As sunny blue skies melt into the purple of twilight, brake lights illuminate Lake Shore Drive. Rush hour is never all that enjoyable, but the view never fails. Lake Michigan and Navy Pier lie to the East; the Chicago River and Aqua Tower at the West. This is the Chicago that many have grown up with, and grown to love.
Recently, though, the city has gained a new title from none other than President Trump, who declared the city to be a “hellhole.” This was just one of many negative comments toward Chicago that the president has made in the opening week of September; Trump also went as far as posting that “Chicago is about to find out why it’s called the Department of WAR” on his Truth Social platform.
But even amidst the president’s curated chaos, Chicagoans persist.
The diversity in Chicago has never been a secret, and may be one of Chicago’s greatest strengths. It is because of this diversity that Chicago is able to foster so many unique communities, each one ready to embrace new members with open arms.
For junior Nick Bernstein, this type of community can be found in a Logan Square gym. Bernstein says that culture and community is “more important to me than what I do there to some degree. I go for a variety of reasons: because I enjoy it, it’s good for my body, but I enjoy talking to people there. It’s good to socialize outside of my school and my job.”
And no one can forget the natural beauty of Chicago. With twenty-eight miles of lakefront, endless architectural gems, and countless public parks, the city offers everything a resident or visitor could need. Chicago’s skyline is sure to leave viewers dazzled, but freshman Sophie Menard finds her place at the Ledge—a popular “concrete beach” along the lakefront.
“I really like the Ledge and watching the sunsets,” Menard said. Going to school in the Wrigleyville area, Menard would take trips to the Ledge and find “a bunch of places around the city that are some peaceful areas.”
This type of calm can be difficult to find with all the movement and energy of a large city, yet somehow Chicago achieves this balance. Even though President Trump called the crime in the city “out of control,” Chicagoans seem to disagree. Crime is focused in certain hotspots—and while the city should invest time and money into these areas to further lower the crime rates, overall crime and homicide rates are down 33% compared to this time last year, according to Block Club Chicago. Even though there are these changes, even though forward progress is being made, Chicago has still taken steps back.
“The CTA is a beautiful part of our city that I really enjoy. I think everyone would enjoy more consistency,” said Bernstein. And while the CTA has recently promised its new “frequent network,” the new schedules do not apply to all bus routes and train lines. Yes, faster schedules can be appreciated—but, really, that should be the bare minimum for the third-largest city in the United States.
Environmental science teacher Arthur Wawrzyczek said, “the original motto of Chicago was ‘make no small plans.’ And historically Chicago has done insane things: changing the direction of the River, lifting the entire city…. I think we lost touch with [historically insane part] of our cultural history as a city.”
Of course, it can be extremely difficult to rekindle an entire city’s identity, but perhaps President Trump’s comments can be the spark for change in Chicago. “It’s not just Chicago as a land, it’s Chicago as a people,” said Menard. It’s the people—and all of their diverse backgrounds and lives—that make Chicago, Chicago. So it is our turn, as the people, to step up.
It may be impossible for the entire city to come to a single agreement given that we cannot seem to agree on a baseball team, but work needs to be done in our city. A step towards a more unified Chicago could be the push to continue—and maybe reform—Chicago’s identity. Chicago could be described as many things, and each Chicagoan is sure to have a different response. One thing is clear, though: Chicago is strong, resilient, and certainly not a “hellhole.”
