Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Have fun in Chicago! Truthfully, I want to check out the area around the University of Chicago and Northwestern to see if I like it. One of my friends from HS is going to UofC right now, and she has told me awful things about it. But, I'm still willing to check it out myself since we have two different personalities.
The nice thing about this forum is that you get extremely strong opinions of different cities. It makes for more informative conversations after sifting through all the BS. However, I will agree that Chicago and LA are two totally different cities. Hell, LA is extremely different than SF and they are only 380 miles away from each other. Still doesn't stop people from comparing them.
LA is still a city that is transforming. Remember, a huge chunk of LA's land area (which includes the San Fernando Valley) would be considered suburban in most cities (albeit extremely dense suburbs). It's starting to transform into a more cohesive urban city. We'll see how it will turn out.
In the end, LA is still my home and I will always have a soft spot for it no matter where I live. But that won't prevent me liking another place for its own merits. Chicago has some too, otherwise it wouldn't have 3 million people or 10 million in its metro.
I'm actually pretty critical of LA than most LA homers would like (especially my thoughts on the Entertainment Industry being the bane of LA's existence since it only gives the illusion of wealth without creating enough of it). LA has problems, but what place doesn't? If a place had no problems, then everyone would automatically live there.
Provincial is the right word for what I'm talking about. I know plenty of people who've only been as far as "Disneyland" as far as going "outside of LA". To many people around here, Downtown LA is considered a "long trip" (its only 15-20 miles from here). That's pretty provincial. However, I'm sure its no different in any other city that has long-time natives living in it. You can probably find it in a small town as well.
well there is a lot more to chicago than that... uchicago hyde park is surrounded by bad areas and hyde park is okay but not even close to more happening neighborhoods as far as things to do, i personally never go down that way unless it is to go to the museum of science and industry or a rare night out, its too isolated, northwestern isn't even in chicago it is in evanston so... there is a lot lot more to explore.
Crude but he does make a point: who from California vacations in Chicago? If a Californian wants to take an urban plunge & can afford it they pick New York & maybe WashingtonDC for historical stuff.
Last edited by atlantagreg30127; 05-06-2010 at 09:18 AM..
well there is a lot more to chicago than that... uchicago hyde park is surrounded by bad areas and hyde park is okay but not even close to more happening neighborhoods as far as things to do, i personally never go down that way unless it is to go to the museum of science and industry or a rare night out, its too isolated, northwestern isn't even in chicago it is in evanston so... there is a lot lot more to explore.
Oh I know there is more to Chicago. I'm actually kind of excited to try Italian Beef (it sounds so tasty the way my uncle describes it ) and Chicago Deep Dish. He lives on the North Side of Chicago, I think either in Lakeview or Lincoln Park. It sounds like a quiet area, from the way he describes it. However, he commutes to the Loop everyday, so I'm guessing its easy access from where he lives. I'm pretty excited to see the place!
Evanston, from what I've been told, sounds like its a pretty sterile place. However, its nice that the Chicago area has 2 extremely good universities within 20 miles of each other (like LA with UCLA/USC, NY with Columbia/NYU). I want to knock it out on that trip, since I'm applying to Law School soon!
I'm sure I'd love the city, but I'm not too sure if I can live there for the long term because of the weather. Not really a snow/cold person (my experience in NYC absolutely killed that desire to see it ever again). But if I had to, I could get used to it.
Crude but he does make a point: who from California vacations in Chicago? If a Californian wants to take an urban plunge & can afford it they pick New York & maybe WashingtonDC for historical stuff.
no one is checkin for chicago
"But why is that mas23"
Simply cuz its not in the media. Most cities that arent in the media are kinda just left in the dust not mention chicago doesnt relly have anything "Special" like a monument or something. But whatever...I think people should give it a chance instead of just saying some stuff like " Ew fly over country". This applies to many other cities that get ignored
Last edited by mas23; 05-05-2010 at 10:23 PM..
Reason: grammar
Evanston, from what I've been told, sounds like its a pretty sterile place. However, its nice that the Chicago area has 2 extremely good universities within 20 miles of each other (like LA with UCLA/USC, NY with Columbia/NYU). I want to knock it out on that trip, since I'm applying to Law School soon!
If it makes any difference, Northwestern's law school is at their Chicago campus (which is just north of downtown), not their Evanston campus.
A lot of Californians, especially those from the LA area come to Chicago & New York to experience a real city life, which is something they are not quite familiar with.
Quote:
Originally Posted by californio sur
Crude but he does make a point: who from California vacations in Chicago? If a Californian wants to take an urban plunge & can afford it they pick New York & maybe WashingtonDC for historical stuff.
Crude but he does make a point: who from California vacations in Chicago? If a Californian wants to take an urban plunge & can afford it they pick New York & maybe WashingtonDC for historical stuff.
well I am moving back, so is my gf a native californian..., sorry but Chicago is better than ANY city in California, it is like night and day. The same way the natural stuff in California is over most of the midwest... You are right people usually do go to nyc and dc too though, or miami vegas...etc But hey I would live in New York too, no problem. California is definitely great for the outdoors, its somewhat become my 2nd home, but it gets trumped by several for "city life" across the u.s.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lifeshadower
Oh I know there is more to Chicago. I'm actually kind of excited to try Italian Beef (it sounds so tasty the way my uncle describes it ) and Chicago Deep Dish. He lives on the North Side of Chicago, I think either in Lakeview or Lincoln Park. It sounds like a quiet area, from the way he describes it. However, he commutes to the Loop everyday, so I'm guessing its easy access from where he lives. I'm pretty excited to see the place!
Evanston, from what I've been told, sounds like its a pretty sterile place. However, its nice that the Chicago area has 2 extremely good universities within 20 miles of each other (like LA with UCLA/USC, NY with Columbia/NYU). I want to knock it out on that trip, since I'm applying to Law School soon!
I'm sure I'd love the city, but I'm not too sure if I can live there for the long term because of the weather. Not really a snow/cold person (my experience in NYC absolutely killed that desire to see it ever again). But if I had to, I could get used to it.
hrrm... I wouldn't really call those hoods "quiet areas" he is probably just used to it. It is certainly quiet compared to the Loop though... Probably just perspective. Same thing with the "commute" that isn't much of a commute, he could walk or bike if he wanted.
for NW and UC can't go wrong with either, both t14 law... if you are applying to those though, you probably won't be interested in the other tier 1's in chicago, depaul, loyola, kent... they are only regional schools, but Kent is top 10 IP Law.
notre dame is top 20 though, and close.
also don't look over Michigan... they place most of their grads in either NY/Chicago markets.
A lot of Californians, especially those from the LA area come to Chicago & New York to experience a real city life, which is something they are not quite familiar with.
Right! Not to be blunt but nobody considers Chicago as a vacation destination if they live in California. Maybe people from Wisconsin or Minnesota\ Iowa, etc go to Chicago to experience "real city life" as you point out. But to be honest, I have never heard of people from Los Angeles traveling 2000 miles for an urban experience. NYC, yes, Chicago, no. Even the travel section of the LA Times always has get-away offers\ airlines\ hotels advertisements for New York, Miami, Honolulu, Vegas, etc. Chicago is not a big destination.
LA, on the other hand, is a tourist city for all the obvious reasons that Chicago isn't.
I agree. If you want to experience real city life, you go to NYC. You don't go to the second best, and that's assume Chicago is the second best which is not necessarily true. Chicago has the second largest CBD and skyline and there is no debate for that, but the second best real city life? Not so sure. Chicago isn't the second largest city or the second densest city so to say it has the second best city life is really a stretch. Some agree it has that and some don't.
Quote:
Originally Posted by californio sur
Right! Not to be blunt but nobody considers Chicago as a vacation destination if they live in California. Maybe people from Wisconsin or Minnesota\ Iowa, etc go to Chicago to experience "real city life" as you point out. But to be honest, I have never heard of people from Los Angeles traveling 2000 miles for an urban experience. NYC, yes, Chicago, no. Even the travel section of the LA Times always has get-away offers\ airlines\ hotels advertisements for New York, Miami, Honolulu, Vegas, etc. Chicago is not a big destination.
LA, on the other hand, is a tourist city for all the obvious reasons that Chicago isn't.
Chicago may not have nearly the name recognition as a tourist hotspot, but it still has great qualities to it for those who live there. Having big city amenities for a lower cost than that found in the big cities of the Northeastern corridor or California probably goes a long way in making it so attractive.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
If a Californian wants to take an urban plunge & can afford it they pick New York & maybe WashingtonDC for historical stuff.
) and Chicago Deep Dish. He lives on the North Side of Chicago, I think either in Lakeview or Lincoln Park. It sounds like a quiet area, from the way he describes it. However, he commutes to the Loop everyday, so I'm guessing its easy access from where he lives. I'm pretty excited to see the place! 
Not to be blunt but nobody considers Chicago as a vacation destination if they live in California. Maybe people from Wisconsin or Minnesota\ Iowa, etc go to Chicago to experience "real city life" as you point out. But to be honest, I have never heard of people from Los Angeles traveling 2000 miles for an urban experience. NYC, yes, Chicago, no. Even the travel section of the LA Times always has get-away offers\ airlines\ hotels advertisements for New York, Miami, Honolulu, Vegas, etc. Chicago is not a big destination.