I like to explore all sides of the issue. Here’s some reasons why we do not miss living in the city of Chicago, and why we like turn to each other when we’re there to say “I do not miss (insert below reason here)!”

1. Parking problems – tickets, the boot, parking meters, exorbitant parking fees in parking garages.
2. Mayor Daley…well, I kind of miss him.
3. Traffic
4. Tourists – except now WE ARE THE TOURISTS
5. Gunfire on holidays
6. Living among steel and concrete instead of anything green.
7. Gasoline being much more expensive in the city
8. Really, everything being much more expensive in the city
9. Marathons, ballgames, festivals, parades, fairs, and other traffic-delaying commotion
10. Too many dogs, with over-enthusiastic dog owners who don’t leash them, and un-picked-up dog poop on the sidewalk
11. The El – too crowded
12. Rats
13. Pigeons
14. Car stereos turned up to a mind-numbing level
15. Fighting with fellow neighbors on winter street parking with their passive aggresive chairs

Now we can breathe a sigh of relief that we live in the suburbs. Sure, there’s two sides to every story and reasons not to like the suburbs too, but I can’t focus on that, because we live here now.

But we are glad to get away from the rats.