I came to Northwestern because I was in love with Chicago. Most people assume that I came here for the journalism program, not knowing that I transferred out of the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences only a year ago. Others have asked me if I came to be close to relatives, since both sides of my family live in the city and suburbs. But I considered college a time of independence. Proximity to relatives had nothing to do with my decision.

My first college friends weren’t Midwesterners – they came from states such as Texas, California, New York, New Jersey and Florida – and they were quick to criticize Chicago and the Midwest as a whole. “New York is so much better than Chicago” was one oft-heard claim. One New Jerseyan even went out of his way to point out that New York’s art museums, theater and symphonies are inarguably superior.

I was defensive, but I couldn’t argue. I wasn’t – and still am not – particularly well-traveled. I had visited only Maine on the East Coast and San Diego on the West Coast, and I loved Chicago for the same reason that my friends loved Los Angeles and New York – because I grew up there.

My family lived in the quiet western suburb of Warrenville until I was nine. Although our town was small, my elementary school often organized field trips to take us into the heart of the city. I can still remember seeing a show at the Adler Planetarium in first grade and visiting the Field Museum’s ancient Egypt exhibit in second grade. Chicago was the first large city I knew. You could say I love Chicago for the same reason people have a lasting attachment to their first loves.

This summer, I finally made it to the mythical New York City, albeit for one day, and I was impressed. I was taken aback by its sheer size. Everywhere I went – Soho, Chinatown, Greenwich Village, Times Square – was swarming with people. New York has a pulse unlike any other city I’ve seen.

I liked New York, but my visit was anticlimactic in a way. After hearing endless praise of the biggest U.S. city – and seeing countless idealizations of it in Woody Allen movies – I expected to abandon my feelings for Chicago.

But that didn’t happen. Sure, I’d live in New York. It’s undoubtedly the best place to work if you’re interested in magazine publishing. But I still love Chicago, and I came away from my trip with an important discovery: When talking about major world cities, one can’t really be “better” than another.

Be it Berlin, Beijing or Cairo, every city has its own character. You might not like its theater scene or its transportation systems, but cities are unique cultures. When you insult a city, you insult its inhabitants. Take pride in where you’re from, but don’t knock other locales – especially not Chicago – if you’re around me.

After all, 3 million people can’t be wrong.

Medill junior Ryan Wenzel is the PLAY editor. He can be reached at [email protected].