What?? Did the great Fodor editor in the sky decide that thread was getting too obstreperous (just when it was getting back on track)?

Have just finished reading it all the way through, which took a little doing, and was ready to really 'jump in' with my memories of "growing up at the beach" Chicago-style - only to discover there was no "Reply to this Message" button...What gives?

Hey Tucker...we can start a new discussion. Hopefully with minimal Dallas tangents!

I love the lake. My family keeps a sailboat at Montrose Harbor, and I always go out with my father when I visit in the summer.

Other great things about the lake...

North Avenue Beach and margaritas at Castaways in the summer. You almost feel as though you are in the Bahamas and suddenly you realize that you are looking at the Sears Tower.

The dog beach in Evanston - best place to watch cute dogs play in the water with their owners.

The air and water show in the summer. Best vantage point is being out on the lake watching the planes from below.

Sailing across the lake and not being able to see land once you are in the middle.

Castaways??? That post-dates my Chicago lakefront time, I guess, Lizzie. But it sounds great - is that in the old boathouse?

I do feel as though I grew up at North Avenue beach - we lived about a 15-20 min walk away, and it was - first - one of my strongest family memories, all of us trekking the picnic stuff through the park and over the bridge, and - later, as a teenager - the place I went every day, all day for an entire summer.

(In fact, when my Dad died, now almost 20 years ago, and there was no funeral/service for him in California, it was the park and vicinity of that walk-to-the-beach where I went to 'say goodbye.')

I think Manhattan is a grand place, and it certainly has 'waterfront,' but Chicago's combination of vibrant downtown fronting on a wonderful sand beach - well, that's something truly special.

Lived in NYC. It has it's pluses, however Chicago has many more varied features of interest to me - the world class museums, the lakefront & it's endless promenade, Wrigley Field, etc.

Topping the list between the two cities is that the Chicago folks are the most friendly & accommodating folks a person will find anywhere.

Both cities are great in their own unique, wonderful ways. I have wonderful memories of growing up in Chicago, and I'm making wonderful new memories while living in NYC.

Tucker - Castaways is in that big old ship sitting on North Avenue beach. I don't know if it used to be called the boathouse, but here's the website so you can see for yourself:

http://www.stefanirestaurants.com/castaways.htm

Just want to put in one added category of thoughts on this. That's the fact that Chicago is so much more than the downtown, North side and lakefront areas. And tourists really rarely, rarely see a fraction of what is here. Nor do many Chicagoans know that there are lots of cultural places and events of great value that have evolved over time outside of the constantly heralded.

For instance, one of the the biggest outdoor sculpture parks in the world is on the grounds of Governors' State University in Park Forest. It's awesome, hard to describe- looks in part like a playpen area for some gods. The Western burbs have much beyond Brookfield Zoo and nature centers. And also we are far more of a real sports town than NYC. There are just too many other venues highlighted for sports to take that kind of a center page in NYC, despite the Yankees success.