How long do you have to live somewhere for it to be "your city"?

[downtown]

Me and some coworkers were talking about this today. Like loads of young 20somethings, most of us are not native to Chicago...and we seem to be in great disagreement over how long one needs to stick around before they can credibly call themselves a "Chicagoan", or call it their city.

Some say its yours as soon as your mail starts showing up. Others said it takes at least 2 years. Another guy thinks that you never really get to claim another city...you're stuck with where you were born, or failing that, where you graduated high school.

What do you think? How long must you live in a city before you can call it yours? If not a time of residency thing, then what must you do in order to become a real resident?

Poll coming of course, but post your suggestions.

 

[bombshoo]

I think of the word "native" as literally meaning you were born in the place in question. Even if I moved to Indiana the second day of my life, if I were born in Ohio, I would always be a "Native Ohioan". Now that doesn't mean you can't become a "Chigaoan" or "Ohioan", but you'll never be a true "native". In my views, in order to justifiably use the demonym of a location in regards to yourself, you simply must be an official resident of the area.

 

[Cheetah]

Native would mean that you were born there, or, when just moving within a country/region, at least moved there early in your childhood.

How long until you can say that you're "from" somewhere? When you feel that the only place to call home is Chicago, you are from Chicago whenever you're out of Chicago. As long as you're inside Chicago though, you're from wherever was home before Chicago.

 

[SuperJay]

Agree with Bombshoo. To me, the word "native" means you were born in that area. But calling Chicago "my city" or calling yourself a Chicagoan? I'd say a few years at least. I don't think I'd refer to Vancouver as "my city" until I'd put down roots there over the course of several years. Certainly not as soon as your mail arrives, that's just crazy talk.

 

[downtown]

You're right about the word Native...its the wrong word, and I adjusted the OP

 

[Dachs]

I'm so confused about where I'm "from" that everybody's opinions on this matter seem particularly relevant to me. Woo army brat

 

[SuperJay]

Well, in that case, clearly it hurts Obama politically.

 

[Smellincoffee]

I think I'd adopted Montevallo as my home town by my second (university) semester there. I live in Selma now, but Montevallo is still where my 'heart' is at. I lived there for two years and commuted to it for a third, and every time I rolled into town it felt like coming back home.

 

[Earthling]

4 years and it's not exactly arbitrary. It could be more so that's just a rough minimum, but at least about 4 is a necessity for things like election cycles.

 

[nato2101]

Whenever you feel at home their imo. It is not really a matter of x years, or even knowing the city extremely well. When I moved to Dublin I felt it was my city after only six months, yet with both Manchester and Paris I never felt they were my city despite living in both for three years.

 

[KMRblue1027]

I think sports allegiances are probably the deciding factor at least in Philly. Good luck trying to call yourself a Philadelphian to any Eagles fan while wearing a Giants or Cowboys jersey.

 

[Adrogans]

Whenever you decide it's home and identify as being from there more than anwhere else. Even if you don't want to

I'm so confused about where I'm "from" that everybody's opinions on this matter seem particularly relevant to me. Woo army brat

This was true except Marine Brat until dad left the service and moved to where I am now...the rat hole.

 

[GoodGame]

Probably somewhere between you start getting mail and you register to vote. Of course if you're unemployed long enough, you tend to just want to leave.

 

[Earthling]

I think sports allegiances are probably the deciding factor at least in Philly. Good luck trying to call yourself a Philadelphian to any Eagles fan while wearing a Giants or Cowboys jersey.

AFAIK I'd say the Redskins should still be the worst/most hated team of that rivalry though. But I'd really leave sports out of the OP because by and large it doesn't matter for a ton of places, and the focus on large cities didn't seem specific enough. Also filly flyers ftw

 

[Mise]

When you can understand in-jokes made about your city.

 

[dannyshenanigan]

I was born in Berwyn Illinois, but prefer not to refer to myself as a Berwynian since I never remember living there.

I think sports allegiance really is an important factor especially in cases where you're a fan of a rival team, or the Dallas Cowboys and New York Yankees. I know some people who have lived in the Chicagoland for most of their lives but are Green Bay Packer fans; because of this they are disqualified from being Chicagoans.

 

[Whomp]

Me and some coworkers were talking about this today. Like loads of young 20somethings, most of us are not native to Chicago...and we seem to be in great disagreement over how long one needs to stick around before they can credibly call themselves a "Chicagoan", or call it their city.

Some say its yours as soon as your mail starts showing up. Others said it takes at least 2 years. Another guy thinks that you never really get to claim another city...you're stuck with where you were born, or failing that, where you graduated high school.

What do you think? How long must you live in a city before you can call it yours? If not a time of residency thing, then what must you do in order to become a real resident?

Poll coming of course, but post your suggestions.

I think once you can root for one of our teams we'll let you in. My assistant is from SF and likes the Giants, 49ers, Sharks, Bulls and White Sox. He's now a Chicagoan...

When you can understand in-jokes made about your city.

Exactly so for DT....
If you can't find a sports team then you have to wait till you ask your alderman for a favor, understand how important Clybourn, Elston, Milwaukee and Lincoln are, not use ketchup on a hot dog, use a chair for your parking space, realize the best bohemian food is made on Cermak Rd. in the town Dannyshanigan comes from, Joecoolyo is North Shore and the best "combo" and "ice" is made at Johnny's where Woody lives.

 

[Camikaze]

A year seems fair. TBH, it's probably more when you feel comfortable claiming it, then it is. As soon as someone identifies as from a particular city, then it is theirs. So saying, "hey, you can't claim to be from here, you've only been living in this city for x amount of time" is probably missing the point a little.

 

[Whomp]

In Chicago, it has nothing to do with time but more to do with understanding the merit badges that need to be collected. As Danny pointed out people from Wisconsin have considerable difficulty ever being considered Chicagoans. They just live in Chicago.

 

[North King]

When you know the little secret places of the city/town/area.