Oh, yes, if it's okay with everyone else, let's do keep this online so everyone can contribute.
Sherry - that's fascinating about the mafia. I think I'm terribly guilty of getting all my ideas about it from movies like Goodfellas and The Godfather and shows like the Sopranos! Not that I imagine thuggish looking guys lurking on the corners with baseball bats threatening to rough you up if you don't cough up the dough. Heck, that's what a lot of people image about Chicago because of Al Capone (or they imagine there are gangs roaming the streets shooting at anyone who drives past them). But it makes sense what you're saying - that it's not an obvious thing for the most part. And that the majority of people have nothing at all to do with it even from the standpoint of knowing someone. My hero is very far from it, so if I make any reference, maybe just some teasing about stereotypes.
I think housing in any major metropolitan area is getting to the point of troublesome. When my husband and I lived in downtown Chicago (actually, in one of the northern neighborhoods called Lincoln Park), we paid close to $1,000 for a tiny one bedroom (I mean, so small we could vacuum the entire flat without having to unplug the vacuum cleaner from one outlet
) and that was in the early-mid 90s. I have no doubt that apartment goes easily for $2,000 or more now. Which includes absolutely no parking except a good fight for a space at the curb.
Even in the suburbs we are having problems with affordable housing. People who don't already own simply can't break into the market because the smallest houses which would be affordable for first timers are being snatched up by builders. No kidding that a builder will buy a tiny house for $375,000, tear the house down to build something near $1 million. On my block alone - a block that contains 16 houses total counting both sides of the street - we have four that are in some stage of tear-down or construction. That's 25%! On one block!! It's like a war zone with all of the bulldozers and cement mixers and mud. Not to mention the lovely Port-a-Potties decorating the parkway!
There is something to be said about small town living, where you can buy a rambling old house with tons of character for a fraction of the price. Of course, you have to enjoy small town living which has its own quirks.
Lynn
