February In Illnois

February In Illnois

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As was once written, loving Chicago is like loving a woman with a broken nose.

For Chicagos infamously erratic climate and getting around its streets, the reality is the opposite. While the cultural and economic benefits of a home in the city address these two unpleasant realities, theres more reason Chicagoans often joke that there are really only two seasons in Chicago, the cold months and traffic jams.

While winter in Chicago can be brutally cold, there are several places where the average winter temperatures are significantly icier. but, for Chicagos residents, especially those who live or work downtown, the cold is a more notable element of everyday life in the winter than other northern Midwest cities. The reason for this is so many residents use public transportation to get to work. Given this, Chicagoans spend more time commuting by foot outdoors than in other cities with, perhaps, the exception of New York City or Boston, where residents drive and only have to walk a minimal distance outside to get to their destination. Chicagos public transportation is much better than most American towns, but it is difficult in the cold months.

But, Chicagoans take all of this in stride. If someone has been in Chicago long enough, inevitably he or she will hear someone saying there is no bad weather, just bad clothing. There is an element of truth to this idea as nearly all except the most dangerous of snow storms can be circumnavigated with some measure of comfort if one puts on the appropriate winter gear. A tourist to Chicago will notice this is certainly the situation for most Chicagoans when winter arrives. It isnt out of the ordinary to see up-to-date and good-looking men and women toss all fashion pillars out the window and bundle themselves in bulky coats, hats, and scarves with little attention paid to appearance the minute temperatures start to drop.

On top of the winter weather disparaging, traffic can be its own challenge to circumnavigate. One reason is the rough climate, with its infinite ices and thaws can be a disaster to local streets. Add to it the generous smattering of salt every year used to thaw snow and it is hardly a wonder that cracks in the road are a winter staple. The municipal office of transportation does its best to cover the problem of potholes and cracks each and every winter, even encouraging city residents to report new potholes by calling 311. But, with more than 4,000 miles of roads to service, often times it can be a fight for Chicago to keep up after a strongly severe batch of winter storms.

While its an inarguable reality that Chicagos cold season is an obstacle, when the warm months do finally arrive, there is no other place that greets it with such fervor and energy, quickly forgetting the memories of Decembers blues.

About the Author:
Sam Shine grew up reconstructing his toys simply so he was able to repair them. He focuses on



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