A few last random thoughts on my last trip to Chicago (Lincoln: how much, buy)

[MoItaly]

CHINESE
Last Friday night, walking around Michigan Ave at 11-midnight, at a certain point I told my wife "are we in Frisco, where are all the Americans?" I swear, for about ten minutes everybody we crossed was chinese or from east Asia! I sure don't rembemer that in 2009 and 2011. I am not saying it as a bad thing, noit at all, just a curious fact. Never seen so many Chinese people outside of a Chinatown.

SAD
We do have a few homeless people and people asking for charity money in the street here in So. Fla., but Chicago downtown is full of them! I alreaqdy noticed that in my previous trips, I guess the differencde was that this time it was 20-25 degrees...seeing all those people sitting in the street with that cold, well, that was sad.

IMPORTED FOOD SHOULD BE...IMPORTED FOOD
Those who know me here know that one of the things my wife and I enjoy in Chicago is the food and the possibiolity of getting authentic food from any part of the world. However itàs not just about cooking better. It is a fact that in Chicago we can find stuff that we donàt find in Florida when it comes to Italian food )oh, porchetta!!=. But there are imported things that are available down here...they just donàt taste right.
For instance, sometimes we buy here in West Palm the Prosciutto di Parma. That is Prosciutto imported from the city of Parma in Italy, right? It should taste the same as the Prosciutto di Parma in Chicago. But it doesn't!! Here it's, eh!, in Chicago the prosciutto of Bar Toma or Trattoria Trullo tastes just like the one in Italy, same consistency, color, taste.
How the hell does that happen? (which is why when we come back from Chicago we don't eat out for at least 2-3 weeks here).

I just used prosciutto as example, but it goes for many other products. Same name, apparently imported, but in CHicago they taste like in Venice (the one in Italy, not the one in FLorida...lol), here they just remind you of that taste, sometimes remotely.

I need to have a conversation with my deli guy down here and see what the heck is going on....

HOW MUCH IS THERE TO DO AND SEE IN CHICAGO?
Enough that even though we planned to go back to the Field Museum and the Art Institute after 4 years, in spite of my flu and the temperature in the 20's...we didn't make it. I mean, we just literally forgot about it! And it was cold and I love those two places. That's how much there is to see in Chicago.

THE PEOPLE
I read here many times threads on Chicago drivers, some threads on the acity attitude.....like I said in a previous post about other stuff, either I am the luckiest tourist in Chicago or it's all bull... Cars stop every time we approach to crsso the street, once I actually crossed just because, but it wasn't my intention, it's just that this car stopped while my wife and I were thinking where to go...and I wasn't even in the crossing zone.!
I already mentioned the amazing service we had in restaurants (at times I felt like rude because I wasn't promptly reacting to the conversation, but I was just getting caught off guard to be honest), but hey, the unthinkable....customer service at Walgreens!! We went to a downtown Walgreens looking for something for my flu, and a girl immediatelyt asked us what do we need? I mean, I am used to my Walgreens here where the cashier look at me like "B..ch! Move..I hate my job and I hate you!°.

And as for many who come here thinking of moving to Chicago and ask °is it difficult to get to know people in this town?" I don't know...I went to Chicago 4 times now since 2009, each time for a week of vacation, knowing nobody. Just visiting as tourists. W have exchanged names, phones and e-mail address with 4 Italians. an egyptian, an indian guy, a Romanian couple and two Americans.
If that's a city with an attitude, then I guess I just love attitude!

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by MoItaly

CHINESE
Last Friday night, walking around Michigan Ave at 11-midnight, at a certain point I told my wife "are we in Frisco, where are all the Americans?" I swear, for about ten minutes everybody we crossed was chinese or from east Asia! I sure don't rembemer that in 2009 and 2011. I am not saying it as a bad thing, noit at all, just a curious fact. Never seen so many Chinese people outside of a Chinatown.

It's funny you mention this, but I've noticed it too. I live a few blocks off Michigan Avenue and my building in the last year has seem a dramatic increase in the number of east Asian renters. I have noticed in my morning commute a lot more of that too waiting for the train, and just walking around. In your segregation thread, I posted some numbers, but there are some Census tracts in Streeterville and River North which are 15-20% Asian. The one near me in Gold Coast is around 10%, as of 2010, and I think the one in Lakeshore East just south of the river/Streeterville is like 17%.

I honestly think those numbers in the Near North Side is more. Asians are the fastest growing group in Chicago. Though the population of Chicago decreased 7% last census, the Asian population in the city grew 17% (this also includes middle easterners and south Asians/Indians). From dating an Asian girl recently for a long time, I've come to know that a lot of them are going to Midwestern colleges and end up visiting Chicago quite a bit on vacation/long weekends. They become quite familiar with it and love partying here. After they finish their school (undergrad or grad), they have an easier time finding jobs. I think a lot of them, and this goes for many young people with good paying jobs, want to kind of live it up in the big city, so they choose to live downtown. A friend of mine was in town this weekend and a few of his friends from Nebraska, which is not a quick drive like western Michigan or Wisconsin is, grad students were in town and remarked they've done the trip a handful of times this year which is 8-10 hours each way driving.

I also don't know if this is demand or a little bit of a changing demographic, but in the last few months alone, Asian Tapas, Korean, and Asian Street Food place has opened up between Belmont and Wrigley Field, and another Ramen/Korean place in Lincoln Park.

SAD
We do have a few homeless people and people asking for charity money in the street here in So. Fla., but Chicago downtown is full of them! I alreaqdy noticed that in my previous trips, I guess the differencde was that this time it was 20-25 degrees...seeing all those people sitting in the street with that cold, well, that was sad.

It is really sad. When I first moved here, I felt really sad and they really do descend upon downtown because it's richer, more tourists, etc. Tourists especially will "fall for it" (not saying they're liars or not). I was on the train this weekend and a guy asked this tourist family for money. The tourist looked really uncomfortable, got out his wallet and paid up. It's funny because there was another homeless guy there kind of looking on with a look on his face like "come on man..don't do that."

It's hard because you can't appease everyone (unless you're rich). Some of them are legitimately trying to get out of a hole while others have a habit. There's a guy who sells those magazines outside of my office everyday, and I'll buy him a sandwich sometimes, and he's very, very grateful.

IMPORTED FOOD SHOULD BE...IMPORTED FOOD
Those who know me here know that one of the things my wife and I enjoy in Chicago is the food and the possibiolity of getting authentic food from any part of the world. However itàs not just about cooking better. It is a fact that in Chicago we can find stuff that we donàt find in Florida when it comes to Italian food )oh, porchetta!!=. But there are imported things that are available down here...they just donàt taste right.

How the hell does that happen? (which is why when we come back from Chicago we don't eat out for at least 2-3 weeks here).

That's interesting. Yeah, Chicago has a large Italian/Italian descendent population at around 500,000, so I think that's why. I don't think all the Italian grandmas would put up with bull**** products. That's my take on it

But hey, the unthinkable....customer service at Walgreens!! We went to a downtown Walgreens looking for something for my flu, and a girl immediatelyt asked us what do we need? I mean, I am used to my Walgreens here where the cashier look at me like "B..ch! Move..I hate my job and I hate you!°.

LOL. All trying to make their money and not get fired

[jdiddy]

Originally Posted by marothisu

I

That's interesting. Yeah, Chicago has a large Italian/Italian descendent population at around 500,000, so I think that's why. I don't think all the Italian grandmas would put up with bull**** products. That's my take on it

I think it has more to do with Mo living in Florida - where people and taste go to die.

[Attrill]

Originally Posted by MoItaly

CHINESE

IMPORTED FOOD SHOULD BE...IMPORTED FOOD

For instance, sometimes we buy here in West Palm the Prosciutto di Parma. That is Prosciutto imported from the city of Parma in Italy, right? It should taste the same as the Prosciutto di Parma in Chicago. But it doesn't!! Here it's, eh!, in Chicago the prosciutto of Bar Toma or Trattoria Trullo tastes just like the one in Italy, same consistency, color, taste.
How the hell does that happen? (which is why when we come back from Chicago we don't eat out for at least 2-3 weeks here).

I just used prosciutto as example, but it goes for many other products. Same name, apparently imported, but in CHicago they taste like in Venice (the one in Italy, not the one in FLorida...lol), here they just remind you of that taste, sometimes remotely.

I need to have a conversation with my deli guy down here and see what the heck is going on....

A lot of European food importers are based in the Chicago area, I think the competition bumps up the quality. Having a large customer base that has come to expect good quality also helps quite a bit as well.

On the flip side, there are some things that are hard to find in Chicago - like decent bread to make a proper Cubano sandwich.