Chicago is the Greatest City in the World

Of course I'm biased, but I stand by my claim. 

Like any noteworthy society in human history, Chicago has glaring flaws.

Budget woes? Yup. Lead pipes? Uh-huh. Inequity? Definitely. Crime? Yes. Corruption? Double yes.

You know what else we have? Chicagoans. Whether you grew up here or just moved here yesterday, that means you. 

Friendly, pleasant Chicagoans. Chicagoans will buy you a beer. Chicagoans will team up to push your car out of a snowbank. Chicagoans will rhapsodize about their favorite season (summer 42% fall 38% winter 19%, spring 1%). Chicagoans will fight back tears as they remember exactly where they were when Derrick Rose injured his knee.

Tourist? The city is quite welcoming, assuming you're game to appreciate all Chicago has to offer. Walk up to any Chicagoan on the sidewalk and ask if they know a good place to eat. Be ready, as the average Chicagoan can recommend 68 restaurants per minute. 

Plain and simple, this podcast is a story about Chicagoans. What we're up to. Things we like. Stuff we care about. 

The people make this city wonderful, but of course Chicago has other attributes. There's that incomparable skyline, the public lakefront, the renowned institutions of higher learning, the parks, the museums, the heritage/cultural centers, the iconic marble staircase in Union Station's Great Hall, The Original Rainbow Cone, and hot giardiniera.

Chicago is also a party. It's the best summertime city in the county, bar none. Neighborhoods take turns holding street festivals as soon as the weather warms up--not that the party stops when winter arrives. It simply moves indoors.

Did I mention that Chicago is a sports town? It is. Bears. Bulls. Sox. Cubs. Hawks. Sky. Stars. Fire. Big Ten. Fighting Irish. Actual superhero Michael Jordan played here.

The suburbs and the city are undeniably interconnected, and we'll definitely include the entire Chicago metropolitan area in our embrace. If we didn't, Chicago wouldn't be able to claim Johnnie's Beef of Elmwood Park, Roseangela's Pizza of Evergreen Park, or Ernest Hemingway of Oak Park. 

There's so much more to highlight about this place. Join me and my qualified band of podcast collaborators as we attempt to capture the full glory of this Midwestern gem. 

We're on a mission to pod.