Not Everyone Loves Scrabble

Isn’t she beautiful?

It’s what I think every time I see the city.  Coming in from the north on 94, just before North Avenue.  Coming in from the south on Lake Shore Drive. Coming around the bend on 94, in from Indiana, after a long drive marred with stop and go traffic.  Definitely as I get closer to the skyline on 290.

From high atop an office building.  Walking down Michigan Avenue with a light snow falling around Christmas time after everyone has left for the evening.  Going down Lake Shore on an articulated bus that’s straining just to keep up with traffic, and seeing the lake a blue I dream about, and people of every walk of life — running, walking, swimming, sporting, sleeping, building a shelter for the evening.

I’ve lived here nearly 12 years, and I am always struck by how many times a week I feel like a tourist in my own city.  Not because I don’t know all the great places to eat or the secrets of Lower Wacker Drive, but because the city still puts me in a state of awe and wonder on a regular basis.  Views from the el, the energy of a Cubs crowd pre-game, the fact that I can walk around a free zoo — these things never cease to amaze me.  The liveliness of boystown, the number of places I can go see rock and roll and how many places I can take a coffee snob to dabble in their delight.

I wrote for Chicagoist for two years, and I had the pleasure of looking at the city and various news stories along with one of the greatest group of people I’ve ever had the pleasure to write with and get to know.  We worked hard, we laughed a lot, and we put our own voice to things — some straight news, a little soul, and a little snark.

I’m going to take stories about Chicago — a lot of the ones that Chicagoist and the MSM (mainstream media) cover — and give you my take on them.  Mostly by video.  I’ll be twittering, I’ll be all over this social media scene.  Welcome to my city.  Isn’t she beautiful?