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Hyde Park in Chicago, Illinois

June 23, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Driving south from downtown Chicago, via Lake Shore Drive, lies the middle class and upscale community of Hyde Park. Hyde park is a culturally rich and diverse community that is the home of many Chicago politicians, most notable our current president, Barack Obama. This neighborhood on the south side of Chicago has a relax small town feel with plenty of middle class charm. In Hyde Park, there are many unique agricultural structures, historical homes and beautiful well preserved mansions.

Hyde Park is a community where people of different races, beliefs, religions, and political aspirations live in harmony trying to pursue the american dream. Hyde Park has won much acclaim as one of the most successful integration of an urban neighborhood in the United States.

Hyde Park is bordered by Lake Michigan on the east and Jackson Park on the west. Along the famous Lake Shore Drive, Promontory Point on beautiful Lake Michigan, is popular for dog walking, swimming, biking, jogging and barbecuing in the park. Residents of Hyde Park enjoy the tranquility of spending time on the lakefront, affordable housing and a variety of academic, cultural and artistic resources at their deposal. Spend your leisure time browsing the shelves of the many quaint bookstores in Hyde Park. Satisfy your appetite eating at the many outstanding restaurants with an enticing variety of cuisine. Take in a play at the renowned, Court Theatre, or go shopping at the many boutiques and shops that lines the streets of Hyde Park.

Hyde Park is an intellectual enclave and is the home of the prestigious University of Chicago and it’s Medical Center. Attending the University of Chicago draws people to Hyde park, but the love for the community is what propels them to stay. The University of Chicago and its Medical Center is one of largest employers for the south side of Chicago.

Hyde Park is the home of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Robie House, and the museum of Science and Industry. It is the headquarters for Operation Push founded by the Reverend Jesse Jackson and was the home of Chicago’s first black mayor, the honorable, Harold Washington.

Hyde Park is an idea community for students and families because of it’s diversity and family oriented ideology. Hyde Park treasures a tradition of change and renovation. It embraces an intellectual energy and a cherish history that is true and endearing to many of its residents.

For more Information please visit us at Hyde Park Chicago IL

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Chicago Illinois

June 23, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Chicago, Illinois is the largest city in the state of Illinois and the third most populous city in the United States. The Chicago metropolitan area has a population of over 9.4 million in Illinois, Wisconsin and Indiana, making it also the third largest metropolitan area in the US. Chicago is located along the shore of Lake Michigan. The city’s monikers include “Chicago land”, the “Windy City”, “Chi-Town”, “Chi-City”, the “Second City” and the “City of the Big Shoulders”.

Chicago is a major center of transportation, industry, culture, medicine and higher education.

A major transportation hub, Chicago is the third largest inter-modal port in the world after Hong Kong and Singapore. Chicago is one of the largest hubs of passenger rail service in the nation with Amtrak providing connections to New York, Seattle, New Orleans, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Washington DC. The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) operates an extensive network of buses and a rapid transit system know locally as the “L” (for elevated), which includes services to Midway and O’Hare airports. Chicago stands out among large cities for offering 150 miles of on-street bike lanes, 10,000 bike racks and a state-of-the-art central bicycle commuter station in Millennium Park.

Chicago has ten interstate highways running through the city and suburbs which include I-90 (also known in some segments as The Kennedy Expressway, Chicago Skyway, The Dan Ryan Expressway and The O’Hare Extension), I-57 (Bishop Ford Freeway), I-94 (Kennedy Expressway), I-55 (Stevenson Expressway), I-290 (Eisenhower Expressway), I-294 (Tri-State Tollway), I-80 (Kingery Expressway), I-355 (North-South Tollway), I-190 (The O’Hare Extension) and I-88 (East-West Tollway and Reagan Memorial).

Midway International and O’Hare International Airport service the Chicago area. In 2005, O’Hare was reported as the world’s busiest airport by aircraft movements and second busiest by total passenger traffic. Gary/ Chicago International Airport, located in Gary, Indiana, serves and the third Chicago area airport. Chicago/Rockford International Airport is a regional base for United Parcel Service flights, some passenger flight and occasionally as a relief to O’Hare. Chicago is also the world headquarters for United Airlines, the world’s second-largest airline.

The city has been rated as having the most balanced economy in the US, due to a high level of diversification. Some of the largest employers include over 66 Fortune 500 companies such as The Boeing Company, Sara Lee, Walgreens, Motorola, Caterpillar, Sears, State Farm Insurance, Allstate, Deere, McDonald’s, Aon, Office Max, USG and the Tribune Company. The city hosts four major financial and future exchanges including the Chicago Stock Exchange, the Chicago Board of Trade, the Chicago Board of Options Exchange and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. Headquartered in the Chicago area are several medical products and services companies such as Baxter International, Abbott Laboratories and the Healthcare Financial Services division of General Electric.

Chi-Town offers a variety of culture stemming from its deep history to present-day modern arts. The Museum Campus is a 10-acre lakefront park sitting on the southern section of Grant Park and surrounds three of the city’s main museums: the Adler Planetarium, the Field Museum of Natural History, and the Shedd Aquarium. Grant Park also hosts the Art Institute of Chicago, a partner of The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. The only building surviving the World’s Columbian Exposition of 1893 is the Museum of Science and Industry. Chicago’s museums also include the Oriental Institute, part of the University of Chicago, the Freedom Museum, Chicago History Museum, DuSable Museum of African-American History, Mexican Fine Arts Center Museum, Museum of Contemporary Art, the Peggy Notebeart Nature Museum and The Renaissance Society.

The city has and abundant entertainment and performing arts scene. Chicago’s renowned theater companies include the Steppenwolf Theatre Company, the Goodman Theatre Company and the Victory Gardens Theater. Other theatres such as the Strawdog Theatre Company, The House Theatre of Chicago, TimeLine Theatre Company and Remy Bumppo Theatre Company offer an array of plays and musicals.

Broadway musicals are held at venues including LaSalle Bank Theatre, Cadillac Palace Theatre, Ford Oriental Theatre and the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University. Broadway in Chicago was created in July 2000 and brings touring productions to the Chicago area. A few of the productions brought by “Broadway in Chicago” are: Blue Man Group, Wicked, Rent, Stomp, The Color Purple, Hairspray, Chicago, Jersey Boys, Mamma Mia!, the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Cats, The Producers and Jesus Christ Superstar. Chicago is also home to the Lyric Opera of Chicago, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Joffrey Ballet, Music of the Baroque, Chicago Opera Theater, the Chicago Chamber Musicians and more.

Known for its skyscrapers, Chicago boasts the world’s tallest skyline. Notably historic high-rise buildings grace the Chicago skyline such as the Chicago Board of Trade Building and the Merchandise Mart, once the first on the list of the largest buildings in the world and still listed sixth. The tallest building in the United States, the Sears Tower is located in Chicago. The Aon Center and the John Hancock Center are also notable skyscrapers that give Chicago a distinct city skyline. Future building skyscrapers include Waterview Tower, Chicago Spire and Trump International Hotel and Tower. The 60602 zip code was named by Forbes as the hottest zip code in the country with many upscale buildings such as The Heritage at Millennium Park, The Legacy and Momo.

Chicago has a number of architectural gems in its historical church buildings. The Chicago Temple/First United Methodist Church boasts a 22-story skyscraper surmounted by a steeple 568 feet above street level, making it the tallest church in the world. Three basilicas: Our Lady of Sorrows, Queen of All Saints and St. Hyacinth proudly stand in Chicago’s city limits. St. Josaphat’s, St. Adalbert’s, Mary of the Angels, Church of the Epiphany, St. Gabriel Church, Metropolitan Community Church, St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral, St. Clement Church, St. Joseph’s Ukrainian Church and St. Simeon Mirotovici are other pristine and cherished church buildings in Chicago. Chicago was named the best sports city in the Unites States by The Sporting News in 2006.

The city is one of three U.S. cities to host two Major League Baseball teams; the Chicago Cubs (known to fans as “The Cubbies”) play in Wrigley Field and the Chicago White Sox play in the US Cellular Field. The Chicago Bears, Chicago’s NFL team, play at Soldier Field and the Chicago Rush, the city’s Arena Football League team, play at the Allstate Arena. One of the world’s most recognized basketball teams, the Chicago Bulls play at the United Center. The Bulls won six NBA titles in the 1990′s during the reign of Michael Jordan. The United Center also hosts the Chicago Sky, a WNBA team. Chicago has two hockey teams: the Chicago Blackhawks and the Chicago Wolves. The city is also home to the Chicago Fire, a MLS soccer team playing in Toyota Park.

Chicago gives tourists a trip to remember and in 2005 thirty-three million visitors from across the world came to visit The Windy City. Luxury shopping along the Magnificent Mile as well Navy Pier, a 3,000-foot pier is home to restaurants, shops, museums, exhibition halls, auditoriums and a 150-foot-tall Ferris wheel.

Navy Pier offers shopping for apparel, Chicago souvenirs, gifts and collectibles, toys and games and more at stores like All the Time, DC’s Mad Hatter, Earthly Elements, Funky Chameleon, Gold & Silver Art FX, Navy Pier Store, A Silver Lining, The Sports Store, Strictly Sterling, Sun Coolers, Varsity Stop Outfitters, Windy City Leathers, Y-Knot, Air One, Making History, Oh Yes Chicago!, Alamo Flags, Ferris Wheel Photos, Grand Avenue Gourmet, Life’s A Holiday, Jahjah Village, Oiled Up, TransPIERency, Fashion Bazaar, Irish Imports, The Oriental Arts Center, Passage to India, The Russian Place, Sitara, Build-A-Bear Workshop, Magic Masters, Bike Chicago, Faces in Focus Caricatures, Temporary Tattoos and more.

Chicago has shopping malls scattered throughout the city. Stores such as Ann Taylor Loft, The Body Shop, The Bose Store, Eddie Bauer, Emporium Luggage, Femme de Carriere, Glenn Poor Chicago, Gold Leaf Tobacco, Marshalls, Nordstrom, Olily, Lucky Brand, Sephora, and Swatch are sprinkled all through downtown as well as the suburbs.

Chicago is famous for its signature deep dish pizza, Italian beef sandwiches, the Maxwell Street Polish and the Chicago hot dog, which is made of Vienna beef and loaded with mustard, onion, tomato, pickle relish, celery salt, sport peppers and a dill pickle spear; putting ketchup on a Chicago

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Only 12 percent of Chicago Real Estate Companies are looking to hire

June 23, 2010 By Leave a Comment

In a survey of real estate CFOs and senior comptrollers conducted by the Chicago-based financial advisory firm Grant Thornton LLP, only 12 percent said their company will increase hiring in the next six months and nearly two-thirds, 63 percent, plan to reduce bonuses.

Real Estate companies are also reducing health care benefits, 401k benefits, and stock options. Real estate firms are trimming the fat, even while the real estate market continues to show signs of improvement. Real Estate companies, according to the survey conducted by Grat Thornton LLP are most concerned about the cost of employee benefits.

While the Chicago Real Estate market is improving, these numbers illustrate an extreme contradiction in the real estate industry. While real estate companies remain optimistic about the future of their industry, cost cutting measures reflect a distinct pessimism in their own industry.

Is the real estate industry in a true recovery mode, or is a second micro-bubble emerging. As of right now, it is not clear, but there definitely a discrepancy between internal practices of real estate firms and gauges of the real estate market. Speculation surrounding real estate is always apparent. But is it beneficial when the speculation directly opposes the actions of Real Estate firms and brokerages?

So what can we learn from this contradiction? Is the market over-valued?  Is a secondary bubble forming after we slowly emerge out of the recession? Whatever the case, it is clear that the real estate market may still be over-valued, as firms still continue to cut costs, while the real estate market continues to improve.

Daniel Prager is an social media marketing consultant at The Ocean Agency where he also dabbles in SEO and content creation. He works with some of the top Chicago Real Estate Firms

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Civil Rights Attorney: Finding Representation In The Chicago Area

June 23, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Choosing an attorney, no matter what it is for, is a very involved process. This is especially true when you need a Chicago civil rights attorney. Your civil rights – anyone’s civil rights – are extremely important issues. You want to make sure that you find someone who will represent you with integrity, dignity, and knowledge of both those rights and the laws which apply to them.

You’re quite lucky if you live in Chicago, or close enough to the city that you can easily travel there, as there are many civil rights attorneys you can choose from there. Chicago is, after all, a city which stands as a front-runner for civil rights.

One of the best places you can begin your hunt for a civil rights lawyer is on the Internet. By simply typing in Chicago civil rights attorney you will come up with a large selection of sites listing legal practices which handle civil rights cases.

You can also talk to the people you know. Family members, friends, colleagues, and even simple acquaintances: if any of them have had to make use of a Chicago civil rights lawyer, or know someone who has, they may be able to make recommendations. That way, you have firsthand knowledge of how a potential lawyer performs.

You need to get together a list of possible candidates. Then, you need to talk to those potential lawyers. You want to detail your case to see if they can handle it. You also want to see how to two of you seem to get along.

What is perhaps the most important item to consider is the lawyer’s credentials. You’ll want to ask a few questions to get a good idea about their level of experience, as well as their success rate, and maybe even their educational background. Ask to see a portfolio of past cases whose circumstance resembles that of your own. Pay attention to the win/lose ratio to get a good feel of where your case might lead.

For more information about Chicago civil rights lawyers, you can look online or visit your local library.

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Chicago Criminal Defense Lawyers: Among The Best In The US

June 23, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Chicago is a city in the state of Illinois, USA. Chicago defense lawyers are some of the best available defense lawyers in the country. These well educated and qualified lawyers are highly diligent and efficiently protect the constitutional rights of the clients who come to them for assistance.

People go to lawyers when they are faced with issues where there are unlawfully indicted or when their constitutional right is being threatened in any way. They look for somebody capable enough to handle their concerns and who can bring them out of the situation safely. A Chicago defense lawyer is a person who is ever ready to take on new challenges and protect the rights of his/her customers and get them out of trying situations. They assist their clients in fighting against their opponents and get justice.

A Chicago criminal defense attorney may specialize in any field of law. It might range from theft of vehicles to big bank robberies. There are some very capable defense lawyers in Chicago who can handle your case with care and precaution. Whether you are indicted in cases relating to racial discrimination, pornography, copyright issues, business frauds, embezzlement of funds, or unlawful trespassing, the defense lawyers in Chicago are well equipped to handle all types of cases.

There are a few things you need to keep in mind when you decide to request for the services of a Chicago defense attorney. First of all, ensure that you maintain a cordial relationship with him/her so that your case can proceed smoothly. Next, remember that your lawyer is there to help you; hence, do not hide any facts from your defense lawyers. It is imperative for them to get the true picture to be successful in their roles. Next, ensure that your attorney is clear about his/her terms and conditions and the fees involved. Make sure that all your files and other details are handled confidentially with care. At any point, if you feel that you are not being treated well or the case is not being handled efficiently, ensure that you have a conversation with your lawyer to get things going on the right track.

Remember, if you are looking for good professional help in any type of case, do not forget to contact a good Chicago defense lawyer.

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Tips & Insights — Chicago Shopping & Travel

June 23, 2010 By Leave a Comment

â?¢Eating Healthy

Itâ??s easy to forget about diets and make poor choices regarding the foods that are available to us when we travel, so weâ??ve compiled a short list for healthy eating tips for your Chicago shopping trip. 1) Pack a variety of nutritious foods including fruits, raw vegetables, crackers, granola barsâ?¦quick solutions for satisfying an appetite whether you fly or drive. 2) Upon arrival at the hotel, skip the mini-bar. If your hotel offers a Continental breakfast, select fruits, cereals and proteins such as eggs. 3) When you dine out, remember to eat only when hungry. Even the great Chicago restaurants occasionally serve overwhelmingly large portions. If you indulge on one meal, scale back on the next. 4) When possible, avoid large meals at night. When your body slows down and prepares for sleep, it also burns calories less efficiently. Pass on the bread basket at dinner. Choose fish or poultry, and try to eat lots of vegetables.

â?¢Shoes

Chicago Destination Shopping Club located at http://www.chicago-dsc.com, includes a shoe shopping category on its website. The trend for 2008 is all about heelsâ?¦a myriad of options â?? wedges, stilettos and sculpted forms, in textured and colorful finishes. Look for the latest trends in a huge selection of Chicago stores including Akira (State Street & Bucktown), Bloomingdaleâ??s (Michigan Ave.), Fratelli Rossetti (Michigan Ave.), Jimmy Choo (Oak Street), Loriâ??s (Lincoln Park), Nine West Outlet (Lincoln Park) and Nordstrom (Michigan Ave.).

â?¢From $600 Phone to Carrying Case

Now that you have one of the coolest, most talked about cell phones on the market, you need a case. Many designers have taken note of the trend and demand for stylish cases to caress that phone in a stylish manner. At the high end, Louis Vuitton offers alligator leather cases for around $1,100. Depending on the size and model, you can purchase other styles ranging from $15 – $50 at Nokia or the Apple Store. See all these stores and more at http://www.chicago-dsc.com.

â?¢Traveling with Special Items on Airlines

With many passengers still expecting to bring almost any item on board despite the crackdown in safety and security, we thought it would be important to recap rules and restrictions for most airlines. Please note that airlines in foreign countries may have different regulations.

1.Alcoholic Beverages â?? Passengers are not allowed to take alcoholic beverages with more than 70% alcohol content in a carry-on or checked luggage.

2.Knives & Tools â?? Pack knives and tools in your checked luggage. Sheath or securely wrap any sharp edges so they do not injure baggage handlers and security officials.

3.Currency, Coins, Valuable Jewelry â?? If you are carrying valuable items, ask the security officer to screen you and your carry-on luggage in private. This will maintain your security and avoid scrutiny.

4.Musical Instruments â?? You may bring musical instruments as carry-on or as checked baggage, but first check with your airline prior to your flight to ensure your instrument meets the size requirements for their aircraft. Security must x-ray or physically screen your instrument, so be prepared.

For more details visit here: http://www.chicago-dsc.com

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Aspire to the Spire – the Pinnacle of Chicago Real Estate

June 23, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Home to the first modern skyscraper, Chicago has always rivaled New York as THE city for skyscrapers. Oh, sure, New York has the Empire State, the Chrysler Building (THAT relic? I hear you saying), and, by 2011, Freedom Tower, but Chicago – which has one of the tallest skylines in the U.S. – also lays claim to the Aon Center, the John Hancock Center, and the mighty Sears Tower: the one that finally put New York out of first place. However, the year 2010 will see another monumental silhouette added to Chicago’s imposing skyline: the 2,000 foot high Chicago Spire. While the Spire will be the tallest building in North America, it will NOT be the tallest in the world; Dubai’s Burj Dubai will outstrip it by up to 1,000 feet. However, The Spire claims a distinction that has Chicago Realtors bubbling with excitement: in 2010 Chicago will be home to the tallest all residential building in the world.

Hampered for so long by height restriction laws, it wasn’t until 1960 – 3 decades AFTER the construction of the Empire State Building- that Chicago was able to really compete with New York in the building of skyscrapers. The city did make up for lost time with buildings like the Sears Tower and the John Hancock Center, and seems now to be in the midst of another skyscraper building boom. Since the beginning of the millennium, dozens of 50 story (and over) buildings have gone up in Chicago, and construction is underway on a number of “supertalls” (buildings over 1,000 feet). Some of these include the Waterview Tower (1,047 feet) Trump International Hotel and Tower (1,362 feet), and finally, the magnificent Chicago Spire at 2,000 feet.

Without a doubt, the most striking feature of the Chicago Spire – even more so than its immense height – is its spectacular ‘twisted metal’ or corkscrew-like design. A computer rendering of the Spire depicts it as a massive platinum drill bit twisting up and out of the earth. Renderings also show that although the Spire will dominate the Chicago skyline it will certainly complement it beautifully. For many, the most exciting feature of the Spire will be the chance to own part of it. In fact, you can do more than own part of it, you can LIVE in it – in addition to a magnificent 4 story-high lobby and a residents-only observation deck that affords vistas of four states (you may see Iowa on a clear day, that’s five!) the Spire will comprise 1,200 very exclusive condos, in a variety of styles and tastes. They’ll be ready in 2010, but don’t wait until then if you’re interested – they are sure to sell at record speed, the ones on the higher floors going, of course, for TOP dollar.

Joe Pinto is one of the top-producing agents in the Chicago real estate industry. With over 10 years of experience, Joe brings professionalism and hard work to bear in the sale and purchase of Chicago homes, and Chicago condos. For more information on the exciting Chicago real estate market, contact Joe or visit online at www.chicagohomeestates.com

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American Girls Place – Major Shopping Attraction in Chicago

June 23, 2010 By Leave a Comment

If we talk about the major attractions in Chicago, American Girls Place is one of the strongest contenders in race, Not just the best Retail Place it is one of the major attractions in Chicago which is well known for its friendly, Personalized services and Vast Collections of girls accessories, outfits, apparels, fictional dolls etc.

There are several retail destinations in Chicago offering and featuring several unique products, amazing entertainments, exceptional personalized services and Fantastic Chicago Shopping Events and more, for giving their customers the best shopping experiences ever.

Customers are most welcome and can browse through the vast array of girlâ??s outfits, gifts, beautiful dolls, several girlsâ?? accessories. No doubt you will get more than what you expect.

If we talk about the parking facility which is one the major issues in concern which needs to be resolved first. American Girls place has several established affiliates for parking garages for complete security of your 4wds and belongings.

So, Girls if you are really looking to buy something best and special for you or your loved ones, you are most welcome to Chicagoâ??s one the largest shopping destinations, Where our registered customers will be getting special American Girls Hotel Packages in selectedChicago Hotels.

Our registered customers will be getting special hotel packages along with latest updates related to all shopping events. Chicago stores offering special monthly sales located in major Shopping Areas and many more services regarding Michigan Avenue Shopping, Oak Street Shopping, State Street Shopping, Lincoln Park Shopping, Buck town Wicker Park Shopping.

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Mayor of Daley Plaza….Wrigley Field…Millenium Park…

June 19, 2010 By Leave a Comment

As Foursquare gains traction in the realm of social media, experts and amateurs alike continue to speculate about the future of the location-based social networking app. Foursquare has already defeated “Check-in” rival Gowalla, but this is only a minor victory when considering the bigger picture. Can Foursquare continue to evolve and increase its popularity or is this simply a social networking fad yet to run its course? Here at JZMcBride and Associates we have our differing opinions regarding Foursquare, but I will save those for another day.

Instead, I wanted to use my space on The Spin Within to highlight the excellent use of Foursquare by Explore Chicago, the city of Chicago’s tourism office. They have leveraged Foursquare’s popularity to encourage people to experience the city’s vast array of culture and history. Checking-in at various locations has allowed users to unlock hidden trivia tidbits at each stop. For example, when checking-in at The Art Institute of Chicago’s Gallery 240, Foursquare users will be informed that they are in the same place where Cameron from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off famously stared at Georges Seurat’s, “A Sunday on La Grande Jatte.”

Explore Chicago also recently held a contest asking which scene fans of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off would like to recreate, offering to fly the winner out to the city in a package that includes a hotel stay and museum passes. The contest generated significant awareness for their Foursquare efforts and drew a flurry of entries on Foursquare’s Facebook page.

They have also set it up so that visitors can re-enact their favorite Chicago-based movies, taking a tour of the city that features landmarks from these films.  Users can choose from several movies, including Blues Brothers, High Fidelity, The Dark Night and of course, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.

By highlighting Chicagoland’s unique attractions and offering compelling contests through social media, Explore Chicago is bound to drive positive word-of-mouth about the city. Ultimately, their efforts should encourage people to get out and experience Chicago and all it has to offer. A day spent exploring the city as a Foursquare-inspired Ferris Bueller sounds like a cool adventure and should save many from regrets of never seeing enough on vacation. Those who have been to Chicago know of the wide variety of sights and sounds to see in the Windy City. As Ferris himself says in response to Cameron’s indifference, “What do you mean nothing good? We’ve seen everything good. We’ve seen the whole city! We went to a museum, we saw priceless works of art! We ate pancreas!” It’s Explore Chicago’s knack for Foursquare that will help inspire people to experience the pancreas.

Ray joins the JZMcBride and Associates team as the new kid on the block, assuming a variety of responsibilities including media tracking and analysis, social networking, media relations and assisting in conference research and coordination.

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Scorched By the Torch: Chicago and the loss of the 2016 Olympics

June 15, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Scorched By the Torch
Chicago and the loss of the 2016 Olympics
© 2009 by John D. Moore www.mychicagotherapist.com

Chicago – it’s my kind of town. It is also my home town.

The manner by which Chicago lost its bid at hosting the 2016 Olympic Games seemed too cruel a fate for a city as dynamic and generous as ours. None of what happened or how it went down seemed real.  A true, herculean effort was put forth by Chicago’s Mayor to capture and then bring home the ancient torch for the United States, replete with an accompaniment of All Star Boosters – President Obama, the First Lady and even Oprah. Think about it for a second. Didn’t the final days leading up to Copenhagen have you believing that victory was within close grasp?

But this was not to be as Chicago and its citizens painfully found out how quickly dreams can be scorched when reaching for the Olympic Torch.

A little background
Most folks in the “City of Big Shoulders” were rather blasé about the prospect of the 2016 games in the months preceding the Copenhagen stunner. Some recent public polling suggested that only half of the city’s residents even wanted the games. This disconnect that many Chicagoans had may in part have been due to the city’s long history of getting its hopes high, only to be crushingly let down at a final, critical moment. I won’t go through the litany here except to say Cubs and Bears.

Hopes were high the last two weeks
But something changed in the hearts and minds of the city’s residents during the final two weeks leading up to Denmark. If you listened closely, folks started to dream out loud that maybe – just maybe, Chicago would be chosen as the host city. You could hear it in the conversations all around the city, from the north side to the south side, in cafes and restaurants and at bus stops and train stations. Even the Olympic naysayers who were sceptical of the games could be quietly heard changing their tune. “If it helps the city, why not I guess – it would kind of be nice” and “I used to not care but for some reason I do now.” Like I said, hearts and minds were changing.

The night before the announcement in Europe, the atmosphere had reached a fevered pitch, with several local news outlets all but reporting that Chicago “had it in the bag” For a brief, magical moment, it seemed 2016 was ours! Some talked of new jobs that would come to the city. Others spoke of an increase in tourism. I dreamed that Chicago would finally be able to dump its unofficial title as the “Second City”.

Then came the morning of October 2, 2009 – the day we were scorched by the torch.

I had just walked into the gym around 10:30 CST and noticed a small but vocal group of supporters huddled around a television set watching WGN News. Spirits were high with boisterous cheers that sounded something like this, “Come on Chicago you can do it!” and “Please pick us!” Excited, I joined the group to watch the split screen image: enthusiastic Chicago Olympic bid supporters in Daley Plaza on the left side. The expressionless International Olympic Committee on the right. Filled with hopeful anticipation, our little group remained glued to the set.  

Then in a flash, joyful hope gave way to shock.

The decision was announced that Chicago would not be continuing on to the next round of votes. “We are out – just like that?”, said the person standing next to me in a whispered voice. It was true, we didn’t even get to make it to the second round of voting. We were just plain out. The once happy faces gathered in Daley Plaza were now expressing looks of horror, with some cupping hands over their mouths as if to capture their words of disbelief. A giant cloud of WTF had gathered over the city. News reporters had a difficult time keeping their voices from trembling as they tried to articulate the scathing rebuke by the International Olympic Committee. And the scene around me at the gym turned somber. Folks just couldn’t believe that this was how a three year push for the Olympic bid would end – down in flames.

A few lessons that can be learned from Chicago’s failed Olympic bid

1. Like they say on the south side – “It don’t mean jack until it’s in your hand!

2. You cannot win if you don’t compete.

3. Don’t buy into media hype

4. Be prepared to win but never assume anything is ever “in the bag”.

5. When push comes to shove, Chicagoans put aside their disagreements and stand shoulder to shoulder to support a greater good.

Upon reflection, Chicago doesn’t have to play second to any city. We can still hold our heads high for our many collective contributions. After all, we are the “birthplace of modern architecture” and last time I checked, that doesn’t sound like second or third. The truth is the Bears have won a Super Bowl and the White Sox have won a World Series. The Bulls had an extended period of time in the sun and the Cubs … well we remain hopeful.

No Rio De Janerio Blues Here
There isn’t a person I have talked to since losing the bid that isn’t happy for Rio. I certainly am. And so congratulations Rio for winning a well deserved position on the Olympic map. We wish you and Brazil only the best.

Conclusion
Yes it is true – we were scorched by the tortch. It is painful and sad. But we also beat out four other U.S. cities on our quest the bid: Houston, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and San Francisco. That alone is something to be proud about. Now is the time to ask ourselves what we can learn from this experience. Perhaps in our loss, we can contextualize its meaning by exploring the lessons learned.

 

John D. Moore, Ph.D. is co-founder and CEO of 2nd Story Counseling and Consultants in Chicago. www.mychicagotherapist.com

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