I did a count this morning on the number of banks I pass by on my drive to work. My drive is about 14 miles, one way.
I counted:
3 McDonalds
4 Full service grocery stores.
7 drug stores.
15 gas stations
and
21 Banks!
Why do we need 21 banks in 14 miles? The numbers are actually skewed a little bit since I drive through about 5 miles of forest preserves. In a 6 mile stretch of 95th street, there are 17 (soon to be 19) banks! Why do we need 3+ banks PER MILE? That means every 0.315 miles there is a bank. In layman’s terms, you won’t have to walk more than 2 and a half blocks to get to a bank! I know there are 2 banks (soon to be 3) within 2 blocks of my house. This is a Google map of a 6 mile stretch of 95th street. I think I may of missed some as well.
I really think the Chicago market is way over-saturated with banks. Honestly, with direct deposit I see a bank about once a month, worst case. Normally it is once ever 2 months that I need to see a bank. I can understand why there are so many gas stations, everyone needs to get gas once a week. We are actually a little light when it comes to grocery stores. I know everyone HAS to go a grocery store or eat out all the time every week, or more.
My younger brother brought up a great point, banks really don’t do much for the community. They provide a service, but very little tax revenue. A gas station or grocery store generates a lot of tax revenue for the community it is in and provides a useful service you NEED. You do need banks, they are much better than currency exchanges or check cashing, but, why so many? It is really a terrible waste of often prime real estate.
Global Warming/Climate Change: A personal perspective
I know I have only been on this Earth for 33 years, and childhood may of skewed my perspective, but here is what noticed about the local weather and how it has changed since I was a child:
Let me know if you have noticed any changes in your lifetime. It is a local event, or it is worldwide?
Posted by admin on June 1, 2007 in General Comments
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