There are quite a few things that suburbanites and out-of-towners don’t always know about the big city, so in an effort to help out, here’s a short list of some things to avoid when navigating Chicago.
Walking by Yourself at Night
Unless you’ve been living under a dad bod fat roll (hey they’re trendy now), you’ve definitely heard this one before. If you’re going to be out at night, make sure you’re with at least one other person. Unfortunately we live in a world that holds more weirdos than we’d like, and even though we always think nothing would ever happen to us—it’s better to be safe than sorry. This is doubly true for women.
Permit Parking
You can’t just park on the side of the street anywhere in Chicago, and this goes for neighborhoods too. There have been so many times I thought I finally found the perfect spot before looking up and seeing that dreaded “permit parking only” sign. Nothing is worse than the letdown you experience when you think you’ve finally found a spot and then you have to hop back in and find another. Except maybe…
Rush Hour
Sometimes rush hour can be pretty unavoidable, but if at all possible, you’re going to want to sidestep this horribly forsaken process of crawling through the city. I really doubt I need to tell you why rush hour sucks, but if you’re interested in my thoughts on it, let’s just say I’d rather be hit by traffic than stuck in it. If you’ve got a good parking spot, just chill out and grab some grub (and maybe a beer) while you wait for it to die down. If you’re looking for a place to hang, here are our top River North bars.
Driving Timidly
Out in the burbs, it’s easy enough to just wait for nice big opening in the traffic to make that left turn. Typically, this gap in traffic will come soon enough, so it’s really no big deal. Well… that’s different here. I’m not saying to drive like a maniac (we have plenty of those already), but if you’re hoping that some nice soul is going to slow down or let you in front of them when you’re trying to change lanes, you’re probably going to have a bad time. Don’t get me wrong, there are some polite drivers here, and certain areas are undoubtedly better than others, but you’re probably just going to get stressed out if you’re being a little timid behind the wheel.
That Guy
You know who I’m talking about… He’s loud, he’s obnoxious, and (depending on your gender) he’s probably either letting you know that he’s a “real man” or trying to pick a fight with you. Trust me, nothing you say to him is going to sway him from his douchyness. Just pay him no heed and keep moving.
Side note: Don’t be that guy. I would imagine he looks something like this…
