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Obviously, NYC can't be compared to any other American city given its enormity.
But, what if we combined 4 of the best, I think we could create a city to give it a run for its money.
Chicago is closest big urban city, but is too small to be a rival. It has the foundations of a world city with its massive urban canyons and vibrant neighborhood commercial strips.
But, IMO there are two 2 problems that keep it from being a true world city.
1) Too many parking lots- The high rise downtown neighborhoods give way to parking lots and auto-centric development.
2) Too many yards- Even the vibrant close in residential neighborhoods have front yards and single family houses. Not a bad thing, but it hurts the urban city feel.
My changes:
1) Fill in the parking lots of the High Rise neighborhoods with SF-style 5-7 story midrise apartments (Nob Hill, Tenderloin, Union Square).
2) Replace the hip Wicker Park/Bucktown/Pilsen residential side streets with dense Philly-style row houses on a narrow streets.
3) Fill in Chicago's tony lakeside neighborhoods Lincoln Park, Old Town, Lakeview with ornate Boston-style 5 story brownstones.
IMO, this supped up hybrid city would easily rival NYC in the way London does. Not as dense or hectic, but all the amenities of world city in an arguably more manageable pace.
Obviously, NYC can't be compared to any other American city given its enormity.
But, what if we combined 4 of the best, I think we could create a city to give it a run for its money.
Chicago is closest big urban city, but is too small to be a rival. It has the foundations of a world city with its massive urban canyons and vibrant neighborhood commercial strips.
But, IMO there are two 2 problems that keep it from being a true world city.
1) Too many parking lots- The high rise downtown neighborhoods give way to parking lots and auto-centric development.
2) Too many yards- Even the vibrant close in residential neighborhoods have front yards and single family houses. Not a bad thing, but it hurts the urban city feel.
My changes:
1) Fill in the parking lots of the High Rise neighborhoods with SF-style 5-7 story midrise apartments (Nob Hill, Tenderloin, Union Square).
2) Replace the hip Wicker Park/Bucktown/Pilsen residential side streets with dense Philly-style row houses on a narrow streets.
3) Fill in Chicago's tony lakeside neighborhoods Lincoln Park, Old Town, Lakeview with ornate Boston-style 5 story brownstones.
IMO, this supped up hybrid city would easily rival NYC in the way London does. Not as dense or hectic, but all the amenities of world city in an arguably more manageable pace.
Yes... parking lots is what is causing it... It couldn't be that cities like NYC/London/Paris have like 6 million more people and tons more amenities...nope. parking lots folks.
Yes... parking lots is what is causing it... It couldn't be that cities like NYC/London/Paris have like 6 million more people and tons more amenities...nope. parking lots folks.
Well if the parking lots were replaced with apartments, the city would have more people.
Well if the parking lots were replaced with apartments, the city would have more people.
it isn't really the amount of people that much either... but critical mass often gets amenities, but not always. takes more time, chicago is still a relatively young city.
But, IMO there are two 2 problems that keep it from being a true world city.
1) Too many parking lots- The high rise downtown neighborhoods give way to parking lots and auto-centric development.
2) Too many yards- Even the vibrant close in residential neighborhoods have front yards and single family houses. Not a bad thing, but it hurts the urban city feel.
This would ruin the great livability of Chicago! Why ruin it by turning it into an overcrowded POS city. Urban city feel = claustrophobic overcrowded ghetto.
NYC still wins in some urban dimensions, it's still higher population, still more transit, still more high rises, but will get slammed in education and gdp and probably some amenities except theater and maybe some performing arts, maybe film industry, finance industry, publishing industry, media is still stronger than all the other 4 combined. But if you dropped Chicago,Philly, Boston onto SF's natural setting it would def make an interesting place. But if you put SF without the hills or weather into wear chicago is, wouldn't be near as interesting. But I am thinking you mean on paper?
IMO, this supped up hybrid city would easily rival NYC in the way London does. Not as dense or hectic, but all the amenities of world city in an arguably more manageable pace.
I would still personally prefer New York. It's the fashion and the glamor that draws people to the city just as the urbanity.
I would still personally prefer New York. It's the fashion and the glamor that draws people to the city just as the urbanity.
well you also have the intellectual crowd, the art world crowd, the indie film crowd, the theater crowd, the international politics crowd, the wall street crowd, the media crowd ... all top industries there. Even if NYC was built out like LA, it would still draw the same crowds b/c those things are there. Of course LA draws plenty of people itself, but it doesn't have as many premier industries/scenes there, though it has enough to be a good draw.
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This would ruin the great livability of Chicago! Why ruin it by turning it into an overcrowded POS city. Urban city feel = claustrophobic overcrowded ghetto.
