As a person with congenital anosmia, I’ve always been fascinated when people describe cities as having unique and distinct scents. As such, I found this article online absolutely fascinating: The City of Big Odors
The article, though brief, traces the ever-changing “urban bouquet” of Chicago going back to its formerly most potent smell, the Union Stock Yards. As for an actual description that’s helpful for someone who has lived here for most of her life but never able to actually smell her surroundings, I find that the article embraces the “smell by comparison” method a bit too much (i.e. this smells like what this other thing smells like) which is useless for someone who can’t smell but suitable for someone who can.
And so, for all you creative writers out there, I have yet another challenge! I want to know what Chicago smells like during any or all of the seasons, and I’d also like to know what particular locations smell like as well. I’m sure the lakefront, as the above mentioned article attests, smells differently than the suburbs, or the north shore, or south side or west side, etc. etc. The article’s subtitle claims that the smell of a city is an “integral part of the city’s personality”; I want to know what I’ve been missing. I’ve always characterized this city as a rude gossipy aunt that never approves of anything and I’ve always assumed that that personality is a bi-product of the freakishly cold and windy winters we seem to have. Would being able to smell the city change my perception? Who knows?!
So, feel free to leave your smell entries below in the comments or email them to me and I’ll add them to my personal dictionary of smells.
- Jul 9, 03:13 PM
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1 · Janet · Jul 11, 06:35 PM
Hmmm…it’s been a while, but the last time I spent a week or two in Chicago I was there for a conference in the middle of winter. It was cold, wet, snowy, and very gray. I walked several blocks from the train station to the conference in the hotel in the heart of downtown. The smell in winter reminded me of one of those old black and white movies where there was a man in a black fedora and trench coat slogging through the cold night rain. He is hardened from life, and smells of sweat, rain, ink, and cigarettes. If he gets close, you can smell the dampness of his woolen London Fog coat and the musk of sweat, having just spent the whole night working at a fast-paced newspaper with impossible deadlines, only to leave work in the wee hours of the night to walk home to his small dank Chicago apartment. His jaw is hard and set, and he just wants to be left alone. He isn’t intentially rude, however; just tired, cold, and worn out.
2 · Marty · Oct 29, 02:26 PM
Chicago smells like sulfer near the train station. Walking anywhere downtown, I expect to catch the aromas of the great food that Chicago is famous for, but usually all I get is a ripe and putrid bouquet of SEWER gas. Yup, my most prominent memories of Chicago smells are sulfer and poo-poo. Not very romantic, but I call ‘em like I smell ‘em/
3 · Heather · Oct 29, 02:36 PM
Ha! I’ve always suspected that, but never had it confirmed in such detail. Marty, did you live in Chicago or just visit?
4 · Need to Vent on the screwed up system · Oct 6, 06:17 PM
I agree these stupid Chicago Cops need tracking help to give out tickets to meet their dumb quotas. They can’t even handle the money they have now so like getting more money from poor citizens is really going to help them. REALLY? If you can’t manage $10 in revenue how on earth do you plan on managing $20??? As if it wasn’t bad enough that THIS STUPID yes STUPID government turkeys bail out corporations… don’t bring the jobs back home where they belong, NOT overseas, and leave the citizens to pay for it with their taxes?? I mean taxes were originally supposed to be imposed largely on corporations NOT on individuals yet because CEOs get more say to government officials they were able to sway it. Please when the government decides hey you know the American people deserve a break and we’ll bail them out, I’d be shocked. They can’t think to help those that really need help. I swear if it it wasn’t for those few things that I like about this dumb country. Yes stalker… take some notes you people. WAKE UP already!!!!!! Wanna talk politics??? Wanna talk about how messed up things are right now???????? KISS THIS!!!! Man people were right… the government is like a failed system that just gets worse and worse and worse… good thing one day you turkeys will have to answer to my God. I can’t wait for that day. Yes you BETTER be scared.
5 · Jim · Dec 27, 10:02 AM
I recently lost myx sense of smell. It’s been about five months and it presents unique experiences on a daily basis. I lived in the heart of Chicago for two years. Right across from the Palmer House Hotel. Sure Chicago has the smell of sewer gas every so often but what I remember best is the smell of chocolate. Just outside the loop is a chocolate factory. At any given time the smell of chocolate would drift over the downtown area. I found it to be a treat when it happened. All the chocolate without the calories. Unfortunately, the government did not agree and they forced the company to filter their exhaust. Still wandering around downtown Chicago you get to savor at the smells of Mrs,Fields Cookies, popcorn, roast nuts, and the smells of outside tables at restaurants in the summer. Chicago has some wonderful smells. I’ll think of them as I go downtowns from the burbs. It’s my memory now that serves up the smells of Chicago for me..
6 · phil · Jan 21, 05:09 AM
chicago smells like urine. not only that, when you tell chicago people that chicago smells like urine they never disagree.