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It's Philly and it isn't even close. The people who are saying "the Loop looks/feels like Midtown" aren't familiar with either location, apparently. Is it just because both areas have tall buildings?
Midtown is not a small area and has a lot of areas. I mostly agree although there's a few intersections in Midtown that could pass as a few intersections of The Loop. Otherwise I agree that they don't look a ton similar. It's just a few intersections on the avenues, mainly ones like Park Ave in a few spots.
No neighborhoods in Chicago could be identical stand-ins for NYC - there are a few very small sections. However this describes every city in the US. If you're talking about urban feel, I think Chicago and Philadelphia are the logical choices - maybe SF as well.
At the same time though, I don't think there's any denying that these all have similar urban feel:
Midtown is not a small area and has a lot of areas. I mostly agree although there's a few intersections in Midtown that could pass as a few intersections of The Loop. Otherwise I agree that they don't look a ton similar. It's just a few intersections on the avenues, mainly ones like Park Ave in a few spots.
No neighborhoods in Chicago could be identical stand-ins for NYC - there are a few very small sections. However this describes every city in the US. If you're talking about urban feel, I think Chicago and Philadelphia are the logical choices - maybe SF as well.
The Loop = Financial District
New East Side = Battery Park City
River North = Midtown
Streeterville & Gold Coast = Upper East Side
Lincoln Park = Greenwich Village
Lakeview = Upper West Side
West Loop = Downtown Brooklyn
Fulton Market = Soho/Tribeca
West Town = Park Slope
Wicker Park & Bucktown = Williamsburg
Logan Square = Bushwick
Pilsen = Bushwick
South Loop = Long Island City
Hyde Park = Harlem/Morningside Heights
Bucktown/Wicker Park = Williamsburg
Englewood = South/Central Bronx
Bronzeville = Fort Green/Clinton Hill
The Loop = Financial District
New East Side = Battery Park City
River North = Midtown
Streeterville & Gold Coast = Upper East Side
Lincoln Park = Greenwich Village
Lakeview = Upper West Side
West Loop = Downtown Brooklyn
Fulton Market = Soho/Tribeca
West Town = Park Slope
Wicker Park & Bucktown = Williamsburg
Logan Square = Bushwick
Pilsen = Bushwick
South Loop = Long Island City
Hyde Park = Harlem/Morningside Heights
I was saying identical stand ins. I think the only area of Chicago that could confuse people in some areas is the Loop vs. a few parts of Midtown. Nothing is identical other than that. However, I think Chicago is the best choice in terms of scale of urban feel most like NYC. Obviously there's nothing like NYC and that's not a bad thing - but the question is which is the next best choice. I would pick Chicago with Philadelphia not far behind.
I do think the Loop definitely has Midtown-ish parts to it, for example:
But at the same time there's other parts of Midtown (which is a big area) that aren't necessarily too similar. Utterly depends on where you are in Midtown and the same goes for the Loop. But to say there's no parts of The Loop like no parts of Midtown is also not really true.
I was saying identical stand ins. I think the only area of Chicago that could confuse people in some areas is the Loop vs. a few parts of Midtown. Nothing is identical other than that. However, I think Chicago is the best choice in terms of scale of urban feel most like NYC. Obviously there's nothing like NYC and that's not a bad thing - but the question is which is the next best choice. I would pick Chicago with Philadelphia not far behind.
Chicago subway and buses runs almost 24 hours a day, L run 24 hours a day, two major airports, two major sports baseball teams etc
Chicago subway and buses runs almost 24 hours a day, L run 24 hours a day, two major airports, two major sports baseball teams etc
LOL we are in agreement that Chicago is the best choice for this thread...
By the way, only 2 of the subway lines in Chicago run 24/7 and only a handful of bus lines run 24/7, but yes mostly agree. Just wanted to point that out. I lived in Chicago for 8 years.
Yes, Chicago and Philadelphia are obvious choices. Parts of SF too and maybe a few parts of Boston after that. In terms of scale though, Chicago then Philadelphia.
Outside of the loop-midtown comparisons, I dont see a lot of resemblance between Chicago and NYC. Chicago just has more of an younger, more sterile (though Chicago is not a sterile city) and modern look compared to NYC. There is a lot a less grit. Chicago's urban form of wider streets, detached housing and different architecture styles, are the reasons why you can tell it's a midwestern city and it evokes the midwestern vibe through and through. Therefore, Chicago is not the most similar US city to NYC in urban feel on scale, or pound by pound-block by block basis. Chicago does give you most the similar feeling to being in midtown, but the obvious fact is that NYC, let alone Manhattan, is hell of a lot more than midtown.
I always say that Chicago by the late 1800s and early 20th century. Chose NOT to build NYC density in especially Tenement-style at buildings. It was also a era horrors of sardine-density tenements coming to life in news.
I past ordinances to prevent it. It chose a street-grid and stuck to it. Alleys define its grid. City of Alleys could be a nick. 1900 miles of standard alleys with its power-grid.
Philly chose row-housing and Chicago did not. Especially for common working class areas. High-end areas got some. But never full blocks on both sides.
Manhattanizarion of Chicago core happened naturally. But in the early 20th century it set height limits to prevent over-building. These decades lead to NYC taking over as the major skyscraper city. These limits held the city back them decades.
Later in the 20th century. Chicago's core again took off in 3-supertalls built in a 5- year period. Therefore the sky was the limit. It protected its lakefront. Parks in the core and made its comeback that everything shows and works and zones if high-rises to more are allowed. Also protects its single-close-knit housing from total alterations.
Chicago housing is pretty unique to it as earlier LA's was. But it never wanted to be NYC. IMO
1912-13 was the passing of a exterior window in every room to kill common tenements.
A Women began a fight against tenements without oversight etc. But it did help lead to the 1912 ordinance. That effectively killed NYC tenement mass building.
Yeah a lot of Chicagos Millenium Area looks like Manhattan, a clean Manhattan. But most of Chocyago is sprawly and doesnt fit a Nyc look. Philly has the grit of NYC especially outside the CBD, so i nominate Philly because outside the core its very much like Ny. Bostons core is too posh and quaint to be like NYC, its also designed like a European city. Maybe more like London than NY. SF? SF is erecting glass towers and its marvelously hilly. I dont see the NYC resemblance here at all, maybe inbetween Philly and Boston for street level. But thats it.
But for this list: (i take more than just the core into consideration)
1. Philly (Closest fit. High core and then the grit of the inner ring is apparent. Nice suburbs that are connected by rail too)
2. Chicago (the Core? Yes. Outside the core? Nein)
3. San Fran (the vibe is way different. Glassy, palm trees, etc)
4. Boston (Too quaint and posh. Its like a mid sized euro city. However Chinatown looks a lot like Nyc Now)
5. DC (Could resemble Queens in some places but no)
6. LA (the polar opposite of NYC)
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