Chicago As a Community: A Rising Tide Lifts All Boats

During my decade in California, the thing I missed most about my hometown of Chicago was the genuine sense of community its residents maintain.

Although big cities offer ample opportunity for their citizens to become lost in the shuffle, I’ve always believed it’s a combination of Chicago’s role as the hub of the Midwest and the sometimes brutal weather that goes along with it that brings people together with their neighbors and instills in them a notion of common purpose.

Since my return to this world-class city last summer, my idealized memories/expectations in that regard have not only been confirmed, they’ve been surpassed. While I was happy to see that Chicago remains the open-armed city I remembered so fondly, there’s been a big change since my previous life here that has only added to the collaborative spirit.

When I departed for other climes in the summer of 1996, the Internet was still in the early stages of becoming the vital communication tool located in nearly every home that it is today. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg was not yet of bar mitzvah age!

One of the most surprising developments I returned to find this time around is Chicago’s warm embrace of emerging technologies and the use of those technologies in countless creative, innovative and collaborative pursuits.

While I was busy reporting on the effects of the dot-com bust on the coast just south of Silicon Valley (and later attempting to sell some of the millions of square feet of empty office buildings left in the industry’s wake), Chicago was building itself up as a world leader in the many facets of new media (and nurturing a future president who would take advantage of that new media to become a world leader).

Being unemployed for the seven months I’ve now been back in Chicago has been frustrating, but it’s been a gift in disguise as I’ve taken advantage of my free time to get to know some of the amazingly talented people at the forefront of this city’s most exciting initiatives.

It’s people like John Patterson and Bruce Montgomery of The Chicago Convergence, Barbara Rozgonyi and Jeff Willinger of Social Media Club Chicago and Ross Kimbarovsky and Mike Samson of crowdSPRING who are building upon Chicago’s natural penchant for community and collaboration to bring this city together in the name of creativity and innovation.

While jobs may still be hard to come by in these difficult times, it’s efforts such as these that I believe will spur Chicago into a leadership role in the next wave of economic prosperity. In a world where a rising tide still can lift all boats, I’m happy to say I live in a city where many people realize that an “I, me, mine” attitude may lead to fleeting glory, but a “we, us, ours” approach will lead to something far greater: A flourishing community.

Comments

[boom lifts]

Yeah, people in Chicago works as a community.

Luigi Hanway

[Barbara Rozgonyi]

Daniel, great take on Chicago's community pulse. Thanks for the mention and thanks for all you contribute to making Chicago's Social Media Club so successful!
@wiredprworks on twitter.com

[Daniel Hindin]

Thanks for your comments, guys. Nothing like spreading a little Chicago love around! I've got to say, I'm so happy to be back here in this amazing city and can't wait for all the great things to come!

[Teresa]

Reading this made my day. I just stumbled upon your blog and since I'm unemployed and hoping to move to Chicago from California, this post definitely hit home with me. It reminded me how much I love that city! Good luck with everything!

[Carol Hindin]

Welcome home!

[Nicholas E. Kinports]

Well written Daniel! I too see a great sense of community and openness forming in a very difficult economic time. I know this will only grow as we move into the future.