Chicago: An Overview

Today is the day we return home from our adventures in Chicago. We walked around downtown for a little while today, and did a bit of shopping before the train left. I got some sweet pins and a necklace like Jim Morrison wore from the Hard Rock Cafe gift shop, and a little Lego dude from the Lego store. That's about it for our remaining time in the windy city.
So, what did I think of the place overall? Read on to find out.
I think it's a pretty sweet city, overall. The only place I have to compare it to is Detroit, Michigan's major big city. I'll rate it on cleanliness, coolness, food, and fun factor. First up, cleanliness. I think it's the less clean of the two cities I've been to. Half the time, the air was perfumed with the disgusting scent of raw sewage, something a country boy like myself does not enjoy. There was a lot of litter, and although it's somewhat unavoidable in a big city, it was compounded by the fact they rarely empty the trash cans on the corners. At least, that's what I was told.
Chicago is off the charts on coolness. In Detroit, and Lansing, you would have a tough time finding shops like we did there. They also get a lot more shows and concerts in Chicago than in D-town, which is a contributing factor to the rating. It's cool just to be able to walk down a street and be amazed by the sheer size of the buildings. On Friday, on the way home from BMG, we drove past an awesome cityscape view. I realized, through the fog of sleepiness, that in each of the lit windows, there was an apartment. That apartment has a family in it. Each one of those families has members living their own lives, dealing with their own troubles. How incredibly humbling, to realize that.
The food in Chicago is...amazing. I ate Ethiopian, Cafe food, bar food, authentic Chinese breakfast, Greek, and thin-crust pizza. It...was...awesome. I had planned on writing detailed descriptions of each, but how can one? It was just too good for words.
The fun factor fits in with coolness, but it is also totally rad. I'm not sure if it's even possible to not have fun. I mean, they have at least one parade a week!!! Festivals in the summer!! Fireworks twice a week when it's the right weather!! Crazy, man.
Would I move there? No, but I would go back again and again.