What gravitates me today is not delving into what people read, nor no longer trying to simply figure out why I personally write what it is I write, but what I am looking for are those articles that get me traveling and finding based on a writers experience rather than a laundry list of go to sites, this one hit the "bulls-eye" in that regard, which is quite apt if we are talking about Chicago. By the time I finished fishing this article, I found out that the neon-strip tunnel at O'Hare airport was designed by Helmat Jahn and that the BCE building I have often starred at in arched wonder is designed by Santiago Calatrava. This article took me to new sources of music such as Lupe Fiasco, Wilco and Neko Case. I actually loved the melodic tone of HOLD ON HOLD ON, a song featured on Neko Case's website. The most fascinating character mentioned in the piece is Studs Terkel, his site at studsterkel.org, which is chock full of interesting interviews. I found it interesting that Stanley Tigerman opened up an alternative design school called ARCHEWORKS. Beyond the architects and the musicians, I discovered how little I knew about trees and that itself opens up an interesting pathway of inquiry but what this article did most was to open my eyes up to see Chicago in a new light, to go beyond the beef and the politics and begin to notice a city that I have worked in but have never done the justice of taking the time to notice it or even try to "visit it". It is not so much that Hillary Clinton once did a thesis on Saul Alinksy because that takes me back into Chicago politics that I have learned not to trust, but this article connected me to an authenticity and realistic attitude of Chicago that I have utterly failed to connect with. So I am finding that the best stuff in a great article does not come to light until we shift the focus of our own attention makeup. This is more the reason why commentary simply sucks up my time and stops me from the real juice here, which is starting to look at my world in a new way and begin to extract rather than simply accumulate. The way Alex Kowlowitz wrote this up is very helpful in that regard. What Alex did here is open up a Chicago that I have been so lazy minded to see before, yet I know it is city that should command my attention as well as it turns out, my respect, but now thanks to this article, it does.......M.

New York is the city of the millennium. Take that Chicago. Although, you are catching up due to "Sex and the City."

Ahem--Chicago?? City of the year?? Does anyone at Fast Company magazine read the papers here?? Last year, more than 500 people were indicted on various corruption charges. Our last governor just went to prison, and our current one is being investigated by the Feds. Can you say, "Rezko?"

Green roofs, sure. But "progressive?" Give me a break.

We're the poster-child for local and state corruption.

why are you people biting about Chicago?Give me Chicago over any city.Look at NYC where there are rats all over the place look at what happened at the taco bell and kfc in manhatten and rat hang out.At least Chicago inspects its diners and fast food places each night and will close them down in a heartbeat if a single dropping is in that place.Our alleys are rat free .Nyc your building inspectors need to take notes and learn from Chicago and you will be rat free too.I have been to other USA cities and have seen none better than Chicago that is why people want to live here.

New York is the city of the past; Chicago is the city of the future. It is growing and will continue to grow due to the quality of life, access to public transportation, museum culture, beauty (landscaping, green roofs and skyline, professional sports and I can go on.