The June issue of Fast Company has this really cool write-up about how Chicago is it’s 2008 city of the year.
It basically says that Chicago’s past continues to be such a omnipresent part of it’s present, and thus, it’s future. I remember when I moved to this city and my grandmother mentioned that it was a great city because of it’s Midwestern values. I didn’t really know what she meant at the time, but I certainly know now. The article quotes a Chicagoan who says he “avoided L.A., because there they talked about whom they were going to play with; and he avoided New York, because there they talked about the projects they were going to do. In Chicago…they come to work — without regard for what others might think.” It’s almost like it stems from this inferiority complex, where the coastal cities get all the attention, which drives this very competitive undercurrent in Chicago.
Having returned from a week in New York at the end of April, I have found myself with a greater appreciation for this great city. New York was awe inspiring, and I at once felt as though I was at the center of the world and entirely small. But I also realized how much less accessible New York is compared to Chicago. Even making $60k a year would seem to render an individual a pauper if they were trying to live on the island of Manhattan. And despite there being a million cars on the streets at all times of the day, unlike Chicago, there’s nowhere to park. In Chicago, you can live very near to the cultural hubs of the city and not be required to spend every last dollar you earn to do so. If you have a car, it’s certainly very feasible to drive where you want to go. And if you prefer to not have a car in the city, it’s just as easy to get where you need to go without hassle. While Central Park was very nice, there’s just nothing like the miles upon miles of lakefront park to enjoy.
It’s great to be back home, in Chicago. It’s taken me a full week and a half to get back into a routine of normalcy. I went grocery shopping today for the first time in probably three weeks. And this weekend I don’t have to be anywhere in particular at any given time. This is a great city in which to live. Now that I’ve been to New York, it’s as though I can now see that Chicago doesn’t have to be this huge, sprawling and indifferent city. It’s a good city, with good people, who work hard every day. It’s no wonder that after the great fire of 1871, Chicago picked itself up, dusted itself off and rebuilt. It’s what we do. That past is who we are, and it’s who we’ll be.
