A British Take

By Sean Corbett in News on Oct 26, 2006 1:36PM

While combing the news feeds for morsels worthy of your attention we stumbled upon a positive review of Chicago as a tourist destination. The author gives a very British description of our city, describing the downtown area as having a “Tardis quality,” (a term from the 1960’s TV show "Dr. Who," which the Brits use to describe anything that seems of different size on the inside than it does on the outside) and he does not once mention The Bulls or The Mafia.

Look sharp next time you see camera-toting foreigners though: according to a tour guide, we Chicagoans will kindly give directions to any and all baffled tourists who approach us. Unfortunately, the author didn’t happen upon the Chicagoist website. We’re sure his visit would have been that much more enjoyable and well-informed after reading the infamous Chicagoist Guide to Chicago (PDF).

What does Chicago look like to the British?
“Kinder than you could have imagined”
“The least pretentious great waterfront in the developed world”
“The world's finest modern urban park”

And the bean?
“A giant globule of liquid mercury hanging in the air”

With quotes like those we’re wondering if our visitor spent a little too much time at the bars. Or maybe the office of tourism is just that skilled at putting positive spin on what us residents see as everyday occurrences.

So tell all your wealthy friends in Europe and the UK to come in for a visit. Next spring/summer would be a great time. We don’t want them missing all the fine landscapes and Midwestern hospitality because they are too busy watching snow pile up and thermometers dropping ever lower.

Thanks to Abmarfia for the image!