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Vlog: 10 Things We Love About You, Chicago

There was a time when we thought, We won’t live in Chicago for the long haul. We told ourselves, This is temporary! Just for fun. For now. But here we are, 10 years later, and we truly can’t imagine living anywhere else in the world.

We moved here from Cincinnati in the fall of 2006, rented the cutest (and somehow, roomiest!) apartment right off of Palmer Square. We had packed up our moving truck and pulled up to our new home 5 hours later. I remember our first night, it felt so exciting as we laid on the bare mattress, and we said, We can hear cars honking! And people talking outside! The funny thing is, we meant that in the best, most romantic way possible. We felt like we were being initiated into city living, as if it were a badge of honor.

A year later, we purchased an itty bitty condo together, and six years after that, we were ready to move again. We began to crave a little more space, and we considered some of the many cities that we’ve visited and enjoyed – Seattle, Portland, Nashville. The more we noodled on it, the more we realized, no, we would miss Chicago too much. Chicago has our very favorite diner, the best doughnuts, that big, blue lake and sandy beaches and the prettiest grassy boulevards and an energy that revitalizes us. Without us realizing it, Chicago knew it was our home before we did.

In 2013, we found this house (after a mild heartbreak, for good measure), and three years in, it feels so completely like home, it’s hard to believe we considered living anywhere else! This year marks our 10 year anniversary of living in a city we love so much; our hearts swell thinking of the roots we’ve planted, the friends we consider family and this home that has seen us cry, argue and laugh until our sides hurt. To celebrate, we’ve put together a love letter to our city, to the tune of a top 10 list. Could it have been a top 20? 30? 40? Yes! But that’ll have to wait for their respective anniversaries, of course. We love you, Chicago!

Video Notes: Where We Went

Cocktails at Wyler Road
Pie and coffee at Bang Bang
A League of Their Own at Pritzker Pavillion
Waterworks at Crown Fountain
This pretty tucked away garden in the heart of the city
Long dog walks along The 606
Sculptures and greenery in Grant Park
Flower picking at Cattails
Shopping for handmade goods at Renegade Craft Fair

Also, our kitchen renovation can be found here, or shop our house here!

Edited by our talented friend Hannah Stephans

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  • Katya11.22.16 - 5:47 AM

    So cute! I’ve only been to Chicago once, and I loved it! People were so nice and the city is really beautiful. Congrats!ReplyCancel

  • Mallory11.22.16 - 9:36 AM

    This is so sweet! My husband has been living in Chicago (Streeterville!) for a construction project he’s managing for the last 4 months and it’s such an amazing city! I’ve been visiting about 1-2 times a month (from NE Ohio) and while we jam-pack each day, there are still so many awesome things I look forward to doing when I come back. If there ever was a city we would move to, it would be Chicago!ReplyCancel

    • Kim11.22.16 - 10:27 AM

      Lucky him! The list of things to do is never ending! Never, ever bored.ReplyCancel

  • Jacki11.22.16 - 10:50 AM

    I remember stumbling upon Lurie Garden during my 3rd visit to Chicago (I live in Des Moines). It felt like a little piece of heaven. I sat soaking my feet for over an hour, just watching people. During my next visit, this time with the whole family, it was again so inviting. Especially after an entire day of walking and exploring (we had to have walked six miles before resting).

    And watching my son play in the water at Crown Fountain will always be one of my favorite memories.

    Chicago feels much more like home to me than my own city. But I’m done with Midwest winters and ready to head to a warmer climate.ReplyCancel

    • Kim11.22.16 - 11:06 AM

      The Lurie Garden is SO tucked away with only a few (small) entrances, that we only just discovered it maybe 5 years ago! I used to work right across the street at the Art Institute, and I still didn’t know about it then. So funny.ReplyCancel

  • Steph M.11.22.16 - 11:00 AM

    Chicago is one of my favorites, and I love how close it is to Indy! Chuck and I go often for short trips!ReplyCancel

  • Anna11.22.16 - 12:08 PM

    This is so cute, informative, and makes me want to visit so bad! Thanks for sharing <3ReplyCancel

  • misie11.23.16 - 6:34 PM

    Just stop. You guys are too freaking cute. Love.it.times 100. When is the best time of year to visit…cuz…we’re sold.ReplyCancel

    • Kim11.23.16 - 10:09 PM

      It’s always the best time! But honestly, nothing beats Chicago in the summer.ReplyCancel

  • Alicia11.23.16 - 7:59 PM

    I’m from Cincinnati too so you’d think I’d have been more than once but unfortunately, I only went once for a couple days before flying out to South Korea a couple years ago. It was so incredibly cold that I didn’t get to see enough so I can’t wait to head back once I return to Cincinnati in a few months to check out more in some warmer seasons!ReplyCancel

    • Kim11.23.16 - 10:11 PM

      Maybe it’s my rose colored glasses, but I’ve never really thought Chicago is that much colder than Cincinnati! On the other hand, I’ve never been a fan of summer until we moved here. Cincinnati humidity is NO JOKE! Chicago changed my mind about summer and now I couldn’t love it more.ReplyCancel

      • Jillian8.16.19 - 4:20 PM

        Did I ever tell u that I read that Cincy will be the same climate as Mississippi in like 2090?! I can’t remember details of this prediction, but what will Mississippi be then I wonder?! ????Inhabitable?! ReplyCancel

        • Kim8.16.19 - 4:22 PM

          Oh, I don’t even like to think about it.ReplyCancel

  • Julia@Cuckoo4Design12.1.16 - 5:20 PM

    You guys are way too cute. I fell in love with Chicago too the couple of times I got to visit. It’s an amazing city.ReplyCancel

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We’re Kim + Scott, Chicago based content creators behind the Home + Lifestyle brand Yellow Brick Home.

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