What was your first impression of Chicago, IL?

[Taverner]

I had no idea the city was that awesome.

I was expecting somemthing like a bigger Cincinati or Cleveland, that was colder.

I had been to Madison area (loved it, but not an apt comparison at all) and all over Iowa and Nebraska (Iowa is Nebraska's rebellious, Democratic twin) but never Chi-town.

Like I said before, if it weren't for the god-awful freezing sideways rain I'd have a brownstone in Wrigleyville today.

[1gobluedem]

1. Not a fan

But the last time I posted why I was flamed and scolded and insulted for half a day. So, I'll just leave it at that.

[Name removed]

16. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[fudge stripe cookays]

23. No, the constant,

unending repetition of your criticism of Chicago has now become tedious. And for the large number of Chicago lovers on this board, so have you.

[Critters2]

28. Thank you for making my point nt

[Blue-Jay]

30. Pssst. She's not a Chicagoan.

What exactly WAS your point, aside from "I hate Chicago, wah wah wah..."?

[Critters2]

32. "I hate Chicago" pretty well sums it up

I've lived 90 miles from the big pile, as I like to call it, for almost 2 years now, and have found not a single reason to venture anywhere near it. But Chicagoans keep moving out here, which is odd, if it's so wonderful a place.

[xmas74]

130. Really?

I lived right over the state line until I was 13.

If I didn't have a pesky court order about visitation and such for my daughter I'd move back there in a heartbeat.

Food, friends and family-what more could I want?

(As to why they are moving toward your area it's the same reason why anyone from a city moves out-rent prices. They know if they move to a suburb they can afford to actually buy a house. It's the same in most cities-people have families and want to move out of the city.)

[greatauntoftriplets]

38. Last I checked, Chicago was not in Tejas....

:spray:

And if it's moved, I have a much longer flight tomorrow than anticipated.

[Critters2]

39. "Flamed, scolded, and insulted for half a day"

Apparently you can do that from Texas. But reading is a problem. You should move to Chicago, where some high schools have a 6% graduation rate.

[1gobluedem]

70. I'm not from Texas

And I can read. The question was "what was your first impression of Chicago?"

[fudge stripe cookays]

77. Yeah?

How's their reading comprehension? Because you seem to have a problem with

1. Reading profiles.
2. Responding snarkily to the correct poster.

[fudge stripe cookays]

60. What point would that be, exactly?

That because you hate Chicago, everyone else should as well? My dad grew up there in the bowels of Winnebago Avenue when it was still a slum during the Depression. He didn't hate it.

His family was from there, and because I have a family connection to the place, and wonderful memories of it, I will always love it, although I have never lived there.

Sorry you hate it. Also sorry you feel the need to repeat it over and over again. We get the point.

[BrightKnight]

123. .

[Zavulon]

43. I appreciate the warning...

...because I'm new here and am not a fan of Chicago either. I was about to write a bit about that, but then I saw your post. Merci, mon ami.

[Critters2]

49. Not enough kevlar on the planet nt

[azmouse]

52. I won't say anything but that I agree with you.

And I'll take the warning not to say anything more! :hi:

[Critters2]

2. I lived in Wrigleyville for a year

My car--a Ford escort--was broken into 4 times. That makes it hard to love a place.

[Taverner]

3. Ahhh yes I could see that being an issue

And no indoor parking would make for no love...

But for a Californian who had never been to a Cubs game, this made for a Disneyland experience...

[Susang]

44. Wouldn't call that a usual occurance

I've lived in Chicago over 15 years and its only happened to me once. And it was my own stupid fault for leaving my belongings in the back seat, in clear view. Not exactly street-smart, if you get my drift. You'd think a native Detroiter would have known better. ;-)

Don't listen to the Chicago haters, its truly wonderful to live here. Yes, it gets cold in the winter, but there's so much to do that it has never bothered me. Plus, its so much fun when it snows. We also have some of the best restaurants in the country. Some consider Chicago more of a culinary destination than New York City, as in recent years the chefs here have won multiple James Beard awards and been recognized in national publications as being top in their field.

If you're ever back in town, PM me. I'll tell you where to go to really have fun! :D

[Critters2]

50. 4 times in a year

Average of once every three months. What's your definition of "a usual occurrence"?

[Susang]

68. Like I said

Not yours. I've lived here over 15 years. Nobody I know has had their car broken into 4 times, much less 4 times in a year. Most of the people I know have lived here longer than I have and live in what are politely called "gentrifying" neighborhoods.

Since you lived here for such a short time, why do you assume that your experience is universal? Here's a little eye opener for you. Chicago is hardly the car-theft capital of the country.

MOTOR VEHICLE THEFT,
TOP TEN U.S. METROPOLITAN AREAS, 2005

1 Modesto, CA
2 Las Vegas/Paradise, NV
3 Stockton, CA
4 Phoenix/Mesa/Scottsdale, AZ
5 Visalia/Porterville, CA
6 Seattle/Tacoma/Bellevue, WA
7 Sacramento/Arden-Arcade/Roseville, CA
8 San Diego/Carlsbad/San Marcos, CA
9 Fresno, CA
10 Yakima, WA

(1) Ranked by the rate of vehicle thefts reported per 100,000 people based on the 2000 Census.

Source: National Insurance Crime Bureau.


TOP TEN STATES FOR MOTORCYCLE THEFTS, 2005


http://www.iii.org/media/hottopics/insurance/test4/

State & Motorcycles Stolen

California 9,110
Florida 6,324
Texas 5,755
North Carolina 3,053
Ohio 2,573
Arizonia 2,464
New York 2,195
Indiana 2,186
Georgia 2,159
Pennsylvania 2,021

Source: National Insurance Crime Bureau.

http://www.iii.org/media/hottopics/insurance/test4/

[pitohui]

166. ok making a mental note to check in w. you

i love chicago and wish i'd had more opportunities to visit over the years

never had a bad time there, susang

next time before i go, i'll get some up to date recommends from you!

[xmas74]

131. That's still not the best reason.

I don't even live in KC and my car over a two year time period was broken into 9 times-the nineth time it was stolen and found three states away, stripped.

If that was a reason then I could say that I hate Kansas City but I don't. I just don't care for some of the people there.

[Donkeyboy75]

161. I also lived in Wrigleyville for a year

This dumbass in our neighborhood kept leaving his stuff in the back of his car, so I broke into it four times.

[JVS]

175. LOL!

[JVS]

174. Fucking Cubs fans!

[LaraMN]

4. That it had the BEST Victoria's Secret, EVER!

It was on two levels, and I believe it had live models. I think I blew half my trip money in one spot, that day.

[Taverner]

5. Do you honestly expect me to work with thoughts like that in my head???

Thank you very much for making me unproductive, Miss Vicky-pants!!!

[LaraMN]

10. I'm sorry. I'll try to offer thoughts of a more puritanical nature.

As it turns out, unfortunately, I'm a little low on those right now, so...






















BOOBIES!







:rofl:
:*

[Taverner]

13. Are they....bouncing...boobies?

[LaraMN]

18. Sure, why not?

Who doesn't like a good, rousing jump, after all?

[Left Is Write]

34. The first time I ever went to Express was in Chicago.

Back then (around 1983) it was still called Limited Express and was the hipper, more casual offshoot of The Limited.

[bif]

6. Loved it from the moment I stepped off the train

I considered it a sane version of NYC.

[speedoo]

It's incredible, isn't it?

Chicago has just about everything New York has, but it's far more liveable.

Speaking of Wrigleyville, I had the greatest time while on a business trip at a hot dog/sausage type place one evening. Just stopped in to have a cheap dinner and ended up spending about 5 hours there, just hanging out with some locals who made me feel unbelievably welcome.

I have lots of other great Chicago stories. I would love living there.

Winters? I'll get on a plane for Florida or the Caribbean!:hi:

[Taverner]

8. Didn't they want to put a dome over Chicago?

That might have been nice...

[Rabrrrrrr]

7. To reduce any anxiety, let me say that no, I won't be saying anything

in this thread.

:7

[Susang]

47. !

:rofl:

[RetroLounge]

9. It was bright, and I was covered in gooey bloody stuff

and someone slapped my ass, and I was attached by a cord to some big person with the desire to suckle her nipples...

Well, I imagine that was my first impression, being born there.

RL

[xmas74]

132. Mine probably wasn't too much different.

Wasn't born there but was there w/in the first two weeks of birth.

I probably crapped my diaper and cried for a bottle.

[XNASA]

11. The weather has never really been a factor for me.

Summer is fine. It hasn't been above 80 in almost 3 weeks now. Spring and Fall are fabulous.

Winter, I dunno. I like it cool and crisp and actually look forward to the first snowfall.

True Chicagoans tend not to let something as minor as the weather come between them and a little fun.

We like it here.

[JVS]

12. The Smell of Gary driving in. But once I got further North, I loved it

[miss_american_pie]

14. I think the exact thought was

"Dammit, I'm lost again!" :D

But as I only drove through it, I have no impressions of the city itself.

[hippywife]

15. Absolutely

loved it! My best friend lives up there and when I was younger and could afford it, I went as often as I could. There's a million things to see and do. I could never become bored there at all.

[NashVegas]

17. God's Flashlight Was Shining on Chicago

The first time I was landing, at night.

I'm agnostic, but there was just something about the way the town was lit ...

[mark414]

19. agghhh!! I'm surrounded by FIBs!

naahhh chicago is alright but it tries too hard to be new york - then again, milwaukee tries too hard to be chicago...*sigh*

the cubs and the bears still suck...

[Critters2]

22. Trying too hard to be NY

Yep, that sums it up. I got tired of Chicagoans going on and on about how Chicago is "a world-class city". I always had this feeling they were trying to convince themselves.

[Blue-Jay]

29. Ugh.

You couldn't be any more wrong.

[Critters2]

31. About it being a world-class city?

I know. I lived in Boston for 4 years. I've seen what a world-class city looks like.

[The Magistrate]

45. Boston, Ma'am?

They cannot even keep street straight there, let alone dig a decent ditch....

[Critters2]

48. Right, straight streets, the sign of a "world class city"

Tell that to Europe :eyes:

[The Magistrate]

51. It Cuts Down On The Blundering About, Ma'am

Now, if you want real fun along those lines, my recommendation is the Old Town of Fez: every day is an adventure, and so long as you manage to find the ringwall and know the path at least from one gate to where you sleep, you will not come to too much grief....

[ProfessorGAC]

85. Ever Been Lost In A Old Italian City?

I have. It's a bummer. In Milano, i was at an out of the way place to eat, when we realized the place didn't accept credit cards. There were 8 of us, and we owed about $450, and only had about $350 between us. (I think that was about 400,000 lira at the time.)

Anyway, in Milano, not only are the streets curved a lot, but they name streets after everyone and everything. Since they've only got so many streets, they change the street names every mile or so, on MANY MANY streets.

Well, i had to leave everyone else there, go back to the hotel, get a cash advance on my Amex, and go back. And, without a map, it took me forever to "landmark" my way back, because at least 8 streets changed names 4 times! I didn't know if i was coming or going!

And, since they were curved in lots of places, it was really hard to maintain any really good sense of direction. (And it was at night!)

So, you're right. Navigating Chicago is a pretty easy task. If you're lost, go east until you see a beach!
The Professor

[greatauntoftriplets]

87. And then there's Venice....

:scared:

[ProfessorGAC]

91. Yeah, And I'm Not That Strong A Swimmer!!!

I've been there a few times. I don't think i ever want to spend more than a few hours there at a time. Especially in the hot summertime. The whole place smells like a fish market. Pretty nice in November though.

Quick Venice Story:
I'm there with some coworkers. We go into a bakery where nobody speaks English. So i order what i want and pay. The guys with me wanted something too, so they came back out to get me to translate. (I did mention to them that it was a bakery, and all they had to do was POINT!)

Anyway, we're walking around some other shops, and i get tapped on the shoulder. A young woman asks me "Excuse me, sir. Do you speak English?" I said "Yeah, that's what we speak in Illinois!" She said "Oh my goodness. We thought you were from here!" They needed directions to the Rialto bridge, and since we were going that way to walk back to the train station, i just told them to follow us and we would go over it. That took us maybe a quarter mile out of the way, but it seemed to be the right thing to do. Although, i don't know that i would have followed someone that looks like me.
The Professor

[greatauntoftriplets]

98. I love wandering around that city off the beaten track.

I've been there in the fall, first time in September and again for a 10-day stay in October of 1991. One time I was there during acqua alta and had the bejesus scared out of me by the sirens.

[The Magistrate]

127. Italy was Never On My Itinerary, Professor

But it does rather similar to the Moroccan urbs. Memory is about the only hope one has....

Happy hunting, Sir!

[never cry wolf]

176. My dad grew up in Chicago and came to visit me in Paris

The year I went to school there he and my mom came in for the Holidays. They had never been abroad before. My dad grew up on the west side and as a native and lifelong Chicagoan he could naturally tell where ever he was in the city by the east/west-north/south street numbers, the alphabetic street naming system and probably knew exactly where every major street was in relation to the State & Madison magical 000-000 point.

When he got to Paris in his rental car and the streets curved, went at crazy angles and changed names for no apparent reason he was so totally out of his element he ended up swearing a blue streak trying to find a restaurant. He just had no comprehension how anyone could live there or find their way around if they did. Kind of like an aborigine from a rain forest going to a ball game.

It reminded me of a similar reaction he had when I was a child on a family vacation and he got lost.... in Boston of course.

[greatauntoftriplets]

157. I love Fez....

What a great city. So different from anything I have ever experienced.

[Susang]

53. You are so right

:hi:

[The Magistrate]

58. A Pleasure To See You About The Place, Ms. Susan

"Wouldn't it be strange if Heaven was just like the Eleventh Ward, and you had to know just who was who to recieve your just reward?"

[ProfessorGAC]

54. Are You This Tedious About Every Subject?

Or just this one? Geez, give it a rest. You don't like Chicago! Somehow i think the city will survive without your approval.

And, on your car B&E thing: There are 3 million cars in Chicago. If your situation were normal, that would mean 12 million auto related thefts per year. That is about 200 times the actual rate. So, YES, Susang was right: Your situation was EXTREMELY unusual.

The Professor

[Blue-Jay]

56. Now, don't go bringing your damnable "logic" into this discussion!

No place for that sort of thing here. (or didn't you get the memo?)

[ProfessorGAC]

62. I Got The Memo

I just didn't read the whole thing!
The Professor

[Susang]

71. Hi Professor!

Wouldn't today be a fabulous day for us all to be at Moody's? :hi:

[ProfessorGAC]

72. Yes It Would!

But, they need to serve a better beer. What they have is good, but not great! I'm sure they're really worried what i think, huh?

Boy you guys should see my yard this year. Lots of those new bushes are growing up nicely. I've got some new pics, which i will (counter to my Luddite nature) attempt to post into Photobucket and link here at DU. So, if you're interested, keep eyes open.
The Professor

[greatauntoftriplets]

73. It sure as hell would be a great Moody's day!!!

I miss living so close to that place. :cry:

[fudge stripe cookays]

80. Doc!

How the hell are ya? :hi:

I'm thinking about coming up with my own meme. Like...some people love Oasis and used to talk about it all the time, and some people hate Chicago.

Help me think of one, would you?

[ProfessorGAC]

82. How About. . .

. . ."The Beatles Suck and Are Overrated!"? Then i can flame away at you! It'll be fun!!!

Or, how about something simple like "I Hate Everyone!"? No, wait! You can't use that one. That's already mine!
The Professor

[fudge stripe cookays]

159. He he...

Or..."Well, you know what Kierkegaard said about that...."

or

"Well, it's not really as important as Kierkegaard."

or

"Kierkegaard was the most important philosopher of a generation!"

[Critters2]

90. Others share my opinion, but there's an orthodoxy here

Not liking the least pleasant city on the planet gets you shouted down around here. I'm not good at being shouted down.

Another thing I hate about Chicago--everyone trying to be like everyone else. After they find out what everyone else in New York is doing.

[ProfessorGAC]

I'm Not From Chicago

And you're being no less tedious. And don't you hate it when facts ruin a perfectly good rant. Well, maybe not. You're probably pretty used to facts being counter to your beliefs.
The Professor

[Critters2]

95. And which facts would that be

The one about Chicago not being one big stockyard?

Stick to your truthiness about what a sophisticated city it is, with its mayor from "Back of the Yards". What "yards" might those be?

[Susang]

96. Right, we all try to be like everyone else

:eyes:

Ever seen one of the Chicago DU gathering pictures? Obviously not. You couldn't find a more diverse and unlike group of Chicago and Chicagoland people. We don't agree on politics. Or even beer.

Hey, but if it helps you with your white hot hatred of the place we call home, then more power to you. Good luck in your quest to return to Iowa. Now there's a place that I avoid like the plague. I guess its nice if you like crystal-meth, seeing that it is one of the biggest manufacturing and distribution points in the country. The crystal meth capital, as my mother-in-law likes to say. She lives in Carlisle.

[Critters2]

97. That Chicagoans avoid Iowa like the plague is just one of the many

things that makes it wonderful. Oh, and all the drugs in the town where I now live come from your wonderful city. Really, they keep arresting people in Chicago for driving out here and selling heroin.
Again, if it's so special a place, why do you all keep coming out here and bringing your shit with you?

[LSK]

101. theres 3 million people in Chicago

Its bound to have some bad guys.

Please use some common sense!!!

[Critters2]

103. I lived with three million people in Chicago

and my car was broken into 4 times. I lived with 3 million people in Iowa. I never locked my car or my house, and the only time either was gotten into without my knowing it was when people left me gifts.

Hmmm...which is the better place...?

[LSK]

106. 3 million people within a few square miles vs a few thousand sq miles

I guess common sense is nowhere to be found?

Also whats up with comparing a rural state with a huge city???

:shrug:

[Critters2]

108. I've lived in both

a rural state is better, in terms of where you're less likely to have your car broken into. That's a quality of life issue.

[LSK]

110. I thought we were comparing cities to cities

:shrug:

[BrightKnight]

150. There is nothing wrong with being provincial.

There is nothing wrong with being provincial if that is your choice. It really does not have much to do with Chicago specifically.

Chicago is filled with wonderful neighborhoods. In some ways it is a lot like living in a small town. There are small community bakeries, produce markets, meat markets. There are comunity pubs and resturants. I have never found that kind of community life anywhere else I have lived. Chicago is a very big city but it is also a nice town.

-----

Stroll over to the Heartland Cafe, tie your dog to the rail and eat dinner on the patio. Have a Hibiscus tea at the No Exit. Walk along the beach. Cycle by the lake along Lake Shore Drive all the way up to the aquarium. Walk over to Wrigley Field and take in a baseball game on a sunny summer afternoon. Go to the Art Institute of Chicago. Go gallery hopping. Go bar crawling. Take a commuter train to the Ravinia Festival. Go sailing. In the winter you can ice skate next to the lake on an ice rink created by the fire department. There is always something to do in Chicago.

I don't see how any reasonable person could

[Susang]

104. Where the hell is here?

I have absolutely no clue as to where you are talking about. Drugs are everywhere, nice of you to completely side step that little fact about Iowa. Sure Chicago has drug issues, but so does Iowa. One can't be bad and the other one good. Unless one happens incorporates hypocrisy into their outlook on life.

Funny thing, the police blotter is full of suburbanites and out of towners being busted for DUIs, drugs and picking up prostitutes, among other illegal activities. You claim we "all" keep coming out there and bring our "shit" with us. Why is it then that Chicago's housing boom is showing no sign of stopping and that more people than ever are moving into the city from the suburbs and outlying areas? Perhaps you can tell me, if wherever you live is so special a place, why do you all keep coming in here and bringing your shit here?

[Critters2]

107. Here is LaSalle County

and the place is crawling with new subdivisions housing morons who actually drive back into the city to work. It's called sprawl, and it's a real problem out here. I'd be deeply grateful if these people were moving to Chicago, but instead, they move out here to get away from the city. Then they get here and realize it's not the city, and suddenly they need everything they had in the city--strip malls, multi-plexes and traffic. Oh, and heroin.

[Susang]

117. Then why don't you move since you hate it so much?

Instead of tormenting us all with your hatred of everything Illinois? You're an adult (I assume), you can move anywhere you like.

Honestly, this is just getting so old. You hate Chicago and Illinois, we know, everbody on DU knows, I really don't understand why do you feel the need to piss on every thread having to do with the subject.

[Critters2]

118. I have the right to differing opinion

Someone asks my impression of Chicago, and I give it. Then the bitching starts.

[Susang]

120. Then try to remember that we bitches have a right to respond

Deal with it.

[Critters2]

122. Dealing with it just fine

I lived in Chicago for a year. I'm used to rude people.

[Blue-Jay]

141. More idiocy.

The "fact" that you lived here for a whole year gives you the right to disparage an entire city and the folks who love it here?

Maybe you need some spiritual guidance, reverand. "Judge not" and all that happy horseshit.

[Critters2]

142. What do you care?

If I'm wrong, as you contend, what difference does my opinion make?

What is this nerve that I've hit?

[Blue-Jay]

145. Ah! That old canard! Lovely logic!

It's funny when someone resorts to the "hit a nerve" argument. What that really means is that you have no factual basis for your assertions, but at least you were able to piss someone off.

Wrong on all counts, reverend.

Pissing someone off is not a debating point. It just means that you're devoid of reason, so you'll take what you can get.

What difference does your opinion make? None. I just like it when a so-called member of the clergy spews illogical hatred. If you truly believe that Chicago is such a shithole, maybe you should offer your spiritual guidance to us, instead of being insulting. Eh, preacher?

[Critters2]

146. Again, what are you so angry about?

Someone doesn't like your city. You do. Why the vitriol?

[Blue-Jay]

147. Did I touch a nerve, Pookie?

:rofl:

[Critters2]

149. Ooh, yeah, I'm deeply upset because you like a city I don't

My very worth is called into question.

[ronnykmarshall]

144. Damn, I suprised you didn't fit in.

[celtdem]

151. I gotta ask

Why is this so important to you?

The world is such a mess, and THIS is what you're invested in?! :crazy:

[Critters2]

121. I will move when I can

I can't yet. But I have every intention of leaving when I can. And I don't hate Illinois--don't love it, but don't hate it.

[xmas74]

134. I don't understand the argument either.

I graduated from Marshall, MO. Marshall is a small town (about 13,000) and it has a huge meth problem per capita. My car was vandalized more there than in any city, KC being a close second.

(Truthfully, I think my car was broken into so many times in KC because Marshall used to make you put a city sticker on the car. They probably saw the sticker on the car and hoped to find meth in it.)

[LSK]

100. what on earth does that mean???

I mean can you even try to have some examples????

[xmas74]

133. I pointed out that I had my car broken into 9 times in

two years in KC.

It could have been any city. Truth is, if they think the car is an easy mark they'll hit it.

[Susang]

138. Getting your car broken into is a drag

I know, I grew up in Detroit. We used to be the car theft capital of the country!

I went to college in Kalamazoo, MI and had my car window smashed and my stereo stolen twice my sophmore year. It really doesn't have anything to do with whether you're in a big city or not. There are thieves and assholes everywhere. ;-)

[xmas74]

139. Exactly.

If you car looks like an easy target it will be broken into, whether in a city or a small town.

When desperate people need money they'll do what they have to do. I say that since most of my break-ins were considered to be drug-related.

Most of the criminal acts committed against me actually happened in small towns, not big cities.

(As you can tell I'm another Chicago supporter. I was raised just over the state line until my teens.)

[ZombieNixon]

20. "I get to live here? Fuck yes!!"

:D

[Silver Swan]

21. Awesome, maybe, but not loveable

I first saw Chicago from a bus window on a very hot night in July 1965. It seemed grubby, dark, and scary.

I moved there three years later, and worked there for 35 years. In that time, it became much cleaner and brighter. However, I never loved it and since I retired, I have tried to avoid going there unless absolutely necessary.

My spouse, who was born in Chicago, loves it unconditionally!

IMO, Chicago winters are wimpy--a good snowstorm comes around only every twenty years or so.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

24. too clean

[tallahasseedem]

25. I went for the first time

at the beginning of August with my Husband and immediately fell in love with it. In fact, I ended up going back a week and a half later.

[ronnykmarshall]

26. The architecture is beautiful.

I visited the first time in 1991. I love Chicago. Been there when it was cold and also hot and humid.

I think Chicago is a "sexy" city. But then again when I was there I was single and out of the prowl.

Hot men!

[redqueen]

86. Yes, the architecture!

So glad it's not just me. :)

I never really even appreciated architecture much before I visited there. Then again, born and raised in Dallas, so it kinda stands to reason. :P

[tigereye]

105. RQ!

missed ya,lady!

How have you been?

[redqueen]

109. I've been all right, thanks... you?

Things going well in your world?

[tigereye]

113. kid back in school, so I'm

pondering my next career move. I think I've been doing the same thing for too long. My husband has been job hunting lately and I think I've caught the new job bug.

The summer sped by. I don't know where it went. ;)

[Guy Fawkes]

27. The people across the street...

There's this office building filled with cubicles. Empty cubicles. And there aren't usually many people inside- except one day, when this shirtless guy was taking pictures.

[Left Is Write]

33. "There's a lot of traffic here."

[BrotherBuzz]

35. I installed an Egghead Discount Software store on Clark street...

about six-seven blocks from Wrigley field. I got all the subs out of the store and was able to hoof it down to the park to catch the end of a game (Mets vs the Cubs) because it went extra innings. Mets won their one hundredth game of the season in eleven innings and went on to win the pennant that year. Oh, for what it's worth, it was the year before they installed lights - how cool is that? Loved the city and visited every sausage serving tavern I could find.

BB gives Chicago two :thumbsup:

[warrens]

36. I loved it immediately

Five years later, I moved here.

[greatauntoftriplets]

37. If it weren't for the lack of a couple million bucks....

I'd have a brownstone in Wrigleyville today. Like RetroLounge below, my first impression on Chicago is lost in the mist of time.

[ProfessorGAC]

55. Coward!

Just borrow the money and live beyond your means like Silverspoon wants you to do! Why do hate america?
The Professor

[greatauntoftriplets]

57. Can you lend me the downpayment?

:rofl:

[ProfessorGAC]

61. I've Got $44 In My Pocket!

Is that enough?
The Professor

[greatauntoftriplets]

67. No, but thanks for the offer.

:cry:

[LSK]

40. the skyline is awesome

Not my 1st impression ever, but usually my 1st impression everytime I drive downtown on the Kennedy. That and traffic sucks!

[Missy Vixen]

41. I LOVE Chicago

I can't wait to go back. :loveya:

Julie

[ZombieNixon]

153. And we can't wait to have you back!

:D

You can ride the new line on the L: the PINK line! :P

[sweetheart]

42. All those missing 1000's of cattle

Chicago impressed me with its size and dimensions, yet everywehre i went,
it reminded me of a huge cattle lot with buildings in it, and i expected to hear
mooing or steers in the next street, and everywhere i felt like it should have
more cows and more bulls.

And given the relative lack of range cattle in downtown chicago, my first impression
was that all those cattle were somehow missing, and were planning to return. Yet
what gave me this sense? Was it the squareness, the standard shapes of big buildings
in just another big city, was it the history... maybe chicago was built on a farm,
and there are lots of steers still haunting the ground.

The very long subway ride from the airport did not impress. The good food did!

[Critters2]

46. Used to be one big stockyard.

The city has been trying to move away from its agrarian past--again, in its desperate need to be a "world-class city". But it was built on cattle, hogs and grain, and those who worked to produce them. The things many Chicagoans now hold in disdain.

[ProfessorGAC]

63. It Hasn't Been "Agrarian" For Over 125 Years

Catch up!
The Professor

[Critters2]

94. The Yards closed in 1971

Do the math--considerably less than 150 years ago. And there are two very large grain elevators on the south side--one owned by Cargill and one owned by Chicago and Illinois River Market Co.

But you can't pretend to be New York, except by denying you were built by Midwestern agriculture.

[ronnykmarshall]

78. I don't understand ..

Are you saying you DON'T like Chicago?

Or am I missing something in your multiple posts?

:shrug:

[redqueen]

88. It actually *is* a "world-class city". Sorry you're so sore about that.

But yeah, it's kind of an accepted thing nowadays. People like to go there. It might serve you well to just accept the fact that you're not going to find a whole lot of people who agree with or appreciate your bordering-on-obsessive little rantlets. Peace. :)

[prolesunited]

89. "Used to be"

is the operative phrase here.

And if Chicago is not a world-class city, tell me how this happened:
On July 26, 2006, the USOC officially named San Francisco, Los Angeles and Chicago as the three US finalists for the 2016 Olympics.

And did you ever consider Chicago doesn't like you back? Perhaps your car getting broken into four times was some sort of karmic message. Hmmm...

[redqueen]

111. hahahahahahaha

I like that... 'karmic message' :7

[terrya]

126. I think there's an excellent chance Chicago may get the Olympics.

As Susang mentioned in this thread, Chicago hosted the Gay Games here two months ago. And...I think this city did a brilliant job hosting them. The feeling was that this city was very welcoming to the thousands of athletes and fans who came to our city.

Granted, the Olympics will draw a lot more people. But I do think this city can do it.

And I sure as hell wouldn't base my entire opinion of a city based on some incident than can happen anywhere. Ridiculous and just plain stupid.

[xmas74]

136. On the site Gamebids

they deal w/ Olympic hopeful cities. People from around the world commented that Chicago is one of the few cities that could easily be ready for the Olympics in a short time-and this was a few years before the recent decision.

Most of the posters are avid followers of the Olympics and the host cities. Most are posting now that Chicago will be the city for the world to beat for 2016. They think that they could almost take 2016. If they lose it 2020 will be there.

And I'll be there, mooching off of family members for a place to stay.

[enigmatic]

59. Great town w/ a fantastic music scene

I almost moved there a couple of times many years ago and wished I had, at least for a little while.

Hate the sports teams, though. Except for the Blackhawks, which is my adopted NHL team..

[fudge stripe cookays]

64. .

"...Actually I like the 'Hawks,
But boy o boy Wayne Gretzky Rocks!"

:D

[enigmatic]

65. ha!

That takes me back:)

[terrya]

66. Fabulous architecture, great history, a thriving theater scene...

great restaurants, very friendly people, museums, a thriving music scene as has been mentioned.

To quote from the song: "Chicago is my kind of town". I'm very happy I moved here.

[KamaAina]

125. Back in my day, the line on the theater scene

from the Reader, describing the plethora of small storefront theaters, was "There are more people in Chicago who want to perfrom theater than there are who want to watch it." :rofl:

[KamaAina]

69. "Wow! I've finally got a decent job!"

It was in IT, at a small consulting firm that could have afforded better offices than the little brick building standing forlornly way out East Ohio, in what would now be "River North" but at the time (late '80s) was just way too far from Michigan Ave. and the buses, 'specially in winter.

In retrospect, it was probably unfair of me to blame Chi-town for my inability to connect with others, as I have largely been unable to do so anywhere else, either. :eyes: If the opportunity came around (UIC has one of the few graduate programs in disability studies, for instance), I might possibly reconsider.

Winter: I survived what was then The Coldest Night In Chicago History (-26 F) in a studio apartment in an old stone pile on Pine Grove heated only by an electric unit that doubled as AC. :scared: The following morning, on that long walk in from Michigan, I determined the temperature at which mucus congeals within the human nose into a substance closely resembling rubber cement. This temperature is approximately -5 F.

All other seasons: Great, except that Chicago weathercasters coined the term "drizmal". Once I was watching a Bears-Eagles game from Soldier Field, and it was so foggy the players couldn't see the field! Damnedest thing, from my near-lakeshore apartment (this one was off Irving Park), I saw no fog at all -- for a few minutes...

Food, festivals: :thumbsup: Baseball: well, great ambiance, anyway (I got to see each team once).

About half of my 13 Dead shows were there (or in Rosemont). I had money for tickets, y'know. I may not be the only person to arrive at a Dead show alone, but I must surely be the only one to have left that way...

CTA: Eurghhh. In part this was due to the L being too far inland (from both home and work); "Mr. Bus" just didn't cut it, 'specially not on the way home when they all came up from the Loop already jammed like human sardine cans. :puke: Have they looked into the newer 60-foot articulated models?

What happened? You might well ask. See avatar to left: it was about this time that I got sucked in to the N.O. music and cultural scene. I answered an ad in the Times-Picayune, available at my nearby Chicago brach library, and the rest, as they say, is history.

[BrightKnight]

128. frozen water

I remember waking up to find the water in the glass beside my bed frozen. I was a young student and could not afford proper heat. I took it in stride at the time but I could not live that way now.

[KamaAina]

137. I had a *view* of frozen water!

As mentioned previously, the office's sole advantage (besides its cheapness) was its proximity to Lake Michigan. After a while, they set me up in my own "office", actually the room with all the racks of mag tapes (late '80s, remember) -- and a view of the lake!

Hot damn -- until winter came, and the bugger froze over solid. After that, it was like being on Ice Station Zebra. :scared:

[leftofthedial]

74. my favorite American city

amazing architecture and energy.

[regularguy]

75. I said "Now *this* is a real city!"

I'm biased toward old East Coast cities and places like Atlanta and L.A. just don't do it for me. But Chicago, oh yeah!

[ronnykmarshall]

79. That's what I said first time I went to San Francisco.

I miss living in a "real" city.

Don't get me wrong, I love LA too.

[Tyrone Slothrop]

76. I have no idea

I grew up a couple hours away, so I've been going there my whole life.

I definitely like it; but there are some things about it that I don't like.

I'm currently in my 20s and live in NYC; I can picture myself being more of a fan of Chicago in my 30s or 40s. There's something a little more mellow, more tame about Chicago than NYC.

Chicago kicks NYC's ass when it comes to pizza, hot dogs and Italian Beef sandwiches. Other than that, I probably prefer the food in NYC.

Chicago has a great music/bar/downtown scene.

My biggest problem with Chicago is the lack of good, convenient public transit. Everyone drives, and I've become so adjusted to living without a car that it really just seems like a horrible mess of traffic and pollution at times. Also, the lifestyle there is incredibly sedentary; almost everyone of my friends who moved to Chicago post-college ended up giving up exercise and putting on large amounts of weight.

Anyway, those are my thoughts. Chicago's probably my 2nd favorite American city.

[Nikia]

154. My sister takes the L and finds it convient

She lives very close to a station now. When she lived in an apartment a mile from the station, she walked there. Her boyfriend has a car which she uses sometimes now, but never drives on the expressways or other busy roads.

[Richardo]

81. Chicago is my favorite big city.

[redqueen]

83. That it was a great city.

That was my first impression. So much diversity, so much culture... not to mention the architecture. I'd love to spend a lot more time there. :)

[Radical Activist]

84. Wacker Drive

The first time I visited Chicago I was 13 and for years afterwards joked about Wacker Drive in a very Beavis and Butthead-esque manner. I later lived there for a while and I love the city.

[xchrom]

92. chicago is a great american city. the city of big shoulders.

i'm from central illinois -- and i remember going up to chicago when i was young -- oh that sky-line -- to die for.

the smells, the museums -- that art museum, amazing -- lake michigan.

the best.

i lived for there little while in my youth -- it was a blast.
back when the gold coast was the thing.

[Broken_Hero]

93. I thought it was awesome

being from SE Alaska, one of the only stations I got was WGN, so I always wanted to go to Chicago, and I got my wish in summer of 2000. I was working at the University of Chicago and our apartment was about three streets away from michigan avenue, and the night life was amazing...the bars, the clubs...the city scene was really happening....and I saw more cops in my stint in chicago, than I have my whole life, there was like three cops on every corner it seemed.

Also, Chicago, home of Michael Jordan, the Bears, the Sox, Blackhawks...went to Wrigley, and Comiskey, went to the Jordan Museum, and touched Soldier Field(it was not in use, and i believe it was being renovated at the time)....

About the only thing I hated was the parking, and the traffic...:hi:

[tigereye]

99. stunning!

especially the lake, and the way that the city looks from the vantage point of the harbor. And all the art! It's a great city.

The other part was how friendly people were, even at the airport.

[Beausoir]

102. That is was just a big Fargo, ND.

Really. I loved Chicago. It's much more midwestern than I was expecting. Silly, I know, but I thought it would be more like New York.

It's beautiful, especially at night. The people were very nice. I've had some great times there.

[Midlodemocrat]

112. I loved it. I like most cities, actually.

I love the adventure of the visit. Some places I would rather not live, but I enjoy the visit.

Can't think of a single place I've visited that I have regretted, actually.

[schmuls]

114. My friend and I first visited when we were in high school (1969). It

is a vibrant city full of history, and an hour and a half by train. Too much stuff to do to cram into a day, though. I plan on visiting again on September 18th and hitting Devon Street, the Indian area, for shopping and dining as well as Water Tower Place.

[underpants]

115. Why do they have a gay football team?

:hide:

[Critters2]

116. Hehehe nt

[Susang]

119. We just had the Gay Games here

So you're partially correct. Only it was flag football. ;-)

http://www.gaygameschicago.org/

[BrightKnight]

124. Love at first sight

I moved there directly out of high school to attend college. I had never seen anything like it. I was awe struck. I fell immediately in love with the city. The longer I lived there the more I loved it. I would move there again in a heat beat if I did not have economic constraints.

Dallas is home.
I love San Diego and LA but not in the same way.

[xmas74]

129. Too young to remember the first time I saw Chicago.

I grew up just north of there in Kenosha. Chicago to me was just-Chicago. It was THE big city and everyone in my school had a sister, brother or cousin living there.

I can remember my first time at O'Hare. I was four and in awe of the place but scared at the same time.

[SOteric]

135. No comment.

[nemo137]

140. "Mom, can we move here?"

We were taking my sister to Children's Memorial when I was 7, and I was transfixed.

[BuelahWitch]

143. Been there three times. I love it

My first night there I saw the most beautiful sunset from my hotel window. It was February and I was facing the Lincoln Park Zoo and Lake Michigan further out. It was all pinks and purples. Just gorgeous.
I find the people there very nice too. If I had the money to live there i'd move.

[sendero]

148. I've only been there in the winter..

.. my impression was that it was fucking cold and damp :)

But no doubt, Chicago is awesome.

[celtdem]

152. It's okay, I guess

but I could never live there. Too much traffic and poor public transportation. I don't like to have to drive everywhere. You really have to in Chicago. They assume everyone has a car, so everyone has to have a car.

Not for me.

Hope that doesn't get me flamed.

[erinlough]

155. You should live in Michigan....

there is NO public transportation in my neck of the woods (and I do mean woods). When we go to Chicago (88 miles away) we take the train and only use public transportation. So I guess it makes a difference where you are coming from. I love Chicago.

[mitchum]

156. I absolutely loved it! I spent a couple of months living with a couple...

I knew. She was involved in the ballet world, and he was a professional wrestler. Needless to say, I hung out with an eclectic group of people there.
I also liked the size of the city and the friendliness of the people there.

[jane_pippin]

158. I was indifferent at first...

We had to go to visit grandparents there a few times a year and as a little kid I didn't like it. Cool skyline, games at Wrigley were fun, but a long car ride and too many people. Then as an adult I didn't really like it much because I never had fun when we went--I had to do what everyone else wanted to do, when they wanted to do it-- and we had to crash at someone's house who I didn't know but only after the afterbar full of more people I didn't know was over.

BUT

This summer I went again with a friend and had a great time. We stayed right downtown on Michigan Ave, went shopping, saw a kickass show, walked around near the art museum and Millenium Park (that's what it's called, right?) and I finally liked the place. A lot.

[fujiyama]

160. One of the my earlier memories

was going there on a field trip in fifth grade. I lost my camera at the field museum or the aquarium. I've been back a few times, but only once with a friend. I'd love to go back and check the bar scene sometime. I was there for New Year's a few years ago at Navy Pier. It was pretty damn cold, but I'm used to shitty weather being from MI.

NYC will always be my favorite big city. I had a great time in Boston and DC as well. SF is the most beautiful. But Boston seems to shut down way too early.

LA didn't do it for me, but I live near Detroit and don't care too much for it either. Chicago however has lost any exoticism though since I've been there several times. It's the cl;osest major city to me (I don't consider Detroit, Cleveland, and Cincinatti major).

[Ellen Forradalom]

162. Driving in through Gary

And the new house seemed awfully big.

It was 1967. I was four years old.

Didn't move away until this year, to Santa Barbara, CA--and that for a job. That's how much I loved it there.

[UTUSN]

163. From another end of the country

Never been there. So there was this sweet neighborhood bar, semi-rural. Customers parked our cars with the doors unlocked and windows open. So we got this waitress from Chi. Things were fine. Then she started immigrating her relatives, teenagers, nephews/sons/whatever. And our vehicles started losing da radios/whatever. Broken windows. Just sayin'.

[Tyo]

164. Hot and humid

It was in August and I was coming from Tokyo and I was really glad to be going to the US cuz I thought I would be able to escape the Japanese heat and humidity for a week or so but I'd only ever been to the West Coast before. Chicago was a nasty surprise. It was almost but not quite as bad as what I'd left. Other than that it was good. Nice people and cool buildings (I'm into architecture) and great beef but kind of a backwater in terms of the thinking.

[NuttyFluffers]

170. I could tell you my 1st impression of Tokyo

it was exactly what i expected, which i found later isn't all what tokyo is about. i expected a huge crush of buildings and people -- and was richly rewarded arriving there from the narita airport. unfortunately my friend and i eneded up taking the train straight into tokyo with little mental preparation. expectation is one thing, preparation is another. needless to say, arriving with all our luggage in tow being dropped off into the middle of shinjuku station at 9pm (or was it 10pm?) on a saturday night was a serious shock. we then ended up hauling our 4 pieces of luggage through a throng of thousands, literally, and ended up in the underground shopping strip in shinjuku. by then the shops were closed, but the tunnel went on and on and on... finally we went to the major hotel we thought was the right one, located in the very center of all those tall shinjuku buildings, only to find out that the name/company of the hotel moved. so our hotel was now at hamamatsucho, while we were in shinjuku.

ended up taking a taxi towards tokyo bay. had dinner in the hotel restaurant facing the bay and its big ferris wheel. it was a whirlwind of bewildering sights and sounds. it was, in retrospect, a delightful experience. the weather was.... ok. and considering it was the magical 2 weeks when all the sakura bloom, it was pretty, but i doubt the weather would have gotten any better. i'm spoiled with SF weather now, so things like humidity and cold are rather like personal affronts instead of livable annoyances. i always wondered why there isn't more major cities on the west coast of honshu. considering geography and meteorology the weather there should be much better.

by the way, i fell in love with tokyo by harajuku, ebisu, and shibuya. something about those areas just called me like i haven't been called in a long time. nagoya i fell in love with almost instantaneously. but my heart is still in san francisco... it's home. don't think that'll ever really change either.

[Tyo]

173. I know exactly what you're talking about

I lived in Tokyo for a few years and loved it, except for the weather. That's one of the reasons I was looking forward to Chicago (wrong!) Winters there are actually kind of nice, but that hot wet rainy season followed by that hot humid summer.... By that time I'd already become a spoiled West Coast boy so it took a while to adjust. Anyway, Shinjuku was my hangout, but I like Harajuku too. I can just see you guys in the middle of Shinjuku Station with all your stuff and the crowds swirling around you. Glad it worked out. That experience would send some people right back to the airport. I get to go back occasionally. I try to time my trips for the early spring or the fall though.

[pitohui]

165. i thought it was GREAT!

i heard all kinds of crime stories (we're talkin early 80s here) but i walked over the south side and no one hassled me

been back and never had a bad experience

if i could afford it no problem i'd move there in a heartbeat

[everythingsxen]

167. I was there once...

on a Greyhound bus trip from Florida to Seattle.

We were stuck in the bus terminal at Chicago for 3 days because the passes were closed.

I slept on the floor of the Chicago bus station for 3 days.

So, given that impression of Chicago. Not a fan.

[madrchsod]

168. i was a little kid when i first saw the city.

my folks went to olsen rug to by a really big wool carpet for our living room...i`ve been in love with the city for the last 50 some years. if i had a ton of money i`d be living where i could watch the sun come up over the lake...

[ForrestGump]

169. Not my kind of place

As I wrote elsewhere in the past day or so. Just didn't feel right. Very strongly not right. This was 21 years ago, though, so I'm willing to give it another try if I have reason to be thereabouts.

But I know it's not a place I would want to live, even if I enjoy a return visit. I'm not a big-city person, anyway (my background is largely rural, with a cosmopolitan twist), and the midwestern cities I've seen have pretty much left me cold (though some -- not Chicago, but cities in places like Nebraska and Iowa -- are far cleaner than most US cities, most US cities being pretty filthy). Same with the northeast, what little I have seen of it. Nice to visit, but I don't think I could live in Boston and there's no way I could live in NYC. Congestion and attitudes aside, I think maybe I'm just very averse to big gray cities. The smaller towns and cities in the northeast sound great, and I'd love to poke around there, but the BosNyWash urban corridor doesn't sound like the place for me (I like DC to visit, though, and got a job there that I turned down...I could live there, or thereabouts, pretty easily).

The larger US cities I love, like, or at least tolerate most favorably tend to be southern and western...places like Raleigh, NC, Atlanta, GA, Tallahassee, FL, Chattanooga, TN (okay..it's not so big...Memphis and Nashville have cool aspects, too), San Antonio, TX, Austin, TX, Albuquerque, NM, Tucson, AZ, Seattle, WA, San Francisco/Berkeley/etc, CA, and San Diego, CA. And, of course a long-term love-hate relationship with various parts and aspects of the megalopolis of Los Angeles. Las Vegas is fine for me for now, but there are some profoundly off-kilter aspects to the town (even though the tourist areas are nowadays just like any other corporate venture) and, in many respects, once you're off the Strip and away from Downtown it's very much like a less congested, less expensive, and non-smoggy Los Angeles suburb and I feel about it pretty much as I feel about LA.

When I was looking for academic jobs I essentially didn't apply for any -- even if I stumbled across an otherwise good fit -- based in places in which I didn't think I'd want to spend a decade or more. I pretty much avoided NYC, though I did apply to SUNY Stony Brook (out on Long Island) and a remote facility of Columbia University somewhere outside the city, and I never applied for anything in Chicago. One day I'll go back to Chicago and see what the passage of time has done to that town or to me, just in case we're now likely to get along better.

[sakabatou]

171. How many fuckin delays

must this airport have?!

[regnaD kciN]

172. Dangerous...!

The only time I've ever been there was in summer '79, on my way cross-country for graduate school. I stopped by to visit a couple of friends from college of whom the husband was studying at U. of Chicago, which meant that the only experience of the city I had was of the South Side. I swear...it was the only time in my life where I thought my car was going to be stripped while it was still moving. ;-)

[last_texas_dem]

177. Well, all I've really done is drive through it

en route to do some campaign work in Milwaukee. But here were my impressions/thoughts:

1) Hey, this is a heck of a lot nicer/easier to drive through than Houston. (And I hit it at rush hour, which makes it even odder. I'm sure Chicago has its share of horrible drivers, but my impression was they were in general much more subdued than in Houston.)
2) Should I be cheesy and listen to my Chicago (the band) and Smashing Pumpkins CDs while driving through their hometown? (I decided to be.)

But overall, my impression was more positive than negative of the biggest city I've ever been through. I think it would be too big of a city for me to live in myself (I think something about the size of Austin is tops; I'm directionally-challenged, and even smaller cities overwhelm me) but I'd like to actually visit it, beyond just getting out to fill up the tank, sometime.