Millennium Park: Suburbanites have rights, too!

Recently, a Chicago Alderman by the name of Eugene Schulter stated his preferential proposal to keep residents of the suburbs of Chicago out of the best seating at Millennium Park. His proposal gives Chicago residents 15 minutes to find seating before everyone else.


For those of you who are unaware, Millennium Park has an amphitheater with a grass lawn for seating. 15 minutes is more than enough time for Chicagoans to completely fill the park and not allow people from the Suburbs anywhere near the action. (see the photo below)

Mr. Schulter’s reasoning is that he has received numerous complaints from city residents that they can never get good seating due to the overwhelming suburbanite crowds near the front.

First of all, to those who have complained, I understand that you are used to walking/bussing/cab-riding for 15 minutes to wherever you need to go in the downtown area. I also understand that your tax dollars have gone to help build this park. But the seating at Millennium Park is first come first served! If you want good seats, show up early and quit your whining! We suburban people had to drive over an hour, spend upwards of $20 for parking and hike two miles to the park from the garage while schlepping all of our gear and keeping our kids in tow. Just because we allowed enough time to do all of that AND get good seats does not give you the right to witch and moan about how you can’t hardly see the stage. TOUGH BEANS! Why don’t you go to Symphony Center and spend your big bucks on some box seats. That will make you feel better I’m sure.

To Mr. Schulter: I understand that receiving complaints from your beloved city folk is hard. I get complained at all the time by people I work with every day. Just because we suburban people didn’t pay your property taxes does not give you the right to impose preferential treatment against us! We travel into the city for work all the time! We eat at your restaurants and pay for parking and buy goods from your stores and stay in your hotels and pay your sales tax on all of it! We are guests in your house and deserve equal rights! How do you know that Chicago citizens were not mixed in with those suburban people in the front anyway? How do you know that those who complained weren’t just group of miffed off late-comer city dwellers, hot under the collar and letting off steam? You don’t; because no one knows for sure.

If Chicago citizens ever get preferential treatment in Millennium Park, I will personally boycott the park and picket the mayor’s office until it is amended. First come first served is just that. We don’t regulate who gets beer first at Wrigley or the Cell; we don’t give preferential treatment to people parking at Soldier Field. We should NEVER give preferential treatment to anyone based on where they live! Period!

DH out