I am a Chicagoan. Born and bred. I grew up on the northwest side, attended high school in the suburbs, left the state for college and moved back. I love this city and am raising my two daughters here. So I can appreciate it when pictures like this are posted.
It’s also nice to see things like this.
So let me add my two cents as a native to this Quora discussion.
Here are my thoughts as a native Chicagoan.
Like one post says, “Chicago is the most American of cities.” I think this is largely true. We’re more diverse than you might think and we bristle at the idea that people from either coast think of us as “flyover country.” We also don’t compare ourselves with other cities in the Midwest. There’s a reason why we have the moniker “the Second City.”
That said, we’re second to none in a few things that matter. Food. Beside pizza, which is our specialty, our street food can’t be beat. Where else can you get a decent Italian beef or hot dog? This is the everyday stuff. Sure, we have the James Beard winners, Grant Achatz and Stephanie Izard and Rick Bayless of the world are here too, but I guarantee that’s not what most of us are eating. And yet people are surprised.
We’ve got world-class architecture, art and music to boot – in these categories we really are second to none. And yet people are surprised.
Sure, our Midwest work ethic and family ties keep us here, but I suspect the same in New York, San Francisco and L.A. Just not in SoHo or Park Slope or Haight-Asbury or Hollywood.
Beside the weather, the Midwest pleasantries, the work ethic and pizza, I’ll tell you what differences are important – and unique – to Chicago. It’s our fear. Of never being quite good enough. Of knowing that we have some of the best things in our city that the world has to offer and wondering if it’s enough for the New Yorker or Angeleno or San Franciscan. It’s never taking the city for granted – knowing that we don’t have great weather, we’re not the capital of the nation’s media and finance or culture. It’s our hard work that continually strives to build and to better our city. I think you find this ethos more strongly in Chicago than in most other places.
