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Chicago is a great city, no question about that. But do people realize that its "downtown", The Loop, is not that exciting a place after dark? During the day, yes, it is full of office workers and shoppers and is quite vibrant. But after dark it typically empties pretty quickly and is mostly quiet.
There are certainly a handful of legit theaters and performing spaces, numerous hotels, the opera house, and some restaurants that help drive evening activity in the Loop. But a lot of the clubs, bars, restaurants, dance clubs, and the like that create night time vibrancy are not in downtown, but in other areas of the city's north side like River North, the Rush Street area, Wrigleyville, Old Town, or parts of Lincoln Park.
Last edited by citylove101; 01-21-2017 at 03:59 PM..
it feels more like a college downtown then a large vibrant DT - the nightlife district is small and outside of it is pretty dead
Not really. There's more places to party and be entertained in downtown Austin than just 6th Street. Night after night, Sunday thru Saturday there is almost always something going on in downtown Austin.
6th Street is the first place most people think of when they think of partying in dt Austin. It caters to a college crowd. But, there's also Rainey Street, 4th Street, 2nd Street, West 6th between Lavaca and Lamar, all nice size party and entertainment districts that attract and cater to an older crowd. Those are the areas where the people who work often meet up with one another for a night on the town, rather than 6th Street. In the daytime, downtown Austin is vibrant and busy full of activity.About the only time dt Austin isn't busy is between 3:00 am and 8am.
Just on the outskirts of downtown Austin, there South Congress, South Lamar, 5th and 6th Street East of 35, all have music and entertainment venues and those sections are from dead.
Last edited by Ivory Lee Spurlock; 01-21-2017 at 04:41 PM..
This thread was started back in Nov 2014, things could be different now for some of these cities. And where would Toronto fit in as a big North American city.
This thread was started back in Nov 2014, things could be different now for some of these cities. And where would Toronto fit in as a big North American city.
I never been to Toronto but I've seen pictures and I think it looks like Houston more than any other US city. They both look like they well represent the future of their country. They both look brand spanking new and modern and clean and thriving and prosperous and continuously growing. It's a whole different kind of energy going on in Houston and Toronto than in Chicago. But that's just my opinion. Like I said, I never been to Toronto, it's just the vibe I pick from pictures I've seen.
For starters, DT Houston's resident population is a tiny fraction of DT Toronto's. Same with retail, hotels, and basically everthing other than offices and stadiums, which are more comparable.
Outside of the downtowns the main comparison would be that both have highrises scattered around. But Toronto has many times the number. Houston sprawls way more, is way more car-oriented, and has very little of the urban retail strips that Toronto has.
Chicago is a great city, no question about that. But do people realize that its "downtown", The Loop, is not that exciting a place after dark? During the day, yes, it is full of office workers and shoppers and is quite vibrant. But after dark it typically empties pretty quickly and is mostly quiet.
There are certainly a handful of legit theaters and performing spaces, numerous hotels, the opera house, and some restaurants that help drive evening activity in the Loop. But a lot of the clubs, bars, restaurants, dance clubs, and the like that create night time vibrancy are not in downtown, but in other areas of the city's north side like River North, the Rush Street area, Wrigleyville, Old Town, or parts of Lincoln Park.
Though it is true that a lot of the clubs, bars, restaurants, dance clubs, and the like that create night time vibrancy are not in Chicago's downtown. But a lot is in especially River North which is PART of Chicago's core with the Loop.
But still seems the "Loop" as the City of Chicago's Downtown is NOT just the Loop alone already for decades. North of the Loop and Chicago river is STILL technically All part of Chicago's Central Business District.
This web-sight has a map of " Chicago's Central Business District"as OFFICIALLY all Chicago's Downtown. There is no. Mid-town and a uptown is merely a neighborhood miles to the north. This is the City's official map "Central Business Center" ;
The Loop still has the main financial core, Commodities and stock exchanges and Live Play's Theaters, Opera, Symphany and outdoor multi-purpose facilities in Millennnium and Grant Parks. But River North is full of Eateties, Hotels and Night-Life. You have Original State Street shopping in the Loop. But N. Michigan Ave is the main shopping street with the high-end retailers, malls and. Boutique shops on side streets. Even Rush St. Restarants are STILL Downtown Chicago.👌 Streeterville, the New East Side and West Loop to the Expressway is still downtown.
Basically I believe it is time to enlarge it even more? But it is the Kennedy Expressway on the west a portion of the Gold. Coast to the north where North St Beach ends at Division St. and blocks south of the Loop L that defines the Loop to Roosevelt Rd.
I'd extend it north to Lincoln Park the Gold Coast and west to the United Center and South of the Loop especially south of Grant Park where Skyscraper living and high- rises have been built east of Michigan Avenue and you've got to include the Museum Campus with Soldier Field along the Lake too.
Chicago for ALL you would expect a American Downtown to be. With vibrancy, cleanliness, mixing great old and new to great street shopping, Parks, Amusement Pier with Harbors and beaches downtown and some top museums of the Nation in walking distance and Extremely Photogenic with a 200,000 live-in the core population.[/quote]
In some ways it has. I wouldn't call it a top 10 Downtown by any means, but more restaurants and hotels have opened up over the past couple of years. Main Street is fairly vibrant after 5 PM, but it dies off around 10 when most people head to Uptown or Deep Ellum for nightlife. So while Downtown isn't much of a nightlife destination, it's becoming a better place for happy hour and dinner. Main St. even landed a new retailer - Forty-Five Ten What is Forty Five Ten and what does it mean for downtown Dallas? | Retail | Dallas News
The main problem with Downtown Dallas is that the walkable nodes of activity are spread apart. You have the Arts District/Klyde Warren Park on the northern end, Main St in the middle, the West End on the west side, and the Farmer's Market in the southeast corner. There's enough reason to visit these areas after work and on weekends, but walking between these areas isn't too desirable. Too many dead zones in between.
Were you in Dallas for Klyde Warren Park?
Negative. We left in 2011.
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