Anyone who knows me is familiar with my habit of singing Chicago’s praises, so I was happy to jump at the opportunity to write a blog post about why the City is a great place to be. I have lived my whole life in Chicago and its suburbs, save for my time spent at the University of Illinois in Champaign. When it came time to decide where I wanted to attend law school and where I would likely begin my career, Chicago won out. I had considered many different schools in different places, and while all of those towns had different things to offer, nothing could provide everything that Chicago brings together in one place.
It’s hard to put a finger on exactly what’s so great about this city, but when that question is posed, I always answer with another question: What do you want out of a city? It’s a rare occasion that I get an answer that is something that Chicago can’t offer.
Daily Life
Living in Chicago is unlike living in any other major city. In spite of everything that is always going on, there’s a sense of relative comfort and relaxation here. You can breathe easy here and the stress and tension that normally plague big city life just aren’t present like they are elsewhere. It’s livable.
I have friends that live all across the city, from upscale River North apartments to charming old Wicker Park flats to lakeshore high-rises. If you’re not looking to max out your student loans just to pay rent, you’re not relegated to some distant or dingy neighborhood. There are decent places for anyone in any price range across the city’s 180 neighborhoods and with the CTA’s L lines and bus routes (which you can use for free with your U-Pass while a student at Loyola) it is easy to get just about anywhere.
Social Life
Night life in Chicago is incredibly diverse and even after living here for 24 years, there are still so many places that I have yet to experience myself. There are downtown clubs, famous blues bars, neighborhood hangouts, college bars, old-fashioned lounges, rooftops, beachfront cantinas, dark dive bars, and tons of small music venues. You could try out a new place every time you go out for a year and not have to double up.
But there is a lot more to do in Chicago. There are countless neighborhood festivals, block parties, music festivals like Lollapalooza and North Coast, and the list goes on and on.
Millennium Park’s Pritzker Pavilion
If music is your thing, just about every night of the week there are major acts coming through Chicago, playing at large venues like the United Center and Allstate Arena, outdoor venues like Northerly Island, smaller venues like the Metro and the Aragon Ballroom, and even sometimes at Wrigley Field and Soldier Field. In addition, there are free concerts in Millennium Park’s striking Pritzker Pavilion, Jazz Fest and Blues Fest, and countless other opportunities to immerse yourself in Chicago’s rich music tradition.
If you want to get a taste of Chicago’s famous cuisine, the festivals and block parties are the best place to be. There are few traditions as great as the Chicago block party and its larger counterpart, the neighborhood fest. There is something about closing down streets, meandering through the community on a beautiful summer day, eating some of the best food you’ll ever taste while enjoying a beverage and taking in live entertainment with your friends, all the while realizing that you’re in the middle of a metropolitan area of nearly 10 million people.
But if the cookout on the street isn’t enough to satisfy your hunger for Chicago food, there is certainly no shortage of restaurants in town. Everyone has very strong opinions on where to find the best of everything in Chicago so I won’t even touch upon that. There are so many places to get yourself a great Chicago-style hot dog (just don’t ask for ketchup), Italian beef, polish sausage, or deep-dish pizza. Besides all that, though, Chicago is well-known for being extremely diverse and this has led to an incredible spread of some of the best ethnic restaurants you can find. In addition, the city has become a hub for some great trendy up-and-coming restaurants that you just can’t miss.
Chicago is also a haven for some of the greatest sports traditions in history. In the past ten years, we’ve seen the Bears go to the Super Bowl, the Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup, and the White Sox win the World Series. That’s not even counting the ’90s Bulls dynasty, the Monsters of the Midway, the ’85 Bears, and perhaps the most famous of Chicago sports traditions, the loveable losers up at Wrigley Field to name a few.
For those of you who don’t get into watching the Bears defense pummel their opponents into the frozen tundra that is Soldier Field in December, there is an incredible array of cultural attractions in Chicago. The impressive art institute, the historic theater district, the famous museums, and even the world renowned comedy clubs all provide this city with a cultural atmosphere that rivals any other.
The Chicago Skyline rising above Lincoln Park
Of course I’ve just listed several attractions, but there are also times when you just want to take it easy. This is where most other cities the size of Chicago fall short. The Chicago Park Districtis the largest in the nation and offers everything from recreation programs to lakefront activities and even a free zoo. There is something to be said for living in the middle of the country but being able to spend a lazy day at the beach. Even if you’re just looking for a place to take a walk and enjoy the scenery, the parks are a surprising feature for the third largest city in the United States.
Professional Life
The availability of career opportunities is perhaps the biggest and most pressing question on any law student’s mind. Chicago’s law community is large and well-connected, but most importantly very tight-knit. It is not uncommon for a name to be brought up in conversation and for everyone to recognize it immediately. What does this mean for the rising law student? Chicago is a great place to not only study law, but to begin practicing.
I have emphasized how this city is incredibly large, but has many of the benefits of a smaller town. Nowhere is that more apparent than in the legal community. I cannot emphasize enough how many opportunities there are to make great connections that actually lead to something, whether it be an internship, job, or just great advice. The people here interact in a way that must be influenced by our Midwestern surroundings and it was a huge relief to me when I came to realize how the legal community functioned.
The Chicago Bar Association is an incredible resource not only for those who are already practicing, but for students as well. They put out weekly bulletins, host many events, and even have an extremely beneficial Young Lawyers Section that provides many opportunities to law students.
In addition to the legal community, Chicago is also host to many other vibrant professional communities and provides a plethora of opportunities in varying fields. Many of us will be practicing law within the context of other fields and the ability to connect with them all in one place is invaluable. For those interested in health law, some of the nation’s best medical programs and hospitals call Chicago home. For those pursuing a public interest career there are many opportunities to get involved with the various communities in the city. For those interested in a financial or business career, Chicago is a major financial hub.
As I said before, no matter what you want to get out of Chicago, you’ll be able to find it. This fact alone was enough to convince me that this city was the best place for me to pursue my education and career. If you’re still not convinced, feel free to contact the Loyola Admissions Office for more information or to schedule a visit.
– Matthew Kelly, 2L
Matthew Kelly, 2L