When you're out of town and tell people you're from Chicago, what are their first comments of the Chi?

[8loody]

Originally Posted by pipedreams2

Again, here come the excuses...

Listen folks. I'm not the one with the image problem. Chicago is.

I'm simply answering the question and reiterating what I hear people say about Chicago all the time. Even Detroit receives more positive media exposure from around the world (in it's current state) than Chicago receives these days. Because Detroit is a tough city with loads of pride. Michigan and Detroit are constantly being referenced in the news for various reasons. But at least they're getting exposure. Sports, automotive, music, Pure Michigan, Detroit the good and bad. The Detroit region can't be all that bad because when Detroiter's make it, they stay in Michigan. When Chicagoan's make it, the hit the first thing smoking out of town and rarely return. This means Illinois is dysfunctional and undesirable. Plain and simple.

People from Michigan, New York and out West laugh at Chicago/Illinois because it's a cesspool pool of corruption and AGAIN all I'm hearing are excuses. I mean Chicago's ok. It's definitely not horrible and it's a great place to be for a few years but it's certainly not worth laying roots. I'd want my children to grow up in a stronger and more democratic society. A society that is more open minded and thinks more freely than here. I wouldn't raise a family in a city where people live under a dictatorship.

If Chicago wants the same level of respect as the other big cities then stop supporting the status-quo. Plain and simple. Otherwise, deal with being a mediocre big American city.

Notice, I chose Detroit as a comparison. Boston, San Fran, New York or D.C would be an unfair comparison.

New York is selling their parking meters to a private company.

[gee1000]

Originally Posted by Chicagoist123

TBH with the exception of arrogant New Yorkers, Chicago is well liked and well known on the East Coast.

I completely agree. I grew up in Lake County and I've lived in Washington, DC for about 11 years now. Everyone I meet here when they ask where I'm originally from (usually following the "What do you do?" question) and I say north of Chicago (I stopped saying just Chicago FWTW), they almost always say "I love that city" or "I have such a great time when I'm there". They are usually from around the country too, but I think, at least in DC, most people I have met here like to travel a lot and they have actually been to Chicago multiple times. The only somewhat negative comment I heard was someone who was working in Chi Mon-Fri then flying back to DC every weekend (which sounds horrible) and they were like "eh, it's ok". I would probably be the same way if I was anywhere working all the time and then flying back to my actual home though.

Bottom line, I think that if you've actually visited and seen what it's like, the usual stereotypes of Chicago (or really anywhere you can think of) is something you don't hear.

[PA Born]

Originally Posted by 8loody

New York is selling their parking meters to a private company.

No, they aren't. It was a proposal that was then rejected, because of the disaster in Chicago.

[Lucky Clover]

Originally Posted by PA Born

No, they aren't. It was a proposal that was then rejected, because of the disaster in Chicago.

Smart. I don't know why they proposed it in the first place.

[ChiNaan]

I had a first recently in a city in another part of the country. When I told a bartender I lived in Chicago, his first and only association, which he then wanted to talk about ad nauseum, was whirleyball.

[JPits312]

When I went to Europe I met a Brazilian. After telling him I was from Chicago he asked me, "Is that the state you´re from?"

He then asked me some of the awkward but funny "What it´s like to be an American questions" (Do you go to McDonalds all the time? What do you think of Obama? Have you driven Route 66?, etc.).

They also were all suprised when I told them that Route 66 starts in Chicago.

[cubssoxfan]

Their comments about ch(a)i quickly evolve into a discussion about tea
Discussions about Chicago involve Al Capone, Michael Jordan and the POTUS.

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by JPits312

They also were all suprised when I told them that Route 66 starts in Chicago.

Route 66 is a weird one...I heard my girlfriend (who's not from the US) and her friends talk about it. Then when I met her parents, they mentioned it too.