After having spent almost two months attending Loyola University of Chicago, I feel as though I have finally assimilated to urban culture - not entirely, but I’ve made significant progress. For one thing, I no longer get extreme road rage when people honk at one another profusely on a regular basis, and hearing an ambulance rushing through the city with its obnoxious horn doesn’t elicit feelings of annoyance or sheer panic. In fact, it’s almost become...normal.
Millennials are drawn to urban environments because of the idea of organized chaos. If you really think about it, a city can look extremely messy to anyone from the suburbs until everything becomes routine. Every morning at 9am the coffee shop across the street opens and is filled with students by midday, cramming for exams or grabbing a cup of coffee with friends. The streets are never truly empty, but everything moves with a kind of rhythm that becomes the soundtrack to your life every time you wake up in the morning or retreat into the solace of your apartment at night. Everything moves constantly, yet it moves in patterns and waves.
We want movement. The stillness of the suburbs often becomes too much, and we trade it for the city in hopes of enriching our social lives and exploring new social scenes. There’s never a lack of places to go or people to see...and we learn a few things about ourselves along the way, too.
1. Your apartment/dorm is your safe space.
Whether you live in a tiny studio downtown, a college dorm or a multi-bedroom apartment with roommates, your living space will always function as an escape. When the city becomes too much to handle and you feel overwhelmed, your apartment is there for you. Thus, “chaos” is no excuse not to try out city living. You can always lock yourself in your room with Netflix when you’re done exploring.
2. People really can’t drive.
If you thought getting cut off in your high school parking lot was bad, just wait until you’re in bottleneck traffic and people start squeezing in in any way that they can to switch lanes. Or when you’re crossing the street when the light is on saying you’re allowed to cross, and a car whizzes past you COMPLETELY ignoring the fact that you have the right of way.
3. You have to leave 20 minutes early for everything.
Got a class at 11:30? Leave at 11:10 if you want to get there before the middle of lecture. Urban living is basically packing people into tiny spaces all the time. So if you don’t want to get stuck waiting to cross the street or shut out of a full elevator, leave early.
4. The city is home to some killer views.
The advantage of having friends that live in apartments once they move out of the dorms is being able to explore new perspectives of your favorite skyline view. You can always head to the top of virtually any apartment building for some stunning inspiration, or just to clear your head while overlooking your new backyard playground.
5. It can be scary walking home at night - but don’t let that deter you.
The first few outings past 8:00 in the city can trigger fear or anxiety if you’re not used to an urban setting at night. You’re used to walking your dog casually at 9pm in the suburbs, or running back and forth to friends’ houses at ungodly hours of the night. Now, there’s a lot more people surrounding you, and this can mean that walking alone at night can be both exhilarating and terrifying. Is the person behind you following you? What happens if you turn a dark street corner? It all takes practice, and being able to adapt to your fast-moving environment. Doesn’t mean you should skip out on the pepper spray, though.
Living in the city is a constant adventure. It’s no wonder millennials are easily enticed by urban living - it’s a chance to ditch the calamity of your old life for something new and exciting. So next time you’re looking for an adventure, stop by Rogers Park and enjoy the beauty that is Chicago’s chaotic ambience.
