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Old 07-16-2011, 09:57 AM
 
Location: Chicago, IL SouthWest Suburbs
3,522 posts, read 6,075,994 times
Reputation: 6130

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Quote:
Originally Posted by ERS-One View Post
Wow, my experience is the complete opposite. Maybe it's a burbs thing?
Very interesting thread maybe people are just used to where they are from

Certaily agree you cant even attempt to turn Chicago into NYC its just to different in too many aspects .

Everyone knows NYC is the largest city in America and seems to be people from the Chicago area dont even remotley try to compete with the big apple nor do they really care to do that

Just need to enjoy each area for what it is and what it has to offer
Each place is unique and has many things to offer
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Old 07-16-2011, 11:31 AM
 
1,739 posts, read 2,558,714 times
Reputation: 3678
I understand to some extent the comment about the NY Times disconnect. I think a lot of it also is simply that you aren't satisfied with your neighborhood and haven't really given Chicago enough time. Chicago will never be NY. Some people actually like that and prefer it. You keep listing all of the negatives. I don't hear you saying much positive. Why again, did you move? Just for work?

There are a lot of positives to Chicago if you take the time to see them. For one, the architecture is far more beautiful than anything I experienced in NYC. It's a FAR cleaner city and its urban planners did a fantastic job in how they laid out the place, learning from the mistakes of the East Coast. You don't tend to see huge piles of stinking trash on curbs the way you do in NYC. People tend to be more polite, friendly, and open. And they often are worldly if you look in the right places. For example- two of my closest friends have literally been to every continent except Antartica. One lived in Japan for several years. These people didn't move to NYC even though they could have... they moved back to Chicago because it's home. There is a different value system in place. A person who isn't from the Midwest would have a difficult time gripping that right away, that is entirely understandable. Another bonus to me is that it's affordable. Not cheap, but the prices are reasonable and I don't feel like I'm being constantly ripped off at every turn like I did while in NY. That leaves me with more money for when I do want to vacation and leave the States for awhile.

What I don't get is your frustration with people discussing the Casey Anthony trial LOL. What is wrong with that?! It's like you're saying people in NY don't have time for such petty subjects. What I'm guessing is that your attitude could possibly be turning people off, even if you don't intend it. Why not just try loosening up a little? You don't have to be THAT tight anymore, it's not NY! You aren't going to find hyper talks of the European debt crisis in Chicago the way you do in NY because Wall Street isn't here! It doesn't mean people aren't aware of the issues, it's simply that they aren't as directly involved in them. People tend to involve themselves in what directly affects them first. At least in my experience.

Last edited by EastBoundandDownChick; 07-16-2011 at 11:43 AM..
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Old 07-16-2011, 11:38 AM
 
Location: IL
381 posts, read 838,686 times
Reputation: 92
Quote:
Originally Posted by nowincal11 View Post
You really have to search for that type of person in Chicago. I know I will be generalizing here, but I grew up there.

Chicagoans on the whole are more concerned with...Chicago. Out East, people are more closely tied to the financial markets, what's going on in the world, national politics. NYC being close to Boston, Philly, and especially DC.

Chicagoans are very self absorbed. Consider the fact I live in LA now and I still say that Chicagoans are more self absorbed than anyone in LA.

Chicago is also a heavily blue collar city which leads into that. Even many of the white collar workers have blue collar backgrounds, blue collar family. I am not suggesting that blue collar workers are not as wordly, but I know from my own experiences they are more concerned with Chicago politics than anything national.

Many young professionals in Chicago are more concerned with the restaurant and bar they are going to in River North or Lincoln Park than world events. Nothing wrong with that at all. But those are the priorities.

I think you just need to seek out the right people. Try Meetup.com, join networking things.

Not sure what you do for a living, but they have plenty of networking groups for finance industry folks. The Merc is in Chicago and it's the 2nd largest exchange in the country.

On a whole, Chicagoans are actually not very political. People go to the polls and vote in huge numbers, generally for Democrats. People don't really pay attention to what's going on elsewhere. Chicago politics are simply that. Chicago politics. Chicagoans who are from closely tied neighborhoods and suburbs put their trust into people from their neighborhood or suburb to do what is best for their neighborhood or suburb. That is how the city has always functioned and that's how we all were raised.

One other thing, Chicagoans are obsessed with crime. Those have been the headlines since the 1920s. Hasn't changed. Chicagoans are very in tune with the criminal justice system. It is like the Hollywood of Chicago.

That's just my experience, so it's a bit harder to seek out the type of people you are looking for.
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Old 07-16-2011, 11:42 AM
 
1,800 posts, read 3,900,275 times
Reputation: 888
Quote:
Originally Posted by ERS-One View Post
Wow, my experience is the complete opposite. Maybe it's a burbs thing?
I had plenty of friends who either grew up in the city and moved to the burbs later on or had family in the city so I did go to actual neighborhoods often. Mostly NW side and far North Side.

I found that to be the same as well.

People only really focused on themself and their neighborhood, which to some extent, everyone in America does, but there really was no conception of anything else.
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Old 07-16-2011, 11:53 AM
 
5,951 posts, read 13,052,892 times
Reputation: 4813
Quote:
Originally Posted by EastBoundandDownChick View Post
There are a lot of positives to Chicago if you take the time to see them. For one, the architecture is far more beautiful than anything I experienced in NYC. It's a FAR cleaner city and its urban planners did a fantastic job in how they laid out the place, learning from the mistakes of the East Coast. You don't tend to see huge piles of stinking trash on curbs the way you do in NYC.

People tend to be more polite, friendly, and open. And they often are worldly if you look in the right places. For example- two of my closest friends have literally been to every continent except Antartica. One lived in Japan for several years. These people didn't move to NYC even though they could have... they moved back to Chicago because it's home. There is a different value system in place. A person who isn't from the Midwest would have a difficult time gripping that right away, that is entirely understandable. Another bonus to me is that it's affordable. Not cheap, but the prices are reasonable and I don't feel like I'm being constantly ripped off at every turn like I did while in NY. That leaves me with more money for when I do want to vacation and leave the States for awhile.

What I don't get is your frustration with people discussing the Casey Anthony trial LOL. What is wrong with that?! It's like you're saying people in NY don't have time for such petty subjects. What I'm guessing is that your attitude could possibly be turning people off, even if you don't intend it. Why not just try loosening up a little? You don't have to be THAT tight anymore, it's not NY! You aren't going to find hyper talks of the European debt crisis in Chicago the way you do in NY because Wall Street isn't here! It doesn't mean people aren't aware of the issues, it's simply that they aren't as directly involved in them. People tend to involve themselves in what directly affects them first. At least in my experience.
You can find people who have traveled everywhere just about everywhere. even small college towns less than 100,000 people have many people who have traveled that extensively.

As far as architecture is concerned, I belive that is all opinion. If some people really like 19th century architecture, then they make think that other cities have better architecture. Chicago torn down A LOT of its historical architecture.

The city has a cleaner greater downtown area yes. And for people that value the core area of the city above all else, then yes, but there are so many underutilized post-industrial corridors even near the popular, trendy nightlife spots.

I mean just look at the whole Goose Island area. There is really nothing like that that close to a popular trendy area in Chicago coastal counterparts. Yes, they are there, but you have to get AWAY from the trendy areas. (IE: You are not going to the LA harbor area, unless you are going to Long Beach, or the east side by the LA river).
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Old 07-16-2011, 02:13 PM
 
5 posts, read 10,581 times
Reputation: 19
Thanks for the comments. A few things. 1-There is nothing wrong with folks discussing the Anthony trial, I just highlighted it as something socially/culturally foreign to me. While my colleagues here were all absorbed into the topic around the watercooler, the ones at home office were emailing back around budget drama. That is just an example of difference and a way in which I feel a bit isolated. I smile and listen while they go on about it, but I have nothing to contribute, and am not at all interested. Last week I tried to bring up Cantor/Boenher/Obama and was met with polite disinterest to that topic. We settled on talk of the weather People are VERY friendly and have welcomed me in my workplace, which is great. They have been very complimentary of my experience and workstyle which I appreciate. I just feel disconnected in some ways I felt very comfortable at home. I did not expect that. I knew it would be different but this has been more of a transition than I expected is all.
I have moved a few times, and found community fairly easily. I don't really care about restaurants, theatre, architecture, etc. I just want to find fcomfortable folks with whom to spend time, have conversation and laugh. That's all.
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Old 07-16-2011, 04:08 PM
 
Location: Cleveland, OH USA / formerly Chicago for 20 years
4,068 posts, read 7,277,555 times
Reputation: 3060
Quote:
Originally Posted by EastBoundandDownChick View Post
What I don't get is your frustration with people discussing the Casey Anthony trial LOL. What is wrong with that?! It's like you're saying people in NY don't have time for such petty subjects. What I'm guessing is that your attitude could possibly be turning people off, even if you don't intend it. Why not just try loosening up a little? You don't have to be THAT tight anymore, it's not NY! You aren't going to find hyper talks of the European debt crisis in Chicago the way you do in NY because Wall Street isn't here! It doesn't mean people aren't aware of the issues, it's simply that they aren't as directly involved in them. People tend to involve themselves in what directly affects them first. At least in my experience.
How the heck does the Casey Anthony trial directly affect me? Personally, I tuned most of it out. To me it was just so much tabloid gossip. Not relevant to my life at all.

On the other hand, as an American -- whether or not I make my home in NYC or Chicago or wherever -- I can see how the European debt crisis, and the impending American debt crisis, directly affect me. My very standard of living -- and, by extension, quality of life -- is at stake.

I think all too many Americans -- and it matters not whether they live in Chicago or wherever -- put too much attention on gossip and bury their heads in the sand when it comes to the real issues. And I don't think that's very smart in the long run.

Just my $0.02.
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Old 07-16-2011, 04:14 PM
 
Location: Wicker Park/East Village area
2,474 posts, read 4,143,417 times
Reputation: 1939
Quote:
Originally Posted by andrew61 View Post
How the heck does the Casey Anthony trial directly affect me? Personally, I tuned most of it out. To me it was just so much tabloid gossip.

On the other hand, as an American -- whether or not I make my home in NYC or Chicago or wherever -- I can see how the European debt crisis, and the impending American debt crisis, directly affect me.
Perhaps not all Chicagoans are the same. I'm a Chicagoan, and I'm with you Andrew. 1) I didn't pay *any* attention to that trial, I just didn't care much about it. 2) I'm extremely attentive to whats going on around the raising of the debt ceiling, I read all the news about it. If those f***ers in DC don't hammer this out w/out a default, well, I don't know what I'd do, but they are enormous dumbs**ts if they let that happen.
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Old 07-16-2011, 04:51 PM
 
Location: roaming gnome
12,384 posts, read 28,411,419 times
Reputation: 5878
Quote:
Originally Posted by nJohn View Post
Seriously? Give me a break. Chicago isn't for everyone and neither is LA or NYC. You can find those people you've mentioned anywhere. The "enlightened" in LA and NYC are no different than the "enlightened" in Chicago. The douchebags found in Chicago and Chicagoland are the same on the east and west coasts.
this...
Chicago is surrounded by Northwestern, UMichigan, UChicago, Washington U and Notre Dame and swarming with graduates in handfuls, that is 5 of the top 25 programs in the United States, you can certainly find an intellectual vibe, but as has been stated plenty of times, it isn't River North... that might be the most anti intellectual and tourist geared area of the entire city.
BTW when did Wall street and markets become an intellectual conversation, it isn't! That's just a conversation people in finance would likely talk about, NYC has tons of finance workers.

And wait, you said you brought up Obama at work, and they changed it to talking about the weather? Hrrm.... I'm sure people in Chicago have a lot to say about Obama, half the freaking city was there at his victory celebration.
Sounds like your workplace sucks, and you live in a crap area, nothing to do with Chicago...

Correction, just realized it is River *WEST*...wow, that wasn't even a neighborhood even 10 years ago was it? There is almost nothing there. I can count on zero fingers the number of times I have gone out in that area.

Chicagoans do have a pretention detector that might be going off on you... but rest assured there are plenty of bright people here. The reputation of a few of the schools which flood the job market is notorious for dry intellectualism (i.e. U Chicago), you know, that school which Obama taught Constitutional Law at?

Last edited by grapico; 07-16-2011 at 05:05 PM..
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Old 07-18-2011, 08:14 AM
 
14,800 posts, read 17,587,078 times
Reputation: 9246
Quote:
Originally Posted by ERS-One View Post
Wow, my experience is the complete opposite. Maybe it's a burbs thing?
Mine too.
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