Does Chicago "feel" Midwestern? (Madison, Cleveland: HOA, subdivision, zoning)

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by 2000_Watts

What's considered "Normal," and who makes these considerations...?

That's a pretty easy to say - it's what there's a lot of versus not a lot of. If a Mexican place opened up in a small city of 20,000 people that's away from any major metro in the middle of pretty much of any northern state, it would probably not be perceived as normal, for the most part. Put it in any major city, and it's probably considered normal. Chicago has a lot of offerings that a lot of other cities have. It should be a tip off for why so many people from the region travel to Chicago. Sure, there is the fact that it's a big city, with tall buildings but at the end of the day, people are going there because they know they can find a lot of things that they will not be able to easily find wherever they live.

I'd be hard pressed to believe that if you took someone from outside the midwest, blind folded them and dropped them off on a major thoroughfare in a random Cleveland hood, east/Midtown KCMO, much of Detroit, or MSP, etc., removed the blindfold, and told them you were were on either the south or west sides of Chicago, or in uptown Chicago, that person would be able to tell the difference....

Okay, I'd actually mostly agree with you on this. I think you could probably tell apart Uptown and you could probably tell apart Hyde Park, as well as some other areas, but yes maybe if you took them to Englewood, it would be definitely midwestern if they are familiar with that side of the midwest.

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by PerseusVeil

Give me a break. Lounges, clubs, microbreweries, wine bars, upscale restaurants, etc, aren't considered unusual or out of the ordinary in other Midwestern cities. Certain types of ethnic food would draw more buzz outside of Chicago, but a cocktail lounge will not in many of the larger Midwestern cities/metros. There's probably a similar ratio of upscale drink places versus everyday sports and dive bars as well, it's just that Chicago would of course have more because it's bigger.

I was talking about a nice lounge - I never mentioned anything about microbreweries or really anything else. Ethnic food would easily draw more buzz in a lot of cities (though I was impressed with Madison's offerings last time I was there). I don't know where you got that from. Brewpubs are super common all over the midwest in states like Wisconsin and Michigan in the smallest of towns. Anybody should know that, but it was never even stated. It's like you're putting up a straw man. However, if I opened an extremely nice cocktail lounge in Indianapolis where you'd have to get dressed up and could get denied entry based on your attire, I guarantee it would draw a lot more "this is different" type of buzz than if opening in Chicago. It's kind of interesting to hear people think that people in Indianapolis would just think of it as something they have all over the place.

[Kamms]

Poor Chicago, still struggling to find a national or international image. It's the hub of middle America, king of the prairie state, ground zero of the central time zone and a place where from the state governors on down to government clerks are in jail. These are just the facts, whether good or bad.

Good architecture, museums, sports, restaurants and all that. Folks visiting should expect to keep paying more and more in taxes etc to help offset the massive debt the city and state are in.

Don't see the east coast vibe in Chicago, especially with its residents. Remember, Chicago like to boast that it is Midwest ''friendly'' and not like the rude people on the east coast (ahem...NY).

I love these Chicago threads though, especially when folks reference that a certain neighborhood is ''east coast''. I never see east coast cities (Boston, NY, Philly, Baltimore or DC) wondering if any of these places feels midwest...lol. Maybe because they are not in the Midwest much like Chicago is not on the east coast or even in the ''east''.

[Chicago South Sider]

The only thing that sets Chicago apart from other Midwestern cities is its' size. Chicago is a giant Milwaukee, not a smaller version of New York.

[thefallensrvnge]

For me personally, I think of Chicago as essentially a Midwest city at its core. But there is something different about this city, no question. The Midwest is a shockingly diverse region, but because of the way Chicago is designed (dense with mass-transit) I get a feel for the city and it's people more so than in any other city I've lived in within the Midwest. Parts of Chicago feel like the Midwest; it's pragmatic, but with more ego and less need to conform (which I think are things people attribute to East Coast cities). For instance, I've noticed people here are less likely to think it's ridiculous to want to be an actor or an artist, or if you want to build the world's largest skyscraper. Maybe the sheer size creates an attitude. The people are more street smart, energetic, and hungry.

[ColdAilment]

Originally Posted by Kamms

Poor Chicago, still struggling to find a national or international image. It's the hub of middle America, king of the prairie state, ground zero of the central time zone and a place where from the state governors on down to government clerks are in jail. These are just the facts, whether good or bad.

Good architecture, museums, sports, restaurants and all that. Folks visiting should expect to keep paying more and more in taxes etc to help offset the massive debt the city and state are in.

Don't see the east coast vibe in Chicago, especially with its residents. Remember, Chicago like to boast that it is Midwest ''friendly'' and not like the rude people on the east coast (ahem...NY).

I love these Chicago threads though, especially when folks reference that a certain neighborhood is ''east coast''. I never see east coast cities (Boston, NY, Philly, Baltimore or DC) wondering if any of these places feels midwest...lol. Maybe because they are not in the Midwest much like Chicago is not on the east coast or even in the ''east''.

That's because for some unbeknownst reason the Midwest carries a negative connotation with it. The Midwest is almost as desolate sounding of a region as the Deep South is to other Americans, although there is a world of difference, and the Midwest is definitely the second tier area of the United States, second most densely populated and still the industrial muscle of America.

[ColdAilment]

Originally Posted by Chicago South Sider

The only thing that sets Chicago apart from other Midwestern cities is its' size. Chicago is a giant Milwaukee, not a smaller version of New York.

its* (no need for an apostrophe)

And no, Chicago is not just a gigantic Columbus or a gigantic Minneapolis, it is very set apart from the other Midwestern cities. Chicago is to a smaller New York as Milwaukee is to a smaller Chicago. But really, the level of diversity and cultures you find in Chicago is unparalleled in ANY OTHER Midwestern city, you'd have to go to the coast to find anything comparable. What sets Chicago apart is that it is SO far inland and still manages such a large international identity. All of the other internationally well known American cities have to be on the coast, Chicago manages this on the lake front of Lake Michigan, a rare and magnificent fact of life.

[aier3x]

My opinion. From Boston and in Chicago now. I don't feel that Chicago feels like the rest of the midwest at all. Since being in Chicago I have traveled to midwest cities to check them out. Midwest cities are depressing, that is what sets Chicago apart from the rest of the midwest cities for me.

I was this summer in St. Louis to visit. It's empty, nothing, a shell of it's former self, devoid of people on the streets. Cleveland same. Detroit same. Milwaukee was only ok but screams with potential. Indianapolis was dull as anything. These cities are black or white people only it appeared, not diverse. Haven't been to Minneapolis yet.

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by aier3x

My opinion. From Boston and in Chicago now. I don't feel that Chicago feels like the rest of the midwest at all. Since being in Chicago I have traveled to midwest cities to check them out. Midwest cities are depressing, that is what sets Chicago apart from the rest of the midwest cities for me.

I was this summer in St. Louis to visit. It's empty, nothing, a shell of it's former self, devoid of people on the streets. Cleveland same. Detroit same. Milwaukee was only ok but screams with potential. Indianapolis was dull as anything. These cities are black or white people only it appeared, not diverse. Haven't been to Minneapolis yet.

Yep, I know what you're saying and agree to an extent. Minneapolis to me is the 2nd best city in the midwest. It's smaller in size than Detroit, Indianapolis, etc but IMO offers more than any of them. There's a diversity in some areas of establishments there you don't necessarily find as easily in other parts of the midwest outside of Chicago. It's a good city, though smaller than many people realize. There's really only two cities in the midwest I'd live in - one is Chicago of course and the other is Minneapolis. Not interested in any other parts of the midwest for living at all. Already done it and spent considerable amounts of time in tons of different towns/cities.

[Chicago South Sider]

Originally Posted by ColdAilment

its* (no need for an apostrophe)

And no, Chicago is not just a gigantic Columbus or a gigantic Minneapolis, it is very set apart from the other Midwestern cities. Chicago is to a smaller New York as Milwaukee is to a smaller Chicago. But really, the level of diversity and cultures you find in Chicago is unparalleled in ANY OTHER Midwestern city, you'd have to go to the coast to find anything comparable. What sets Chicago apart is that it is SO far inland and still manages such a large international identity. All of the other internationally well known American cities have to be on the coast, Chicago manages this on the lake front of Lake Michigan, a rare and magnificent fact of life.

Like I said, size is the only difference between Chicago and other Midwestern cities. Chicago is not a smaller New York. It does not look or feel anything like New York, or any other East Coast city. Compared to New York, Chicago is still living in the Jim Crow era. You don't have to go to the coasts to find the level of diversity that you do in Chicago. You can go to someplace like Houston.