Why is it that the “east side” of a city seems to be the yucky part?

CutiePie2000 · #1 06-06-2005, 03:45 PM

Hey everybody,
I’ve visited cities and I’ve lived in cities and I’ve noticed a common theme.
More often than not, the east part is usually the yucky part.

Vancouver’s “East Vancouver” is yucky.
Toronto’s east part is yucky (only it’s called Scarborough…..eeeewww)
Calgary’s Northeast is yucky.

London’s east end was yucky (hello…Jack the Ripper’s haunting grounds)
East L.A. is allegedly yucky (Cheech and Chong made up a song about it)

So what gives? In *YOUR* city, is the east side the yucky side?

Discuss.....

TheEpitome1920 · #2 06-06-2005, 03:46 PM

Hmm...in chicago the east side is the lake...and its yucky.

Private I · #3 06-06-2005, 03:48 PM

Well I don't know if you would consider Tallahassee a city (I don't personally), but the east side is actually real nice, some people have ranches and huge houses etc...perhaps this is more of a northern phenomenon? Any opinions?

ETA: nevermind, just saw east L.A. mentioned...although I think that would make more sense that the area closer to the coast would be more cleaned up and nicer cos wealthier people could afford to take better care of it.

sugar and spice · #4 06-06-2005, 03:51 PM

Actually, in America at least, I always thought it was the "south side" that was notoriously bad.

In Madison, the west side is nicer than the east side, but the worst part of town is on the south side. Of course, "worst" is pretty relative . . . I don't think it's all that bad.

Rudey · #5 06-06-2005, 04:01 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by TheEpitome1920
Hmm...in chicago the east side is the lake...and its yucky.

Ummm what are you talking about? That's the wealthiest part of Chicago (Gold Coast and more)...

Also in NYC the Upper East Side is extremely affluent.

This is such a silly thought to even have by anyone.

-Rudey

TheEpitome1920 · #6 06-06-2005, 04:03 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Rudey
Ummm what are you talking about? That's the wealthiest part of Chicago (Gold Coast and more)...

-Rudey

Umm...I've never heard anyone say they live on the "East side of Chicago". Usually north, south or west. So when someone says east I think Lake Michigan and that lake is yucky.

Lady Pi Phi · #7 06-06-2005, 04:07 PM

I was discussing this with my dad a few weeks ago and he said that it was because the east side of the city was generally the side of the city that was designated for industrial purposes. The east side had all the factories and such. In turn, that made the quality of the air very bad and thus reduced property values. Therefore you would/still will find the lower socio-economic classes residing in those neighbourhoods because that is what they could afford.

Rudey · #8 06-06-2005, 04:10 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by TheEpitome1920
Umm...I've never heard anyone say they live on the "East side of Chicago". Usually north, south or west. So when someone says east I think Lake Michigan and that lake is yucky.

Yeah well Chicago is divided into the North and South sides and everyone likes to have their fun with that. But I've heard the east and west denotations in the neighborhoods denoting areas close to the lake.

Yes nobody swims in the lake, but that area close to it is priced at a high premium. Oprah doesn't have a place in wicker park, she's by the place. The gold coast prices (to buy) are very high too.

Where is the lake side bad though? In Hyde Park it was very nice and I thought the rest of the South Side had built a lot of condos by the lake that were expensive, no? I haven't been back there in a little while and Chicago puts up new buildings every 5 minutes so I don't know.

-Rudey

valkyrie · #9 06-06-2005, 04:17 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by TheEpitome1920
Umm...I've never heard anyone say they live on the "East side of Chicago". Usually north, south or west. So when someone says east I think Lake Michigan and that lake is yucky.

Yeah, there is no "East Side" of Chicago. If anybody says "East Side" you know they're a big fat dork who doesn't know anything about the city. Either that, or they're from Gary and full of wishful thinking and foul-smelling pollution.

I think the bad part of Denver is on the east side. It's called "Aurora" -- HAHA just kidding!!

Private I · #10 06-06-2005, 04:19 PM

lol is Gary really that bad? I know that it has a large Serb descendant population, meaning it was most likely a coal mining town or something to that extent...

RedRoseSAI · #11 06-06-2005, 04:23 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by TheEpitome1920
Umm...I've never heard anyone say they live on the "East side of Chicago". Usually north, south or west. So when someone says east I think Lake Michigan and that lake is yucky.

Haha - I got it. I remember once talking to a guy who had just moved to Lincoln Park and was trying to tell me he lived on the "east side" of the city. I asked him if he lived in a houseboat. But yes, the geographic "east side" of the north side is the nicest part of the city.

Now, recently it seems that realtors have created the "New East Side", which from what I can tell, is a different way of saying River North/Streeterville. No one actually uses it in conversation, though.

Rudey · #12 06-06-2005, 04:23 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Private I
lol is Gary really that bad? I know that it has a large Serb descendant population, meaning it was most likely a coal mining town or something to that extent...

The Jackson family came from there and there are lots of strip clubs there. What's bad about that?

-Rudey

CutiePie2000 · #13 06-06-2005, 04:25 PM

I think in Seattle, as you head in an easterly direction, there is a yucky pocket called "Factoria". But there is also Bellevue which is chi-chi and very nice. I don't know Seattle like a local though.

I'm also noticing that yucky neighbourhoods are quickly becoming gentrified and are getting turned into nice neighbourhoods, b/c people don't want to live too far out in the suburbs and would be closer to the city. Vancouver's Yaletown was yucky warehouses and yucky industrial land and it's all nice and 'purty' now.

Rudey · #14 06-06-2005, 04:29 PM

West Palm Beach vs. Palm Beach in Florida. I'll let you decide which is nicer.

I've also heard that as you edge away from Brooklyn and head to the Hamptons in NY, that you can find some pretty expensive homes.

-Rudey

Rudey · #15 06-06-2005, 04:32 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by RedRoseSAI
Haha - I got it. I remember once talking to a guy who had just moved to Lincoln Park and was trying to tell me he lived on the "east side" of the city. I asked him if he lived in a houseboat. But yes, the geographic "east side" of the north side is the nicest part of the city.

Now, recently it seems that realtors have created the "New East Side", which from what I can tell, is a different way of saying River North/Streeterville. No one actually uses it in conversation, though.

As you go west, I'd like to know of one expensive neighborhood.

http://www.sudler.net/NeighborhoodInfo.asp

New East side is different from River North and from Streeterville.

-Rudey