If you like this, THEN move to Chicago... (Joliet, Elgin: best cities, home)

[mozartmama]

1. WIND< WIND< WIND, dark months all winter, no sun, just rain.
Summers humid, beaches to few and crowded, no parking.
2. Burbs, it is not a city, it is Burb land. The few strips of street are empty by 5pm, everyone goes home to the burbs.
3. Only a couple of night places, if you are lucky to find parking, and can get in.
4. People nice if you get to talk or see them, they are either covered up by clothing, scarfs, umbrellas, or running from a/c to a/c buildings in the summer.
5. No one would visit you, even if they have a stop over, there is no reason to, nothing to do.
6. Drive everywhere, the metro is only a teaser for a few places....
7. Traffic!
Better off living in a burb, or move to a real city.

[j33]

What on earth are you talking about?

[Drover]

You must have posted in the wrong forum lady, because that doesn't remotely begin to describe the city I live in. It would take hours to enumerate the ways in which you're wrong. So I'll simply note that someone who believes that there is nothing to do in one of the most economically and culturally influential, comsopolitan cities on Earth must have a stunning lack of imagination and/or zero sense of adventure. And in any case, we don't wander onto your city's forum and talk smack so we'd appreciate the same courtesy.

What is it lately with people who come in and post just to start sh*t and don't actually have anything constructive to contribute? It's an epidemic. A whole thread just got yanked from the Illinois forum, a flamer is working her way through the Wisconsin threads right now, and the Pittsburgh forum damn near reached a meltdown.

[j33]

Drunk nativists, that is my theory

[cdrobert]

its the seasonal depression

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by mozartmama

1. WIND< WIND< WIND, dark months all winter, no sun, just rain.
Summers humid, beaches to few and crowded, no parking.
2. Burbs, it is not a city, it is Burb land. The few strips of street are empty by 5pm, everyone goes home to the burbs.
3. Only a couple of night places, if you are lucky to find parking, and can get in.
4. People nice if you get to talk or see them, they are either covered up by clothing, scarfs, umbrellas, or running from a/c to a/c buildings in the summer.
5. No one would visit you, even if they have a stop over, there is no reason to, nothing to do.
6. Drive everywhere, the metro is only a teaser for a few places....
7. Traffic!
Better off living in a burb, or move to a real city.

1. WIND? We're not even the windiest city in the country! And most people like wind, its better than stale air. Dark all winter? Hardly. Almost every morning I drive to work into the blinding sunshine, hardly a cloud in the sky. Usually its only cloudy for a short period and its NEVER constant.
2. Lots of burbs, yes. Only burbs? Pfft. Hardly. Anyone who has a brain knows that Chicago is hardly only suburbs.
3. Depends on the neighborhood. Overall Chicago has fantastic nightlife. Everyone knows that.
4. Thats just rediculous to say. Ive yet to even need to wear a hat this winter, or most winters. I dont wear scarves nor boots. I do use an umbrella when it rains (which Chicago is not even close to being a RAINY city), but who doesnt? Summer? I spend every waking minute outside. Im not some weenie A/C lover like most lazy Americans. You want to talk about A/C? Go to Miami, Phoenix or Las Vegas. You dont know HEAT until youve been to those places in the summer.
5. Riiiiiight. Chicago draws tens of millions of visitors per year and is often considered one of the best cities to visit. Ive YET to meet someone who came here and didnt love it.
6. Only in the suburbs do you really have to drive everywhere, but its like that in all suburbs in all cities pretty much. Chicago has the El, Metra, CTA buses, taxis, subways. If you live near or in downtown, you never have to own a car.
7. Traffic does suck, but thats because there are 8 million people in a small area. The volume of people just goes to show that its a desirable area to live.

I DO live in the burbs, have all my life. But I also spend LOTS of time in the city each year because I love it. Find me a more REAL city than Chicago and Ill throw you a cardboard cookie.

[cdrobert]

Originally Posted by Steve-o

1. WIND? We're not even the windiest city in the country! And most people like wind, its better than stale air. Dark all winter? Hardly. Almost every morning I drive to work into the blinding sunshine, hardly a cloud in the sky. Usually its only cloudy for a short period and its NEVER constant.
2. Lots of burbs, yes. Only burbs? Pfft. Hardly. Anyone who has a brain knows that Chicago is hardly only suburbs.
3. Depends on the neighborhood. Overall Chicago has fantastic nightlife. Everyone knows that.
4. Thats just rediculous to say. Ive yet to even need to wear a hat this winter, or most winters. I dont wear scarves nor boots. I do use an umbrella when it rains (which Chicago is not even close to being a RAINY city), but who doesnt? Summer? I spend every waking minute outside. Im not some weenie A/C lover like most lazy Americans. You want to talk about A/C? Go to Miami, Phoenix or Las Vegas. You dont know HEAT until youve been to those places in the summer.
5. Riiiiiight. Chicago draws tens of millions of visitors per year and is often considered one of the best cities to visit. Ive YET to meet someone who came here and didnt love it.
6. Only in the suburbs do you really have to drive everywhere, but its like that in all suburbs in all cities pretty much. Chicago has the El, Metra, CTA buses, taxis, subways. If you live near or in downtown, you never have to own a car.
7. Traffic does suck, but thats because there are 8 million people in a small area. The volume of people just goes to show that its a desirable area to live.

I DO live in the burbs, have all my life. But I also spend LOTS of time in the city each year because I love it. Find me a more REAL city than Chicago and Ill throw you a cardboard cookie.

The reason you dont wear a hat is because global warming is real. The 1990's were the hottest decade on record. 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, are the top four hottest years on the globe ever recorded. This winter feels good huh? Wait till the summer...its going to be a scorcher

[Steve-o]

Well, winter felt good so far, until next monday. High is 13, low 7. Where did that "warming" go?????? UGH! Rest of that week looks awful too. Global warming? Explain snow in Tuscon, repeated blizzards in Denver, 26" of snow in Albuquerque, snow here in October! Looks to be cooling off if you ask me. Even ocean temps are dropping as well. No denying it hasnt been warm, but I think its a cycle. I remember the coldest winters of my life were 93-95, one day was -50 below with the windchill. My stupid Chevy Cavalier never started when it was below freezing, and those 3 winters I was left stranded MANY times.

[legend999]

Moderator cut: personal - off topic I'm 27 years old and have lived in chicago since I was 5 years old. A real city. It doesn't get much realer than chicago. People have written books on this. Check anything by Alex Kotlowitz. Do your homework. The suburbs in many instances are an extension of the city. Cross the street into berwyn, cicero, south evanston, dolton, elmwood park, etc..tell me if you can notice a difference. Unlike LA, which is like one giant suburb, chicago is urban in every sense of the word even way out into the suburbs and rust belt cities such as Joliet, Waukegan, Harvey, Elgin..Walk through neighborhoods. Maybe people just don't want to talk to you. The public transit has problems but is still superior to 90% of other cities. You can take over 20 different train lines, 50 different bus lines, and get out to any suburb or city locale for the most part. Even though there's been a national "yuppification" trend, chicago is still realer (for lack of a better word) than any other city. From it's blue collar reputation, to cosmopolitan population, to superior skyline, bricks and bungalows, greystones, alleyways, the food and liquor stores, the projects, the tearing down of the projects, the puerto rican flag on Division, the indian and pakistani joints on Devon, Chinatown, the almost perfectly integrated Rogers Park community, bronzeville, policy kings, packingtown, maxwell street, the birthplace of the largest gang nation, old time hoods and gangsters, cops that are gangsters, gambling, prostitution, the cubs, the sox, the bulls, the bears, the good, the bad, the indifferent. Moderator cut: personal insults

[Steve-o]

HEY!!!!!!!

You forgot the Blackhawks.