Is Chicago the most regionally dominant city in the nation? (Washington: live, area)

[edsg25]

Is Chicago unique in the way that it dominates its region in being its premier city? IMHO, the answer has to be : YES. Just look at the other regions...

Northeast (the Mid-Atlantic and New England): Yes, NYC is the big kid on the block (and on anyone's block) but it shares the region with the superpower that is Washington as well. Both Boston and Philadelphia are formidable cities.

South (south east, mid-south, Texas): With the likes of Miami, Atlanta, New Orleans, Dallas, and Houston, no single city has a chance of standing out in this region.

West (Mountain West, Pacific): Los Angeles may be #1, but San Francisco and the Bay Area are on its heels. This is also the region with Seattle.

And then there is....

The Midwest: Chicago, by far, is the dominant city, smack in the center of the region, all roads leading to it. Kansas City, St. Louis, Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Indianapolis, Detroit, Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati: none of them truly compete with it (although of this group, Minneapolis has arguably raised itself above the pack).

Would you agree with me that Chicago dominates its region like no other US city does its?

[brianpmcdonnell17]

New York is so large that it overshadows Philadelphia, Washington, and Boston. While Chicago is clearly the dominant Midwestern city, Detroit and Minneapolis are of a comparable size to Boston. St. Louis, Milwaukee, Kansas City, Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Columbus, and Cleveland are rather large as well. I could certainly see the argument for Chicago dominating its region more than any other city, but I think New York is still more dominating.

[ToriaT]

New York is a very dominating city,,, it dominates many things on the East Coast and its influence is felt nationwide but particularly in the northeast.

[emathias]

I could see Chicago being the most dominant regional city. New York would be the obvious choice ordinarily, but in some ways it's *so* dominant that *regionally* it doesn't dominate because its so focused globally that some of its firepower isn't even tuned to be able to resonate locally/regionally. Chicago, on the other hand, while having solid global props, still tunes itself
mostly regionally/nationally in such a way that its power does't just skip everything inside the US border the way some of what New York does does.

[oddstray]

There may be a conceit in those large cities that they 'dominate' their regions.

But to the people who live there, there is a massive rolling of eyeballs . . .

[DC's Finest]

Originally Posted by brianpmcdonnell17

New York is so large that it overshadows Philadelphia, Washington, and Boston. While Chicago is clearly the dominant Midwestern city, Detroit and Minneapolis are of a comparable size to Boston. St. Louis, Milwaukee, Kansas City, Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Columbus, and Cleveland are rather large as well. I could certainly see the argument for Chicago dominating its region more than any other city, but I think New York is still more dominating.

I don't think NYC overshadows other cities on the EC. Most people in these cities don't even think about New York. Have you been to Boston? It's like the anti NYC. DC is too much of a political powerhouse to be overshadowed. DC is in the media just as much as New York.