mary_j_59

I was also surprised at how beautiful Chicago was - in fact, if I had known that I would like it that much, I would have planned my trip to give me longer there. But I agree with you completely about the contrast between rich and poor - it is the same in Britain now, and (unsurprisingly) on much the same timescale too. Like you, I grew up in a country where you did not see people begging on the streets, and was appalled during the 1980s at how quickly this became accepted as normal. Since the 1990s I think that the numbers have gone down - but a lot of that is cosmetic, as people are moved on, reclassified, and so on. Oxford has a lot of homeless people - the climate is good and the city (and perhaps also the students) more generous than others. A worrying recent phenomenon is homeless asylum seekers - people who have been refused asylum but who cannot be deported because they would be in danger in their home countries (and if they would be in such danger in their home countries, then why have they been refused asylum?) and who cannot legally work, claim benefits, or access any other means of support - and so are forced to beg. The churches often try to help them, and some of the stories are harrowing.

Sorry - that was a bit of a rant! To get back to your message - yes, I did like Chicago, and I certainly hope to visit New York one day.