Chicago: On a Positive Note

I mentioned last night in my post that I didn't want this blog to be a downer and negative all the time. I care about Chicago and its people, at least the ones who want to better them self--that is why I write this blog. I don't really want to be associated with Chicago in a lot of ways though, which is why when people ask me where I'm from I say Illinois.
I am going to look on the positive side of Chicago for this post and then refute it. The pizza is very good as many already know (depending on where you get it from). Many people in the suburbs are wealthy and still have their heads on their shoulders. There are some good museums: Science and Industry, the Field Museum and the Art Institute of Chicago for starters. Some bars are interesting: my favorite is probably the Old Town Ale House. There is the beginning ground for improv theater across the street, The Second City as well as other improv theaters. There are some great restaurants downtown and in the suburbs, like Oak Brook Shopping Center. There are some great skyscrapers to look up at. Chicago, to the tourist, may look like a great place to live. I think visiting it is as far as I would go these days, with the exception of moving back to my old suburb to be close to family (which I would be extremely nervous to do). Chicago has the look of a world class city, but don't be fooled. Visiting there is one thing, but only when living there does Chicago begin to truly show its colors everyday.
First off, if you came to Chicago for the party you are a few decades late. Almost all of the bars close at 2 a.m. so don't be trying to pull an Ibiza and partying till 5 in the morning publicly, you will probably be arrested. Which brings me to my next point, there are cameras everywhere so Father Daley can watch over his children. Thirdly, while most people in Chicago like to throw back beer, holding an intelligent conversation or even a worthwhile one is hard to find: there are so many idiots there that the good ones seem few and far between. Chicago is trying to invent itself as the "fun place to be" but it is over regulated fun. Besides, it is so cold most of the year that being outside sucks so you sit in your room all depressed. You can't even own a gun there when it has the highest crime rate in the country. Ironically, many people move there to look for a more interesting city life, while it is big I think I can get just about everything from a smaller mid-western city, including a 2 a.m. bar closing time. I've found not only am I depressed when I go home, I am overcharged for it too.