Andrew Huff / July 12, 2012 12:02 AM

Question suggested by Jim.

"Different great cities explore different facets of experience," says Josh Rothman. "Jerusalem (religion), Montreal (language), Singapore (nation building), Hong Kong (materialism), Beijing (political power), Oxford (learning), Berlin (tolerance and intolerance), Paris (romance), and New York (ambition)." In fact, cities may now be more distinct and interesting than the countries that house them."

So what's Chicago's ethos?

charlie / July 12, 2012 7:32 AM

All work no play...except for the sport drinking.

vise77 / July 12, 2012 8:34 AM

Given Chicago's history and current economy: Commerce.

Mike / July 12, 2012 9:41 AM

Corrupt and stupid

Jake / July 12, 2012 9:42 AM

to be more specific, trade via transport

gal / July 12, 2012 11:14 AM

Suburbanism.

G / July 12, 2012 1:00 PM

Organization

beer:30 / July 12, 2012 1:52 PM

Shoot first and worry about it later [goes equally for the cops and the bangers]

I / July 12, 2012 3:11 PM

According to the Urbanophile, nothing (http://www.urbanophile.com/2012/06/11/chicago-the-second-rate-city/).

Based on more concrete realities and considering our large financial exchanges heavily featuring futures and the like, commerce. But unfortunately to the average person (American or foreign), it's probably crime.

Michael / July 12, 2012 3:52 PM

Hot Dogs

maardvark / July 12, 2012 5:01 PM

Alcohol.

Cinnamon / July 12, 2012 6:52 PM

I would say it is entrepreneurial in spirit and support of those who do so.

Jesse / July 12, 2012 10:33 PM

I like Cinnamon's answer: entrepreneurial

Mucky Fingers / July 13, 2012 10:50 AM

Eating. "Foodie" crap is just rampant here.

Spook / July 13, 2012 1:29 PM

"The Chickens HAVE Come Home To Roost!" written in graffiti( of course) on all public spaces especially; public schools, jails, police stations, government officers, community clinics-shuttered and ope. And, on the ground in "safe" northside neighborhoods and downtown where violent crimes were committed, and every place were a body got dropped due to gun violence.

Johnny Nine Toes / July 13, 2012 2:30 PM

Architecture

TaJ / July 14, 2012 11:59 AM

I hear somewhere said something like this: You go to LA or NYC to chase dreams, you go to Chicago to get a life...

Just like any city I'm sure Chicago is different things to different people. It's what you make of it.

-Lake Effect
-Transient
-MIdwest Hub
-Sprawl
-Construction Zone
-In Progress
-Community

TB / July 16, 2012 12:52 AM

I think this is the city of hard work. People go to New York to get rich and go to L.A. to get famous. People come to Chicago to get serious about whatever they are doing and make a living.

annie / July 18, 2012 9:32 AM

Murder. Weather. Sports. Food

Andy / July 18, 2012 1:54 PM

Segregation.

Jason / July 18, 2012 3:19 PM

Gentrification

Big Bill Thompson / July 18, 2012 4:13 PM

Hypocrisy.

Ron / July 18, 2012 11:15 PM

Convergence of the Corn

gah / July 20, 2012 5:06 PM

Wisconsin

Benjy / July 20, 2012 10:17 PM

Transportation

Shechemist / July 21, 2012 9:06 PM

Preservation.

The winters can be border on unbearable. The summers are muggy and hot. Springs are schizophrenic. City politics don't serve the people. And yet the people that live in the city butt up against all of this and do as well as they can with what they can.