We recently moved away from Chicago and in spite of it being January, I'm feeling nostalgic. I've lived in the Uptown, Andersonville and Edgewater neighborhoods, so this list has a definite north side bent, but here is what I miss most about Chicago:
Running along Lake Michigan
The courtyard at Fourth Presbyterian Church across the street from the Hancock building
Chai milkshakes at Kopi Cafe in Andersonville
How excited adults get about the Holiday Train
Artopolis Bakery and Cafe in Greektown
Chinatown: Lao Sichuan, hot soy milk, Pui Tak, Pho
The best view in the city being from the women's bathroom on the second-to-last-floor of the Hancock building
Museums of all kinds
Myopic used book store in Wicker Park
Being able to walk anywhere
Taking the water taxi
Eavesdropping on actors practicing their lines in coffee shops
The way residents develop solidarity through misery in winter
Neighborhoods: Andersonville, Lincoln Square, Wicker Park
Being able to check out museum passes for a week from the public libraries
Indie Thai on Broadway
Parks throughout the city
"Vintage" Chicago apartments with creaky wood floors
A 5 minute wait for an Uber
Margie's ice cream=best chocolate sauce in the city
Argyle Street
Devon Street
Aldi
Chicago Park District=super cheap classes for kids
Turning the river green on St. Patrick's Day
The Chicago Art Institute miniature rooms
Free city water
The way Chicagoans enjoy their summers
Maggianos, Riggatoni D
Lickety Split Custard, the Grasshopper
Lincoln Park Zoo=FREE
Races: the Hot Chocolate, the Shamrock Shuffle, the Chicago Half Marathon and Full Marathon
High tea at the Drake
The theater scene
The Water Tower=one of just a few buildings left standing after the Chicago fire in 1871
M. Henry
How residents avoid Navy Pier
First Free Church in Andersonville
Diversity
Grub Hub
Taking the architectural cruise
Little Free Libraries
Summer sports leagues
Maggie Daley Park downtown
Cinnamon rolls at Ann Sather
End of the road at Montrose Harbor=best view of the lake and city
Cheap produce stores like Edgewater Produce
Street musicians at the Jackson stop on the redline
Cafe Babareeba: Bacon-wrapped dates and Sangria
Local coffee shops that do pour-overs and have amazing lattes: Metropolis, Bow Truss, Intelligentsia, Asado, La Colombe, Ipsento
The "Ipsento Latte" at Ipsento Coffee: coconut milk, honey, espresso and cayenne pepper
Furnishing your entire apartment through Craigslist
Buying spicy mangos or pork rinds at Montrose beach
Backroom Shakespeare
Bundling up like a ninja to run in the winter
"A city of small towns"
Good drinking water straight from the tap
Downtown stores: H & M and Crate & Barrel
Lakeshore Drive="The Drive" or "LSD"
Authentic ethnic food of all kinds
Getting into Blue Man Group free by volunteering to usher
Christmas time downtown: lights, Christkindlmarket, Macy's window display, Frango mints from Macy's
Garret's popcorn shop, the "Chicago mix"=chesse + caramel popcorn
Taking the blue line to O'hare or the orange line to Midway
Murals under bridges by the lake
Finally throwing your Christmas tree out your third floor window apartment in January
Summers: Summer Dance, free outdoor concerts, movies in the park, neighborhood festivals
Street musicians
How everyone has their "tamale man" who sells them out of a cooler on the corner of the street
North side beaches--Foster, Hollywood and Osterman--cleaner and less crowded
The puppet bike
Hot Tix=half prince tickets
Ice skating downtown
Free covered parking garages attached to grocery stores
Brilliant summer gardens
Liberals
People-watching on Belmont after midnight
Waving at other runners in the winter
Public transportation to anywhere you need to go
The color of Lake Michigan on a sunny day as you drive the S-curve on Lakeshore Drive
Gluhwein (hot spiced, mulled wine) in Andersonville in winter
Heaters at bus stop shelters
The way spring's daffodils and tulips take your breath away
Chicago-style pizza and hot dogs
Wrigley Field & the Cubs (even if you hate baseball)
Cheap parking app: Spot Hero
The Waterfront Cafe in Edgewater
Running into people you know
What do you love about Chicago?
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