of LaSalle (almost all of the other homicides in this neighborhood were in the old Cabrini Green projects). That's less than 2 homicides a year in Lakeview (pop. 95000), 1 in LP (pop. 64000), etc. Those murder rates are comparable with any major city in Western Europe. Pickpocketing and other minor street crime is, surely, far lower than London, Paris, Rome or Madrid (this is true for US cities in general).

Chicago does have a major crime problem. It has a major segregation problem. Much of this is the result of deliberate and racist policies in the past and today. That said, these problems occur in areas that are completely off the tourist map. Don't worry about it.

Since Jan 2007, there have been 11 homicides in Lakeview, 6 in Lincoln Park, and 3 in the Near North Side east of LaSalle (almost all of the other homicides in this neighborhood were in the old Cabrini Green projects). That's less than 2 homicides a year in Lakeview (pop. 95000), 1 in LP (pop. 64000), etc. Those murder rates are comparable with any major city in Western Europe. Pickpocketing and other minor street crime is, surely, far lower than London, Paris, Rome or Madrid (this is true for US cities in general).

And to add further context to the Lakeview homicides:
5/9/2012: Shooting (possibly gang related) at 3:40 am
3/5/2012: Stabbing in a private home, domestic violence
1/11/2012: Stabbing in a private home, domestic violence
10/8/2011: Nighttime drive-by shooting (no mention of whether it was gang related)
2/7/2011: Infant suffocated by mother
11/25/2010: Shooting in apartment, no sign of forced entry & no sign of theft
8/19/2007: Stabbing in apartment, victim knew perpetrator
3/10/2007: Four people killed in arson fire when homeless man set fire to their
apartment building

So:
2012: One possibly random murder, two where victims knew perpetrators
2011: One possibly random murder, one where victim knew perpetrator
2010: One murder, evidence suggests victim may have known perpetrator
2009: No murders
2008: No murders
2007: Deadliest year in the last 5.5 years. 4 murders by arson where victims didn't know perpetrator, one murder where victim knew perpetrator.

(Edited to add: I picked Lakeview because I live in the neighborhood. I feel very safe but exercise common sense. As a woman, I do not walk down side streets after dark if I'm alone, but I'd exercise that same caution in any city.)

Mrs Sweet Willie & I just spent two days in Chicago, at all times of day & until 10pm walked all over the Mich Ave (900N south to the Art Institute (200 S Mich Ave), Millennium Park area. We stayed at the Radisson Blu & had functions at Palmer House Hilton.

Not once did we see any gangs of youth, nor anyone who looked/acted shady.

Only a handful (less than 5) of panhandlers during a two day period.

Last night we had dinner @ 9pm at a Mich Ave restaurant ~225 N Mich Ave, there were still numerous families walking about at that time.

Just thought I'd add my personal data point.

http://www.suntimes.com/news/violence/13574486-505/chicago-under-fire-murders-rising-despite-decline-in-overall-crime.html

I'll be there in January. Should I be worried?

You should be worried that your keister might freeze. Anything else is a lot less likely.

You should be worried that your keister might freeze. Anything else is a lot less likely.

Nah - keisters are normally covered. Watch out that you're ears don't get frostbit - I can tell you from experience that they hurt for days.