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Chicago has no rivals. It is in second behind New York City.
Economics: Chicago has 11 Fortune 500 companies (Boeing Company, Abbot Industries, Global Hyatt Corporation, Tribune Company, the Sara Lee Companies, etc.). There are another 21 Fortune 500 companies located in the suburbs (McDonalds, Motorola, Walgreens, etc.) for a total of 32 in the Chicago metro area. Here is a list of all of the major companies in Chicago: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_major_companies_in_the_Chicago_metropolita n_area. Chicago has the 2nd largest labor pool in America (Chicago is third in total population); the 2nd largest financial center (behind New York), the 2nd largest center business district (behind New York), the 2nd largest public transportation system (behind New York), 3rd in the U.S. in conventions hosted (behind Las Vegas & Orlando).
Arts & Entertainment: Chicago from an arts point of view was the birthplace of house music, influential in hip hop, and legendary for its blues, jazz, gospel, and soul. Chicago is also the birthplace of modern improv. Chicago was the center for industrial, punk, and new wave.
Diversity: 3rd largest Italian community in America (behind Philadelphia & New York); 2nd largest African community in America (behind New York); the largest Swedish community in America; the largest Polish community outside of Warsaw, Poland; the largest Bulgarian community in America; the largest Assyrian community in America and the 2nd largest in the world (behind Iraq); the largest concentration of Gorals (Carpathian highlanders) outside of Europe; the 3rd largest Greek community in the world; the 2nd largest Lithuianian community in the world; the 2nd largest Serbian community in the world; the 3rd largest South Asian community in America (behind New York & San Francisco); the 2nd largest Puerto Rican community in America (behind New York); one of the largest Irish community in America; the 2nd largest Mexican community in America (behing LA, but look at the difference in distant to Mexico between the two cities); and a center for Palestinian and Jordanian immigration in America.
Higher Education & Research: The University of Chicago, which is associated with 81 Noble prize laureates (3rd in America & 4th in the world) and one of the world’s top research universities. Northwestern University, which has campus in Evanston & Chicago, is the 14th best university in America (tied with Brown & John Hopkins University according to U.S. News & World Report). Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism ranks in the top three in journalism, media, and advertising schools. Business week ranks Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management as the best business school for executive MBA’s and the 3rd best for full time MBA programs. Chicago has the largest Catholic University in America (DePaul), the largest Jesuit Catholic University in America (Loyola), and the largest concentration of seminaries and theological schools outside the Vatican City. Chicago is home to the largest medical school in America (University of Illinois Medical School at UIC). The Illinois Institute of Technology is well known for their architecture and engineering programs.
Chicago is the headquarters for the American Medical Association, American Osteopathic Association, American Dental Association, Academy of General Denistry, American College of Surgeons, American Society for Clinical Pathology, American College of Healthcare Executives, and the American Hospital Association.
Miscellaneous: Chicago has Italian beef, deep dish pizza, Chicago style hot dogs, and my favorite out of all of these, the Maxwell Street Polish. Chicago host one of five World Marathon Majors (Boston, New York, London, Berlin the others). Chicago is the headquarters for the Evengenical Covenant Church, the Evangilical Lutheran Church in America, and the seat of the head of the Assyrian Church of the East. The Baha’i House of Worship for North America is in a northern suburb of Chicago and is only 1 of 7 Baha’i temples in the world; Chicago has the 3rd largest intermodal port in the world (behind Hong Kong & Singapore); the only city in North America where six Class 1 railroads meet; nine interstate highways run through Chicago.
I can't think of anyone else though. No one in Chicago really has any concern about Indy or Milwaukee or Detroit. Built environment, public transit, economics....they're all in different leagues.
I do not check here often but ..... I have never read such an un-informed post....
"I’m not picking on you or Chicago but you really need to think about your post before you type them. I don’t know where to begin to punch holes in your inaccurate post."
But you are, in fact your assesment is based on opinion not fact..
By far, Boston trumps any city in American when it comes to educational institutions. When I think of top universities – Boston and SF come to mind as top tiered. Then the second tier is maybe NY, Philly, DC, Chicago and ATL in which you said DC and Atlanta are horrid by comparison. Really, have you ever heard of Georgetown, George Washington, Georgia Tech or Emory…..
This opinion of yours is without merit.
Bost. lays claim to Harvard and MIT, MIT is a great engineering institution no doubt but it is not UNIV of Chicago or Northwestern.
Perhaps you are confused by Princeton ( New Jersey) or Yale ( Connecticut) Johns Hopkins has Merit, but you fail to mentin it.
But in Chicago are.
Univ of Chicago, Northwestern Loyola and Depaul. In about 1-2 hours driving distance of the City center are Univ of Wisconsin, NotreDame, and University of Illinois. Three Schools of Medicine and Dentistry within the City.
San Francisco lays claim to Berkely and Stanford.. Possibly University of San Francisco.
Lastly you mention DC and I love Georgetown, but not even close.
Atlanta and Philadelphia do not compare to Chicago as favorably as San Francisco.
To say DC lacks ethnic diversity. Are you serious? Have you ever been to DC? DC is one of the most diverse places in the U.S. Almost every country in the world has an embassy or office in DC. Every nationality is represented. If anything, there is a perception that Chicago is segregated and racially divided.
New York and Chicago have over 100 of their own embassy and consular offices from Argentina to Ukraine... Boston and Philly have Like 50. an Embassy does not denote diversity it denotes economic or political need.
I did not say DC lacks Diversity, I said it is not as Diverse and it is not. That is a fact, a simple fact. DC is supposed to have embassy's it is the Nations capitlal, that is not diversity it is economic and politcal need.
DC's culture is manufactured not organic, as with EVERY other American citiy including all of those mentioned. NY, Boston Chicago or San Fran, Miam or Atlanta, even Denver or Phoenix and SanDiego.
DC does have a significant amount of diversity but it is not the result of immigration. Its diversity is based on shades of Americans migrating from points on the American map not immigration or natural flow from points on the globe.
True diversity in a poulation is driven by international immigration and its compamion ethnicities and religions.
Domestic diversity is not as rich or delicate a fabric. Hence the challenge for cities like Dallas, Phoenix, LA and Denver where the majority of immigration is weighted in one ethnicity and the balance by national migration...
The great eastern Cities of New York, Boston, Philadelphia and yes Chicago coupled with San Francisco, Seattle and probably Miami are by far the most diverse cities in the US.
The ethnic neighborhoods in DC, where the source of the populace is direct world immigration pale in comparisons, to the Chinatown's or Little Italy's of New York, Chicago, or Philadelphia and Boston.
and I have lived in DC...
As for the arts and culture, Chicago does not rival DC or NY with museums. NY has great museums but there is no comparison to the Smithsonian. Chicago also has a few museums but they are not internationally known like The Met or any one of the Smithsonian’s 19 museums in DC. Have you ever heard of the Air & Space Museum, American Indian Museum, National Portrait Gallery, Hirshhorn Museum or Holocaust Museum? I can keep going.
Your assement about museums is a study in ignorance. Because you don't know that they are internationally recognized does not make it so.
The Oriental institute and the Field Museum are perhaps second ONLY to the Museum of Natural History in New York.The Oriental Institute is the preimer museum of Egyptian studies and the Middle East in the US amd second only to the Royal Museum in London.
I mentioned the National Gallery, and recognized the DC museums, but they are more American Centric.. As they Should be
The Art Institute of Chicago is Considered one of the 5 greatest art museums on the planet. The National Gallery has alot of international art but again is weighted in Americanism, not a flaw, just a limit.
The Art Institute compares domestically only with the NY Metropolitan and has been called the "American Louvre" many times.
It's school has been compared to the Sorbonne. It houses the nations largest collection of Impressionist and post impressionist art. And ranks ahead of the National Gallery in every major survey.
It ranks below... The Louvre, the Met, the Hermatige and the Vatican.. get a clue.
The smithsonian is likely Americas finest museum, I have spent many, many days there. However as you say it is not one Museum but many and it is fitfully and purposely driven to American culture, as it should be.
Interestingly, you should read up on the history of the Smithsonian and recognize that its Natural History and and technology exhibits are modeled after the American National in NY and Field in Chicago.
Have you ever heard of the Kennedy Center or Renwick Gallery? National Symphony Orchestra? American Symphony? Washington Symphony Orchestra? Where do you think all of the politicians and big wigs go to mingle? Back to their cornfields in Iowa or out on the town in DC?
By all accounts fine institutions, but the issue is world reknown
The Chicago Symphony is Orchestra is currently rated as one of the top five in the world and under Sir George Sholti was considered the BEST for years.
Regardless of what you post, no one thinks of Chicago when it comes to the history of the U.S. It's Boston, NYC, Philly and DC?
Again, because you do not know Chicago history and likely even poorly versed in American History does not make your opinions so.
DC plays no unique part in American History, other than as a capital city. No significant event has occured there except in 1813.
Boston Phily and NY are Icons, your reference is supersillious. Putting DC in that class before Baltimore, New Orleans or even Buffalo regarding contemporary history shows a limited understanding of American History as well as exposing a patrician view of the cultural and historical significance of DC.
In your contemporary world DC like Los Angeles confuses celebrity with substance. Think Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise ... New York, Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia even San Francisco are Bogart and Becal.
Savanah GA was more significan to the early history of America than DC.
Until 1813 it was a footnote to American History and was burned by the British as retribution for our Military burning the Parliment in Quebec. Baltimore was a more imortant city Historically and Commercially, and was defended at the expense of Washington....
Obviously unknown to you is that Fort Dearborn (Chicago) and Fort Detroit were lost to the british and considered more militarily disastrous than ashington because it closed American accesss to the Great Lakes and the Upper Mississippi valley
Even since the American Civil war, except as the seat of Government, Washington has no weight historically to the US.
Whereas the migration of transportation and industrial might to the West ( at that time) anchored by Chicago, change the entire demographic of the nation
But any Study of contemperary history shows the entire industrial complex of America with its nadir in the mid 19th century through about mid 20th century can find its Apex in Chicago,
Agri business, Railroads, Trucking, Shipping, Steel, Physics, Manhattan Project all driven in Chicago.
The tragedy of Chicago is that it's current and historic significance is lost on a current generation of Americans who assume that the popular current culture has greater weight.
chitownwarrior you don't know what you talking about. I grew up in indianapolis, indiana and am proud of it. You don't know nothing about indy obviously. If you went to the city, you must have only been there for about two seconds and didn't even get a chance to even look at the city because its a beautiful city. Did you go out and actually look at the city? You and your boogie friends need to go back and take a second look. If Indianapolis is overrated then so is Chicago because it aint no better than indy.
Chicago is the best city. The only thing New York has on Chicago is population.
i love Chicago, but so many Chicagans are so...just like this poster "We're the Best!!!!!" sigh
i wonder what kind of backlash im going to get for saying this...
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Chicago has no rivals. It is in second behind New York City.
