Bryan W. Alaspa 1Surviving Chicago
August 17th 2009 13:15
Chicago is an interesting city to live in. A lot of people who are not from here naturally don’t really know what to make of this town. Most people seem to think that the city is underneath a glacier, for the most part. I have had conversations with people who, as soon as I mention I am from Chicago, they say, “ooh, too cold!” If this conversation is taking part in July I often turn around and look outside the window at the blazing sun and yellowish stagnant air and wonder what they think about this city.
The thing is that even in winter things are not really that bad. Yes, it does get cold during the winter here and we do end up with a lot of snow sometimes, but most winters are not really as bad as they have been the last couple of years. For example, there have been times when the temps were in the 50s even in December. Granted, last year Thanksgiving came and it started to snow and got freezing cold and didn’t let up until about June.
You can survive the winter, though, if you are prepared for it. For example, you have to appreciate how beautiful the city gets when it snows. It looks clean and it looks pure. Then, when the sky clears the sky is a bluer blue than anything you will ever see during the summer. I personally find it harder to live here in the summer than in the fall and winter.
For my money the best time of year is Fall around here. The leaves are gorgeous and you just need to travel a little bit out of the city and you can see trees with colors that you will remember for the rest of your life. There is nothing better than going for a walk during the Fall, wearing a light jacket and enjoying the cool breeze.
The downtown area it not like in other cities. First of all, you will not have to worry so much about roaches like you will in New York. In Manhattan they have no alleys so if you are out walking around the city long enough you will see people just depositing a days worth of garbage on the curbs. Before too long you are walking along sidewalks with buildings on one side and a mountain of garbage on the other side. Then, in the middle there is an army of cockroaches, all walking along as if they own the place. Chicago was designed with alleys, so you have dumpsters and the garbage gets placed there where they should be.
The north side of town is where the Cubs play. The south side of town tends to have a reputation for being more working class and it’s where the White Sox play. Both sides have bars, restaurants and places to visit. It all depends on how into history you are.
Chicago, in general, has nice people. Yes, the cab drivers are a little crazy here, but they are nothing like in other cities. While you might find yourself dodging out of the way of cabs here in Chicago, it is unlikely the cab driver was aiming for you like they seem to do in New York. They are just likely talking on their cell phone, loudly, in a foreign language.
All in all, this is a very friendly city. It is, for being as large as it is, a clean city. People seem willing to help and get you where you need to go. And no matter what time of year you visit, you’ll still be able to enjoy one of the greatest cities in the world.
The thing is that even in winter things are not really that bad. Yes, it does get cold during the winter here and we do end up with a lot of snow sometimes, but most winters are not really as bad as they have been the last couple of years. For example, there have been times when the temps were in the 50s even in December. Granted, last year Thanksgiving came and it started to snow and got freezing cold and didn’t let up until about June.
You can survive the winter, though, if you are prepared for it. For example, you have to appreciate how beautiful the city gets when it snows. It looks clean and it looks pure. Then, when the sky clears the sky is a bluer blue than anything you will ever see during the summer. I personally find it harder to live here in the summer than in the fall and winter.
For my money the best time of year is Fall around here. The leaves are gorgeous and you just need to travel a little bit out of the city and you can see trees with colors that you will remember for the rest of your life. There is nothing better than going for a walk during the Fall, wearing a light jacket and enjoying the cool breeze.
The downtown area it not like in other cities. First of all, you will not have to worry so much about roaches like you will in New York. In Manhattan they have no alleys so if you are out walking around the city long enough you will see people just depositing a days worth of garbage on the curbs. Before too long you are walking along sidewalks with buildings on one side and a mountain of garbage on the other side. Then, in the middle there is an army of cockroaches, all walking along as if they own the place. Chicago was designed with alleys, so you have dumpsters and the garbage gets placed there where they should be.
The north side of town is where the Cubs play. The south side of town tends to have a reputation for being more working class and it’s where the White Sox play. Both sides have bars, restaurants and places to visit. It all depends on how into history you are.
Chicago, in general, has nice people. Yes, the cab drivers are a little crazy here, but they are nothing like in other cities. While you might find yourself dodging out of the way of cabs here in Chicago, it is unlikely the cab driver was aiming for you like they seem to do in New York. They are just likely talking on their cell phone, loudly, in a foreign language.
All in all, this is a very friendly city. It is, for being as large as it is, a clean city. People seem willing to help and get you where you need to go. And no matter what time of year you visit, you’ll still be able to enjoy one of the greatest cities in the world.
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