The Big Onion, the Second City, the Windy City – our new
hometown has as many nicknames as our old one.
The Big Onion you might not have heard of and derives
from the original Native American name for the area – shikaakwa (you know you want to say it aloud) or wild
onion.
Second City evolved at the end of the 19th Century when
Chicago became - guess what - the second largest city in the USA in terms of
population. Then it became more of a derogatory term in the continuous
battle with New York. But no point in Chicagoans being offended as
Chicago is now actually the third largest city in the USA after NY and LA.
And as for the Windy City, you can take your pick. Some say
it’s the obvious. That great big puddle right by the city called Lake Michigan may have something to
do with it. But sure it’s only about four times the size of the wee corner of the
Emerald Isle that I come from so why would that make any difference! Others agree
it’s to do with a large amount of air – but hot air expended tirelessly by its
politicians.
If that were the case, then New York would also be in the running for that title. But it seems to me the two cities make more noise about their differences than their similarities. For example...
If that were the case, then New York would also be in the running for that title. But it seems to me the two cities make more noise about their differences than their similarities. For example...
Don’t mention tall
buildings – this week Chicago’s Willis Tower lost out to New York’s
nearly-finished Freedom Tower as America’s tallest building. Both rely on tall pokey
bits at the top (ever the architect’s daughter) to get those essential extra
inches. But it would appear that the Freedom Tower’s pokey bit is a little more
permanent than that of the poor Willis Tower. So it’s been pipped by a slightly
longer post.
All this ‘mine’s bigger than yours’ goes back a long
way. While most people associate New York with skyscrapers, Chicago was the
birthplace of all things multistoried, with the first 10-floored, steel-framed beast rising from the depths of Chicago in the
mid-1880s.
Hot dog battles –
in New York, use of ketchup is optional; in Chicago it’s a crime
Gotham and the City
that Never Sleeps – two well-known names for New York. Less well-known is that Chicago masqueraded as Gotham in the recent Bat Man movies. That’s probably because Chicago does go to sleep, giving production crews the chance to film in empty streets from
about 10:30 pm….or 9pm on a week night.
Pizzas – we’re
back to size again except this time it’s not about height but depth. But there’s
no question here over the winner. While the New York variety is thin and
crusty, Chicago is thick and deep, up to 3 inches deep and baked in a cake tin.
We’ve yet to steel ourselves to try one (it’s not got THAT cold yet). But anyone
worried about the health issues could perhaps try out one of the deep pizza
walking tours on offer, complete with promises not to put you into a food coma.
What has changed is that Chicago cabs are not always yellow, in fact apparently only one in four are. Today the most popular hue is white, either on its own or in combination with another colour. This takes a while getting used to but at least allayed my concerns about the many blue and white “police cars” that seemed to frequent our local area!
For all their differences, there is one way in which Chicago and New York are seen as closely linked - at least in the subalien household. First there were many Aprils in Paris, then there was New York, New York and now it's fair to say that My Kind of Town, Chicago is. Yup, it's all getting a wee bit like some weird Frank Sinatra pilgrimage. Perhaps there is something Super's not telling me. San Francisco next?
