If GQ says it, it must be true: Chicago is the City of the Year and my new home

America’s most reputable news source, GQ magazine, recently named Chicago its City of the Year, and I’m going to have to agree with GQ and whatever half-naked woman is on the front cover this issue.

The magazine made its decision based on four areas of Chicago’s awesomeness. First, of course, are the politics; think initially mispronounced Obama not still bumbled over Blagojevich, who technically belongs to Springfield not Chicago anyway. Second is film, thanks to Christopher Nolan’s decision to covert the loop into Gotham City for Dark Knight. Then there is the always-prevalent literature, from past legends like Sandburg to present day too trendy to be legends publications like Stop Smiling. And finally the unavoidable architecture; forget the Sears Tower and the multitude of other skyscrapers that grace the city's skyline and look to the future with the tallest, thinnest residential building in the U.S….yes Chicago is finally going anorexic-model-chic with this 115 story spiral beauty.

But while some skeptics, cough bitter east coasters cough, have suggested that Chicago is just riding the fashionable coat tails of Barack Obama, I believe that Chicago has always been the city of year/decade/century thanks to its good ole’ Midwestern roots mixed with its nurturing love of the arts and culture. Chicago isn’t some fad come to temporarily distract people from filth-lined New York or smog-ladened L.A., but a honest-to-goodness old-fashioned good ole city.

Now in the spirit of journalistic ethics and disclosure, I have to admit I am in love with this fair city of Chicago. Actually I am so much in love with the city that I decided to move here in the frozen dead of winter.

It was love at first el ride before I even heard the golden gods of GQ has blessed the city with its prestigious award. The moment those subway doors gracefully slid shut and I was whisked away towards the skyline of glowing buildings, I knew Chicago and I were meant to be. Although some might think this biases my theory on Chicago’s awesomeness, I know it just makes me the best person to tell her story.

Now, after my first week living in Chicago, I know this city is chocked full not just of soap-opera-worthy politics, uber trendy film and literature and the Kate Moss of skyscrapers but also of good people with worthy stories to tell.

There were the Serbians in the sports bar proudly telling me of Blago’s ties to their motherland; there were the chubby bears out Friday night explaining the politics of boystown’s bars; there was the young Palestinian man who told me he would only occasionally visit the city because it was too dangerous, not like the safety of the Middle East.

Chicago may be the city of the year but Chicagoians are really the people of the year and the faces of 2009. Here is where Joe the Plumber is actually Svet the do-it-all-repair-guy who would never give up his private business to pretend to be a war correspondent. In the end Chicago is awesome because it is real, its people are real.

That is why GQ named Chicago the City of the Year and that is why I’m now calling Chi Town home.