Ok, I moved to Chicago 2 years ago from New York, and Chicago is a GREAT city. It's clean, it's friendly, it's fun, and it's bountiful and generous in every way. In fact, if i wanted to take someone who has never been to the US to a great American city, I would take them either to Chicago or San Fransisco before New York.
BUT...the one really really annoying thing about Chicago is its "second city" inferiority complex. Chicago and Chicagoans are always competing with New York. And it make them look ridiculous.
When my wife and I first moved here, we went to a restaurant and somehow the topic of us just moving here came up with our server.
"Where are you from?" she asked. "New York City" we said.
"Oh" she said "You've come from one world class city to another". Then she turned on her heel and walked away.
My wife and I looked at each other and both shook our heads at the same time. What the hell could be more pathetic than someone feeling the need to say this?
Anyway, here is a news flash for anyone from Chicago who has pride in their (our) excellent city - You are not New York. You never will be New York, you don't even want or need to be New York, and you definitely do not need to compete with New York.
New York is famous and exciting and the center of many things for the entire world like finance, fashion, media, and art. And it is the home of the UN's headquarters, so it also in some way is the political center of the world.
It is also overcrowded, noisy, filthy and basically unlivable unless you have a lot of money or you are young and your ambition is so raw and strong that you are willing to live in a shoe box with roaches and 5 room mates while you pursue your dreams.
Chicago on the other hand is a great place to live where everyone can afford very decent housing. There are supermarkets in the middle of the city. You can walk down streets where there are no other people, and those streets are clean and wide. The people are polite and civil and human towards each other. The architecture is amazing. There are a ton of start-ups and innovative companies. There is great art here, not to mention of course theater and especially comedy, for which Chicago is nationally renowned. the president of the US is from Chicago, and he and his wife come here all the time. There is a lot to be proud of.
But stop competing with New York. Believe me, no one in New York is competing with you. In fact, most New Yorkers have never been to Chicago and do not have even the slightest idea of what exists here or even what Chicago looks like.
Here is a buzzfeed feature that had to have been written by someone from Chicago. It is, in my mind, totally pathetic and unnecessary (and don't say to yourself "yeah, just like this thread Namtor" - see, i know what you're thinking...)
Anywho...
http://www.buzzfeed.com/h2/sheb/inteliq/10-things-new-york-and-chicago-are-neck-and-neck-in
and yes, i realize the buzzfeed thing is a promotion for something, i'm just pretending it was written by some pathetic Chicago partisan
Jess runs for bacon
Did you ever see the movie run for your life? That reminds me of this.
God I'm so glad you were able to somehow tie this into running Lilac. I love you!
the president of the US is from Chicago
I thought the president is from Kenya?
Dave
He was born in Kenya and indoctrinated as a Muslim in Indonesia, but he moved to Chicago as a young adult as part of his development into the anti-Christ. So he and many others consider Chicago his home town
Village people
Silly people, everyone knows that Boston is the best city.
Hip Redux
True dat. Boston has no desire to be like NYC. In fact, that might be considered an insult.
So he and many others consider Chicago his home town
Not included among those are Lincoln & Reagan, the other two presidents that buzzfeed indicates are from Chicago. Both spent time in Illinois, but neither ever lived anywhere near Chicago. And as either a Chicagoan or a non-Chicago Illinoisian will tell you, that is a big difference
Which of the many fine universities in the Boston area is the Oski mascot associated with?
Skirt Runner
I live in NYC (been here a little over 3 years, was raised in NJ) and I traveled to Chicago last summer with 2 girlfriends who were born and raised in NYC who have not done much traveling to other American cities (this seems to be common in native NYC residents I am finding as I live here). The 3 of us were incredibly, incredibly impressed by Chicago. Compared to NYC we found it much MUCH cleaner, more affordable, the people a MILLION times nicer....it was an incredibly pleasant experience and we are all eager to return someday. Chicago shouldn't have an inferiority complex....and even though I love NYC, NYC needs to get over its superiority complex.
PRs: 5K- 28:16 (5/5/13) 10K- 1:00:13 (10/27/13) 4M- 41:43 (9/7/13) 15K- 1:34:25 (8/17/13) 10M- 1:56:30 (4/6/14) HM- 2:20:16 (4/13/14) Full- 5:55:33 (11/1/15)
I started a blog about running :) Check it out if you care to
Looks like Cailfornia, to me.
Correct! UC Berkeley.
I did go to school in MA though. But that mascot is far less interesting.
Yeah I was being sarcastic. As if Boston is a great city, but you had to leave to go to school in CA. Because Boston is not known as much of a college town.
I went to school in Boston, lived in Berkeley for a few years. :P Didn't go to school there. Keep up, man.