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Come on now, people in Chicago love their cars. Sure there are a few nabes that people will go carless, but overall? Chicago is very car friendly, especially compared to NYC.
Yes, maybe 25% of Chicago it is what I would call convenient to go car free in. Still though, Chicago is pretty big and that covers a large area of about 750K people. More than any other US city aside from NYC.
Yes, maybe 25% of Chicago it is what I would call convenient to go car free in. Still though, Chicago is pretty big and that covers a large area of about 750K people. More than any other US city aside from NYC.
Agreed. But a lot of people drive around and do things in Chicago that don't require a car. Whether it's hopping in a car to drive 2 blocks to the grocery store, to getting a cup of coffee, to renting a movie.
Being able to go car free, or hardly using a car, doesn't mean that people in Chicago do so. The option is there, but a lot of those people are just too lazy to actually walk when they can.
Look at the difference between how much fatter the people in Chicago are compared to NYC or Philly.
Agreed. But a lot of people drive around and do things in Chicago that don't require a car. Whether it's hopping in a car to drive 2 blocks to the grocery store, to getting a cup of coffee, to renting a movie.
Being able to go car free, or hardly using a car, doesn't mean that people in Chicago do so. The option is there, but a lot of those people are just too lazy to actually walk when they can.
Look at the difference between how much fatter the people in Chicago are compared to NYC or Philly.
Can't say we see eye-to-eye on this one. In the areas of Chicago that are more densely populated and have good public transit people are out walking to run errands, go out to eat, and so on. The hassle of parking in these areas and the density of amenities pretty much dictate so.
Also I don't find the locals here to be any more over weight than your average person on the street in New York, and certainly not Philly.
Sounds like you were not the biggest fan of living in Chicago, which is fine, but maybe it is making you overly nit-pick the city.
But I think that some of this problem has less to do with public transportation than food deserts and bad nutrition in poor neighborhoods.
As for public transportation, only about 1/3 of workers in Chicago commute to work by public transit. We have fewer rides on the el per day on DC's smaller system. Our major shopping corridor on Elston is mostly big box stores and there is no bus route down Elston.
Can't say we see eye-to-eye on this one. In the areas of Chicago that are more densely populated and have good public transit people are out walking to run errands, go out to eat, and so on. The hassle of parking in these areas and the density of amenities pretty much dictate so.
Also I don't find the locals here to be any more over weight than your average person on the street in New York, and certainly not Philly.
Sounds like you were not the biggest fan of living in Chicago, which is fine, but maybe it is making you overly nit-pick the city.
Actually, my statements about Chicago are un-bias. These are things that I've seen after living there for years. The people of Chicago are indeed fatter than Ny'ers or Philadelphian's! I've lived in all 3 cities. One of the first things I noticed, was the weight difference between the cities. Especially amoung the black population. The black women in Chicago are much fatter than the ones in Philly or NYC. They were just talking about this in a bar I drank in a few weeks ago in NYC. They were talking about how fat the people of Chicago are. Now listen, these people just got back from a trip there. So don't act like they were going off a "myth" or "sterotype".
You talk about the hassle of parking? In Chicago, grocery stores provide parking. As well as a lot of other bussiness. sure there are areas of the city that it's harder to find parking. But I've witnessed the things I'm talking about here. I'm not making statements out of spite if that's what you think.
A lot of people who go car-less in Chicago, do so cause they can't afford one. Sure some do it out of choice, but most the ones I met, was cause of low income. In NYC, you have people making 7 firgures that go car-less, that would not be very common in Chicago. There is a BIG difference between the two cities and their car cultures.
Did you know that both Robert Deniro and Al Pachino, didn't know how to drive a car when they were filming the movie "The Godfather"? It's true. This is an example of how different the city residents are between the two cities and driving.
But I think that some of this problem has less to do with public transportation than food deserts and bad nutrition in poor neighborhoods.
As for public transportation, only about 1/3 of workers in Chicago commute to work by public transit. We have fewer rides on the el per day on DC's smaller system. Our major shopping corridor on Elston is mostly big box stores and there is no bus route down Elston.
You can throw stats and surveys at me all day and night. When I witness things 'first hand', that's what I go by. Looking at stats or surveys, reminds me of the old saying, "Don't believe nothing you hear, and only half of what you see".
Actually, my statements about Chicago are un-bias. These are things that I've seen after living there for years. The people of Chicago are indeed fatter than Ny'ers or Philadelphian's! I've lived in all 3 cities. One of the first things I noticed, was the weight difference between the cities. Especially amoung the black population. The black women in Chicago are much fatter than the ones in Philly or NYC. They were just talking about this in a bar I drank in a few weeks ago in NYC. They were talking about how fat the people of Chicago are. Now listen, these people just got back from a trip there. So don't act like they were going off a "myth" or "sterotype".
You talk about the hassle of parking? In Chicago, grocery stores provide parking. As well as a lot of other bussiness. sure there are areas of the city that it's harder to find parking. But I've witnessed the things I'm talking about here. I'm not making statements out of spite if that's what you think.
A lot of people who go car-less in Chicago, do so cause they can't afford one. Sure some do it out of choice, but most the ones I met, was cause of low income. In NYC, you have people making 7 firgures that go car-less, that would not be very common in Chicago. There is a BIG difference between the two cities and their car cultures.
Did you know that both Robert Deniro and Al Pachino, didn't know how to drive a car when they were filming the movie "The Godfather"? It's true. This is an example of how different the city residents are between the two cities and driving.
Well I think you make some valid points, but the areas I have lived in are certainly dominated by pedestrians and have ample taxi cabs driving about. Although you are correct about grocery stores providing parking in Chicago.
As far as people going carless in Chicago is concerned, my experiences differ from yours. I know many professional types with very good incomes who choose not to own a car in Chicago.
I'm not trying to say that NYC and Chicago function on the same level, because they don't. NYC is much larger and more dynamic and it is really nonsense breaking them down for comparison.
You can throw stats and surveys at me all day and night. When I witness things 'first hand', that's what I go by. Looking at stats or surveys, reminds me of the old saying, "Don't believe nothing you hear, and only half of what you see".
I wouldn't telegraph that line of reasoning on this forum. Granted, Men's Fitness may not be the Library of Congress for fat people stats, but I'd certainly take their research over your ad hoc experiences.
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Stick around kid, I'll show you a thing or two before we're done with this thread......
