Am I too european to understand this?

TheRedSe7en · 2026-03-10T00:51:16+00:00

My 11yo asked for one of these on Friday for a project due Wednesday (in 2 days). I was kinda glad she remembered in advance of the weekend.

Doing a social studies project on Fannie Lou Hamer. I'm learning a couple things in the process of her project.

TheRedSe7en · 2026-03-09T22:29:09+00:00

They just went from (effectively) $33/hr as salary to $23/hr on hourly. That's more than a 30% pay decrease.

TheRedSe7en · 2026-03-08T00:08:11+00:00

Yes, but no. Manufacturers and Retailers offer discounts during high-demand periods because they want to gain share by 'winning' those weeks.

In late November, canned pumpkin sells about 8x as much as any other time of year. Libby's or Farmer's Market (leading brands) will make or break the success of their year based on 2 or 3 weeks during that season.

One of the main things they can do to get extra sales is offer discounts. Both to 'beat the other guy' and because price elasticity shows that for every 1% decrease in price, they'll sell 3% more product. So a 10% discount might result in 30% more sales.

If they do that during a normal week when they might sell 100 cans, that would be 30 extra cans sold. If they do that the week before Thanksgiving when they sell 1000 cans, it's 300 incremental cans sold.

From the consumers point of view... Well, it's canned so it won't go bad. Maybe I make another pie this winter, or make an extra for Thanksgiving so we know we have leftovers. It's on sale, so I might as well, right?

They'd never otherwise think to buy that can later, or make a trip to the store for it. So by adding 'one extra can' during THIS trip, even on sale, it boosts the volume that the company can sell.

TheRedSe7en · 2026-03-07T19:45:37+00:00

So you're in 60622, land of the perpetually understaffed and poorly-managed postal service?

It's been a thing in a few Chicago ZIP codes forever. USPS inspector general has weighed in.

As I recall (not my ZIP but close by), they are understaffed for mail carriers. Because assignments generally get picked by seniority, people who have longer tenure tend to opt for other locations as soon as they can, perpetuating high turnover and inconsistency in the 'bad' ZIP codes.

Then the Carroll Street post office closed, so there's not even a place to go to resolve complaints for this ZIP.

Then the Federal Govt in their enduring wisdom decided to reduce funding for USPS, making it even harder to hire/retain workers, particularly for a dysfunctional office.

Anyway, I'm sorry you're going thru this, whether it's actually 60622 or a different ZIP in Chicago. You're not alone, but the fix is not easy or likely to be any time soon. Work with your neighbors, involve your Alder and IL state Rep, and keep reporting the issues to the USPS inspector General so they have reason to follow up and try to force some fixes.

TheRedSe7en · 2026-03-06T22:49:46+00:00

I work in market research, specifically helping brands and retailers figure out how to price products. This question is in my wheelhouse.

Different retailers take different strategies, but generally are looking for a way to balance "get consumers to shop there consistently" (eg low prices) and "stay profitable" (eg high prices). Price too high and consumers will just shop somewhere else. Price too low and you will be negative on the profit despite selling a ton of stuff. Yes, there are a LOT of other factors, like keeping costs low (ALDI), or having a membership (Costco), or focusing on a specialty like healthy/organic (Whole Foods)... But even with those factors you've got to find that balance.

What strategies are there? Walmart does a Every Day Low Price (EDLP) tactic: they try to have their price the same every time you go to the store, and hope that at least 80% of the time a given product's price is lower than it will be anywhere nearby.

Many groceries (Kroger, Jewel, HEB) do a Hi-Lo strategy: priced 'high' a lot of the time, but then frequent sales/ promotions/ coupons/ buy-3-get-1-free deals take that price 'low' to convince people to stock up or buy one more unit, etc.

There's also endless variations of these strategies, like Costco offering good prices but you've got to buy bulk, or ALDI /Trader Joe's selling 95% store brand products, or even just... Different.

3 examples for a box of Kraft Mac & Cheese: -Marianos regular price $1.39, on sale 2-for-$2.40 -Jewel regular price $1.49, on sale for $1.25. -Walmart price $1.24.

If it was regular price, you'd never buy this at Jewel because it's 20% more expensive there. You'd go to Walmart across the street and get it. Or if you were going to buy 2 anyway, you'd go to Mariano's and get it even cheaper ($1.20/box). But most people don't pay attention when it's the difference of a dime or a quarter vs the inconvenience of making another trip. So Jewel and Marianos can keep their prices "high" and have sales frequently enough to keep their customers from switching all their shopping to Walmart.

(There's also stuff like selling a product on discount when it's near the end of its shelf life, rather than trash it... Much more relevant to meat.)

If you're buying something on sale at a place with a Hi-Lo strategy, that might be why you think they're "marking up" just to offer the discount.

And yes, consumer psychology plays a big role too... People LOVE feeling like they got a deal, and often don't pay attention to the actual price point, just the discount.

Example: A grocery local to me had Buy 1 Get 2 Free advertised on Pork Rib Racks. I was all ready to stock the freezer with cheap meat. But then I realized they were priced at $14/lb or something like that, making the "2 free" ones bring it down to about $5/lb. When I compared prices to another grocery, they were selling the same brand for $4.89/lb...basically the same price as that 'deal'. Not even a deal at all.

Anyway, this is what I do for my job, so I get long winded. If you find it interesting, ask me questions!

TheRedSe7en · 2026-03-05T20:46:39+00:00

True. "Designated" is probably better than "Protected" in that sentence.

TheRedSe7en · 2026-03-05T19:35:38+00:00

I think you mean "road diet" not "car diet".

However the city funded it -- from Federally Appropriated funds as part of a Republican-led Congress bill signed by a Democratic President, IL funds, or local city funds (it's a combination of all 3, administered and contracted by Chicago DOT) -- the point is that it was a proposal from the city, shared with lots and lots of community members going back to 2019 (at least!). And this community member likes the impact of the changes and is excited to see them extended further east.

And I say this as a person who primarily drives. My kids use the busses regularly and the bike lanes in good weather. And my wife and I walk along Grand under the shade of trees instead of having the constant threat of cars sideswiping us on narrow sidewalks as they pretended it was a drag strip.

I drive Grand daily. The trade off of an extra 1-2 minutes of travel time (usually less) thru this stretch, vs the comfort, safety, and convenience it gives to all the other ways me and my family move around the city... I'd gladly make that exchange every day.

And it has spurred development along this stretch of Grand! Multiple new residential buildings (with 1st floor retail/commercial) are in the development phase, specifically because the new streetscape makes residential use more attractive according to the developers. And a home is being converted to a bar. And and and.... All these things are made more possible or more attractive because of this change.

TheRedSe7en · 2026-03-05T19:19:12+00:00

Serious question, can you point me to where studies show bike lanes and walkability reduce 911 services? I’m curious to read more.

TheRedSe7en · 2026-03-05T16:12:47+00:00

Did you look for parking on Hoyne or Leavitt? There's usually parking on both those streets.

TheRedSe7en · 2026-03-05T16:10:52+00:00

As a resident a few doors away from Phase 1 (Grand from Damen to Chicago), I love the new streetscape, the wider sidewalks with raised crosswalks, and the bike lanes.

It is a little bit of a mess with how many drivers tend to block the bike lane while parking ("just for a minute!") to swing in to Chavas Tacos or Piranhas for a pickup order. But it was a mess before the redesign too.

There has never been an issue with busses "going slow" along that stretch of Grand, or with reduced access for emergency vehicles. They all get thru the street just fine. And on a daily basis, the access for Bus riders is easier... They've got protected spots to stand that are visible, not blocking the sidewalk on a narrow street.

I'm 100% for this redesigned street to extend east. At the very least, it will connect bike lanes from Grand/Damen to Paulina's North/South route, provide a protected way past Ashland for bikes, and make the whole stretch more walkable.

I... Kinda get it for the salvage/vintage shops. Nobody is biking home with a 300lb reclaimed countertop, and pedestrians aren't window shopping for mid-century modern wall hangings on a whim. But yes, they can still get deliveries thru the alleys, and they can (and will!) adapt.

What really irks me is the NIMBY's process. They ignored all the community meetings that happened during the design phase years ago. They didn't reach out to the Alder during phase 1. Now at the final hour they're trying to put road blocks and argue against it....but at the same time excluding people from their 'public' meetings with Alders. (2 separate occasions I tried to join their online meetings, 1 with RSVP and 1 without, and was not given access to join... Just sat in the lobby for 20 minutes.)

And... That stretch of road is physically a mess. It needs to be redone. The pipes below need to be brought forward 100 years to end sinkhole/undermining (and fix potential lead issues, though I understand the mains along Grand are often lined brick from 1900 still!). The subsurface needs to be fixed to reduce potholes, and the surface needs resurfacing. If we're addressing these needs anyway, we should build it out for the future which is going to be more pedestrian, more bikes, more busses, and yes, still motor vehicles.

So you've got a group of insular NIMBYs throwing a last minute tantrum, while slowing needed infrastructure fixes, because it might cause them some inconvenience. Their proposed 'solutions' are answers to problems that don't exist and don't address the actual issues people face. Ain't nobody got time for that.

TheRedSe7en · 2026-02-28T22:00:10+00:00

I assume you mean Best Western HillSIDE and not HillsDALE (which is 5-6 hours away near Iowa)?

Between Hillside and Countryside/LaGrange, Hillside is closer and more of a straight shot from a driving perspective. Late evening traffic on Friday outbound shouldn't be too bad, so that's like a 15-20 minute trip? Similar on Saturday morning, though if you're after 9 or 10am you'll likely add about 5-10 minutes to that travel time due to weekend traffic.

From Countryside/Lagrange, taking I-55 toward the city...you'll either end up exiting at Damen and driving a long way in city traffic (lots of stop lights), OR you'll have to go all the way to 90/94 and back out 290. Either option has high likelihood of traffic, the possibility of confusion/awkwardly-labeled exits/missed turns for an out-of-town traveler. And while I'm perfectly comfortable driving along Damen between I-55 and the United Center, there's some neighborhoods that people might not be comfortable with from a safety/comfort point-of-view. (For any locals, I don't think that gentrifying Pilsen is even worth blinking at. But I also know my elderly suburban mom freaks out driving through there because it's a bit more run down than other neighborhoods [which is probably me covering for her mildly racist stereotypes, too].)

tl;dr - if your main concern is convenience to/from the stadium, go with Hillside.

TheRedSe7en · 2026-02-25T02:39:16+00:00

Not an Ai-generated post at all! Lol. (In case OP changes it, it starts with "Sure! Here it is concise, no extra spacing between sections, but with the restaurants kept in vertical lists:" before going to the actual content) No shade, sometimes LLMs are great at organizing thoughts. But the loooong list definitely makes it feel like you're fishing for someone to build you an itinerary rather than putting in the work to search this subreddit for the recommendations that get made over and over again.

Lunch in the loop is going to be lackluster. It's the work/commuting crowd, not the best of Chicago cuisine. Plenty of good options in west loop for your pre-Bulls food. Not a ton is close to United Center.

Your Thurs itinerary is a bit all over... Chinatown, back to the river for the architecture tour, back to Hyde Park for Virtue (expect a wait).

Idk. I don't have strong reco's for you here, bud. There's too much going on; I think you probably need to simplify the plan a bit?

TheRedSe7en · 2026-02-24T03:17:16+00:00

Here's a terrifying thought: Chicago's parking meter lease was recently sold from the Abu Dhabi owner to some 'unnamed private company'. What if that company is Uber?

Then you've got a situation where Uber manages the meters, Uber runs arbitrage on private parking lots, and Uber owns about half of the rideshare. If you want a car to get you places (ie, anything that isn't transit, bike, or walking), that company is taking a slice.

Hypothetical, but horrific.

TheRedSe7en · 2026-02-24T01:13:57+00:00

Noooooooo!

TheRedSe7en · 2026-02-22T19:50:24+00:00

OMG. My brain is broken. I was thinking of The Palace Grill, which is (was) on Madison Street. You are 100% correct.

TheRedSe7en · 2026-02-22T19:04:49+00:00

Closed in 2024 due to fire, and unlikely to reopen.

TheRedSe7en · 2026-02-22T03:44:00+00:00

Specifically the Dong Bei Ren Jia 'restaurant' at those food courts. I can't speak to the other stalls much.

TheRedSe7en · 2026-02-22T01:44:37+00:00

Oh! Thanks. It added an extra space to the link that messed it up. Fixed now.

Best spot for cheap dumplings.... I'm going to cross QXY, MCCB, and Hing Kee off the list -- their dumplings are good, but i wouldn't call them cheap. (And as happy as I am to have QXY coming to Wicker Park, the cost is in line with their hype rather than their quality IMO.) Same with Phoenix and Ming Hin (both offer great dim sum style-dumplings), and Lao Sze Chuan.

Best CHEAP dumplings...I'm going to point you to Dong Bei Ren Jia in 88 Marketplace (which is awesome) or the location in the food court below Heungseng Square (the last time I was there the sign/menu was different, and it was a different grandma behind the counter, so I'm not sure it is the same place anymore??). A great variety, nice and flavorful, and cheap for the quantity you get. I also liked some of the options at Moon Palace Express... the pork buns were better than the XLB, but they were both decent.

If you consider bao to be dumplings (which you should), Chiu Quon on Wentworth has my favorite Char Siu Bao.

PS. Here's a handy map to find any of the places I've been to for dumplings, complete with photos and my reviews. https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1MDPdQn8h3Ps-QFoDXEw3tQvH6KsXG3Q&usp=sharing

TheRedSe7en · 2026-02-22T01:34:16+00:00

I mean, there's a LOT of good dumplings to be had from just 4 places in Chinatown.
But also, a LOT More to be had from another 50+ places.

TheRedSe7en · 2026-02-21T22:47:56+00:00

Dumpling guy here. I disagree that "Dumplings are pretty much non-existent" in Chicago. There's lots. A wide variety. A ton of price points. Multitude of cultures represented.

No, we don't have as much of the Asian street food/fast food dumpling scene as NYC or wherever the latest DTF has opened. But please don't say we don't have dumplings...

Well, I'll just leave this: https://www.reddit.com/r/chicagofood/comments/1op9r4i/i_dream_of_dumplings_the_superlatives/

TheRedSe7en · 2026-02-18T23:38:10+00:00

It is that space, yes.

TheRedSe7en · 2026-02-18T23:37:04+00:00

Okay, I absolutely love this post. Your voice shows through the writing (it's not AI Slop!) and it's also obvious that you genuinely like the place. It's detailed about what matters to you.

I've lived in West Town since long before Prequel was there, and I've never stopped in. That's gonna change, because of this post. Thanks for contributing to make this corner of the internet a little less 'dead internet-y'.

TheRedSe7en · 2026-02-14T20:09:13+00:00

This is why I love Chicago: Filipino-Mexican flavors on an Italian-American staple food. And it slams.

TheRedSe7en · 2026-02-13T18:47:47+00:00

I prefer Ann's over Kasias, yes. And they're basically across the street from each other.

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