Henry Sullivan

I came to Chicago in 1990 by way of Columbus Ohio. I decided, on a whim, to visit Chicago during spring break. I had just completed an emotionally taxing year at The Ohio State University School of Law, and I desperately needed an escape. In three days I had such a great time in Chicago that during the summer, again on a whim, I decided to move here. I’ve been here ever since.

My first impressions of Chicago were that the city was large, but not overcrowded, there were plenty of places to party without having to go broke, and it was more like being in many little cities, one second you’re driving through a neighborhood with a Greek flavor, the next second Mexican, then Black, then Irish. I met and saw a lot of interesting characters. The funniest thing is that most of them didn't seem to have any idea that they were unusual. I grew up in New Orleans, LA and reaction in school to the way I talked made me feel like a novelty in Ohio; so the idea that this was a place where being different is really no big deal was very appealing to me.