Just back from Chicago trip

[Guest greatness]

I'm exhausted. It was the first trip I took since I got better and my body aches everywhere. I can barely walk now but I'm glad that I made it~~~ I really wanted to celebrate my old dear friend's achievement so I forced my body to Chicago. I initially cancelled the trip but decided to go and shortened the trip instead. I've met one of the posters here to listen to him talk and give my advice. During our conversations, I found an answer to the question that bothered me for a long time. So it was a great trip for me. Anyways, I posted much less this weekend because I was out of town. I will write more after a nice nap. Kisses and hugs~~~

[josephga]

Iv always wanted too go to Chicago, I haven't even been out of the state of GA in 10 years

[+ deej]

Chicago is lovely in the summer time. Both days of it.

[seaboy4hire]

Chicago is my favorite city! I love the big city attitude & the politeness of the mid west, it's the best of both worlds. Glad you had a good time.

 

Hugs,

Greg

[Mark Gordon]

Chicago

 

I returned from my first visit to Chicago last week. It was pretty nippy, but I was impressed with the architecture, the public spaces and overall vibe of the city. I got to meet some great guys including Raul G Manzo, a really nice and interesting man, who took me on a tour of Boystown, followed by some great tacos. I can't wait to go back!

[Guest greatness]

oh my

 

You have good taste Greg~~~ You should open your future restaurant there~~

 

"Greg n Soul" Come to think of it's not a great name for a restaurant~~

 

Chicago is my favorite city! I love the big city attitude & the politeness of the mid west, it's the best of both worlds. Glad you had a good time.

 

Hugs,

Greg

[Guest greatness]

oh my

 

I would have met Raul if I had one more day~~. I thought it would be wise to shorten the trip.. I get tired of even talking to people. So next time, he is so nice and considerate.

[seaboy4hire]

I would have met Raul if I had one more day~~. I thought it would be wise to shorten the trip.. I get tired of even talking to people. So next time, he is so nice and considerate.

 

I highly recommend meeting Raul. He is so full of knowledge on Chicago that he should start his own walking tour of the city. With his warm and inviting personality and good looks he'd make a good living.

 

Hugs,

Greg

[seaboy4hire]

You have good taste Greg~~~ You should open your future restaurant there~~

 

"Greg n Soul" Come to think of it's not a great name for a restaurant~~

 

I don't know if I'd want to own my own restaurant. I love food but my main passion is coffee.

 

Hugs,

Greg

[Guest greatness]

You are still young

 

You will have a chance sooner or later~~ The economy is not so great and I encountered many unfortunate people.

 

Iv always wanted too go to Chicago, I haven't even been out of the state of GA in 10 years

[Guest greatness]

I totally agree

 

I think so too. you are too.

 

With his warm and inviting personality and good looks he'd make a good living.

 

Hugs,

Greg

[josephga]

Iv never really been the city type. I grew up on A ranch and spent most of my life living in a country setting. the only reason i ever lived in atlanta was to work in the massage business. But I didn't care much for the area. my dream place would be on a ranch with a hot cowboy type out in the middle of no where and we would raise ponys and tend to our ranch all day. lol

[Guest greatness]

oh my!!

 

That's so romantic~~ It would be an ideal retirement plan~~ I always wanted to live in a quiet peaceful place~~~

[rvwnsd]

Chicago is lovely in the summer time. Both days of it.

 

You mean "Spring." The heat and humidity of summer lasts an eternity.

[MsGuy]

Heat wienies, the lot of you. Temp hits 90, TV guys start yammering about heat waves and yall are bitchin' and moanin' like it's End Times. Jeez!

[+ deej]

Heat wienies, the lot of you. Temp hits 90, TV guys start yammering about heat waves and yall are bitchin' and moanin' like it's End Times. Jeez!

 

It's actually a big deal in Chicago because air conditioning is unusual in all but the newest of construction. When a block-long row of brick townhomes sits in the sun absorbing heat for a week or more, they don't give it up easily. Everything inside bakes.

 

Fortunately those kinds of heat waves are unusual. Most years, it's July before the temperature goes over 70.

 

I really do love the city of Chicago. I lived there for six winters. Um years.

[MsGuy]

No air conditioners? That's barbaric!

----

You can keep those winters. I was drop jaw astounded the first time I saw dump trucks hauling off loads of snow. Seemed so very very weird. And wrong. And cold. And it was only December!

[+ deej]

No A/C ain't no more barbaric than no furnace, and there's a fair number of places in the south where furnaces are optional equipment.

 

Snow hauling in December ain't no big deal. April or September wouldn't be all all THAT unusual, either.

[rvwnsd]

Fortunately those kinds of heat waves are unusual. Most years, it's July before the temperature goes over 70.

 

According to NOAA, here are the average high and low temperatures for the City of Chicago as measured at Midway Airport:

Avg High Avg Low

May 71.3 50.9

June 80.8 60.7

July 84.7 66.3

Aug 82.3 65.0

Sept 75.1 56.7

 

The city generally has at least one solid week of 90+ temperatures per year and several days of 90+ temps and 90+% humidity sprinkled in for good measure, or at least it did for the 30+ years I lived there. Every few years they get more than a week of 90's/100's temps. That's when people succumb to the heat. Likewise, the winters are cold. It is th eland of extremes.

 

Deej is correct about the lack of air conditioning. Most apartments and homes built after the 1970's have some sort of air conditioning, but many dwellings date back to the 1920's and prior. They either do not have air conditioning or they have window units that are inadequate.

[+ Topseed]

As a resident of this wonderful city, I'm amused by all of this.

 

Air conditioning? Despite some opinions, it's everywhere. So is indoor plumbing...and it's been awhile since I've seen clothes washers on anyone's front porch. We have all the modern conveniences here. :-) FYI: last summer was so moderate that I turned on my AC only once!

 

It makes me smile to see non-residents fear our weather. I don't think that our winters are any harsher than what the east coast has seen in recent years, and as for summer -- have y'all ever been to St. Louis in the summer? Now I don't need to experience Indonesia! Those of us who live here simply don't allow weather to impede with how we lead our lives -- dress appropriately, and get on with it!

 

This is such a fine city that if the weather were more inviting everyone would want to live here. So, keep up the criticism...that just makes more room for me at the lakefront, the theatres, the symphony, the opera, the restaurants, the affordable housing, the neighborhood festivals....

 

Peace, gents. And by all means come here. But only to visit. :-)

[Karl-G]

Chicago

 

Chicago's temperature is greatly affected by the massive body of Lake Michigan to the east, which is a whole lot of cold water which never gets warm. During the summer, when official temperatures (taken at O'Hare) reach 90 or so, if you live within a couple of miles of the lake, you have temperatures 7-10 degrees cooler. There is always a cool breeze from the lake during the summer if you live within a few miles of the lake. The weather report for Chicago always distinguishes between "close to the lake" and other parts of the city.

 

It is the same in Fort Lauderdale. If you live within a couple of miles of the ocean, you are always cooler than the official temperature during the summer and always several degrees warmer during the winter - the Gulfstream makes a huge difference. It never gets to 90 where I live.

 

When I was very young in Chicago, I can remember during very hot nights of summer and before AC, thousands of people would drive their cars, especially station wagons, down to the lakefront at night, and then park and sleep in the back of the car or on the lawn and enjoy the cool breezes of the lake as free air conditioning. It also made for nice socializing during the summer. The entire lakefront of Chicago, 27 miles or so, is all public park, so there is no private property, and all that space is open and available to everyone. I'm not sure, but I think on really steamy nights, the Chicago police would block a lane or two of the Outer Drive / Lake Shore Drive, which runs along the lake, to allow more people to park and cool off.

[Guest greatness]

That's so cool!

 

People are so creative~~~ Thanks for sharing this story

[Guest Spanky]

Summer?

 

Chicago is lovely in the summer time. Both days of it.

 

What are you talking about Deej? When I lived there the four seasons were:

 

Nearly winter

Winter

Still winter

Construction

[raulgmanzo]

Many Chicago apartments don't have central air conditioning but have a window unit in some room or two. I don't have any air conditioning and only wish I had it for a couple days a year, so instead I just take a cold bath, go for a swim in the lake or do something in the cool basement. Many of my neighbors poor and wealthy also don't have air conditioning. Lots of trees on my street and in my urban backyard help.

But I think AC is very common as you move away from the lakeshore to the western and southern outer neighborhoods and suburbs and newer buildings.

 

Hey Greatness sorry you couldn't stay longer, next time. We can have a picnic, maybe I'll make some ice cream, just made some ginger ice cream that I'm eating, maybe when you come I'll make a passion fruit sorbet.

 

Was really nice to meet you Mark, I hope to run into you soon. And of course always fun to see you Seaboy, when are you moving here?

[seaboy4hire]

Many Chicago apartments don't have central air conditioning but have a window unit in some room or two. I don't have any air conditioning and only wish I had it for a couple days a year, so instead I just take a cold bath, go for a swim in the lake or do something in the cool basement. Many of my neighbors poor and wealthy also don't have air conditioning. Lots of trees on my street and in my urban backyard help.

But I think AC is very common as you move away from the lakeshore to the western and southern outer neighborhoods and suburbs and newer buildings.

 

Hey Greatness sorry you couldn't stay longer, next time. We can have a picnic, maybe I'll make some ice cream, just made some ginger ice cream that I'm eating, maybe when you come I'll make a passion fruit sorbet.

 

Was really nice to meet you Mark, I hope to run into you soon. And of course always fun to see you Seaboy, when are you moving here?

 

Mmmm ice cream! Now your talkin my language lol. I should start the culinary program in the fall & that is almost a two yr program & as far as I am aware schools wontlet one transfer so I am stuck in Seattle till I am done at least with the baking portion. I'm hoping that the economy picks up shortly before or after I'm done so that Bob can get back his transfer with his company & make the move to my favorite city &part of the country.

 

Hugs,

Greg