I live in the land of snowbirds and ran across a car parked in the Wally World lot today with a bumper sticker that read: "I miss Chicago ."
So, I broke out a window, stole the radio, shot out two of the tires, added an Obama bumper sticker and left a note that read:
"I hope this helps!"
Chicago sucks. Everybody knows it.
'Cept Oprah.
Wow. Thump knows intimate details about oprah. Who saw that coming?
They had 20 shootings yesterday! Only a couple bought the farm. The town is one big dabacle!
#2 lived there for 7 years about 10 years ago, we visited him about once a year, like any big city there are good places to go and places you wouldn't dare to enter. During at least 3 different visits I'd wake up at night to the sound of gun shots even though he lived in the better part of town. It's a great city if you know where not to go.
As a kid in HS and College, Chicago was about a 4 hour drive from home, we've been know to drive there, party and be back to work the next day, but back in the 60's it was a differnt city, just like Detroit was.
Today I know I'd never go to Detroit and I doubt I'd go back to Chi-town either.
The older I get, the better I was. I also forget my password and have to have Len reset it for me
Yep, that's true Bubba. ANY town has it's bad areas, but you normally only hear about them in the big cities. I've been to Chicago a few times (the "good" areas) and I have to admit, it's a nice and fun city. I have a half-brother who went to school there (lived in Seattle) and fell in love with the place. He decided to stay once he graduated, met a gal, got married, has a great job and you'd have to REALLY twist his arm to get him to leave.
When I lived in L.A. I had an old buddy I grew up with here in Florida who came out to spend a week or so with us. It was the first time he'd ever been out of the State of Florida (unbelievable, I know). He was amazed and fell in love with L.A. When he first arrived he expected to see gunfights in the streets, drug addicts on the street corners and have his car tagged with gang graffiti by time he was ready to come home. He asked me where all that crap is and I told him I have no clue, but I'm sure I could find out if he wanted to take a little drive.
Miami? Heck, it's one of the most glamorous cities in the country ... but has areas that resemble downtown Ramadi.
I doubt many decent sized cities (and some very small ones) can claim a totally clean bill of health.
But that doesn't mean it's not fun to pick on places like Chicago!
I've spent quite a bit of time in Chicago as well, in the burbs, spent a lot of time downtown, ridden the El over half of creation there, have taken the drunken tour of Rush Street a few times, listened to blues in the basement bars of a few buildings, and done the whole Michigan Ave thing. Hell, I even got my car towed by the Lincoln Park Pirates once. I like Chicago kind of the same way I like NYC. Its an awesome place to visit, but its just too damned big for my taste. the food there is hands down some of the best food in America though. any time I'm there, I GOTTA have me an Italian beef and some homemade fries. I also ate one of the best steaks in the universe there once at a place called the Black Ram that had a lot of people in it that closely resembled Tony Soprano.
I'd go spend a weekend there in a heartbeat.
BKB
Not saying I'd want to live there, but I've always had an awesome time when I've visited. Lots to do and very friendly people.
"When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro." Raoul Duke
The one notable exception being the Cubs and their fans!
BKB
Yeppers. I'd have to agree. I've never had a bad experience in Chicago and enjoyed the visit each time ... BUT, I wouldn't want to live in ANY northern area. The weather is GREAT for a couple months out of the year ... but I like my sunshine!
Same for New York City ... probably one of the greatest places on earth to VISIT! I've probably been there (and did MORE than my share of partying) about 20 times years ago. Heck, it was our "go-to" party place when I lived in Boston. BUT ... in later years I learned what a TRUE and TOTAL nightmare is and it wasn't so much fun anymore ... try driving a frigging semi truck in downtown New York City! At least we were limited to a 55' total length (as opposed to the usual 70') which helped a lot .... NOT!
I enjoyed Boston for the history of the place. That Faneuil Hall place is one of the coolest places I've ever been. Horrible city to drive in, and that tunnel from Logan to Boston must have a helluva bilge pump somewhere cause it leak like a seive.
BKB
Ha! I was introduced to "traffic circles" for the first time when I first got to Boston. Those can be tons of fun when you have no idea where you're going in the first place!
Yep, you'd be hard-pressed to find a city with more history than Boston. I probably saw everything there was to see there. In fact, I have pics of Faneuil Hall here someplace. My normal hang-out was around the Commons. I was also known to frequent Joe Namath's joint more than a few times. In those days (believe it or not) I was a dead ringer for ol' Broadway Joe hisowndamnself! I couldn't tell you how many times I walked in and half the patrons thought I was Joe. I had an old pic that was taken while I was on Spring Break with my college sweetheart. It was taken in our motel room and I was sitting on the edge of the bed with a drink in my hand. It looked EXACTLY like Joe Namath! When I got back to school, I showed it to friends (WHO KNEW ME!) and told them we'd stayed in the same hotel with Joe and partied with him. They fell for it every time and I'd finally have to convince them it was me in the pic. I'd love to have that old pic back, but the girlfriend ended up with it and she passed away from breast cancer 20+ years ago.
Our city is building "traffic circles" right and left. Mayor's wife went to Boston or San Fran or some godforsaken place and loved 'em, and so.........we now have 'em! Big trucks laying on their side every other day.
I still want on my tombstone "He never ate a whole bagel, and he never went to New York City".
Been to Wrigley when my son had his face surgery by the famous guy.....(why HE lived in Chicago always amazed me!!??!!)......and walked around. Way too many people, few of 'em are real, no thanks. But the History Channel show that showed how Chicago came to be was really interesting..........and even more reason to not go.
WARNING - Due to the rising costs of ammunition, warning shots will no longer be given.
Hey bucky, did you see where the Cubs might leave Wrigley? That'd just be a travesty for baseball. Milwaukee might be the new Cubs of the modern era, them with their fans getting their hopes up every year and hero worshipping a friggin' cheater like they do. But the Cubbies need to lose at Wrigley every year so the baseball gods are kept happy.
BKB
Rickett is pulling a Sun Yun Mun None and threatening to move if they don't give him a billion dollar scoreboard (that'll probably block Waveland Avenue Free Seats, I'm betting)...........he couldn't leave, or the mob would kill him.
WARNING - Due to the rising costs of ammunition, warning shots will no longer be given.
I'd like to go see a game there some time, just to go see it. Steve Goodman wrote a heck of a cool little song about Cub fans called 'A Cubs Fan's Dying Request'.
BKB
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