Chicago, My Kind of Town!

By Tony Thornton
In spite of going five days without a homicide, Chicago has logged 29 homicides for the month of October. This is not the image Mayor Rahm Emanuel wishes for the city to be noted for and he is quick to point to the fact that the crime statistics, especially the murder rate, are down from a year ago. He is joined in this optimistic outlook, by the business CEO's that depend partly on the millions of dollars spent by visitors to our fair city. From the trendy boutiques that fill the upscale storefronts of the Magnificent mile, to the  many museums (The Art Institute, The Field Museum, The Museum of Modern Art), two beautiful zoos, the Shedd Aquarium, and sports venues (Soldier's Field, Wrigley Field, the United Center), that all depend on the perception of the city as a safe place to visit on a vacation outing. But a quick perusal of sites such as neighborhoodscout.com, is enough to give pause to the bravest traveler. The reputation of the city is such that it has prompted many to refer to our fair city as "Chiraq."We can only hope that the less than appealing crime rate will continue to go down in the months to come,