All of the features on this morning’s CBS Sunday Morning program were woven, in one way or another around Chicago and yet, somehow, they managed not to capture some of the most important things about the place. For me there are three things which, if you really experience them and understand them, will convey the essence of Chicago to you.
The first is Lake Shore Drive. I won’t try to describe it or explain it to you. You’ve got to see it. You’ve got to do it.
There ain’t no road just like it anywhere I’ve found.
Drivin’ south on Lake Shore Drive, heading into town.
The second thing is that Chicago is a city of neighborhoods. You can’t understand the place at all without knowing that. There’s an online guide to Chicago neighborhood. That should fill you in a little bit.
Finally, Chicago is medieval. Some people call it “corruption” but that’s not exactly correct. It’s feudalism. Just to give you a short sample: my alderman is the daughter of the previous alderman, the Democratic Party committeeman for the ward is her husband, and my state representative is her nephew. The mayor of the city is the son of a previous mayor. Get the idea? However it’s still “the city that works”.
Occasionally, the peasants rebel. That’s what happened when former Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee Dan Rostenkowski was ousted from his “safe seat”. Chicago voters are very tolerant but there are some extremes up with which they will not put.
I used to love driving from Evanston into town, coming up Lakeshore with fog wrapped around the Hancock. Never got tired of that.
It might be relevant to mention that the current US President is the son of a previous one, and one of the possibilities for the next one is the wife of another. As goes Chicago, so goes America.
One of the characteristics of a plutocracy.