What I’ve learned...

Living in Chicago, this is what I’ve learned

* Lawn chairs are for marking your shoveled parking spot.

* Never leave a Bears game early.

* It’s always cooler by the lake.

— Lynne Herolt

* The neighborhood pubs are really fun to explore. It is all good to go to the main strip of bars, where everyone and their sister is headed, but for those nights where curiosity wins over, take a walk around the corner to the pub that is nestled in the lamp-lit streets of a quiet neighborhood. The characters and unique feel of the place will make Chicago’s constant diversity ever apparent.

— Scott Bratcher

* Before you die, everyone should try the chicken pot pie at Jack’s Bar and Grill on Southport. This isn’t a joke. And bring Tupperware.

— Trent Modglin

* Having lived in Lincoln Park for more than five years, I’ve learned how key it is to live near “stuff.” There are plenty of residential areas in the city that are really nice but don’t offer much in the way of essential “stuff” within walking distance. I’m talking about grocery stores, 24-hour convenience stores, restaurants, etc. Because when the snow starts to fall, like it already has twice this winter, walking is the only mode of transportation you’ll have available.

— Jeff Agrest

* Just because it’s raining, don’t assume a bird won’t take a dump on your coat.

* Paying $3 for a Bud Light is actually a good deal.

* The Christmas trees piled up in the big lots are not free.

* If you see someone slip and fall on an icy sidewalk right in front of you, pretend you didn’t see it.

* Don’t walk down Lawrence Avenue after 1:00 in the morning by yourself.

— Brian Sesterhenn

* If you walk to work for any distance in the Loop or the downtown area in inclement weather, find all the open buildings and walkways for pedestrian pass-through you can to stay dry and warm. For example, many buildings take up an entire city block and allow pedestrians to walk through them without having to check in or flash a badge of any type. Also useful are the pedways that go underground all over the city to various checkpoints. Examples of these passages that I have found, and used extensively, include:

Pedway from the red line Washington stop to City Hall and LaSalle Street.

Walking through the UBS tower at Wacker and Madison from Franklin to Wacker Drive.

Stroll through the Mercantile Exchange building from Madison to Monroe.

* Another good tip is to find remote post office locations so you don’t actually have to find a major U.S. Post Office building and wait in those ridiculous long lines. Two post office stops I have found useful are located in the first floor basement of the Mercantile Exchange and in the lower level of the Sears Tower.

— Dan Miller

* If you’re bored in Chicago, you’re not looking hard enough.

* Traffic, traffic, traffic. That was my biggest struggle/adaptation to this great city. I thought I was alone until a morning radio show did a thing about new people who have moved to Chicago, and about 80 percent complained about the traffic. The other was they couldn’t get a date or that it was “hard to meet people.”

— Debbie Podmore

* You shouldn’t drink beer on the Red Line after a Cubs playoff game and then profanely resist a request for identification from an undercover Chicago cop dressed as a homeless guy.

— Dan W.

* Life is too short to try and street park in the city (especially in February). My recommendation to anyone moving into the city is to spend the extra money for a parking spot.

— Buzz

* In the winter ... FUNCTION always trumps FASHION.

— Bradly Spear

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