During my formative years, (1st-7th grades), I lived in Chicago, about 4 miles from downtown. I loved living there - we had beaches a block away, miles and miles of bike trails, woods in the many parks, a free zoo with horses (!) to visit, cheap transportation via bus or train downtown (things were different back then; my 10 year old self and friends were allowed to bus downtown without the parents), and friends from all walks of life. Today, we live about 75 miles away and get into the city several times a year for the theater, or just to wander around the lakefront, downtown, or museums.
