I'm with you. In Chicago, "less cool/less crime" beats "hip and held-up at gunpoint." What I pay for rent in the Windy City would be the mortgage payment for a three-bedroom, new build in my former home state. I refuse to ever buy a home in Cook County (even with VA loan options), as I know Rahm or Chuy are going to…

Slightly envious of your arrangement. My affinity for lakefront-proximity and walking distance to the shoreline has me paying about the same for a ONE-bedroom (management company) that could use some serious HGTV/"Property Brothers" intervention (aesthetically more than structurally). On the other hand, I guess living…

As much as I can't stand the douchelord. This is literally how you kill music even Questlove hates this ruling and when Questlove hates something it's bad.

People are incredibly dumb and self-absorbed. Dare I say it? Especially when it comes to their children.

No, they probably wouldn't. Stranger abduction is exceedingly rare, I think the statistic is something like you'd have to leave you kid outside for over a million hours for it to happen. What would happen is that someone would call the cops, they'd call CPS and you'd be screwed.

I recall a Swedish(?) mother getting arrested in a major US city (maybe NY, not sure) for leaving her stroller outside of a restaurant. Yikes, culture clash!

Oh man, people do this shit all the time. I used to work retail and they'd do it and we had heavy shit that they could potentially get into and drop on their toes, etc. We also had glass displays and high end gear that cost easily hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars. Like, fuck. Your kid breaks it, you buy it.

In Iceland, we leave the baby in the baby carriage outside the cafe so it can sleep and not be disturbed by the noise and heat inside a crowded restaurant. Stroller-age children can get bundled up and left outside to nap, as well. (But you can also choose to bring your kid inside with you, if you want.)

Oh yeah- people do that all the time, particularly in brunch places and cafes. Just let the kid run around. I've nearly trampled small children into the dirt on several occasions.

Okay, I've been dying to share this story, but as it's not food/dining related, I can't submit it to the column. But I figure some people around here will get a kick out of it anyway.

YES! My husband is finally learning this lesson with regards to shoes. Sure, you can buy a pair from Macy's for $80, but you'll be lucky if they get you through the year. On the other hand, I convinced him to buy a $400 pair of shoes from... I forget where, and he's had them for years now. They've been re-soled…

"Not entirely racist assholes" would be a great motto for a police department.

Man, Bare Traps boots are the worst. I've had two pairs fall apart on me. Never again!

As a resident of the city, I give you the suburbs!! Please take them!

This hit, that ice cold

Jesus, where in Chicago are you? In Lakeview, I can't come anywhere within spitting distance of that price, though I would REALLY love to.

SF is the Britain of America. It's always cold there. Always.

How many people just saw the word Ducktales and said "a-woo-oo!" out loud or in their heads?

I don't know if it's the jungle blood in my veins, but being cold makes me want to murder Mother Nature to the tune of Slayer's Raining Blood. I can't do those cute coats that hit you at the waist, or the skinny jeans, or any of that bullshit. I wear a coat that could double as a sleeping bag (and does, when I wanna…