Chicago Cubs and a few good book/movie selections

I like Chicago quite a bit - in fact, if I were to move back to the Midwest I would very strongly consider it. It reminds me of Pittsburgh, only bigger; New York, but smaller and with a less offensive-to-the-ears hometown accent; St. Paul, but dirtier; Boston, but newer; Milwaukee ["Actually, it's pronounced "mill-e-wah-que" which is Algonquin for "the good land."] but tougher. A number of our friends in NY moved to Chicago to the point that our daughter thought that's what people did -- moved to Chicago -- when their oldest kid turned 5.

One of their two MLB teams is the Cubs (but c'mon, you already knew that):

http://mlb.mlb.com/team/

But so many other great things are set in this city! Besides the Chicago Manual of Style (which I adore), in real life there's fantastic shopping, an amazing food scene, Navy Pier, the Art Institute of Chicago, Wait! Wait! Don't Tell Me! and This American Life...so much to do that a three-day weekend would challenge you to pick only your absolute favorites.

HOWEVER... Chicago is the setting for a substantial amount of literary and theatrical fabulousness, as well.

Two books that I absolutely LOVE that are set in Chicago: Devil in the White City, by Erik Larson, and the Dresden Files series, by Jim Butcher. Devil in the White City is a fantastic non-fiction story set at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair, about the fair itself and a serial killer. SO GOOD. The Dresden Files books are about a wizard who lives in Chicago...and it's excellent if you like that kind of thing. And even if you don't, you might not hate it.

There are many other great works of literature set in Chicago, such as Native Son, but I have to admit that after reading that for AP English in 12th grade I haven't opened it again, because it is so damn depressing. Just the word "Bigger" makes my stomach churn.

Lots of great plays/musicals are set in Chicago too... Glengarry Glen Ross, Proof, A Raisin in the Sun, Superior Donuts (which I did not see on Broadway but oh how I wanted to)...and of course, the eponymous Chicago. (Wow, I think that's the first time I've gotten to use the word "eponymous" in a sentence.)

As for movies, well...that list is long and (somewhat) distinguished, films that were at least partially set in Chicago or Chicagoland:

The good:

• About Last Night... 
• Home Alone
• Mean Girls
• Meet the Parents (I'm not even going to deign to mention the other two)
• Bridesmaids
• Adventures in Babysitting (Elizabeth Shue circa 1987 - everybody loved her)
• Wayne's World (contains a line I have found myself quoting unironically all the time -- Stacy:  Well, that doesn't mean we can't still go out. Wayne-Well, actually it does. That's what breaking up is. )
• National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
• My Best Friend's Wedding
• High Fidelity (the book was better, but oh well)

The great:

• When Harry Met Sally (more of a NY movie, to be sure, but it did start off here)
• National Lampoon's Vacation
• Risky Business (oh, you were so cool before you got all weird, Tom)
• Ordinary People
• THE ENTIRE JOHN HUGHES HIGH SCHOOL CANON. ALL OF IT.
• My Big Fat Greek Wedding
• Ferris Bueller's Day Off 
• The Blues Brothers
• Sleepless in Seattle
• The Sting
• Glengarry Glen Ross (before Jack Donaghy was Jack Donaghy, he was Blake)

The terrible:

• The Whole Nine Yards
• Home Alone 2
• Home Alone 3 (and I think there's a "4" but I choose not to actually find out)
• What Women Want (anti-Semites plus tired stereotypes = no thank you)
• Vegas Vacation (enough already)
• Michael (John Travolta as an angel. Gag. The wings looked cool, though.)
• Curly Sue (I usually think it's a terrible thing to hate a child, but...)

The probably-objectively-terrible-and-I-recognize-this-but-I-still-like-watching-it: 

• Wildcats
• Backdraft 
• While You Were Sleeping (an integral component of the Bill Pullman/Bill Paxton test)
• National Lampoon's European Vacation
• Never Been Kissed
• She's Having a Baby  (the "baby" in this movie would now be 24. Frightening.)
• The Lake House
• Dick Tracy
• Flatliners (so many good people in this completely average one!)
• Save the Last Dance (I do love this movie. It is so completely unrealistic, and not nearly as good as Center Stage, and Julia Stiles cannot do hip-hop, but I do love it.

My only complaint about Chicago is that I really don't care for deep-dish pizza. Too greasy and doughy for me. Other than that, go Cubs!

[shudder]