Winter in Chicago: What's Not to Like?

By Scott Smith in Miscellaneous on Nov 17, 2006 5:45PM

Last night, as Chicagoist began celebrating the weekend a day early, we spoke with someone from Rhode Island (motto: “If You Stretch Your Arms Wide Enough, You Can Hug The Entire State!”) who is thinking of moving to our fair city. While acknowledging all the great things the city has to offer, she expressed some hesitation: "I just don't know if I could handle the winters."

Ah, winter. The Achilles’ Heel of our otherwise world-class city (not counting the rampant corruption, transit problems, cultural segregation and the Rainforest Café). Or is it? Allow us to speak against the conventional wisdom and say: We love winter in Chicago. Here are a few reasons why:

• Christkindlmarket!
• Glögg and all the lovely Andersonville spots that serve it
• The snow globe effect of being downtown in the first 30 minutes of a heavy snowfall, before the salt trucks come in and ruin everything
• Knowing you can take the "L" to work and not have to drive, or walk through the pedway and avoid the bitter cold
• Rental apartments with heat included
• Tomorrow Never Knows Fest at Schuba’s
• The Marshall Fields windows, which we’re really hoping don’t suck now that Macy’s is in charge (this year’s theme is Mary Poppins)
• Ice skating downtown — formerly at Block 37, now at Millennium Park — with S’mores at Cosi right after (with the little mini-Sterno heater!)
• Curling up in front of the fireplaces at Moody’s
• The It’s A Wonderful Life/White Christmas singalongs at Music Box
• Bikewinter!
• One-cent (a.k.a. free) CTA rides on New Year’s Eve!
• Celebration Blend at Intelligentsia
• The inevitable shitstorm that arises from lawn chairs in the street (a.k.a. dibs)

Those are a few of our thoughts. What are your "reasons for living" during winters in Chicago?

"Chicago Angel in Winter" via SeanSantry