girls from Michigan (Chicago, Naperville, Schaumburg: crime rate, hotels, schools)

[Anthera]

Originally Posted by LMK171

I thought I did answer the question about why some might love Chicago, with lots of reasons!

I wasn't really responding to you on this one, though I can see why you might think so. I just find the whole Detroit thing so depressing.

[bankingplanes]

Could it be that New Yorkers feel the same way about people from Jersey?? And maybe those born and raised in Illinois/Chicago should take a step back and admire their city, could it be that "Girls from Michigan" can appreciate it and aren't taking it for granted?

[reverberation]

Speaking as someone born in Illinois, yet raised in Metro-Detroit, I can tell you a lot of Metro-Detroit people - men & women both - love Chicago. We see it as a sister city, and one done right. We see it as something that Detroit could have become, in some far off alternate universe where cultural diversity, economic diversification, and good decision-making ruled the day.
What's not to like about Chicago? It's a progressive, modern city, that is the pride of the entire North Coast.

As a side note, I'd say the Ann Arbor/Detroit relationship is more like what Boulder is to Denver in terms of relationship/social strata/distance.

[Anthera]

Originally Posted by reverberation

Speaking as someone born in Illinois, yet raised in Metro-Detroit, I can tell you a lot of Metro-Detroit people - men & women both - love Chicago. We see it as a sister city, and one done right. We see it as something that Detroit could have become, in some far off alternate universe where cultural diversity, economic diversification, and good decision-making ruled the day.
What's not to like about Chicago? It's a progressive, modern city, that is the pride of the entire North Coast.

As a side note, I'd say the Ann Arbor/Detroit relationship is more like what Boulder is to Denver in terms of relationship/social strata/distance.

Excellent post.

[Tex?Il?]

Originally Posted by bankingplanes

Could it be that New Yorkers feel the same way about people from Jersey?? And maybe those born and raised in Illinois/Chicago should take a step back and admire their city, could it be that "Girls from Michigan" can appreciate it and aren't taking it for granted?

Probably not the best comparison.

North Jersey are basically suburbs/bedroom communities/edge cities more or less directly tied to New York City.

A better east coast comparison might be someone from Philadelphia or Baltimore coming to NYC. From what I understand.

Possibly NW Indiana might be a better comparison as to how New Yorkers view New Jersey, because NW Indiana is basically still part of Chicagoland, just a more working class and industrial part.

[michsnowlvr]

Found this old thread when looking for something else, but just wanted to comment on some things. First of all, yes Detroit is going through bad times. But some of the comments on here are GREATLY exaggerated. Living in metro-Detroit my entire life and visiting metro-Chicago several times, I can tell you straight up that in my opinion, both areas are nice and have bad areas, and while Chicago is no doubt a better city, I'd actually say the surrounding area is nicer in SE MI.

Comparing Detroit and Chicago- the cities- is one thing, but to say there is nothing to do in all of southeast Michigan? Give me a break. There is plenty to do in the area. Outside of the city-proper of CHI/DET, I can guarentee there is just as much to do in southeast MI as there is in northeast IL.

Suburbanites of Detroit don't dare venture into Detroit? Again, no. Suburbanites go to downtown Detroit all the time, and downtown Detroit is actually relatively safe. Yes, crime runs rampant in other parts of the city, and no, suburbanites dont go to those areas. Many of the Detroit suburbs are very visually appealing, while the city (downtown an exception) is not. So yes, people make it known that they LIVE in Novi, or Farmington, or Canton, or wherever, rather than say they live "IN" Detroit. That does not mean they loathe the city and dream of moving to Chicago.

The MI transplants who have spoken in this thread obviously love Chicago, or else they wouldnt be living where they are. But don't make it a generalization that most Michiganders feel the same way. That most Michiganders who live in SE MI are embarassed of living near Detroit. And that most Ann Arbor people are very quick to distance themselves from metro-Detroit. That is flat-out wrong.

My friends and I have visited Chicago many times. LOVED shopping downtown, hated the ghetto area we stayed (boystown- the gay area of CHI). Hope this response doesn't sound like bashing Chicago, because it's not in any way. Just that as a MI resident, I felt the need to correct a few of the embellished things. Will I visit the Chicago area again? Definitely. Do I want to remain living in the Detroit area? Absolutely.

[aragx6]

If you think Boystown is the ghetto, then your opinion on everything else is quite suspect.

[skyeINIL]

I hate it when perfectly good words get totally bastardized to the point where the original meaning is obsolete (e.g. "ghetto", "diversity", "racist").

[Lookout Kid]

That's the first time I've ever heard Boystown described as a ghetto. 95% of the ghetto-ness in Boystown was scrubbed away years ago with tiny little brushes. There are two blocks just north of the IHOP on Broadway that are definitely crappy (Gill Park Co-op, Hotel Chateau), but that's about it--and it's hard to really say these are really part of "Boystown", which has no real borders and just means the gay part of Lakeview.

It's hilarious to me to hear someone say that Detroit isn't that bad because of the nice suburbs, by the way. O.K., what?

[nJohn]

Originally Posted by Lookout Kid

That's the first time I've ever heard Boystown described as a ghetto. 95% of the ghetto-ness in Boystown was scrubbed away years ago with tiny little brushes. There are two blocks just north of the IHOP on Broadway that are definitely crappy (Gill Park Co-op, Hotel Chateau), but that's about it--and it's hard to really say these are really part of "Boystown", which has no real borders and just means the gay part of Lakeview.

It's hilarious to me to hear someone say that Detroit isn't that bad because of the nice suburbs, by the way. O.K., what?

And I thought I was socially unaware.