High Unemployment, High Crime and Drug Usage: Southeast Side Rockford, Illinois 5K.
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- Опубликовано: 27 апр 2021
- Rockford, Illinois has found itself in 9th place amongst cities in the U.S. that has lost the most population. Since 2010, Rockford has lost 7,500 people. It's a city that has suffered from high unemployment rates, high crime and major drug usage. The side of town that I drive through in this video sees the vast majority of the crime that occurs in Rockford, Illinois.
Charles Street: 1:48 - 5:18
Rockford East High School: 2:50
Lincoln Middle School/Swedish American Hospital: 4:30
11th Street: 5:42 - 7:47
Rockford Crime map: 10:09
11th Street Again: 12:00 - 13:36
Vacant KMart: 13:54
Kishwaukee Street: 14:50 - 18:57
Seminary Street: 21:30 - 23:00
Kishwaukee Street Again: 23:20 - 24:45
Broadway: 26:25 - 27:40
Aerospace Industry in Rockford, and the Chicago Rockford International Airport: 28:32 - 30:50
Harrison Avenue: 32:04 - 34:27
Cherry Vale Mall and Six Flags Hurricane Harbor: 44:00 - End
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I may have said this on a different video of yours, but I REALLY DISLIKE the music.
It makes me need to take a Xanax 🙃
@@Nan-59 Glad I can help you with your health issues
Back at ya Chris my guy!!
I've lived here my whole life, and the city was more vibrant and wholesome when I was growing up.. When the tool and die and manufacturing jobs left,
Rockford didn't know how to reinvent itself. Rockford has traditionally been conservative in its ideas, and this has resulted in several big business ventures, that would have provided hundreds if not thousands of jobs over the years, because the so-called constituency went downtown to city hall to protest against the new business ventures. How can a few irate citizens storm city hall and change the trajectory of our city? Let's go back to the Chrysler plant in the 1960s. Rockford didn't want it, so Belvidere took it and has received the benefits all these years.
In the 70s, big malls were the concept. But Rockford didn't want that, so Cherry Valley took it. Hence the name Cherryvale mall. Another big loss of tax revenue and spending in the area. 😢 Then, we've been offered several other businesses in which the complainers rejected once again. One was a woman's prison, which would have been on the Western edge of Winnebago County, and they said that would cause too much of a Bad element, even though the women are locked up! Then, they rejected a hog processing plant because they thought there would be too much of a smell. On the heels of that proposal was an incinerator facility, and they said that there would be too much pollution. Then, people wanted riverboat gambling. They said that would Cause too much addiction and would ruin the moral fiber of Rockford. But they did allow slot machines, 5 in each facility. So now you see them on many corners. Especially in Loves Park, our suburb. The reason that the west side has been abandoned is for many reasons, but one is a man from India who immigrated here. Rose up to be a successful entrepreneur and has funded many projects in Rockford. But said he doesn't want to invest on the West side, only the northeast side. Because it's closer to Chicago.
One of the most fascinating experiences is eating some fast food you just picked up while watching a youtube video of someone you don't know driving right past that exact fast food location
Right! I was in the Taco Bell drive thru on 11th street when I stumbled upon this
As a native here you are 100% correct on your information on this city.
Good videos
Thanks!
As a native here I can tell you lived in a 3hamer burb.
@@blackthorn2200 not sure what that's supposed to mean. SW side here far from a burb, worked on 11th st from late teens to mid 20's, I had the police on speed dial on my phone, calling them for random shenanigans and people shooting herion up in the bathroom or passing out drunk in the lobby. Worked behind the airport inn too wasn't too uncommon to see a pimp beat his hoe. I do know one of the sons of 3hammer though so I'll take that as a compliment.
@@ChrisHarden may
This was quite the trip. I grew up in Rockford and knew almost every street you drove. My life and my family were everywhere. In fact you drove within one block of the house where I grew up. I left in 1981, but my parents lived there until they died. Thanks for this.
Rockford shot itself in the head in the 90s when the School board pled guilty to racial discrimination. That lead to a large migration east into Boone county. People wanted out of the Rockford school district.
still the same they just became better at hiding it
RPS has always been pretty fuct.
Rockford public school is like Ultimate example of falling short of bare minimum.
Born in Rockford 1951 and grew up here til leaving during college and moving off. Always came back home to visit parents and drive around as you're doing to view old memories/places. Hard to believe what a wonderful, beautiful, thriving, and productive place this was back in the 50s/60s and before. For the past 20 years I only get back for HS class reunions every five years. Interesting sights this video going past where my grandparents lived on Kishwaukee St and my parents were married (1941), and now where my parents are buried (Arlington Cemetery on Charles St). Thank you.
You said it right. Corrupt politicians from my former home town and state. Great videos.
I never thought of Rockford as having a beat, but your background music choices are very well chosen. It has a sadness about it.
I grew up in the Rolling Green neighborhood. It was so wholesome then. Your drive down Ohio Pkwy and EastGate Pkwy was the same route I walked to school. Within the past week in Rolling Green, 2 shootings occurred very near my siblings homes, who still live in that neighborhood.
Rockford represents the pigs at the trough aftermath of off shoring for greater profits and less government restrictions.
I wish my hometown the best.
I grew up on Carolina near Colorado. Walking to RG as a kid was epic. Sold my mom's house there in '21.
I grew up here and seeing its always going to be the same im glad ill never move back i visit and think man this was once home and will always have a place in my heart... but theres more opportunities outside of this place. Rockford is a life sucker that pulls you in and makes you think this is how life should be.
I knew a guy who said that when he goes elsewhere and when he comes back he feels his IQ drop several degrees when he enters the city limits.
I was shopping today and everything I wanted was locked up in a cabinet where the store employees had to get it for me. I couldn’t just pick it off the shelf and go pay for it. I can’t believe the low life and riff raff and what they have done to this city and even to ones ability to shop without everything that needs to have alarms or security devices on them. Some stores you can’t even buy a bottle of laundry detergent that doesn’t have a security device attached to it.
The empty lot at 7:47 with the lone concrete structure was originally a large factory, home to the Rockford Cabinet Company. The building spanned 4 stories tall, and stretched all the way back to the other brick building in the distance. In January 2015, a fire caused by drug manufacturers, burned the building completely to the ground. The lone concrete structure is the remnant of an Elevator shaft/Stairwell, which for many years after the fire continued to stand to it's full 4 story height.
Informative and very thorough. Thank you for this and all your deeply immersive tours
Great video! Brings back a lot of memories. Thanks!
I grew up near Alpine Park. Lived there in the 60s-80s. I went to Lincoln and was born at 'Swedes'. UW Health has done a fantastic job of expanding SWA.
I spent quite a bit of time there from 2018-21 when my mom was ill. Watching your dashcam, it looks like it could have been from my car. I did a few tours around the city to find old factories I worked in and/or made deliveries. So sad to see what's happened to all that industrial power. I still have friends there who have done a great job re-invigorating the downtown area along State St. on both sides of the Rock River.
Glad to see Burrito Loco still on Charles. I lived on the Southwest side from 1999 to 2009, and 11th st doesn't appear to have changed much. Haven't been back in about 8 years
I truly hate that my hometown has gone down. It used to be a beautiful place to live. I've been gone for over 20 years
Hopefully things can turn around.
That would be great if it did. I love your videos, you do a good job with every detail
So much blight. It's sad really.
There still are a few beautiful points to living in Rockford, one of them that myself and my family enjoy is that it doesn't take long to get out of the metro area into the country... I have lived here a bit over twenty years myself and have seen quite a bit of it go downhill. The park district still maintains the park system quite well and the larger parks make great wild pockets in various places (though some of them you still shouldn't go into at night...)
Overall, Rockford is still a victim of changing times just like the rest of IL. Rockford, once home to Camp Grant and numerous industries, is just a shell of its former self. The three companies that come to mind that remain in Rockford Proper include Gunite (mentioned in this video), Estwing Tools, and Collins Aerospace (Formerly Sundstrand).
I’ve been here for 50 years and I have helplessly watched it go down hill.
Great job Chris you know I love your tours, and your camera and how you list the streets you’re driving on. Always an excellent job. I sent your video’s to my nephews in Boston they loved them 💙
Be safe out there 💙
Thanks for the kind words!!
Chris I respect you 👏!!! You deserve your money!! I'm from the west side of Rockford Illinois!!! Thanks for the video and your awesome!! Always Josh
Thank you Chris 😊
Holy crap, you started the video at THE LAST STRAW! Very memorable place when I was a kid. It was a silly 4th-of-July-themed restaurant (yes, all year) specializing in grandiose ice cream sundaes. It closed long ago, and has changed identity many times since. But that still looks like the original building.
47:04 Cherryvale theater on the left. Was *inside* the mall when it opened, then moved to this building. Closed long ago, and never reopened. I'm curious what the inside is like after so long.
Saw a few other places I remember. Thank for the memories!
Cherryvale has gone downhill with the closing of Sears and and Bergners and some other large stores. And there have been some crimes taking place at Cherryvale unfortunately.
People should watch your videos when considering a move to an unfamiliar city/town. Great, unbiased info!
Rockford has always been a tough city. My dad who grew up during the depression of the early part of the 20th century told me stories. Areas around 11 th st and kiswaukee even back in the 1970s wasn’t really considered safe. There were and still are some great people and businesses. Rockford had better days? To some degree yes. But even back in the early 1980s Rockford lost a fair amount of population then it rebounded. Went from 147,000 to 139,000. It’s hard for a city with no big state university inside it border or even closer than 40 plus miles. Biggest plus is the airport. With UPS and Amazon air plus some smaller air cargo helping make the airport in the top 20 cargo airports in the United States.
Thank you for making a reasonable statement about Rockford. It is neither a paradise nor an unredeemable hellhole but something complex and nuanced, like most things in the world.
My mom grew up near there - born in '29. I grew up in Rolling Green. Left in '83 .
Another big plus is the 'tech' center at Rock Valley College. One of my Profs. (Steve Fleeman) was a big part of getting that going.
It's a great feeder school for the bigger universities. I spent a year there and Steve helped me get into Purdue.
Great video. It is sad to see this once robust city hollowed out and slowly reverting back to nature. Grew up in Cherry Valley and Rockford back in the 80’s. What a great life it was back then.
So true.. me too..
I used to live around there. I moved because I caught someone looking through my window 4 times and once had somebody dash past my back door right as I was going to take the trash out. Ended up waiting until the morning with barely any sleep because of how much it freaked me out.
That seems like it would be creepy.
Yes it’s normal in Rockford.
I've lived in Rockford most of my life. the first 26 in the 61109, and the last 21 in the 61104. I've watched this town slowly destroy itself. The biggest issue is the citizens. They love to complain, but most won't do anything to change it or fight those that are trying.
^^^^THIS^^^^
Is it true that they wanted to put Northern Illinois University in Rockford but they said no? Also is it true that they wanted I-90 to go through downtown but they also said no to that?
@@dachicagoan8185 NIU wasn't turned down by Rockford, how Dekalb won it is a funny story. Yes the citizens of Rockford turned down I-90 going through downtown and years later prevented an expressway off of I-39 from branching into downtown known as the Woodruff Expressway.
Would you agree that the last ten years or so have seen some positive changes? Thinking of the increase in business downtown, the embassy suites, Prarie Street Brewing, the maybe potential revitalizing of the old Barber Coleman plant?
Is this the same Rockford that cheap trick is from
You drove through the airport area that was Camp Grant. A huge army training area for WW 1 and WW2. The Spanish Flu killed 1000 people at the camp in 1918.
Did Illinois shut down the economy then too? Or were they of more sound mind and responsible in their response?
My husband was born and raised on the west side and I lived/worked there for 5 years (grew up in Byron). We fled the first chance we got to Arizona and now Florida. We had multiple people try to break into our home in the "nice area" and I was almost car jacked. At my job on east state (by Target) we were robbed constantly and the US Cellular next to us was held up at gunpoint. I dont care what people say, Rockford is scary
Great vid, I can't wait to photograph this city at night.🤘
Get a shot of the city skyline on North Second Street after dark. The skyline reflected off the Rock River is beautiful.
The building with FURNITURE on it, you're right, my dad worked there in 1950's. Many people built furniture at different places here. I found an old table that had label underneath the table of Rockford.
Benson Stone. They have a really nice store in there for quality furniture, etc.
I think it was originally Rockford Standard Furniture. Then was (still is?) a number of small woodworking and other shops in the rest of the building.
At 21:45 is where the Beyer stadium is. The Rockford Peaches played there. I grew up in this neighborhood in the 60;s
:
it's so weird seeing video footage of the town I used to live in. Glad I left it though.
Haha
I knew every street you were on. Rockford born & raised
The brick building next to road on 7th street was the old National Lock factory. It made screws locks and all kinds of fasteners. The building with a tall clock that is higher than the building.
@18:13 you’re passing the abandoned Rockford Products building. The fence is in the shape of different screws. The clock is too.
Again…spot on!
My first job before college was working at Chrysler which is east of Rockford in Belvidere building The Dodge Omni. Thankfully I was accepted into Georgetown law school so I quit Chrysler and off to law school. After college I spent 24 years in the Army however, Im back. Rockford always has a mean way drawing people back if they moved away and my parents still lived here. My dad drive a city bus and my mom was a school teacher at a local high school. Since I have a family, 2 boys are in law enforcement now and daughter in high school I do not live in Rockford but a short 20 minute drive I can get to work at the court house. I grew up off of Kishwaukee, Sandy Hollow Brook rd area of Rockford. I went to Church school for Kindergarten and Riverdahl then to Flynn for middle school and Jefferson for high school. People who are not from the Rockford area will always find what bad about the city and will stick with that narrative and after making 5 videos of Rockford (not sure why but ok) you really done your homework and Im proud of you!!
Right across from Rock River School is the abandoned Rockford Products screw factory on Kishwaukee Street.
That area became a superfund site because solvents were put down the drains, contaminating ground water.
@@writeatease3689 Yes...who knows how many people were damaged because of that...and those born with birth defects and other issues.
Also known as another property that Sunil Puri's First Midwest Group snapped up to try to redevelop... A crumbling section of the building was actually taken down before this video was shot but what remains looks like just a wall along Kishwaukee...
@@writeatease3689 was that what happened in Flint Michigan? The water I understand is or was not safe to drink there. I know Buick had a major assembly plant there for years. Just curious. Thanks.
@@rebeltag Puri seems to be owning most of the city lately.
Great videos. Like everyone else in Illinois I am planning to leave. Any chance you will be doing a similar series in Florida or Texas to help people plan where to move to?
I have a Melbourne, Florida video coming soon but that's about it. Probably won't do those places in mass quantity for quite a while yet.
I lived in Arlington Texas for 10 years until 1990. Personal issues, I had to leave, but often wish I could've stayed. I definitely recommend it.
One year they had the Concord Super Sonic airliner on display. At the former Airfest. Ironically it was just months before the Concord stopped flying.
Hey man, what is the song at the 5:30 mark that you’re using? I really like that beat. Do you have a link to it?
Thank you lived there 30 plus yrs now in Texas
The areas off of Charles St near Perryville and the mall are some of the best in the city. Cost wise and area wise.
I remember going to Straight Johnson's, Charlotte's Web, and Turquoise Tipi in the early 70's. Some of my favorite places. Rockford was a great town back in the day. Home of Cheap Trick!
You just drove by Schnucks on Charles St, which is a very nice and large grocery store.
What bridge are you driving across in your intro @ 0:41? Interesting video btw
Mackinac Bridge in Michigan! And thanks.
@@ChrisHarden hint. It was not the State Street bridge in Rockford. ☺️
Great job. What about real estate trends? Is it Rockford a City un process to be empty? Time for Sell our houses? Are the prices decreasing?
The state of Illinois is only one of three to see a net loss in between the 2010 and 2020 census counts if that tells you anything.
I've been on the Rockford tour with you and what I don't remember seeing is a lot of Churches or social halls? Am I incorrect, did I miss them?
He did mention St. Mary Oratory in downtown Rockford. He passed by Holy Family on Alpine and Highcrest but didn’t mention it. He just missed Heartland Church on south Alpine where Colonial Village used to be. He was past Guilford High School which is next to Rockford First Church but that wasn’t mentioned either. There are I think some 18o+ churches in the city some of which are little store front property.
Also it's not like he went though the nabiorhood side streets like Brooke or reed extra extra. Whare a lot of the little churches are
You said a mouthful, but your right on the radar. High Crimes, Unemployment, Broken Families, Corruption with poor judgement decision making is the reason why our stateline is falling apart and many stateline residents either force or being brought upon to leave on their own terms to leave this city and Illinois itself. I remember a scene when the character played by Will Smith on "I Am Legend" where he's all alone in the city of New York, Ghost town wise. That's how Rockford and Illinois in general will be if this state don't get their act together and start looking for better answers or this state will fall apart. CherryVale Mall will be next in line with all the poor violence going on and it use to never be this way, but when it comes to former chicago residents come to Rockford and pick where they left off, the thing is you can toss it up all I care. You're right, This town won't fix for itself, This town needs a extreme makeover and it starts by having better leadership, communication, discipline, trust, respect and knowledge. It starts with "HOME." The home looks great on the outside, but not on the inside. The town and Illinois need an extreme makeover.
Interesting comment, could you indicate how, in your mind, the state of IL could positively impact the Home?
@@fredwelf8650 A good question btw, To answer that and I'm not being Einstein but it's about us, How are we going to impact ourselves and the decisions that we make for ourselves above and beyond our Stateline because it's not just one town, Every City in the United States are going through issues. The stabbings in our Stateline, Baltimore bridge collapse and now Taiwan earthquake, Only God knows the outcome of this matter.
At time 27:45 the empty space to the right behind the fence is the one was Beyer stadium that was home of the Rockford Peaches better know from the movie A team of their own. And at 27:26 the old building on the left was the old Turner school built in the 1800's and had kids attending into the 1970's then it became an abortion clinic for many years, I had heard more there where more abortions there than all the kids that attended. Now it's home of the 2nd district police headquarters. Nice video and well put together. Thank you for the video and the memories.
Thanks for sharing some added info!
@@ChrisHarden When the abortion clinic closed and the city was contemplating making Turner Bldg a police station, many cops refused to work there because of the reputation as a abortion mill.
E. State is the dividing line, at the bridge; everything there starts at 100/all 4 cardinal directions.
Haha, you went past my old east high school, E-Rabs!
E-Rabs!
Great music in this video. What’s the name of this song? 6:04
Now I don't know but I did know two people who lived in that area, 20th street and really enjoyed it. Great area. Of course they were my great grandparents and it was over 50 years ago.
I was born there, my family still lives there, but I’ve never lived there because we moved when I was 9 months old. Im watching these videos because im going back in a month, I live in Arlington, VA. Wishe me luck 😂
Don’t get it messed up. Crime wasn’t rare during my childhood but now there’s so many habitual criminals out here it makes your stomach turn.
I attended Rock River school. My grandparents home is right down the street on South Ave.
was nice seeing one of my childhood homes along charles st as well as my dads work and grandmas work . Also went past my best friends house! we don't live in rockford or illinois anymore, but I'm a little crazy for missing it
I lived and worked there for 64 years...tragic what the local government has done via horrible planning and corruption. I retired to Orlando, Fl. and will never go back to Rockford.
Now that you’ve experienced Orlando, would you tell me one or two major corrupt actions by the Rockford admin?
Born and raised there in guilford country club estates.. it was a great town to grow up in the 70’s..
U should do a series like this on Joliet IL
Eventually I'll do Joliet, Aurora, and every other city/suburb in Chicagoland. Don't expect a multiple video series on all of the suburbs though, maybe 2 videos max on the larger suburbs like Joliet and Aurora. It'll take nearly an entire year to upload videos that go over the entire Chicago area lol.
Kmart tents in parking lot is a Covid test Center, Inside building is a Covid shot center. Was bought by WalMart, but sold. Planned to be storage buildings
Are the Hampton apartments in a good area?
I've been at gunite almost 10 years now!
I respect you 💯
I attended Rock River Elementary in the early 70s. Most of us lived in the housing project just south and adjacent to the school. I managed to escape. Cheers. Thanks for the memories!
I could tell you all kind of stories about that neighborhood like brook road beckey she is a legend in that neighborhood. A street walker
One Eye Jackie who was a street walker in Kenitra Morocco was a legend there when I was there in the navy in the 60s.
You started this video exiting Alpine Park. As in Al Pine not awl pine. I grew up near here. My grade school is gone, Colonial Village Mall is gone. We had Hilander Grocery store at Alpine and Charles, A&P at Colonial Village and Pacemaker off of Broadway/ Parkside and Charles. The recession in the 1980’s hurt Rockford and it has never recovered.
You are correct on the old KMart on SandyHollow near Bypass 20, it was both a Health Department Covid19 testing site and a vaccination site.
Al-Pine Awl-Pine.... Tah-mayto tah-mahtto.
@@ChrisHarden Consider this a friendly mention to help maintain your accuracy. These videos are greatly appreciated, even as difficult it is to see how bad our politicians and State have let us down.
On Easter Sunday just after sunset, there was a shooting in Alpine Park. I was at my grandmother's house and heard the clip get emptied... Called it in but just another day in Rockford...
@@rebeltag My brother and I went swimming all summer long at Alpine Pool, we would go to the park, Colonial Village, Alpine Village Shopping Center and it was never unsafe. Certainly we were aware of strangers but it was never a shooting gallery. I’m sorry the community and the standards have changed. We were good kids but we knew if we weren’t, out would come Dad’s belt.
@@writeatease3689 a comic equated dad’s belt coming off his waist to someone starting a power lawnmower with the rope starter. 😁
I lived in Rockford Illinois my whole life on every side of town. Rockford is nothing like it use to be. It's home though.
I live in Oregon, IL and I know everything is North of State St with the exception of 1 store. It is a Blaine's Farm and Fleet.
Farm and Fleet is way out on East Riverside practically to Belvedere. Is there still a Farm and Fleet on West State just as you enter the city?
Real Talk
Wow, at 1:51 you drove past a block from my house.
A lot of old factories in this area of town.
I can show you homeless people in Beverly Hills and Malibu. Yes, the area in this video is a mixed bag; probably should be two areas. The closer you get to the mall going east the nicer it is. There are some nice parts of that area - West of Alpine things drop off quick and hard.
Vaccine sight at the old Kmart is correct.
Allpine? Its alpine bruh lol nice vid tho you drove right by my house 😂
Tomato tomahto?
@@ChrisHarden Nope.
Is Rockford the second largest city in Illinois
What genius would paint the outside of a building pink?
I will say this place doesn't look completely hopeless like say Cairo Illinois does but it doesn't look good either. Hopefully they can grow the aerospace industry and rebound
This Is STILL My Home and Much Much better than Los Angeles!😊🌹
I went to rock river school in the 80s
A lot of parts of Rockford remind me of Spokane, WA
Don't forget the smell of the water treatment plant or the garbage dump.
Drove past twice and didn't say anything about the Colonial Village mall that last I heard is now a Church.
Heartland Community Church is at what was Colonial Village. Also Rockford Career College is where Bergners was at the extreme north end. And then there are some smaller shops. He drove past Holy Family which I think is the largest church in the city but no mention was made of it.
Expats say thanks!
I had to go back to court and get another order of no contacts and no sacking on the jurks to the east had me arrested for nothing and then thursday feb 16 she call again out yelling and screaming profanitys at me and the husban fallowed her lead
God, I hate living in this $hit hole
Seems like nothing in Rockford is what it once was,
It really is in many ways a graveyard of what once was except things were never actually buried. As a result I always thought there was something very eerie and unsettling about certain areas. A silent scream in the air when the mercury vapor street lamps come on at night.
@@Blahbevava in some areas the city removed the street lamps supposedly to save on the city’s electric bill. 5th Avenue where I live for instance has seen an increase in crime since the street lights are not here anymore.
@@Blahbevava Rockford is so damn creepy to me
I’m a nut so I guess I belong here,. 😳 I hold a Bachelor degree but I’m married. You are right about the former KMart on Sandy Hollow Road. It is being used for Covid testing.
Lol.
And that makes sense about the old KMart.
4:12 you're right. I got my covid vaccine at this place.
I lived in Illinois for 51 years and the only city I ever went to in Northern Illinois was Chicago. That was 30 years ago. I have no desire to go back to Northern Illinois. The culture sucks.
Yes!
The SandyHollow Kmart parking lot is being used for COVID-19 testing
and for COVID-19 vaccinations, 💉 as well!
Very happy about that!!
My neighbor went to that facility!
He said it was fast, efficient and friendly!!
He was pleased!
People make slums. Slums don't make people
If you blink you might miss the good part.
Really disappointed you didn’t go through southmain, loomis and ect :( the real ghetto parts of south side
Like the barber-Coleman factory would’ve been dope to drive by...
Loomis and Sanford! Shout out to my guy AK
@Jon Hernandez not a whole lot but my guy AK stayed that way. So I got mad respect for the block
Well I seen my building
NOPE ERABS is East Red and Black Spirit, i should know because i went there
I live here and I don't like all the shootings. It's like being in a war zone on the weekend. I just sit on my back porch and listen to all the gunshots. It's all the gangs fighting each other. It's sad.
Honestly, if you're not stopping and talking with people, you should hold back on characterizing them and their neighborhoods. Let the residents speak. Drive-by documentaries can be visually interesting, but they are no substitute for meeting the people.
Dude IDK if you even want to get out of your car in some of these areas that are showcased
61104 is my home.
Back in the 80s,90s Rockford IL was the place to be to get jobs and to raise families. But Because of the Bush administration and the collapse of the economy back in 2000 we have to improvise and survive the best way you can to stay above poverty but at the same time if you are middle class you pretty much have the advantage of making the best out of every opportunity to make something out of yourself and become successful. But not everybody had that same opportunity to do it. And as far as the population concern more residents are moving out because there is a better alternative for them and Rockford is not for everybody just like the flaws in every other City.
More like thanks to the corrupt scumbags in Springfield. You can only blame the federal government so much
I live in Rockford Illinois it’s a sh*t hole.
Rockford, IL Do you mean POTHOLE City??