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I was reading a study the other day that concluded that Chicago always F's Philadelphia up its A? Did anyone else read this?
Yes, apparently, Chicago has a tendency to take Philadelphia and give it a back breaker before choke slamming it and dropping the leg for the final 3 count. It also correctly pointed out that Chicago is 'where the big boys play' whereas Philadelphia is, apparently, for Cruiserweight Amateurs who enjoy crying. In fact, according to the study, Philadelphia has more "Runner Up Personalities" per square block than anywhere else on Earth whereas Chicago has more "Sexual Tyrannosauruses' per square block than anywhere in the Milky Way. Now, I sort of always knew this information but it was very interesting to see all the numbers. The study also seemed to suggest that Philly Cheese Steak Sandwiches are made from left over turds whereas Chicago food is made from the Nectar of Ambrosia, food of the Gods from Homer's classic The Iliad.
All in all, it was a very enlightening study, and I am convinced that the data is irrefutable.
Your post had me laughing up a storm after working all day. . Didn't even have a glass of wine yet. But I'm going to my local tavern firehouse club as its been a while.
I mean Chicago doing something to backdoor Philly .... is just too much. Even going into steak subs/hoagies ....
This post rivals the BS in extremism on the Political and Controversies forums.... They get me laughing too. But then just shake my head in the radicalness I read.
But this post is up there .... in smoke..... that special kind.
I was reading a study the other day that concluded that Chicago always F's Philadelphia up its A? Did anyone else read this?
Yes, apparently, Chicago has a tendency to take Philadelphia and give it a back breaker before choke slamming it and dropping the leg for the final 3 count. It also correctly pointed out that Chicago is 'where the big boys play' whereas Philadelphia is, apparently, for Cruiserweight Amateurs who enjoy crying. In fact, according to the study, Philadelphia has more "Runner Up Personalities" per square block than anywhere else on Earth whereas Chicago has more "Sexual Tyrannosauruses' per square block than anywhere in the Milky Way. Now, I sort of always knew this information but it was very interesting to see all the numbers. The study also seemed to suggest that Philly Cheese Steak Sandwiches are made from left over turds whereas Chicago food is made from the Nectar of Ambrosia, food of the Gods from Homer's classic The Iliad.
All in all, it was a very enlightening study, and I am convinced that the data is irrefutable.
Riiiight.. .THIS BS..., coming from a one post " Necromancing" troll.
Your post had me laughing up a storm after working all day. . Didn't even have a glass of wine yet. But I'm going to my local tavern firehouse club as its been a while.
I mean Chicago doing something to backdoor Philly .... is just too much. Even going into steak subs/hoagies ....
This post rivals the BS in extremism on the Political and Controversies forums.... They get me laughing too. But then just shake my head in the radicalness I read.
But this post is up there .... in smoke..... that special kind.
I also laughed pretty hard just reading this now
It was creative in its delivery of humor so well done...
Speaking to the original question, Downtown Chi vs. Center City Philly, no comparison as far as urbanity. Philly by a good stretch.
Why? Well I was just Downtown in Chi not too long ago, and for all the big buildings and the El constantly in view, it still felt, well, a bit bland and suburban to me. Cookie cutter almost. I'm sure some of its older outlying neighborhoods have a grittier, denser feel, but pitting Downtowns against each other, I just think east coast does it right when it comes to "city feel" that nowhere else (with the notable exception of SF) in the country truly compares to.
Seattle definitely feels dense and urban in its core, ditto for Houston and Dallas. But at the same time, some certain unspoken "big-city vibe" feels somehow lacking. And though Chicago is massive, its energy and density seemed underwhelming to me.
Yeah, rarely heard this take on Chicago unless talking about the financial district after 9-5, and I’ve never heard anyone call DT Chicago suburban...at all...ever. Regarding density, Chicago’s density is higher than Philly’s.
Me too. Who would call the Loop suburban feel.....
But it has a few more open Plazas... to a skyscraper river canyon and large open Parks in its core. Maybe that says suburban to some? Of even too much new mixed in and all not all connected and with front street plots for green-space when in bloom or too much grittiness now polished.... says suburban compared to more narrow streets and virtually all connected even if low-rise.
But guess even the Loop is underwhelming to some. But clearly mostly continuous skyscrapers the older ones connected.
Some see continuous solid row-housing neighborhoods in a downtown outward.... is more urban in a better urbanity too? Chicago mixes a lot of high-rise, skyscraper living and former industrial buildings and warehousing to Lofts too. Over a crew with continuous row-home neighborhoods too. Most is close-knit but unattached even if just inches or entryway. That's still plenty urban even with Chicago's standard set-backs of neighborhood housing. Chicago still manages density a bit higher overall then Philly. Probably more apartment buildings added enough to merely single homes too.
Too many trees too gives some a more suburban feel in neighborhoods I guess too.
One thing Chicago generally doesn't get called is --- "cookie cutter" neighborhoods. Again, I'd call blocks of row-homes connected and forming a Big brick wall on both sides of the street. Very cookie-cutter.
Chicago's oldest neighborhoods are generally with very varied homes mixed together with standard set-backs, sidewalks and curbing. That too adds a suburban feel for some not use to seeing a urban block with such unified frontage either that Chicago has..... Oh and then the ugly power-line poles are in the back alleys and not fronts. That is a Chicago trademark too that might add suburban?
I like too the fact of once in the neighborhood off main streets. You can still have a peaceful Big city Urban living to go home too. That is a Chicago feature I love too.
Maybe Houston and Dallas are more Urban feeling then Chicago too for some.
What better picture to post again (my favorite)..
Then a GREEN URBAN CHICAGO from downtown outward. Especially north and northwest of downtown of continuous green among its urban form.... for St Patty's Day. In its summer splendor.
Yeah, rarely heard this take on Chicago unless talking about the financial district after 9-5. And regarding density, Chicago’s density is higher than Philly’s.
not sure on DT, though Chicago is growing there a lot and grew the most DT on density of any city in the last 15 years I believe
I think the statements made were a (more than) little over the top but Chicago does give off a different vibe and feel
Not vibrant though I cant get
having certain aspects that feel suburban in a city form I can get
That said I love Chicago, though at times feel like the vibe on the street in the DT feels almost suburban in an urban form (like walking down MI ave can almost feel like the urban vibe (feel on the street) of walking through King of Prussia mall (not just the stores but the people and interaction)
whereas in Philly it just feels a little gruffer or something and more urban
Now again I am over starting but there is a distinct difference that I sort can understand
Again I love Chi town and its DT, just feels different to me in this sense and not sure my example gets it right
though am not sure would say Chicago feels less urban, especially in built form (its definitely grander but less compact)
You can defend with stats all you want, but I cabbed around a bit from Downtown to Logan Square to the North End multiple nights, and man, it was DEAD. No, seriously. Very few people. Astonishing.
Now Philly? Bwahaha, -packed- with constant pedestrian activity.
If more people technically live in-close quarters in Chicago, and the numbers prove that, so be it, but as for visible and constant street activity? That's the true measure of any big city to me (and many others on here, no doubt). Chicago gets blown out of Lake Michigan by Philly, NYC, Boston and SF.
-Handily-.
Who wants to live in a "big-city" when so many of its denizens are all hunkering down in their little living spaces, cliqued up with their inner circle, playing board games and watching movies? That's just suburbanites bringing their little vanilla small-town existence with them into a so-called major metro and thusly dimishing its overall city vibe on the whole.
Hell, I lived Downtown L.A. for years and that is definitely one city not known for its streetlife in the inner and super gritty core. I'd put the foot traffic in DTLA on any given night easily ahead of Chi, and we wanna try and compare Philly to it? (Bush Sr. - "Not gonna do it!")
Never, ever, ever had this experience in Chicago. Don’t know anyone in my life who would ever have characterized Chicago this way ever...and clearly most people on this poll are unlikely to agree with you.
I'm quite sure there's lots of Mid-West homers who will go to their graves saying Chi is some kind of city that in many ways, it just plain is not. That's fine. Just saying, having grown up an hour outside of NYC and having spent plenty of time in Boston, Philly, SF and LA, Chicago is WAY overrated when it comes to foot traffic and high energy. That's this very well-traveled city boy's personal opinion, and I'm sticking to my perspective based on what I saw and experienced withy own two eyes.
Out of all of the above, Chi easily, easily, has the least urban feel to me in the inner neighborhoods.
The Willis Tower and endless aerial shots of its no doubt formidable skyline notwithstanding..lol.
Big tall buildings alone, does not exclusively a city make.
Cool story; given that the data in this thread show Chicago has higher density, higher foot traffic, and more people using PT than Philadelphia, across the city and at peak locations, I’m going to stick with how I voted based on my well-traveled experience: Chicago is more urban than Philadelphia.
You can defend with stats all you want, but I cabbed around a bit from Downtown to Logan Square to the North End multiple nights, and man, it was DEAD. No, seriously. Very few people. Astonishing.
Now Philly? Bwahaha, -packed- with constant pedestrian activity.
If more people technically live in-close quarters in Chicago, and the numbers prove that, so be it, but as for visible and constant street activity? That's the true measure of any big city to me (and many others on here, no doubt). Chicago gets blown out of Lake Michigan by Philly, NYC, Boston and SF.
-Handily-.
Who wants to live in a "big-city" when so many of its denizens are all hunkering down in their little living spaces, cliqued up with their inner circle, playing board games and watching movies? That's just suburbanites bringing their little vanilla small-town existence with them into a so-called major metro and thusly dimishing its overall city vibe on the whole.
Hell, I lived Downtown L.A. for years and that is definitely one city not known for its streetlife in the inner and super gritty core. I'd put the foot traffic in DTLA on any given night easily ahead of Chi, and we wanna try and compare Philly to it? (Bush Sr. - "Not gonna do it!")
No one denies Philly's Urbanity. Just defending Chicago's.
These cities are different in street-grids and housing form, architecture feel and design. But BOTH ARE GREAT AMERICAN URBAN CITIES. I respected your earlier post. But this one has a aim to diss Chicago to me.
The irony is Chicago in rebuilding especially after the Great Fire. Too Philly's original William Penn street-grid and did it its way. 8-blocks to a mile and a vast standard alleyway-network (the largest of any city in the world). It added mostly standard set-backs, did not limit row-housing. But most was higher end it got while the rest were majority un-attached that then became standard too. It did virtually ban tenement-style housing with a added requirement that every room must have a window to the outside for multi-unit dwellings. So it never wanted to be NYC.
If you prefer Philly's Urban Row-housing and neighborhoods to grittiness? That surely is your right. But I like Chicago's housing styles choices and standard set-backs for some green-space better. IMO
Both cities have there charms and aspects of Urbanity. Just for some reason .... Chicago maintained density even with parts of its Southside where blight was removed and much more of its housing unattached. Like I said. More apartment buildings added to its density I believe. Some see its Bungalow-belt as suburban? But irony is the lots are basically the same 25' x 125' standard city Lt size. Some variations did add a couple feet as the city grew. Far from suburban. Just they got a front-lawn effect in mere frontage as the homes were not as long as older ones pre-1920s.
I'd say the rep was from a Philly poster on your preferences.... all is good in we get to give our opinions. If you feel Philly's downtown and neighborhoods are more vibrant, more urban and feel and you prefer attached housing with less set-backs of front green-space? You have every right to say that. Of course Philly has neighborhoods that added some frontage too. Chicago made it standard before the 20th century.
I like aspects of Philly neighborhoods especially more Colonial ones and near south of CC. But I do like Chicago's more city in a garden feel and other reasons I gave overall.
But the underlined is a bit over-the-top. WE ARE ALL JUST GIVING OPINIONS. That's it.
Chicago is fine with its version of American Urbanity and the choices I mention it made. You personally see it as -" Not Your Kinda Town"? That's fine. Many on C-D give points to the city despite its issues as why it wins polls. Not locals really doing it. But those who visit the city and others to compare.
Chicago's main streets have its street-life. Its neighborhoods you walk for pleasure of seeing the green frontage in Spring thru Fall or to get to the Business areas.
Near Logan Sq. Chicago ..
Last edited by DavePa; 03-10-2019 at 08:07 PM..
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. Didn't even have a glass of wine yet. But I'm going to my local tavern firehouse club as its been a while. 
But clearly mostly continuous skyscrapers the older ones connected. 
for St Patty's Day. In its summer splendor.
WE ARE ALL JUST GIVING OPINIONS. That's it.
