The Chi is about life in which city?

The Chi is about life in Chicago, especially in a neighborhood on the city’s South Side. The Showtime drama follows several residents whose lives become connected through coincidence, family, friendship and hardship.

The title is a nickname for Chicago, commonly pronounced “shy.” The series uses the city as more than a backdrop: its neighborhoods, local institutions and social divisions shape the characters’ choices. The story examines coming-of-age, work, parenthood, violence, ambition and community relationships through an ensemble cast.

The Chi was created by Chicago native Lena Waithe and premiered in 2018. It was produced and filmed in Chicago, and rapper Common—also from Chicago—served as an executive producer and appeared in the series. The show’s central setting is not the entire metropolitan area but the South Side, where many of its main characters live and work.

A frequent confusion is treating “The Chi” as a fictional city. It is not: “Chi” is an informal name for the real city of Chicago. The series is fictional, but its location, neighborhoods and many of its cultural details are grounded in Chicago life.