Center of it all, the ultimate core

[jonnynonos]

Originally Posted by VA All Day

Can't really disagree with that...those type of people tend to stay in their bubble, and would characterize them as the same types to seek out the "destinations" (assuming you mean LP/LV/the blue line hipster highway areas). And agree, those aren't the most interesting places, at least to me. Other neighborhoods exist though no? And isn't that where most of the "culture" here, especially restaurants (excluding some of the more high-end spots) is found?

Maybe it's because I don't report to an office downtown anymore but just feel like I never have much of a reason to be in "the core" much except when passing through to get elsewhere.

Agree for the most part. Of course, there are genuinely impressive destinations throughout downtown — from free music at Millennium Park to the museums to the beaches and architecture. And to a degree, still, the dining. There are still a lot of great restaurants in the city center.

But business consolidation and other factors have led to much of the real estate in the city center of Chicago and virtually any other US and probably western city to be occupied primarily by chains, who are the only people who can afford it. Instant global communication of trends has also largely eliminated any meaningful local angles.

So while the result isn’t bad and there’s probably overall an enormous uptick in quality and variety of everything, it’s not terribly different than anything you get anywhere.

Same with the transplant neighborhoods but instead of chains you find different variations of Sally’s Cupcakes and Joe’s Craft Beer Bar. Nothing wrong with it but I wouldn’t really say it’s that interesting.

Hanging out in an old Polish bar in Belmont Central or hitting a taqueria in Little Village is, to me, interesting.

[VA All Day]

Originally Posted by jonnynonos

Same with the transplant neighborhoods but instead of chains you find different variations of Sally’s Cupcakes and Joe’s Craft Beer Bar. Nothing wrong with it but I wouldn’t really say it’s that interesting.

Hanging out in an old Polish bar in Belmont Central or hitting a taqueria in Little Village is, to me, interesting.

Agreed...

[Irishtom29]

A distressing sign of the homogenization of Chicago was when Entenmann’s bought Burny Brothers.