Detroiters/Michiganders in Chicago (Lincoln, Knoxville: squatters, house, university)

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by Frank the Tank

I think the other thing is that large public universities aren't as prominent on the East Coast compared to the Midwest (or the South or West Coast, for that matter), and even where they do exist, they aren't big football schools (with the exception of Big Ten member Penn State). For all of the colleges that are located in Boston, it's an awful college sports town (with NYC being even worse). The most prominent schools there are smaller private schools, while the flagship public universities in New York and Massachusetts don't even have Division 1-A football programs. In contrast, the Big Ten schools are almost universally big sports schools and send thousands of graduates to the Chicago area every year (not to mention schools such as Notre Dame, Mizzou, Kansas and Nebraska that send a lot of people here, too).

Also, Chicago isn't completely dominated by any particular college team - Illinois, Notre Dame and Northwestern are the "home teams" with a lot of local support, but it isn't the relationship that, say, Atlanta has with the Georgia/Georgia Tech, LA has with USC/UCLA, or Dallas has with the Texas/Texas A&M. That gives a lot of bars the opportunity to target different college fan bases. I've always said that Chicago is a pro sports town with a great college sports presence as a result of all of the Big Ten grads (plus Notre Dame fans), as opposed to NYC and Boston which are just bad college sports town overall.

Not to mention, every college Freshman from Illinois cant go to a school in Illinois or doesnt want to. So naturally many Chicagoans and Illinoisians will have college allegiances of non-Illinois Big Ten schools and other schools.

[aragx6]

When I found out there was a Mizzou bar in Lincoln Park I was the happiest girl on earth.

[neonwattagelimit]

Originally Posted by Frank the Tank

I think the other thing is that large public universities aren't as prominent on the East Coast compared to the Midwest (or the South or West Coast, for that matter), and even where they do exist, they aren't big football schools (with the exception of Big Ten member Penn State). For all of the colleges that are located in Boston, it's an awful college sports town (with NYC being even worse). The most prominent schools there are smaller private schools, while the flagship public universities in New York and Massachusetts don't even have Division 1-A football programs. In contrast, the Big Ten schools are almost universally big sports schools and send thousands of graduates to the Chicago area every year (not to mention schools such as Notre Dame, Mizzou, Kansas and Nebraska that send a lot of people here, too).

Also, Chicago isn't completely dominated by any particular college team - Illinois, Notre Dame and Northwestern are the "home teams" with a lot of local support, but it isn't the relationship that, say, Atlanta has with the Georgia/Georgia Tech, LA has with USC/UCLA, or Dallas has with the Texas/Texas A&M. That gives a lot of bars the opportunity to target different college fan bases. I've always said that Chicago is a pro sports town with a great college sports presence as a result of all of the Big Ten grads (plus Notre Dame fans), as opposed to NYC and Boston which are just bad college sports town overall.

This is a very good point. I went to a big public college in NYC and nobody, myself included, gave a crap about the sports teams. Ask anyone who attended any SUNY or CUNY school and they'll tell you the same thing. This whole college sports obsession is really going to take some getting used to for me. Not sure I could ever get into it, really.

Pro sports, though, is another matter, especially baseball. You guys better be willing to live with a Mets fan in your midst

[PsychDoc]

You'd understand it if you went to a big college with bigtime D1 athletics.

Baseball sucks. I don't see how you guys can watch it.

[gichicago]

Originally Posted by Frank the Tank

I think the other thing is that large public universities aren't as prominent on the East Coast compared to the Midwest (or the South or West Coast, for that matter), and even where they do exist, they aren't big football schools (with the exception of Big Ten member Penn State). For all of the colleges that are located in Boston, it's an awful college sports town (with NYC being even worse). The most prominent schools there are smaller private schools, while the flagship public universities in New York and Massachusetts don't even have Division 1-A football programs. In contrast, the Big Ten schools are almost universally big sports schools and send thousands of graduates to the Chicago area every year (not to mention schools such as Notre Dame, Mizzou, Kansas and Nebraska that send a lot of people here, too).

Also, Chicago isn't completely dominated by any particular college team - Illinois, Notre Dame and Northwestern are the "home teams" with a lot of local support, but it isn't the relationship that, say, Atlanta has with the Georgia/Georgia Tech, LA has with USC/UCLA, or Dallas has with the Texas/Texas A&M. That gives a lot of bars the opportunity to target different college fan bases. I've always said that Chicago is a pro sports town with a great college sports presence as a result of all of the Big Ten grads (plus Notre Dame fans), as opposed to NYC and Boston which are just bad college sports town overall.

Agreed. I live in NYC now, and Collegiate sports coverage is very poor, except for the few Rutgers blips. I get into arguments with my co-workers, family memebers that say NYC is the greatest sports town because of the number of pro-teams and history, but I argue they dont have the college sports following (like Chicago) that brings a very distinct passion.

Though, I was impressed with Atlanta when I worked there. They obviously a big UGA/GA tech following, but I found many SEC followers, specifically from UF, Alabama, Auburn. Still, Atlanta holds a distant second place from Chicago due to the scope and magnitude.

As for the initial question: I am from Michigan, most of Michiganders I know live in Lakeview, Near North, Lincoln park.

[Tex?Il?]

Originally Posted by gichicago

Agreed. I live in NYC now, and Collegiate sports coverage is very poor, except for the few Rutgers blips. I get into arguments with my co-workers, family memebers that say NYC is the greatest sports town because of the number of pro-teams and history, but I argue they dont have the college sports following (like Chicago) that brings a very distinct passion.

Though, I was impressed with Atlanta when I worked there. They obviously a big UGA/GA tech following, but I found many SEC followers, specifically from UF, Alabama, Auburn. Still, Atlanta holds a distant second place from Chicago due to the scope and magnitude.

As for the initial question: I am from Michigan, most of Michiganders I know live in Lakeview, Near North, Lincoln park.

Part of the reason I think why you have a lot of young people from Michigan who live in Lincoln Park, Lakeview, and the Near North is that these are the areas that provide the "true urban experience" lots of nightlife, public transportation and dense residential areas that can't be found in metro Detroit.

The suburbs of Chicago are a lot like the suburbs of Detroit, and the much of Chicago is either still pretty bad (much of West and South sides)or mostly family-oriented blue collared areas with single family homes (far NW and far SW sides). So young midwesterners are attracted to the aforementioned neighborhoods because those neighborhoods are "where its at"

[Frank the Tank]

Originally Posted by gichicago

Agreed. I live in NYC now, and Collegiate sports coverage is very poor, except for the few Rutgers blips. I get into arguments with my co-workers, family memebers that say NYC is the greatest sports town because of the number of pro-teams and history, but I argue they dont have the college sports following (like Chicago) that brings a very distinct passion.

Though, I was impressed with Atlanta when I worked there. They obviously a big UGA/GA tech following, but I found many SEC followers, specifically from UF, Alabama, Auburn. Still, Atlanta holds a distant second place from Chicago due to the scope and magnitude.

As for the initial question: I am from Michigan, most of Michiganders I know live in Lakeview, Near North, Lincoln park.

I could definitely see how Atlanta is a center for all of the SEC as well as a number of ACC teams. The South in general is probably where college sports are put on a pedestal the most because they have the longest histories there (many of the pro teams located in South are relatively new by comparison). Chicago is a good college sports town, but at or near the top compared with any other city in terms of an across-the-board pro sports town.

[Fishtacos]

Originally Posted by Drover

Just remember, Steve-O.... the reason there are Packers/Michigan/whatever bars here is because they're all fleeing those places. It turns out they actually like having, you know, jobs and stuff. So let's be welcoming to the refugees in our midst. At least most of them have the good sense to become Cubs fans -- that's one draw they just can't resist.

So, they are fleeing those places without everything Chicago has to offer to root for a team that also doesn't have a lot to offer as well,....makes sense.

[Ms_Rae]

I second what jdiddy said...I went to Michigan State and my friends and their friends from school have been migrating to Chicago since before I graduated in 2000, and 90% (I swear) of them moved to Lincoln Park.

I just moved here in April (I live in North Center), and I STILL have alum friends who are moving here for jobs, and when I ask them where they're moving to--Lincoln Park. Just go out on the weekend to any bar on Lincoln Ave between Fullerton & Armitage, and you'll spot the herd.

[scarletneon]

my friend is from Detroit and she lives in Logan Square.

I spent the first 12 years of my life in Michigan (born in K'Zoo), was trapped in Tennessee for 13 more, and now I live in Edgewater.

For the record, I could care less about any college teams, especially my alma mater, the Volunteers. Having 100,000 extra people in my back yard on Saturdays was not enjoyable, and i never once went to a game.