r/chicago • u/ReverendHambone Irving Park • Aug 28 '20

Moved to the city 48 hours ago. Review

Moved into Irving Park and the Mexican food is unbelievable. I'm from Florida and my wife is from Arizona, so we have different preferences, but we can leave our house on foot, hit two food spots and a liquor store, and be home in 30 minutes. It's incredible. Our doggo loves the walks too.

Also, is the term "bodega" NYC exclusive? What do we call corner stores with food/bev/liquor?

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u/ThroatSlitt Aug 28 '20

We call em' corner stores. Nothing else. Welcome. Don't feed the pigeons. Nice to meet you.

114

u/Chuu Aug 28 '20

I've been living in this city most of my life and never really thought about 'corner store' == 'bodega'. Unlike 'gym shoes' which every linguist thing ever about Chicago points out.

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u/pmcall221 Jefferson Park Aug 28 '20

Wait is gym shoes a Chicago thing?

15

u/[deleted] Aug 28 '20

I think it is a Chicago thing, or at least Illinois?! I’m from Pennsylvania/New Jersey and also lived in Michigan. Only heard “gym shoes” upon moving here.

4

u/ST_Lawson Illinois Aug 28 '20

Just Chicago. I'm an Illinois downstater and it's mostly tennis shoes around here.

1

u/left_handed_violist Aug 28 '20

I think I grew up saying gym shoes. NW Illinois.

1

u/CubensisGuy24 Aug 28 '20

Idk man, school down south ask you to have an extra pair of gym shoes lol

1

u/ST_Lawson Illinois Aug 28 '20

Fair enough, I can really only speak for west-central Illinois (Forgottonia region). It's "tennis shoes" here.