by tbone on Mon Aug 24, 2009 6:01 pm
I gotta go with:
1. Chicago
2. NYC
3. LA
I am partial to Chicago, admittedly, since I grew up around here and it was kind of the default/logical/easy choice when I wanted to make the move to a big city upon reaching adulthood. But whenever I have visited anywhere else and attempted to look at it as a possible place to move someday, there's always something about it that doesn't compare to Chicago. Sure, we have some long, horrible winters, but my theory is that if it weren't for those, and specifically, the month of February here, the worst of the complainers would have no reason to get the hell out of our fair city. 10 million people would live here. Traffic's already horrible--I can't imagine what it would be like if millions more moved here because they weren't deterred by rough winters.
I'm just so used to the weather around here that it never reaches the "I need to get the fuck away from this" level of annoyance. Sure it isn't fun waiting on an exposed Blue Line platform when the trains are inevitably delayed on the coldest days of the year, but that's why man invented winter clothing. Wear some long johns and cover your damn ears, and shut the fuck up about it being cold. Also, after the first few days of that in December or maybe January if you're lucky, you're steeled for the rest of the winter. Then, when it hits 70 for the first time in, say, April, it's like HELLO BOOBS.
Honestly I'm moreso annoyed by the political corruption and mafia-like police force than the weather. Those reasons would force me out well before the weather would.
Other great things about Chicago:
- We're in the middle of the country, and we're a huge city. Every touring band, comedian, whatever, always hits Chicago on tour.
- You can afford to live here. You can afford to buy a place here in a neighborhood where you probably won't get killed much more easily than most enormous cities.
- Our museums are top notch
- Free outdoor movies and music at Millenium Park during the summer. As documented in great detail on this forum, Shellac played one of these this year.
- As much as the public trans can be a pain in the ass and kinda dirty, it's actually very easy to get almost anywhere in this city, and comparatively cheap. Flat rate of $2.25 to go all the way from O'Hare to the loop and out to Midway via the el. (As long as you don't get out and do something along the way).
- Hot Dougs, Kuma's corner. Fancy fine dining all over the place. Cheap as hell but amazingly delicious neighborhood restaurants.
- Neighborhood bars with Old Style signs everywhere.
NYC is a fun place to visit. Everyone knows someone that lives there. Too expensive for my tastes, and too big. Chicago's fucking big, but NYC is just a whole 'nother level. LA I admit that I've never been to, unless you count waiting in LAX for a connecting flight for an hour. But from everything I've ever heard about it, it doesn't seem to appeal to me. At all.