Chi-town

The weekend in Chicago was amazing. Amazing partially because not only did I have company (because really you can only do so much on your own) but I was in the company of some of my favourite people. We shopped and walked and laughed and ate. We saw a musical and visited Frank Lloyd Wright's first house and studio. We did architectural tours. We truly indulged in all things Chicago.

Chicago is often compared to Toronto and indeed visiting I could see many of the reasons why. But I have learned that traveling can teach us not only about the foreign place but also about our own home. In comparing Toronto to Chicago, I think that we can learn about how to make our own fair city even better.

Toronto and Chicago are wonderful places. Each city is dynamic and cosmopolitan. It is relatively safe and relatively clean. The people are friendly and generally proud of their city. There is lots of enterprise and great shopping. The sports teams and the productions are both world class. And mostly the quality of life is outstanding.

However, Chicago seems somehow brighter. It has a hugely better waterfront. The attention paid to capitalize on the natural setting has paid off greatly (although it is a given that the river and canal system adds hugely to this). Chicago also seems a little bit richer and a little bit bigger than Toronto. This may come simply from being in the U.S. as opposed to what Robin Williams referred to as 'a loft apartment over a really great party.' North Michigan Ave has all the big stores as opposed to Bloor St with only some of them. Finally, the city has benefited from its strong spirit of architectural adventure; constantly in the vanguard of new and exciting styles and designs. It has fostered this spirit and the reputation that comes along with it. The city is proud of its architectural dressing and has a plethora of attractions to capitalize on it.

Some of these lessons can be learned from Chicago and brought home. There is much we can do with our waterfront, for example (and my hopes are buoyed by the announcement of a development project).

This is not to say that we do not have much to be proud of. But I believe that being proud also involves searching for betterment and never settling. Toronto the Good deserves better.