Covenants and competition

Most Americans think big cities have more to offer.But that's not always the case.This Chicago Tribune editorial claims some in Chicago can't even have a basic infrastructure.

Most people take for granted that their neighborhood has a grocery store and a pharmacy, yet that assumption doesn't always apply in poorer communities. Want to buy a head of lettuce or fill a prescription? It's not unusual in Chicago to have to hop on a bus headed for a neighborhood that is better off, and better served by retailers.

Last year, Dominick's sold its store in the West Lawn neighborhood on the Southwest Side and moved out, leaving behind a big empty space. It also left behind a restrictive covenant on the property that prohibited any other food store from moving in. In effect, residents were left without a grocery store and with no possibility of getting one on that very suitable site.

The political control of real estate in Chicago.