Boston vs Chicago

[Chicago60614]

Originally Posted by CowsAndBeer

100% untrue - I grew up in Door County, and fully half the people there in the summer are from Chicagoland. Same with Lake Geneva, Dells, etc. You don't know what you're talking about. Of course people in every city fly out to areas all around the world, but in no way does that preclude weekends in Cape Cod, Door County, Hamptons, etc., not to mention owning real estate close to home (see: summer cottages on all 12,000 Wisconsin lakes).

I think the point is Chicagoans will go to Wisconsin or Michigan for a quick weekend trip a lot, but when it comes to VACATIONS a vast majority will fly. I do weekends in Michigan a few times a summer, but I've never called it a vacation or taken more than a half day off work.

I'm sure people DO take vacations up there and spend many nights or take off from work, but those states are thought of as really quick escapes as opposed to "where are you going on vacation this summer". I would call a vacation more like going to Paris, Barcelona, Morocco, South America or islands somewhere.

[grapico]

Originally Posted by Chicago60614

I think the point is Chicagoans will go to Wisconsin or Michigan for a quick weekend trip a lot, but when it comes to VACATIONS a vast majority will fly. I do weekends in Michigan a few times a summer, but I've never called it a vacation or taken more than a half day off work.

I'm sure people DO take vacations up there and spend many nights or take off from work, but those states are thought of as really quick escapes as opposed to "where are you going on vacation this summer". I would call a vacation more like going to Paris, Barcelona, Morocco, South America or islands somewhere.

Yeah, these definitely aren't vacations. They are more weekend trips. Chicagoans are well traveled mostly in real life, as well as in movies... Home Alone, hello.

I agree that weekend destinations in Chicago are better in other places like say, Philly or SF... but, that doesn't mean Chicagoans and Philadelphias and San Franciscans can't vacation wherever they please.

Only caveat that might come with that is, people in California are much more likely to vacation say, in Hawaii or Baja Mexico. People east of the MS are more likely to vacation in Florida or Caribbean.

[CowsAndBeer]

Originally Posted by PhillyPhan95

Reading through this thread, this is the most accurate post I could find. Love Chicago city... But everything surrounding it was boring urban sprawl, nothing special, flat, and not scenic. But Boston is surrounded by hills and the ocean, and small quaint towns and villages, Providence and NYC aren't far, Maine's rocky shoreline... It's amazing. I loved Chicago, but Boston gave me that feeling like that is the place to be.

I was addressing these comments. This person was describing areas 3-4 hours away, so I mentioned access to areas the same distance from Chicagoland. You're also wrong about vacationers, as my parents ran a resort in Door County, and nearly everyone was from Chicago and most people stayed a week. My mother was directly involved in the county tourism (I don't want to give any more details here) and I know what I'm talking about here. I've personally been involved with Wisconsin tourism as well, and know the demographics. Certainly people fly out to other regions, just like with every single city in America; but there are regions within a short drive from Chicago that people vacation - and a 3-day weekend is also a vacation, enough tiresome semantics play here - just like they do in the Boston area. Which, again, was the entire point.