More polar thoughts about Hyde Park

Kamran's opinions about the differences between Hyde Park and the North side:

On Friday, three of my friends and I rented a Budget truck, packed all our things from our southside apartments, and made our pilgrimage to the northside. If you know Chicago, you'll know what a big change this is.

For those of you who don't, let me give you the run-d0wn. The south is where my University is, but it is a poverty stricken area, where crime is high and night-life is hard to find. In the last month of our residence, my new roommate Mario was beat up and mugged. My $500+ bike was also stolen. I wasn't careless about locking it up. I had a dual u-lock and chain to attach the frame and both wheels to any secure location. It happened to be locked to a no-parking sign, which was embedded in concrete. The thief somehow removed the post from the concrete, then removed the sign from the post, and slid the bike, lock and all, right off. My neighborhood, Hyde Park, is also completely filled with the most pretentious and stupid "intellectuals" I have ever encountered. Despite their rough neighborhood, they remain, generally, completely isolated. The two communities, university affiliated "enlightened" upper-crust white folk, and the poor black, live side by side, with little communication. The university folk, because they are university folk, have the belief that they understand the world, and know how what and who is or is not stupid.

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While these comments seem a bit extreme, they do point out some of the tradeoffs for living in Hyde Park. For those of use that appreciate the diversity, intellectualism, and grand beauty of Hyde Park ... the tradoffs are well worth it.