It's hard to outrun a bad reputation. For these two Illinois cities, no matter what city officials do, there will always be their detractors.

Here's the best part, I have spent equal amounts of time in my life in both places and I can say that they have undeserved bad raps.

Unlike concept
zakokor
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I will also add that in any big city in America, there are going to be issues within the community.

Whether it be:

  • Unemployment
  • Crime
  • Drugs
  • Education

Sometimes all four at the same time can be part of the reason why a city has a bad reputation but despite all those problems, there are still plenty of us who love Chicago and Rockford.

Photo by Josh Hild on Unsplash
Photo by Josh Hild on Unsplash
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Yes, both Chicago and Rockford were named to a list by Travel.Alot.com as two of 45 US Cities With the Worst Reputations.

Rockford, Illinois in Early Spring Seen from above by Drone
Jacob Boomsma
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Here's why according to Travel.Alot.com:

Rockford has had a struggling economy for years now, which has led to a weak job market.

There is so much to love about the Windy City, but its epidemic of violence is hard to ignore. It's sad when violence becomes an everyday part of life in a city like this.

Ozzie Stern on Unsplash
Ozzie Stern on Unsplash
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What do you think? Do you think the reputation of both Chicago and Rockford are earned or is it just some national website looking to make two of Illinois' best cities look bad?

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