Why does Chicago have so many "tough guys"...? (Washington: house, to live)

[Irishtom29]

Originally Posted by reppin_the_847

but I do have to agree that the sheer amount of Midwestern transplants in Chicago does have an impact on our culture.

Well being that Midwesterners are generally honest, above board and VERY hard working I reckon that's a good thing.

I must say that the flood of New Englanders and upstate New Yorkers to Chicago and northern Illinois was of huge importance in determining the region's character. But that was 150 years ago.

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by Irishtom29

Well being that Midwesterners are generally honest, above board and VERY hard working I reckon that's a good thing.

I must say that the flood of New Englanders and upstate New Yorkers to Chicago and northern Illinois was of huge importance in determining the region's character. But that was 150 years ago.

It's funny you mention that... Many of my relatives moved to the Midwest from New York in the 19th Century. They had been there since the 1600s.

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by reppin_the_847

I know "Lookout" ain't really feeling your posts and all...

That's an understatement. I hope this Harry Potter reading loser gets hit by a CTA bus that's trying to dodge a pothole.

[analyticalkeys]

Originally Posted by Nafster

No. I have never heard that before, and I know TONS of New Yorkers who go to school with me (graduate and undergraduate) who have all told me they cannot believe how friendly Chicago and Midwesterners are compared to New York.

No, we don't have as much cosmopolitan culture and glamour as NY, but we are friendlier, and we DO talk to strangers more than NYC. Don't you realize that Chicago is slower paced city than NY?

You cannot possibly be from NYC if you think the pace of life is relaxed enough to allow people to have random conversations.


BTW- I love contact with strangers. You obviously seem not to because you have failed to take up offers from members here to meet in public and discuss our disagreements

You're pretty much on point except for saying that the NYC pace of life doesn't allow for random conversations.. because that's quite untrue.

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by Ron.

Boy....some of you need to loosen up......it's a light hearted thread. No wonder why folks randomly shoot people. You guys actually agree with this nonsense.



Have fun.....back to my normal forum.

You should have known better than to start an inflammatory thread like this buddy. What possessed you to make a thread like this?

[lenniel]

Originally Posted by Ron.

I am what you would call a people watcher. Has anyone ever noticed the dirty looks people give eachother......for no apparent reason?

I mean you can be on a crowded train and just barely touch someone and all of a sudden comes the "mean mug".

Folks give dirty looks like none other. It's as if everyone wants to be "tough" or something.

I just happen to notice a lot of this last week.


Gee-whiz, relax people..........

Maybe you shouldn't be touching people on a crowded train. Most people I know don't appreciate that, especially the women (or men for that matter). LOL TIC

[tb4000]

If you're in a large city, you kinda have to be on the standoffish side, since about half the people are trying to scam you out of something anyways. I'm from Northwest Indiana but have been working in the Loop since like 2005, so my mentality has changed immensely from when I used to just visit the city as a tourist.

[At1WithNature]

chicago can suck in that regard. you just have to focus on the "nice looks" LOL.

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by At1WithNature

chicago can suck in that regard. you just have to focus on the "nice looks" LOL.

But it's ridiculous to say that New York is any different. It it's different, it's MORE "stand-offish". And both cities get an unfair rap for being "unfriendly".

[youngurbanprofessional]

Originally Posted by PokerPlayer1

I agree that the culture of Chicago is stoic, maybe a bit mean. With that said, it is straight-forward and refreshingly honest. It's a no-bull**** city.

After spending a lot of my life in the deep south, I've found that the much vaunted "southern hospitality" is really a grossly synthetic, unnatural thing. When you're immersed in it, it's so damn sugary you leave with diabetes (also, I've never encountered a higher percentage of shysters and backstabbers than I did when living in a culture where everyone was expected to "pretend nice" as a matter of policy)

This type of thing offends directly against whatever sensibilities that cause folks to appreciate genuineness in a person and thankfully, this cultural framework is nowhere to be found in Chitown. Chicago might not be sugary and warm- no one is interested in your life story and they don't care if y'all come back now, y'hear?- but they're straight shooters and if they like you, they genuinely like you.

I don't notice if anyone is staring at me because frankly, I couldn't care less about them and as such, am not too concerned with paying attention long enough to find out.

You couldn't have said it better. I'm from MN where they have "Minnesota Nice" which is like you said, people just being polite to strangers, but genuinely couldn't care less about you.

I've also found people who DO like you to be much more accepting into their circle of friends and family than where I'm from. In MN, unless you went to High School together or were born into the same family you pretty much aren't going to meet new close friends while living there.