Chicago, Illinois
From the customer: I was born in Chicago. Well, not technically. If we’re getting specific, I was born in the Western Suburbs of Chicago right near the border of the City Prints map that’s hanging on my wall. But that’s just kind of something you do when you’re in Illinois. You’re “from Chicago” even if you’re actually from twenty-five miles outside the city because you can get there using the train, and there aren’t many people outside of Chicago (see what I did there?) that have ever heard of Darien, Illinois. But I digress.
In many ways, Chicago has always been my home. Long before I knew “The Windy City” was in no way related to weather, I was venturing through submarines at the Museum of Science & Industry, dinosaurs at the Field Museum and a Grant Park that had yet to be invaded by a giant, alien legume. My parents made it their mission to make me feel like a child in a giant urban playground, and in many ways, I still feel like that today. I live in a zip code that officially bears the Chicago name now, but that sense of wonder I developed at a young age has never gone away.
My City Prints map of Chicago reminds me of that every time I look at it. As busy as everything seems in this City, I’m constantly going back to the fact that I have to remember to take a step back and enjoy the total calm of the lake that’s so vividly depicted on the right side of the map. It doesn’t hurt that it’s also decked out with Cubs colors. Honestly, choosing between the Chicago and Wrigley maps was one of the harder decisions I’ve made in the past month, and that says a lot about the quality of these prints.
~ Ben D.
From the map maker: Thanks for taking the time to write this Ben. Your story is a perfect example of how “our location” isn’t always the same as “our home.” To those readers impressed by Ben’s way with words, I agree! It’s no accident he’s a Senior Editor at Cool Material, the premier source of “stuff guys want.” Click here to check it out (but make sure you have time to kill). Thanks again Ben, continue to enjoy the playground! ~Tony