Television Fri Nov 06 2009

If Oprah Leaves Chicago, We're Screwed

There's been a question posted in Fuel that asks what you think of Oprah leaving Chicago. Well I think that Chicago will definitely suffer if she leaves.

Not only will hundreds of people lose their jobs, but all the residuals that go along with her presence here will be affected as well. Remember what the West Loop used to look like? It was a bunch of emptying warehouses and decrepit buildings, a kind of no-man's land where parking was plentiful, but restaurants weren't.

Not only did her studio bring about urban revitalization, but it's also increased tourism and enhanced Chicago's exposure. Before, Chicago was known more for the mafia and Al Capone than Oprah. Now we get all sorts of people here who want to see what her "hometown" looks like, and even if their friends and family aren't fans of hers, they at least become curious to see what type of place they've been to.

So as a non-fan of her show (though if I got an invite, I'd gladly go), I'd like to publicly plea that she not leave Chicago because we need her. Otherwise, we might slip back to the Chicago of the 70's, when the city was grim and people stayed away.

— Margaret Larkin / Comments (2)