Comments on: One If By Land http://daisyjd.com/index.php/2012/01/one-if-by-land/ Wed, 22 Feb 2012 15:55:54 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: KtP http://daisyjd.com/index.php/2012/01/one-if-by-land/comment-page-1/#comment-5391 KtP Fri, 27 Jan 2012 03:03:27 +0000 http://daisyjd.com/?p=3172#comment-5391 The public transit system downtown scares the crap out of me, and so I never used it alone, and so I never learned it, and so it continued to scare me. I've used the subway alone in NYC, and public transport alone in both Athens and Rome, but Chicago gave me heart palpitations. I love the freedom and control of driving everywhere. I love the ease. I love that I can sing along to my tunes and not bother anyone. I missed living downtown at times for the vibrancy and energy you mentioned, but I would have missed my pretty red Tiby even more. The public transit system downtown scares the crap out of me, and so I never used it alone, and so I never learned it, and so it continued to scare me. I’ve used the subway alone in NYC, and public transport alone in both Athens and Rome, but Chicago gave me heart palpitations.

I love the freedom and control of driving everywhere. I love the ease. I love that I can sing along to my tunes and not bother anyone. I missed living downtown at times for the vibrancy and energy you mentioned, but I would have missed my pretty red Tiby even more.

]]> By: Ana http://daisyjd.com/index.php/2012/01/one-if-by-land/comment-page-1/#comment-5377 Ana Thu, 26 Jan 2012 00:47:46 +0000 http://daisyjd.com/?p=3172#comment-5377 I love this. I grew up in Barcelona; but actually, "in the suburbs", and it took me a while to fully grasp the public transport network. I'd get annoyed that I couldn't drive, until I realised how smoothly things could go if you just understood the system in place. I'm glad you've got your city just as you like it :) And incidentally, this has reminded me that I wanted to ask you (and other fellow Chicago bloggers whose blogs I read) about an insider's thoughts on where to go and what to do in Chicago, as I'll be in the US later this summer, and am planning on stopping in Chicago if only for a couple of nights. [I've followed your blog for a while, and while I've commented once before - maybe a couple of times? - I've not actually spoken to you directly, so this may be rather bizarre or forward. But, I figure - it's the internet!] Can I email you to chat about this? I love this.

I grew up in Barcelona; but actually, “in the suburbs”, and it took me a while to fully grasp the public transport network. I’d get annoyed that I couldn’t drive, until I realised how smoothly things could go if you just understood the system in place. I’m glad you’ve got your city just as you like it :)

And incidentally, this has reminded me that I wanted to ask you (and other fellow Chicago bloggers whose blogs I read) about an insider’s thoughts on where to go and what to do in Chicago, as I’ll be in the US later this summer, and am planning on stopping in Chicago if only for a couple of nights. [I've followed your blog for a while, and while I've commented once before - maybe a couple of times? - I've not actually spoken to you directly, so this may be rather bizarre or forward. But, I figure - it's the internet!] Can I email you to chat about this?

]]> By: Daisy http://daisyjd.com/index.php/2012/01/one-if-by-land/comment-page-1/#comment-5376 Daisy Wed, 25 Jan 2012 18:00:04 +0000 http://daisyjd.com/?p=3172#comment-5376 Oh, no I wasn't saying it is a crutch for anyone else- it was MY crutch. I was terrified of living too far away in case I "couldn't do" public transit and I'm proud of myself for realizing I could do it. I now live closer to downtown again, so B could walk to his office (and sometimes does) and if I worked downtown, I could too! But I'm proud of myself for realizing I could rely on transit and it wasn't some big scary monster. Oh, no I wasn’t saying it is a crutch for anyone else- it was MY crutch. I was terrified of living too far away in case I “couldn’t do” public transit and I’m proud of myself for realizing I could do it. I now live closer to downtown again, so B could walk to his office (and sometimes does) and if I worked downtown, I could too! But I’m proud of myself for realizing I could rely on transit and it wasn’t some big scary monster.

]]> By: Erin http://daisyjd.com/index.php/2012/01/one-if-by-land/comment-page-1/#comment-5375 Erin Wed, 25 Jan 2012 17:13:18 +0000 http://daisyjd.com/?p=3172#comment-5375 I, too, love city living and the ease of public transportation. When I first moved to DC, I lived on about 5 different bus lines, but not near a metro. So I became a Bus Girl. Most people that I knew were petrified of buses, and no one knew how to navigate the city on them. As I took people on excursions with me, navigating the city ABOVE ground, a lot took a liking to the buses. Seeing where you're going, experiencing things they didn't know were there because they were always underground on the metro. Now I have to walk a half mile to get to the metro or the bus, and I still usually chose the bus over the metro (unless its rush hour, because lets be honest, NO ONE wants to be on roads in DC during rush hour). Although for how much I love the city, part of me misses the 'burbs. I grew up in a small town, where the nearest neighbor was acres away and the only place with sidewalks was the main intersection in town. So people could cross from the church to the diner to town hall. We didn't even have a starbucks until 2003! I wouldn't mind moving back to the suburbs eventually, but right now I enjoy city life and the ease and amenities it has to offer. I, too, love city living and the ease of public transportation. When I first moved to DC, I lived on about 5 different bus lines, but not near a metro. So I became a Bus Girl. Most people that I knew were petrified of buses, and no one knew how to navigate the city on them. As I took people on excursions with me, navigating the city ABOVE ground, a lot took a liking to the buses. Seeing where you’re going, experiencing things they didn’t know were there because they were always underground on the metro. Now I have to walk a half mile to get to the metro or the bus, and I still usually chose the bus over the metro (unless its rush hour, because lets be honest, NO ONE wants to be on roads in DC during rush hour).

Although for how much I love the city, part of me misses the ‘burbs. I grew up in a small town, where the nearest neighbor was acres away and the only place with sidewalks was the main intersection in town. So people could cross from the church to the diner to town hall. We didn’t even have a starbucks until 2003! I wouldn’t mind moving back to the suburbs eventually, but right now I enjoy city life and the ease and amenities it has to offer.

]]> By: Sugar Scientist http://daisyjd.com/index.php/2012/01/one-if-by-land/comment-page-1/#comment-5374 Sugar Scientist Wed, 25 Jan 2012 16:49:53 +0000 http://daisyjd.com/?p=3172#comment-5374 I have an absolute fear of the suburbs -- nothing causes my throat to close up and my heart to race like when my husband mentions wanting a McMansion in the suburbs with luxury cars in the 6 car garage. I hate the suburban mentality of needing to drive everywhere - everything seems like such a hassle. I grew up with the ability to walk to a local little grocery store for things like Sunday morning milk and eggs, and living within walking distance to a grocery store has been on my mandatory list ever since then. Although, I do disagree about the walking to class as being a "crutch" part -- I love, love, LOVE being 1.5 miles from the lab and walking everyday. I don't think of it as a crutch at all, but rather a complete joy and pleasure - it's my "me" time when I don't have to deal with crowded buses, my mental prep for the day and unwind after, and a guarantee that no matter what, even if I work an 18 hour day and can't make it to the gym, I'll at least have walked 3 miles. I can get anywhere I need to in DC via bus or metro, but I never want to give up walking to work! I have an absolute fear of the suburbs — nothing causes my throat to close up and my heart to race like when my husband mentions wanting a McMansion in the suburbs with luxury cars in the 6 car garage. I hate the suburban mentality of needing to drive everywhere – everything seems like such a hassle. I grew up with the ability to walk to a local little grocery store for things like Sunday morning milk and eggs, and living within walking distance to a grocery store has been on my mandatory list ever since then.

Although, I do disagree about the walking to class as being a “crutch” part — I love, love, LOVE being 1.5 miles from the lab and walking everyday. I don’t think of it as a crutch at all, but rather a complete joy and pleasure – it’s my “me” time when I don’t have to deal with crowded buses, my mental prep for the day and unwind after, and a guarantee that no matter what, even if I work an 18 hour day and can’t make it to the gym, I’ll at least have walked 3 miles. I can get anywhere I need to in DC via bus or metro, but I never want to give up walking to work!

]]> By: akimparty http://daisyjd.com/index.php/2012/01/one-if-by-land/comment-page-1/#comment-5373 akimparty Wed, 25 Jan 2012 15:54:08 +0000 http://daisyjd.com/?p=3172#comment-5373 I love this story. Well said City Girl. I love this story. Well said City Girl.

]]> By: Maggie [The Freckled Citizen[ http://daisyjd.com/index.php/2012/01/one-if-by-land/comment-page-1/#comment-5371 Maggie [The Freckled Citizen[ Wed, 25 Jan 2012 13:48:54 +0000 http://daisyjd.com/?p=3172#comment-5371 Nothing depresses me like the suburbs, and in my professional life I need city-lovers like you to believe in things like walkability and density and urban vibrancy so that I can help create them. It's a good thing such feelings come naturally to so many of us :-) Nothing depresses me like the suburbs, and in my professional life I need city-lovers like you to believe in things like walkability and density and urban vibrancy so that I can help create them. It’s a good thing such feelings come naturally to so many of us :-)

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