I was reflecting on this over coffee this morning. In Chicago the corner of Belmont and Sheffield was home to The Vic Theater/Clubland, The Avalon (once Tuts), Berlin and Medusa, all great venues or dance clubs, all within a 200 foot radius. Berlin had a 0500 liquor license. There were several cheap, good places to eat and the L stop was in that circle. You could spend every night until 5 am in that neighborhood be as safe as if you were in Naperville, except you could have fun and get laid.
It was pretty sweet. Of course, that was 1988.
Now days you read about Belmont and Sheffield on CWBchicago.com. Just this morning. In fact, shenanigans from the Belmont station is one of the reasons that blog was started.
It's sad, watching a happy part of my twenties be drowned in a wave of sewage.
My GF lives in the city. I try to get her to move out to Iowa, but she won't. So every morning while I drink my coffee I look at the CWBchicago and pin the shootings, rapes, robberies and carjackings that ring her neighborhood.
Wish I could at least get her to carry... OTOH, i stand to inherit her vicious feral three legged cat, so I got that to look forward to.