By Chris Boehm
I never realized I grew up in a conservative home until I moved out of it.
In 1991, I graduated from Webster High School in Webster, New York — a suburb of Rochester. We weren’t out in the hinterlands, but we were far enough outside of anywhere that hearing the name of the town spoken by anyone still surprises me.
It was like any town in the United States at that point in time. Many seem to think that everyone in New York State inherits the politics of New York City, but some counties in New York have a greater than 70/30 split in favor of Republicans.
When I graduated high school, I didn’t move too far — only 90 minutes away to Buffalo — but, still, it was a big step for me. Many years later, I met my wife there. She was a transplant from California, lured by Buffalo’s affordability and proximity to New York to allow for the occasional day trip.
Before my wife and I married, my boss at the time, Craig Alesse (Publisher of Amherst Media, Inc. and author of Don’t Take My Picture and Basic 35mm Photo Guide) brought me to a conference in Chicago. We got off the train at the LaSalle Street station, walked up the subway steps, and there was Alexander Calder’s “The Flamingo” — a bright red statue standing over 50 feet tall.
We walked past the Art Institute of Chicago, and I saw the lion statues flanking its entrance, directly across from the eastern terminus of Route 66. And then, wonder of wonders, the sky opened up to Millennium Park — a sprawling, green-soaked boulevard of tourists and laughing children. Buckingham Fountain launched spouts of water over 100 feet into the air. I was surrounded by culture, architecture, and things I barely knew could exist.
I was smitten.
When my wife and I married, Chicago seemed like an obvious mid-point between her family in LA and my family in NY; but, really, all I could think about was that bright, sunny day in Millenium Park. This year, we celebrated our 20th anniversary moving here, and I’ve experienced things that never seem to be talked about in hit pieces or thought pieces about this city. It’s used across our American political spectrum — either to reinforce the narrative about “Sanctuary Cities” or to describe it as a dystopian nightmare.
Personally, it’s never been either to me.
To be fair, my mother hates it here. At 81, while she would love to spend more time with my wife, the kids and me, she hasn’t been here in years. For her, this city is a maze of clogged streets and dangerous corners. I fully agree with her on the traffic. After all, INRIX analytics rated the city tied for the second worst city in the world for traffic delays.
As for crime, while the common narrative about Chicago is that it’s the murder capital of the country, I’ve seen the city have its ups and downs. Before we bought our first home on the Northwest side of the city, I did extensive research on arrests within the neighborhood, and the closest thing I saw to violence were some teenagers fighting at the local high school.
