Christy & Trae  

Originally Texans, Christy & Trae fell in love with Chicago and moved here in 2005.  They live in Streeterville.

What neighborhood do you live in?
Streeterville. We had bought a house in Barrington to be closer to work, but found ourselves spending weekends and free time in downtown Chicago. In 2005 we considered moving back to Texas and put our house on the market. It sold in 5 days and we were not prepared, so we decided to give downtown living a chance. We loved it so much that thoughts of moving back to Texas were put on hold.

What is your favorite season in Chicago?
We love ALL seasons in Chicago. But enjoy the fact that in the summer, you can have no plans for the day, but step outside and fall over a festival. The city comes alive in, and celebrates the summer like no place I have ever seen.

Favorite summertime activity?
Aside from the constant flow of festivals and Farmers Markets, we still enjoy the architecture tours. We have been on dozens of architecture tours on the river. Some summer mornings, we will catch one of the tours leaving from below the Michigan Avenue Bridge so we can sit in the lower area, have a lovely ride up the river over drinks on a beautiful day.

What is your favorite thing about Chicago?
Narrowing it to one is difficult. We love that we were able to give up our cars and still get around easily. We love that the city has an entirely different set of wonderful offerings depending on the season. We love the pride the city has and its strong sense of history, ingenuity and survival.

Where do you like to go for fun?
Cubs games, the Chicago Symphony, Lyric Opera, and we LOVE the musicals that come into town.

What is your favorite place for a classic Chicago hot dog?
There is nothing like a hot dog at Wrigley Field – somehow they just taste better there.

What is your favorite restaurant in Chicago?
RL on the Magnificent Mile, where we got engaged. Every year on our anniversary, we eat at the same table at the same time we got engaged (we eat in the bar the rest of the year). We love RL because the environment is so intimate and feels so much like a private club. The “staff” (primarily the bar staff) feel more like friends than anything and the food is incredible. It is the one place that we tell people to go if they want to try something new. Every time I have ventured to try something new there, I have not been disappointed.

Favorite Chicago event or tradition?
The Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s “Welcome Yule”. We have gone to that every year and it has become our own little Christmastime tradition.  Along those lines, the song “Christmas in Chicago” has become a family favorite

Cubs or Sox?
We are HUGE Cubs fans! We were raised in Texas and dedicated to our Cowboys, so we knew we had to find a sports team to support here if we were going to make Chicago home. In our first year as Chicagoans, a friend took us to several Cubs games. We were given authentic Cubs jerseys as a wedding gift, with "Howell" on the back, and the number 9 on one and 27 on the other in recognition of our wedding date. We try to plan a Cubs game for every visitor we get to Chicago.

Where do you like to bring visiting friends or out-of-town guests?
One of our favorite things to do for guests to the city is take them on a water taxi and effectively give an architecture tour, then get off the taxi and take them on the L around the loop and continue the tour. It's a fantastic way for newcomers to experience the different transportation offerings while getting a thorough tour by a knowledgeable guide.

What would you consider a ‘hidden treasure’ of Chicago?
We love to put picnics together and sit along the Chicago River (on the south side, where the trees are) near the mouth of the lake and drink wine, have a picnic and watch the boats go by. We also enjoy a picnic along the lakeshore in Olive Park near the Ohio Street beach.