So many people here in Chicago are paying a very close attention to today's vote on the city that will host the 2016 Olympics. Being a Chicagoan, and knowing how much I love the city, of course I have a vested interest in the decision. Am I rooting for Chicago to win? Hum..... good question!
On the one hand, of course I am! It would be a tremendous honor to host the Olympics. I'm proud of the city and hope more people can come and visit and discover all the amazing things about the city itself. It can be as big, as busy, and as hectic as New York, but without the attitude and with pedestrians still obeying the pedestrian traffic signal (well, most of them anyway). Many first-timers to the city are always surprised at how friendly and how beautiful the city is, especially if they get to Grant Park and the lakefront.
But on the other hand, I'm dreading the traffic gridlock. While this may not be a factor for me by 2016 (I'm in the process of buying a house and moving out of Lakeview and into the near 'burbs), I can only imagine how it might work out, especially in the downtown area. And I still want to know how the public transportation (with the CTA trains and busses) are going to handle all the heavy volume of people. Riding the CTA trains, for example, can be a frustrating experience.
Oh well, we will know in a few hours if Chicago gets the bid or not. I think Rio makes a very strong case that it is time for the Olympics to make its first visit to South America.
Zz.
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