I’ve started a new job this week and am scrambling to finish a dissertation proposal draft. Also have a few annoying bureaucratic paperwork things to take care of. Busy, busy.
Here’s a somewhat funny article which mentions the U of C. I think she’s overstating the rudeness of Hyde Park, but on the other hand I have no idea why I’m defending Hyde Park. Most academic types (judging by myself), at least, aren’t ignoring you; they simply have no idea where they are or what’s going on around them. Occupational hazard.
I actually thought that most people I met at U of C were pretty friendly. Of course, most people I knew were only there for a year and the dismal, oppressive atmosphere had yet to completely crush their souls. I found other Hyde Park residents (e.g., anyone who worked at McDonald’s, Osco, or the Mr. G’s Co-op) to be much ruder than the academics – hence the reason I ended up boycotting something like four different businesses in the neighborhood by the time I left.
I found Hyde Park to be reasonably friendly as well. Out of curiousity, how do you think Chicago and Boston compare as far as friendliness?
The trouble with boycotting Hyde Park businesses which treat their customers horribly, unless one has a car and can access stores in the suburbs etc., is that one soon becomes very hungry, not to mention lacking in soap and other household necessities. Fortunately, the people at Subway were pretty friendly; as were the Lung Wah and Ribs ‘n’ Bibs people, but I’m guessing that eating nothing but lemon chicken and bronco burgers for 4 years would lead to some pretty serious health problems.
It would be a tough call between Hyde Park specifically and Boston, but I would definitely say that Chicago in general was friendlier. After one Boston snowstorm, someone plastered our car with ketchup and mustard for taking the parking space on the street they had shovelled out (had they reserved it with chairs or other furniture as the unspoken code requires, we would have parked elsewhere) – I still get peeved thinking about that.
Mmmm… I had forgotten how good that Lung Wah lemon chicken was. They were pretty nice there and I was generally confident about giving them my business once they passed the health inspection and reopened.
I have a Boston story too: the time I went there with my parents to visit potential colleges, and some policeman yelled at my mom because she asked him where Massachusetts Avenue was. Culture shock! Of course, my list of weirdly unpleasant Chicago experiences could go on forever. I’ve had good times in both cities too though, despite my obvious preference for dwelling on the negatives.