How to be “street smart” in Chicago?
Hi everyone!
I’m a European moving to Chicago soon and am generally excited about this!!
Coming from Europe, our relationship with big-city safety is a bit different and I definitely felt a bit uneasy when seeing some of the crime statistics for Chicago. Where I live, we don't really think about gun violence or things like shootings, so it’s a completely foreign concept to me.
When reading through this thread, I read the word “street smart” a lot and honestly, I don’t know if I am street smart enough so that’s why I am posting here.
What does being "street smart" in Chicago actually mean to you on a daily basis? Are there any specific behaviors, unwritten rules, or things to look out for (especially when using public transit like the L)?
What are some things you wish newcomers knew about navigating the city safely?
When researching areas to live in, I definitely focused on the more generally considered as safe ones like West Loop, River North, South Loop, Gold Coast, Lincoln Park. But I don’t want to be confined to a neighborhood and want to explore and interact with the city a lot, so I think getting some input on what to look out for would be really helpful for me.
Thank you already in advance!!