Chicago more like 3 biggest East Coast cities OR 3 biggest Midwest cities (Vienna: organic, kosher)

[Hiruko]

Originally Posted by personone

Disagree with this. Chicago is undoubtably the most “east coast”- like city in the Midwest, much moreso than Cleveland. I have lived in Philly and am from the east coast. Granted, I am not too familiar with Cleveland, but downtown and the north side of Chicago resemble a major east coast city more than anywhere else in the Midwest. From the high rise apartments to the brownstones/greystones, to the way the L/ CTA hovers in the backdrop. Chicago reminds me a lot of Philly, both at the downtown and neighborhood level (especially the north side, but even the near west side too). Have only been to Cleveland once and didn’t get too far outside downtown, but it had a quintessentially Midwest feel, and driving there felt very rural Midwest near city limits. In no way does it feel more “east coast” than Chicago.

You disagree with it, but you know nothing about Cleveland. You should probably reserve comment, no?

Cleveland's 'Midwesterness' is more frequently questioned than just about any other city in the region. You can find many threads devoted to this debate.

Chicago is most similar to Toronto than any other city in North America.

[moneymkt]

Originally Posted by Hiruko

You disagree with it, but you know nothing about Cleveland. You should probably reserve comment, no?

Cleveland's 'Midwesterness' is more frequently questioned than just about any other city in the region. You can find many threads devoted to this debate.

Chicago is most similar to Toronto than any other city in North America.

Do you mean the downtown area?

[Irishtom29]

Originally Posted by Hiruko

Chicago is most similar to Toronto than any other city in North America.

Well Chicago might be more similar to Toronto than any other city is but I think many cities are more like Chicago than Toronto is. San Antonio for instance.

[BuhbyeRham]

I find Toronto to be a little bit like Chicago in that they are the two largest Great Lakes cities and the two that have best survived and thrived in the post-manufacturing era (rather than falling into "Rust Belt" decay).

I also find Toronto to be a little bit like New York, though, in that it's the largest city in its country (larger than Chicago now, in fact), and is extremely international/global. You'll meet plenty of people from plenty of other countries in Chicago, but it seems to me you meet a lot more (from a wider variety of places) in Toronto and New York.

[DavePa]

Originally Posted by BuhbyeRham

I find Toronto to be a little bit like Chicago in that they are the two largest Great Lakes cities and the two that have best survived and thrived in the post-manufacturing era (rather than falling into "Rust Belt" decay).

I also find Toronto to be a little bit like New York, though, in that it's the largest city in its country (larger than Chicago now, in fact), and is extremely international/global. You'll meet plenty of people from plenty of other countries in Chicago, but it seems to me you meet a lot more (from a wider variety of places) in Toronto and New York.

Toronto clearly prides itself as more becoming a NYC type of city. It certainly doesn't took to Chicago to be similar to. Toronto gets by Canada's merit based immigration system. 10s if thousands of professional immigrants yearly. Little in totally uneducated ones or illegal immigration. High-rise living hugging Lake Michigan are what gives the cores ther similarities over types of neighborhoods or ethnic make-up. City proper Toronto did surpass Chicago. All Chicagoland no. But its fast steady growth has that possibly coming too. Zoning its city for High-rises to Mid-rises to Skyscrapers. Mean it steers its developments toward them criteria. It does preserve some neighborhoods for sure. But it zones for density send high-rise living in mass immigration needs. Over zoning if they might be allowed in that area. Toronto did not do the level of lakefront parkland and harbors as Chicago. But did create some islands and is doing more rebuilding its core frontage too. That it could look to Chicago for.

Toronto is far more like our Sunbelt cities in fast growth. But with much more regulating it to high-density living. Even the city itself was recreated from merging more then one to make a new city and borders called the Amalgamation instantly in the 1960s. Québec's Separation movement also steered much more to Toronto from Montréal formerly being Canada's première city toward Toronto into the 70s while US cities were experiencing ther worst declines. It had a steady boom period and even bubble that just keeps going with new immigration needs as much more highly skilled merit based.

[Hiruko]

Chicagoland has a larger population than GTA.

[Irishtom29]

Canadians are starting to show up down here; tight as bark and throwing nickels around like manhole covers they’ll soon clog every happy hour and all you can eat buffet in the Anglo parts of town.

[BuhbyeRham]

Originally Posted by DavePa

Toronto clearly prides itself as more becoming a NYC type of city.

Well, as an objective outsider with no connection to either city (though I like visiting both), I'm saying there may be at least a bit of reality in support of their pride.

Originally Posted by DavePa

Toronto is far more like our Sunbelt cities in fast growth. But with much more regulating it to high-density living.

The above two sentences contradict each other from my perspective. It is in large part BECAUSE Toronto has a large, proper downtown on the waterfront (in addition to its diverse/global population and feel) that it is like a cross between Chicago and New York. Most US Sunbelt cities are pretty much the opposite of this.

(And yes, when I say Toronto has surpassed Chicago in population, I'm talking about actual Chicago, not "The Greater Metropolitan Chicagoland Cornfield and Stripmall Association of Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, and possibly Iowa." This should go without saying. Chicago is Chicago. It isn't Wilmette or Libertyville or New Lenox or Crown Point.)

[BuhbyeRham]

Originally Posted by Hiruko

Chicagoland has a larger population than GTA.

"Chicagoland" isn't a real thing (at least not with any universally agreed upon boundaries) and I don't even know or care what GTA is. Even if I did, I'm not talking about those theoretical places. I'm referring to Chicago and Toronto. You know, the well-known cities, which have city limits like all cities.

[Hiruko]

Originally Posted by BuhbyeRham

"Chicagoland" isn't a real thing (at least not with any universally agreed upon boundaries) and I don't even know or care what GTA is. Even if I did, I'm not talking about those theoretical places. I'm referring to Chicago and Toronto. You know, the well-known cities, which have city limits like all cities.

Uh...Chicagoland is a CSA and an MSA. It's clearly defined. The CSA (Combined Statistical Area) is population 9.9 million, and the MSA (Metropolitan Statistical Area) is population 9.5 million. These are official geographic boundaries used by the OMB and the Census Bureau for statistical data. GTA = Greater Toronto Area. The Greater Toronto Area is population 6.4 million.