13 Things You Need to Know About Chicago — Friday the 13th Edition

By Cliff Potts, Just Another First Occupier

Baybay City, Leyte, Philippines — November 13, 2026

Here in the Philippines, we’ve been spending considerable time discussing Chicago while working on Memoirs of a First Occupier, my recollections of Occupy Chicago and the people who made that movement possible.

And somewhere along the way, we discovered there are 13 things everybody ought to know before visiting Chicago.

Why 13?

Because it’s Friday the 13th, damn it.

1. Deep-dish pizza and stuffed pizza are NOT the same thing.

The original Chicago deep-dish pizza came out of Pizzeria Uno in 1943. It has one crust, built up the sides of a pan. Stuffed pizza has another thin layer of dough over the fillings. When I was growing up, we knew the difference. Apparently, somewhere along the way, the rest of the world got confused.

2. The Chicago Cubs are no longer the lovable losers.

They won the National League pennant and the World Series in 2016. The curse is dead. The goat can rest in peace. And in 2026, they finished 89–73 and made the postseason again. So enough with the basement jokes already.

3. Ketchup does NOT belong on a Chicago-style hot dog.

Mustard, onions, relish, tomato, pickle spear, sport peppers, celery salt, and a poppy-seed bun. That’s a Chicago dog. Want a good one outside Chicago? Try the Flying Wienie in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Their Italian beef is pretty damn good, too.

4. Chicago blues aren’t confined to the South Side.

Yes, the South Side is legendary. But Chicago blues also live on the North Side. Good music doesn’t stop at an imaginary neighborhood boundary. And if you can’t appreciate Chicago blues, I’m not sure we can be friends.

5. It’s the Sears Tower. Period.

You can put Willis on the building. You can change the signs. You can sell the naming rights to somebody on Mars. But to generations of Chicagoans, it’s the Sears Tower. End of discussion.

6. And that’s the John Hancock Building.

Apparently, somebody decided to call it 875 North Michigan Avenue. How imaginative. To Chicagoans of my generation, it’s the John Hancock Building. Or Big John. Some names just don’t need fixing.

7. Navy Pier is for tourists. Wendella is for people who want to see Chicago.

Nothing against Navy Pier. It’s nice. But give me a Wendella boat ride along the Chicago River, looking at the architecture and remembering what this city used to look like. That’s Chicago.

8. The Museum of Science and Industry deserves an entire day. Or three.

Now officially the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry, this place was practically an annual pilgrimage when I was growing up. You cannot see everything in one visit. Don’t even try. Come back next year.

9. The Field Museum is another place you cannot finish in one day.

Dinosaurs, ancient civilizations, natural history, and enough exhibits to make your feet hurt before your brain gets tired. Absolutely worth it.

10. The Art Institute of Chicago deserves more attention than I gave it.

I’ve only been there once in my entire life. That’s embarrassing, considering how much time I’ve spent in Chicago. If I get back, I ought to correct that.

11. Chicago has some seriously strange public art.

There’s the Picasso in Daley Plaza. Then there’s Cloud Gate, better known as the Bean, which looks like a giant chrome kidney bean landed in Millennium Park. Somewhere, the pigeons are probably preparing to claim it as their personal property.

12. Grant Park isn’t just a park. Some of us remember it as a battlefield of ideas.

The equestrian monuments, the entrances, the steps, the crowds, the General Assemblies.

Occupy Chicago struggled to establish a perpetual public presence. We argued, organized, marched, debated, and sometimes just sat there wondering what would happen next.

For tourists, it’s a beautiful public space.

For some of us, it’s where history happened.

I can still remember the noise. The people. The voices. The sense that maybe, just maybe, we could change something.

That’s one Chicago memory no sightseeing brochure can sell you.

13. And finally, a word about Friday the 13th.

If you happen to see Jason Voorhees climbing out of Lake Michigan, don’t panic.

Tell him he’s welcome to ride the Blue Line all night.

He’ll be fine.

Chicago has seen stranger things.

And if you decide to invite him home, that’s entirely your business.

Just make sure he leaves the machete at the door.

We do have standards, you know.

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From Baybay City, Leyte, Philippines, with memories of Chicago, Occupy Chicago, and a city that will always be part of who I am.

Memoirs of a First Occupier — because some history deserves to be remembered by the people who were actually there.

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