living on the west coast for 12 years, I learned awhile ago that it is FAR easier to tell people I am from "northern Illinois", but when the reply is "Chicago??" I say yes. the reason is it takes too much time and far too irrelevant to anything in my life to go into a long description of where I actually grew up. I never have lived in the Chicago metro area. Seattle area, San Francisco area, LA/San Fernando valley, Minneapolis and Madison I have all called home, but never Chicago. So, how infuriated would you all feel about that? Do you still tell people you're FROM there? Or is that more of a response to where you're born? "from, more or less". if they ask what neighborhood, I get into where I really am from. its too much meaningless talk, honestly, and only those from Chicago really press the question. everyone else just thinks Illinois is Chicago, and they have some vague understanding of corn fields.