Editorial: A celebration of our suburban life
Long ago, Al Larson used to get into it regularly with one sarcastic Chicago elitist or another who'd find something about Schaumburg to disparage.
It wasn't a matter of Larson being thin skinned. As the village president of Schaumburg, he recognized the damage this kind of snobbery caused to the prestige of the community and, to his credit, never let it go unchecked.
When Larson stood up for Schaumburg, he was really standing up for all the suburbs because that's what Schaumburg represented. It was, and still is in many respects, the quintessential suburb and when Schaumburg was mocked, it was in essence all of the suburbs that were being mocked - and all of us who lived here.
It's refreshing to note that we can't remember the last time a sanctimonious barb was shot across the suburbs' bow.
No doubt it comes up from time to time in the comedy clubs. City elitists do still exist.
But today, Chicago institutions are more interested in aggressively reaching into the suburban markets than in demeaning them. The city's papers have each taken turns buying up suburban papers. The reverse commute has become a phenomenon of the new century.
The new year may very well be called the Year of the Suburbs because the suburbs are thriving, more dynamic, more diverse, more prosperous, more stimulating, more energized than ever.
Today, we introduced what we're calling Your 2015 Guide to the Suburbs, a concept that we hope will become an annual New Year's Day tradition in the years ahead.
We, of course, hope you'll find it useful, and that you'll also help us improve upon it. If you have other topics to suggest, please email your ideas to guide@dailyherald.com. Or if you think we missed a favorite spot of yours in one of our lists, email that suggestion to us.
One of the side benefits of putting together this guide is that it reminds us of all the reasons we live in Chicago's suburbs, all the benefits this region has to offer.
Don't get us wrong. We love the city. Chicago is an international destination, a world-class city.
And one of the benefits of living in the suburbs is that we have access to Chicago's amenities and the excitement of the city without having to suffer some of its pitfalls.
We in the suburbs get the best of both worlds. The beauty of our area, the expansive parks and forest preserves, fine restaurants and attractions, quality schools and libraries, good government with engaged citizenry, a peaceful pace with yards and open spaces, a growing suburban culture, a retail and corporate powerhouse with something for everybody, all of this and more - plus the benefits of the great city next door.
The suburbs have arrived. Fact is, as Al Larson knows, they did so long ago.