Author: Christine Elias

Midwesterners are said to be open, friendly, and straightforward.

Well, last weekend I was in Chicago and I ended up having a nice conversation about the city with two very friendly real estate agents.

This took place over brunch on an outdoor patio in the Gold Coast area. I only knew it was called that because they told me — I thought we were in the North Loop. I learned about the various neigbourhoods in the city and the current state of the housing market. (Turns out pretty similar to Toronto’s except the condos are much cooler.)

And I can’t tell you how many times people jumped in to provide directions on the subway. My travel companion has a very good sense of direction but I do not and I imagine I looked confused trying to figure out what station I needed get off at to switch from the Red to the Blue lines. (Jackson, now I know.)

Chicago — a city I visited for the first time 20 years ago and again a few years ago — is a wonderful city. Full of beautiful buildings but also full of some really fine people.

People say it’s called the “Second City” because it used to be the second most populous city in the United States after New York (now it’s Los Angeles). But someone there told me it’s called that because it was reborn after the great fire — nothing to do with that other city at all. I think it actually has something to with Gilda Radner — but I think we all can be right.

My kinda town.

Both my friends K. and M. have mentioned their neighbours, the Clampetts. It seems that another member of their clan has moved into my hood.

This new Clampett cousin is renting the unit next door. He’s very friendly (not something I especially love in a neighbour) but he’s spoiling the modern lines of the building.

For example, he placed a floral mat in front of the door. We have no front stoops and the mat (a Dollar Store original) is sitting right on the sidewalk. Floral mats are not, I imagine with some certainty, what the architect had in mind. It doesn’t match the granite edging.

And earlier this evening he was sitting on a plastic chair in front his door — again in the middle of the sidewalk — smoking.

Should I ignore it or is it time to place a call to the board?