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-i...-all-over.html

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...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."

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/me...stics_2010.pdf

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.