Chicago is a fantastic city to live in, and it’s easy telling others why we love it here. But if we’re being 100 percent honest with ourselves, Chicago isn’t perfect, and we’ve definitely learned to ignore some of the not-so-pleasant parts of living here, and often convince ourselves they’re not that bad. They usually are.
1. “The winter’s aren’t that bad."
You can say after so many years, “I’ve gotten used to it,” or that if you’re wearing the proper coat/hat/gloves/boots, it’s doable. It’s not. Stop lying to yourself. This past winter we saw the fifth-largest snowfall in Chicago’s history, and this was considered mild compared to 2014’s Polar Vortex.
2. “I get plenty of sunlight in my garden apartment.”
In the yearly apartment Olympics from May to October, it’s easy to get defeated, and that defeat can lead to signing the lease on an over-priced windowless apartment. Your window well is not a window, but hey at least you have laundry in your building.
3. “The Red Line doesn’t smell like pee.”
No, it probably does. Unless it smells like puke. Always avoid that empty car in a packed train, and avoid wet seats…if you can tell they're wet. You just never know.
4. “Let’s go out in Wrigleyville! It will be fun!”
No, no it will not. If it is, go back to college, or home to Schaumburg.
5. “The wait’s not too long at Big Star on this beautiful Saturday afternoon.”
If it’s above freezing, you know you’re going to wait at least two and a half hours for your tacos and margaritas. Just go to the take-out window to avoid eating lunch at 6pm.