LINCOLN SQUARE — The votes are in, the people have spoken and they have chosen as a Great Place in America ....
Not Lincoln Square.
One of 10 finalists vying for the "People's Choice" award in the American Planning Association's annual Great Places program, Lincoln Square was bested in the final tally by College Avenue in Appleton, Wis.
The contest wasn't even close.
Patty Wetli discusses why other locations got the nod ahead of Lincoln Square:
According to APA spokeswoman Roberta Rewers, College Avenue received 44.3 percent of the vote, with Lincoln Square trailing well behind at 25.6 percent.
So what does Appleton have that Lincoln Square doesn't — besides nearly twice the number of eligible voters (population 72,000 vs. 40,000)?
To quote from the APA: small storefronts, a transportation hub and popular local events like a farmers market, summer concerts and Octoberfest.
Sounds familiar. Sounds so familiar, in fact, go ahead and consider yourself a winner, Lincoln Square.
Let's just hope the results of the Great Place competition aren't a harbinger of the sort of whupping Chicagoans can expect from our neighbors to the north on Sunday when the Bears take on Green Bay.
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