What I'm Going to Miss About City-Living.

Why, hello there!  I hope everyone had a wonderfully relaxing holiday weekend.  A three-day weekend was JUST what I needed after last week.  From getting home at much later hours to sitting in traffic, an extra day was much needed! 

I know I've alluded to this over the past few weeks, but yes - my husband and I are in the process of moving to the suburbs.  I won't feel completely confident until the papers are signed and the ink is dry (and I will share all of the deets then!), but I think it's safe to proceed with this post.  

On Saturday, I ordered delivery online through Grub Hub.  (I settled for Bountiful Eatery in Lakeview, in case you were wondering.)  When Grub Hub informed me that, at noon on a Saturday, there were 762 restaurants available to deliver food to my address, I realized that there are many things I will miss about city-living.  (And yes, delivery is at the top of the list!)

In no particular order, I will certainly miss...

The lakefront path

 

The Chicago lakefront path is my happy place.  I've logged many hours running/walking along the path - bright and early on summer mornings, in the rain on a random Tuesday night after work, by myself, with friends, as a participant in a race - you name it.  I live exactly one mile from the path itself, which always provided a perfect "warm-up" before any workout.  I've ran past fellow runners (and bloggers!) and sorted through issues and problems.  Honestly, this might be one of the aspects of Chicago I'll miss the most.  However, I am also excited to explore new places to run in the 'burbs AND even join a running club (special thanks to Kelly for the invite)!

The views

 

Mike and I are pretty lucky to live in a high-rise building with a huge balcony and this view.  In four years, we never tired of it.  Plus, pre-pregnancy, it was always the perfect view for sipping wine with friends.

 

This is what wine night usually looked like - before the wine consumption.  And yes, the bedazzled skull is coming with us to the new house:)

The food (& drink!)

Drinks at Allium at the Four Seasons

 

Seriously.  What am I going to do without Lincoln Karaoke?  Will someone PLEASE have a party here???

As mentioned earlier, delivery is something I'll definitely miss - especially when over 700 places can come to me!  But, the accessibility we had to awesome restaurants is something I'll miss the most.  We've been fortunate enough to eat at some pretty phenomenal places, like Alinea, Charlie Trotter's, Girl and the Goat, and Graham Elliot, to name a few.  But I will also miss the concept of picking a neighborhood and stumbling into whichever restaurant looks/sounds interesting.  And outdoor dining in the summer!  And brunch with my girlfriends!

And I KNOW this is going to sound terrible, but when Mike and I do get the chance to go out for dinner, I have a feeling we'll ignore the options in the 'burbs near us and instead, we'll be heading right back downtown.  So, while I'll miss the idea of walking into a restaurant on a whim, I know the Chicago dining scene will still be a part of our lives.

(Side note:  If you check out the "Chicago Food" page above, you can see some of my favorite places!)

Public transportation

YES.  I am actually going to miss this.  After driving to and from work all school year, I LOVED the concept of leaving my car parked for days and hopping on the L or bus to get to my destination.

The people

Living in a big city is an incredible opportunity for people-watching.  I really love the fact that a couple million people are crammed into Chicago's city limits.  There was no shortage of interesting outfits, drunken debauchery on the streets, herds of tourists, etc.  As crowded as it got sometimes, you have to admit - Chicago is a pretty friendly city.  People smile and say hello.  (They also spit on you, too, which really happened to me.  But, I choose to focus on the positive.)

Street fests

 

Sure, standing on my feet at a street fest, sans alcohol, didn't really bode well for me while pregnant, but at one time, I loved me some festivals.  Whether it was food, music or even crafts (Renegade Craft Fair in particular!), there was always something going on each weekend in the summer.

Obviously, this list could go ON and ON.  But, this is what came to mind immediately.  Oh Chicago.  You'll be missed.

(Oh, and when I went to the grocery store this AM?  I was yelled at by an old man crossing the middle of the street - not at the crosswalk.  AND, I was solicited for money.  I do think I need to conceptualize a post on things I WON'T miss about city living!)