Step inside a mall in San Diego and you might just as easily be walking through a Philadelphia shopping center. Likewise, many cities around the country are so similar that I often have to stop and remind myself where I am. But every once in a while I visit a city that stands out from the rest, a city that has a powerful personality. Chicago is one such city.

Chicago Skyline from the Adler Planetarium

With each visit, I have become more impressed by this awesome city. But during my most recent visit I began to wonder, “What makes this town so special? What defines its powerful personality? How has Chicago succeeded in distinguishing itself from the faceless masses of other large cities across this country?” Certainly its extensive cultural opportunities, diverse ethnicity, and unique architecture are all factors to consider. But many of these same elements are found in other cities. For an answer, I had to dig into Chicago’s history. Read the rest of this entry »

Although I was born and raised in Chicago, I left the moment I was old enough to be on my own. I couldn’t wait to get out of the city; I wanted nothing to do with it. Over the years I moved frequently, always choosing fairly remote areas. Several years ago, however, I started to miss the kind of cultural opportunities that only cities can provide and, following a two-year long search, moved to Sarasota, Florida.

Jersey Boys theater marquee

While I like Sarasota – it’s a delightful mid-size city with a strong arts and culture community – I find I am more and more drawn to the big cities, and so I was really looking forward to my annual holiday trip to visit my family in the greater Chicagoland area. I had plans. I wanted to go to the blues clubs and the comedy clubs. I wanted to attend the theater in Chicago’s Loop. I wanted to walk around the incredible new Millennium Park on Michigan Avenue. I contemplated walking the Magnificent Mile on north Michigan Avenue and hoped to visit the world class Museum of Science and Industry, Field Museum, Art Institute, Shedd Aquarium, and Palomar Observatory. I had everything figured out. Everything, that is, except the weather.

Since my arrival on December 15th, we’ve suffered freezing rain, ice storms, multiple snowstorms, 45 mile per hour winds, and a week-long stint of sub-zero temperatures. With my departure looming, my two sisters, my niece, and I decided to take the train into the Loop to see Jersey Boys. We arrived in the city by 8 a.m. and stood in line to buy one of ten $25 front row seats that are released each morning for that day’s matinee and evening performances. Since we were waiting outside for two hours in 28 degree temperatures, we were chilled to the bone by the time the doors opened, but because we were first in line we got front row center seats. Read the rest of this entry »