As a freshman from L.A. – a city with basically no public transportation – I first began riding trains about two months ago. What I’ve discovered is that the ‘L’, also known as the CTA, is kind of awesome.
I can get around quickly without driving, paying for gas, or finding parking. Trains run basically all the time, and a ticket costs a tiny fraction of a Saturday parking spot anywhere in L.A.
Another thing I noticed about the ‘L’: it’s the best place to people watch.
I’ve seen people commuting to work, families wrestling with strollers, confused Northwestern students glued to Google Maps, and roughly everything in between.
So, I had an idea. I wanted to find out everything I could about Chicago purely by going on the ‘L’ and talking to its riders.
I asked what it means to be a Chicagoan, what it takes to survive the city, and any advice they had for an 18-year-old college kid.
Here’s what they had to say about what makes a Chicagoan.
“I think the most important thing if you live in Chicago is you have to like people because there’s a lot of people here,” said Cece, a 19-year-old DePaul University student from Edgewater. “So I know one of my friends, like, he visited once and he’s very like, he likes his personal space. You do not get personal space in Chicago. You will definitely be smushed up against people all the time, but it’s fun.”
She said people aren’t the only creatures you’ll deal with in Chicago.
“You also have to like pigeons. And no, I think that’s really important. Like, they’re everywhere. And if you think they’re not cute, like, I lowkey side-eye people who don’t like pigeons because what? These are our little friends. These are our guys.” said Cece.
But, according to Deni, who’s been a Chicagoan for four years in Uptown, Lake View and now the South Loop, it’s not hard to love the people in Chicago.
Deni told us about the kind of person who lives in the Windy City.
“I feel like down-to-earth people, you know, people who just live their lives and want to have fun,” she said, “There’s a lot to do here and it’s easy to find people to hang out with.”
Lincoln Park roommates Marisa and Hayes, who have lived here for two years and five-and-a-half years, respectively, noted the friendliness of Chicagoans, too.
“Um, coming from California, the first thing I noticed was how people interact and how nice people are.” Hayes said, “I feel like in Chicago people come up to you and just like start a random conversation, so I think that is a good representation.”
Mairsa agreed, and told us that we shouldn’t “be afraid to ask questions. Literally, if you can’t figure out where you’re going, go up to someone and say, hey, which direction is this? And they’ll point it out. And usually, they’ll start a conversation like, oh, where are you going? Like, why do you need to go there? And it helps you feel a lot more involved with your community living here.”
But that community isn’t just any group of people.
Uptown resident Erica said that being a part of the Chicago community is to be a part of something special.
“I think it’s to be, to be a Midwesterner maybe in a sense, and living in a big city, and to be surrounded by a really kind of diverse community that is very vibrant,” she said, “And to be surrounded by people with many different kinds of ideas about the best way to live.”
That diversity doesn’t compromise her sense of community. Instead, she said that “Chicago is very community-oriented, and I would say within different communities, right, people have different ideas, you know, about the kinds of housing people should have and the kinds of needs that should be fulfilled by everyone and how we can all contribute to that.”
Rachel, a 26 year old who’s been in the city for five years, agrees. She says diversity is what makes Chicago the city it is.
“It’s a very diverse city. I would say it’s very much a city of neighborhoods, so depending on the neighborhood you’re in, I feel like there might be a little bit more of an obvious vibe,” she said. “But I like to think that Chicago’s maintained its ‘city of big shoulders’ vibe. People like to work hard, working class, etc.”
Gustavo, who moved to the city four years ago, told me his English wasn’t good enough for an interview. He tried anyway.
“For all people, welcome to Chicago,” Gustavo said. “I like Chicago.”
Gustavo isn’t the only one who likes Chicago.
Simon and Tony, 42 and 43, shared that the city can be great for residents of all shapes and sizes.
“There’s always something to do. Regardless of whatever it is you want to do. It’s incredibly walkable,” Simon said. “We walk a ton. We do have a car. We drive about twice a month. To Costco. Yeah, we love living here.”
They told me not to take the city for granted.
“Get on the Lake Pass. Go walk. Go ride a bike,” Simon said.
When I got off the train and started to make my way back up the Purple Line, I felt like I got a pretty good sense of what Chicagoans think about their neighbors.
But as I walked through the Loop, I saw someone who seemed like the epitome of a true Chicagoan. A busker in the subway station filled the air with the sweet sounds of Michael Jackson’s “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough.”
He brought life and energy to a song that’s got a long history. That seems like what Chicagoans do every day: bring life and energy into a city with a long history.
