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Chicago has been taking more heat on these forums since the rise of Obama and the public ridicule of our former governor. Suddenly it's a lightning rod for conservatives that are bitter about the election.
I think it is more there were a bunch of Chicago homers making stupid claims how great it is in this and that and now people are like whoa whoa wait a minute Chicago, get back in your place. If Chicago people didn't try to boast all the time, this wouldn't happen.
I think it is more there were a bunch of Chicago homers making stupid claims how great it is in this and that and now people are like whoa whoa wait a minute Chicago, get back in your place. If Chicago people didn't try to boast all the time, this wouldn't happen.
Chicago is a great city, and has been boastful for over 100 years. Nothing new there. There are other great cities, but that doesn't take anything away from Chicago (note that I actually voted for New York on this poll, but I still recognize Chicago's place in the world of architecture).
I think the Houston boasters are equally detached from reality, if not more. And the anti-Chicago trolls are just making up ridiculous criticisms without any basis in fact.
Chicago is a great city, and has been boastful for over 100 years. Nothing new there. There are other great cities, but that doesn't take anything away from Chicago (note that I actually voted for New York on this poll, but I still recognize Chicago's place in the world of architecture).
I think the Houston boasters are equally detached from reality, if not more. And the anti-Chicago trolls are just making up ridiculous criticisms without any basis in fact.
On beahlf of anti-Chicago trolls I demand apology. Our claims are not ridiculous as
- Chicago is world-famous for corruption.
- The weather sucks (winters)
- Roads are substandard.
- Celebrities of any kind avoid the city like a plague.
- Chicago cultural contribution to the world is Oprah, Springer and Playboy.
- The city dies after 11PM weekdays.
- Crime is terrible (murders!).
- Chicago is deeply racially segregated and racist (on both sides)
- Traffic is horrible most of the time
- Chicago drivers do not use runt signals when changing lanes on the highway
On beahlf of anti-Chicago trolls I demand apology. Our claims are not ridiculous as
- Chicago is world-famous for corruption.
- The weather sucks (winters)
- Roads are substandard.
- Celebrities of any kind avoid the city like a plague.
- Chicago cultural contribution to the world is Oprah, Springer and Playboy.
- The city dies after 11PM weekdays.
- Crime is terrible (murders!).
- Chicago is deeply racially segregated and racist (on both sides)
- Traffic is horrible most of the time
- Chicago drivers do not use runt signals when changing lanes on the highway
Which of those claims is not true or ridiculous?
Corruption - yeah, pretty much. It's called machine politics. Chicagoans would rather live with corruption that happens to work versus a squeaky clean government that is inept and inefficient. Take it from a former Chicagoan who moved to Seattle for a job.
Winters - it's the Midwest. What do you expect? We don't have an ocean regulating our weather. In fact we have a lake that makes it worse.
Roads - Anyone's who has visited Seattle will find your claim of the roads being substandard a joke.
Celebrities - Who needs em? I'd rather not associate with the likes of Britney Spears ... *shudder*
Cultural contribution - did you forget ... the Blues Brothers? Chicago Blues is a musical staple. Don't forget pizza too ... mmm. NYC pizza sucks, sorry. I don't like 10 lb of grease with every slice.
But just going off your three examples - so you're saying Chicago is the moral conscience, the ringmaster, and a pimp? SWEET!
Dies at 11 PM weekdays - Yeah, because we have to work and are deeply dedicated to it. Could be a bad thing. Maybe if you worked harder you wouldn't know or care when the weekday ended - you'd save it for the weekEND.
Crime is terrible - Actually NYC has improved a lot lately. I'm impressed. But still, Chicago ain't bad if you know where to avoid.
Traffic is horrible - ever been to NYC? Or any major city?
Well, I wouldn't say Chicago is world famous for corruption, just famous in the States. Not much of a defense though. However, there have been a lot of other political machines that were just as famous--it's just that Chicago has held onto its for longer. So, I'd say that's more true than false.
The winters in Chicago suck compared to the sunbelt cities, there's no doubt about that. That's about a good four months of misery for a lot of people (except for the few who claim they love winters). I guess this would be about one-third true?
Celebrities avoiding Chicago is not true. They certainly aren't as drawn to it as they are to LA or NYC, but it still gets some attention here and there. Of course, a lot of celebrities do end up visiting Chicago due to it being a rather high-profile city. So, yea, that they "avoid the city like a plague" is way off base.
Chicago's cultural contribution is big in a lot of ways. Would you say architecture is cultural or economics has a huge affect on culture? If so, then Chicago has had and still has an inordinately large cultural contribution. Chicago blues has been important in the development of modern music, and house music has been a strong influence on popular music (much to my dismay--European pop music for the most part makes me gag). It's also come out with a fair share of rap and r&b artists. As far as music that I like, Steve Albini, John McEntire, Jim O'Rourke and a lot of other artists I really like are part of Chicago's music scene, which to me, has created a lot of amazing music in the last two decades--it's tied to NYC in terms of making music I like. So, I'd say this one is patently false.
- I have no idea if the rest of them are true. I will say that Chicago's crime rate is not among the worst of U.S. cities, but it's certainly not great. Also, "runt" is a pretty weird typo for "turn."
Like I said before, I have big reservation about mental capacity of pro-Chicago posters. Must be the water:
Quote:
Originally Posted by eskercurve
Corruption - yeah, pretty much. It's called machine politics. Chicagoans would rather live with corruption that happens to work versus a squeaky clean government that is inept and inefficient. Take it from a former Chicagoan who moved to Seattle for a job.
Uh-hu. "corrup[tion that happens to work"? And what exactly works in Chicago? Police? Schools? Roads?
Your statement is the dumbest I have seen today.
Quote:
Originally Posted by eskercurve
Winters - it's the Midwest. What do you expect? We don't have an ocean regulating our weather. In fact we have a lake that makes it worse.
I do not expect anything, I am just saying the winters in Chicago suck.
Quote:
Originally Posted by eskercurve
Roads - Anyone's who has visited Seattle will find your claim of the roads being substandard a joke.
I do not care about Seattle. I care abotu Chicago roads as I drive here and pay my taxes here. The roads here are terrible. I do not think Chicago could be even worse.
Quote:
Originally Posted by eskercurve
Celebrities - Who needs em? I'd rather not associate with the likes of Britney Spears ... *shudder*
How about the likes of De Niro? Scorsese? Spike Lee? Would you associate with them? Lack of celebrities in Chicago indicates the quality of the city. Substandard.
Quote:
Originally Posted by eskercurve
Cultural contribution - did you forget ... the Blues Brothers? Chicago Blues is a musical staple. Don't forget pizza too ... mmm. NYC pizza sucks, sorry. I don't like 10 lb of grease with every slice.
Blues and pizza? How is pizza culture? There is more blues clubs in New York Chicago nowadays.
Quote:
Originally Posted by eskercurve
But just going off your three examples - so you're saying Chicago is the moral conscience, the ringmaster, and a pimp? SWEET!
No comment here. Self-explanatory.
Quote:
Originally Posted by eskercurve
Dies at 11 PM weekdays - Yeah, because we have to work and are deeply dedicated to it. Could be a bad thing. Maybe if you worked harder you wouldn't know or care when the weekday ended - you'd save it for the weekEND.
What if I work at night? Not good?
Quote:
Originally Posted by eskercurve
Crime is terrible - Actually NYC has improved a lot lately. I'm impressed. But still, Chicago ain't bad if you know where to avoid.
Lately? You mean like 10 years ago?
Chicago crime is worse than NY and LA. Those are ther stats. Murders in Chicago become a daily thing.
Quote:
Originally Posted by eskercurve
Traffic is horrible - ever been to NYC? Or any major city?
Horrible. In NYC I do not have to worry as I can use subway instead.
Well, I wouldn't say Chicago is world famous for corruption, just famous in the States.
No. CNN made it a global news. You are famous now
Quote:
Originally Posted by OyCrumbler
Celebrities avoiding Chicago is not true. They certainly aren't as drawn to it as they are to LA or NYC, but it still gets some attention here and there. Of course, a lot of celebrities do end up visiting Chicago due to it being a rather high-profile city. So, yea, that they "avoid the city like a plague" is way off base.
I do not think so. You can count celebrities living in Chicago using your 10 fingers. Not much for the third largest city in the US.
Quote:
Originally Posted by OyCrumbler
Chicago's cultural contribution is big in a lot of ways. Would you say architecture is cultural or economics has a huge affect on culture?
No. I would say culture is culture. Architecture and economics is architecture and economics.
Quote:
Originally Posted by OyCrumbler
Chicago blues has been important in the development of modern music, and house music has been a strong influence on popular music (much to my dismay--European pop music for the most part makes me gag). It's also come out with a fair share of rap and r&b artists. As far as music that I like, Steve Albini, John McEntire, Jim O'Rourke and a lot of other artists I really like are part of Chicago's music scene, which to me, has created a lot of amazing music in the last two decades--it's tied to NYC in terms of making music I like. So, I'd say this one is patently false.
You mentioned just a few names, most of them really obscure. Not much of an cultural input.
Quote:
Originally Posted by OyCrumbler
- I have no idea if the rest of them are true. I will say that Chicago's crime rate is not among the worst of U.S. cities, but it's certainly not great. Also, "runt" is a pretty weird typo for "turn."
Worse than both NY and LA. There is a innocent bystander (usually a kid) shot almost every day. CPD can't even catch a cold.
L
How about the likes of De Niro? Scorsese? Spike Lee? Would you associate with them? Lack of celebrities in Chicago indicates the quality of the city. Substandard.
What if I work at night? Not good?
If traffic is so bad, take the Metra.
If you work at night ... ouch. Sorry man. Find a new job? You got me there. Hopefully you get out on the weekends.
Lack of celebrities =/= substandard city. Please elaborate why you think so.
Wait, in fact, don't. CAN WE PLEASE FOCUS ON ARCHITECTURE, THE TOPIC OF THIS THREAD, AND NOT DEGENERATE INTO PETTY SQUABBLES?
If you work at night ... ouch. Sorry man. Find a new job? You got me there. Hopefully you get out on the weekends.
Lack of celebrities =/= substandard city. Please elaborate why you think so.
Wait, in fact, don't. CAN WE PLEASE FOCUS ON ARCHITECTURE, THE TOPIC OF THIS THREAD, AND NOT DEGENERATE INTO PETTY SQUABBLES?
That's OK...
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