I know, you're skeptical. Chicago is known for its harsh winters, with numbers in the negatives popping up a bit too frequently for most of our tastes. When you're wearing winter gear so heavy you'd have a heat stroke under any other circumstance, and the days of milling around Grant Park and jogging by the lake are long gone, it's hard to appreciate all the city has to offer. But, even in the winter, it sure offers a lot (though a warm, sunny day is certainly not one of those things). I'm here to prove that Chicago is the best city... even in the winter.

1. The lights on Michigan Avenue are pretty stunning.

Yeah, it's freezing out, but you're probably hitting up Michigan avenue for the holidays sales, anyway. Following the Magnificent Mile Lights Festival (which is cool on its own), Chicagoans get to be both cold and dazzled by thousands of lights at the same time! What more can you ask when shopping in December?

2. Speaking of lights... even the zoos get in on the fun.

The dazzling array of lights goes beyond Michigan Avenue and into the zoos! Lincoln Park offers open admission to anyone who wants to visit. A trip here gives guests the opportunity to enjoy lights, hot cocoa, ice carvings and some very happy penguins!

3. Ice Skating in Millennium Park

A little cold weather sure never stopped anyone in Chicago from having fun, which is pretty obvious when we turn a park, usually filled with flowers and selfie-takers, with ice and call it a day. And why not? If you're going to ice skate, might as well enjoy the view!

4. It's Hockey Season

For most Chicago sports enthusiasts, hockey season is a breath of fresh air. Of course, we rally behind all of our teams but no team has earned the loyalty and justified faith like the Blackhawks. After all, Toews is a lot more reliable that Cutler.

So, there you have it. Chicago might not come in first place when it comes to enjoyable winter weather (I can think of at least 46 other states that would beat us in that category) but our city sure does make up for that in a lot of other ways. If you ever can't bring yourself to brave the cold to enjoy these events, just remember, this is your view:

And it's beautiful, even in the winter. Remember that next time you get stuck shoveling and you find yourself contemplating moving to some isolated part of Florida!