Does Chicago "feel" like a megacity? (Naperville, Elgin: big home, employment)

[NYrules]

Originally Posted by 2dc

I've never visited Chicago but am thinking about moving there from the east coast. I'm from Philadelphia but want to move to a bigger city. Not that Philly is small in anyway but there are cities that are bigger and Chicago is one of them. Compared to NYC & LA does Chicago have a feeling of hustle and bustle? I need a fast paced lifestyle. Can Chicago offer me that?

Is this the hustle and bustle like you are looking for? Welcome to the Gold Coast
YouTube - Chicago Traffic

Welcome to the Loop during rush hour.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwZG1XdBkjo

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by M4rT1N

Why not visit the city first to see if it's for you?

On the hustle and bustle...... non-existent in Chicago past 7 p.m. Sunday through Thursday.

Gotta agree with j33 here. Even parts of the old office-dominated Loop are alive throughout the night now, largely because of new housing and the new student dorms. But major swaths of River North, the Gold Coast, Lincoln Park, Wicker Park, and Lakeview are buzzing all through the night seven days a week, unless there's a blizzard or something.

[aragx6]

^^Wicker Park is actually far emptier about 9 a.m. on a Saturday than 2 a.m. on a Thursday -- everyone is still asleep! LOL>

[Costa Rica Chica]

I went to college in Philly and Chicago definitely has a much bigger feel to it. The downtown area is larger, and the parks in the city, the zoo, etc. also give the city a bigger feel. Philly doesn't have the theater, restaurants, shopping, number of world-class museums as Chicago either. (And I generally find Chicagoans to be much friendlier. The nightlife is much better in Chicago too.)

[coldwine]

Chicago very definitely has a megacity feel to it. You feel able to wander miles and miles while still remaining in a "city" environment.

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by M4rT1N

On the hustle and bustle...... non-existent in Chicago past 7 p.m. Sunday through Thursday.

In the Loop maybe. And whats funny is that even the Loop is busier and more alive than 80% of this country's cities, even during typical "dead" hours.

[Ron.]

Keep in mind that Chicago is in the midwest. IMHO it is not a fast paced city. Not like NYC.

There is a feeling of hustle and bustle, somewhat. But I think you'll find what you're looking for.


Good luck!

Originally Posted by 2dc

I've never visited Chicago but am thinking about moving there from the east coast. I'm from Philadelphia but want to move to a bigger city. Not that Philly is small in anyway but there are cities that are bigger and Chicago is one of them. Compared to NYC & LA does Chicago have a feeling of hustle and bustle? I need a fast paced lifestyle. Can Chicago offer me that?

[coldwine]

The entire "NYC is fast paced!" stereotype is largely a myth.

NYC isn't fast paced. It's just incredibly demanding of time because the lifestyle you have to live there doesn't allow for things like... oh... stocking up on food Having a car is difficult there, and there's really no easy way to drive to a grocery store in Manhattan, load up the car and take the groceries back to your 11 story walk up.

Chicago, for the most part, is of superior urban planning than Manhattan. Alleys, people. Love them and cherish them, because you have no idea what it's like to live in an urban environment without them. Life is just a lot easier, and for that, you don't have people killing themselves to get from point A to point B all day Simple things are not impossible. There's also a lot of people in Manhattan, giving it the relative illusion of high stress. Until you realize how long it can take to get a table or how many lines you have to wait in, you wouldn't be stressed out either.

[Ron.]

I agree about NYC not being fast paced as well. It's faster than Chi but again NYC not fast paced.

Originally Posted by coldwine

The entire "NYC is fast paced!" stereotype is largely a myth.

NYC isn't fast paced. It's just incredibly demanding of time because the lifestyle you have to live there doesn't allow for things like... oh... stocking up on food Having a car is difficult there, and there's really no easy way to drive to a grocery store in Manhattan, load up the car and take the groceries back to your 11 story walk up.

Chicago, for the most part, is of superior urban planning than Manhattan. Alleys, people. Love them and cherish them, because you have no idea what it's like to live in an urban environment without them. Life is just a lot easier, and for that, you don't have people killing themselves to get from point A to point B all day Simple things are not impossible. There's also a lot of people in Manhattan, giving it the relative illusion of high stress. Until you realize how long it can take to get a table or how many lines you have to wait in, you wouldn't be stressed out either.

[coldwine]

Originally Posted by ChicagoRon

I agree about NYC not being fast paced as well. It's faster than Chi but again NYC not fast paced.

I think people just become a little insane and stressed after seeing the constant movement of people. Manhattan is like a giant cruise ship in that the traffic flow never freaking stops in certain areas. It can feel like you're just being bombarded with people.