Does Chicago have a rat race feel like New York? (Manhattan: transplants, hotel)

[Maintainschaos]

It does have a rat race, but not like New York--no U.S. city does. In my experience, Chicago is more or at least equal rat race to D.C., and I've never really felt much of a rat race in S.F.

[steeps]

Yes and Chicago has Lake Michigan on its whole Eastern side. So all the city is on one side of a circle. But the city is twice as long as wide too.

[Drover]

Originally Posted by marothisu

. . . People who think that this is just bad in Chicago need to get out more.

Who ever said this?

This "well, it's bad in other places too" rejoinder to every issue about Chicago is getting really old. That doesn't make said issue suck any less here.

[5Lakes]

Originally Posted by marothisu

It's only insane if you aren't already living in a big city. Ever commuted in a city like Houston, Dallas, NYC, or LA? It's usually equally as bad if not worse. Chicago is another big city with big city problems like this. People who think that this is just bad in Chicago need to get out more.

This makes no sense as Drover pointer out. I have commuted/lived in other big cities, as well as smaller cities and in rural areas. Most places are not like Chicago, LA, or the Bo-Wash corridor. Saying that Chicago does not have a rat race feel compared to most of America is not an objective viewpoint.

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by 5Lakes

This makes no sense as Drover pointer out. I have commuted/lived in other big cities, as well as smaller cities and in rural areas. Most places are not like Chicago, LA, or the Bo-Wash corridor. Saying that Chicago does not have a rat race feel compared to most of America is not an objective viewpoint.

You're right, it doesn't make it suck any better and I never meant it like that. My point is that people act as if other things are not as bad in other places and Chicago is the only place where traffic, for example, is terrible and your commute could be long as hell. And it's ****ing tiring. Again, I'm not trying to say it doesn't suck but this idea that Chicago is the only place in America where your commute could suck or the city is in debt is really tiring. And yes, there are some people who do think this because they haven't gotten out enough.

[ToriaT]

Yes it is a rat race especially depending on the type of job you have and commuting. I was a manager with a lot of headaches of the people variety and commuted every day. Left home at seven, got back after seven. Pretty big rat race.

[compactspace]

Originally Posted by qwerty124

Hi everyone. I'm wondering if Chicago has the rat race vibe places like New York, Washington DC, and San Francisco have. Is it a similar vibe? Or is Chicago more relaxed and laid-back?

Like NY? No. Like DC or SF? Busier but more conservative and midwestern. People in DC and SF tend to work longer hours, but that has nothing to do with a 'rat-race vibe'.

[Larry Siegel]

Originally Posted by ChicagoMeO

Anyone who lives in Chicago, try walking east down Madison or Adams or Jackson at 4:20 rush hour.

4:20, not 7:20. New York is still a madhouse at 7:20, with many people getting off work.

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by Larry Siegel

4:20, not 7:20. New York is still a madhouse at 7:20, with many people getting off work.

Yep. As I alluded to before, I rarely worked after 6pm at the office in Chicago. Last night in Manhattan, I didn't leave the office until 9:30pm and that has been semi normal at my time here. There have been a few times I worked until 12:30am in Manhattan and there were still numerous people in my office building's lobby when I left.

[sfcambridge]

In my opinion, no.

I've lived in Boston/SF/NY and in comparison, people here tend to be a more balanced in their personal/work life. Also, goals tend to be more conservative, I find.

Again, it's all relative. In my field, many people sacrifice most of their personal life for their career when I worked in the high prestige institutions/competitive cities of Boston/SF/NYC. I admit, when I came to Chicago, I thought people I worked with were a bit... lazy. Perhaps others would call them healthier! Certainly their families/friends probably were happier.

Let's put it this way.... When I started working in Chicago, I had no trouble driving out to the Western suburbs when I left work, because the rush hour was already over. Interestingly, the rush hour starts at 2 or 3pm, and is tapering off by 6:30pm.