How are Chicagoland and downstate IL connected? (Rockford, Peoria: insurance, loan)

[ChiNaan]

Originally Posted by sunnyandcloudydays

Seems the reason SW Michigan is tied to Chicago is becaue people who can afford a summer lake home go there.

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That would be one of many reasons. It's also on the same Great Lake, is only an hour and a half away, and is much closer than that as the crow flies. (You can see the Sears Tower from some of the SW Michigan beaches on a clear day. You can't say that about Peoria.) Also, they share a common similar history of immigration patterns related to manufacturing with the Great Lakes area that are different than those related to agriculture that you see more of in the rest of the Midwest.

Here's an interesting map a sociologist did in the early 70's showing one way that state lines could be drawn more along sociocultural lines than their current arbitrary boundaries. Some of these would be different now than 40 years ago, but most still hold true. The area labeled as "Dearborn" illustrates what I'm talking about.

http://wwwc.mentalfloss.com/wp-conte..._38-States.jpg

[edsg25]

Originally Posted by Maintainschaos

One thing I don't quite understand: Chicago not "feeling" like Illinois...Chicago *is* Illinois. Chicago is the economic and cultural center of the state. It has a vast metropolis, it has sprawling suburbs, it has little exurbs surrounded by farming communities and cornfields. It feels just as much a part of Illinois as Mke does Wisconsin or the Twin Cities do Minnesota. And Chicago definitely represents the urban/rural divide that many states of the Midwest suffer too greatly from.

i think Chicago is exactly like you describe. i think it overwhelms the rest of illinois. chicago has an image of its own; the image is not illinois.

the reason i think that both Milw and the twin Cities feel more like their states is because they are smaller cities, less global in nature, and more part of the surrounding landscape. Chicago, on the other hand, is more a place apart.

[edsg25]

Originally Posted by Chicago76

Outside of maybe Starved Rock, how easy is it to get to other state draws: towns along Mississippi, national forests near the Ohio River, etc?

galena

[sunnyandcloudydays]

Originally Posted by ChiNaan

That would be one of many reasons. It's also on the same Great Lake, is only an hour and a half away, and is much closer than that as the crow flies. (You can see the Sears Tower from some of the SW Michigan beaches on a clear day. You can't say that about Peoria.) Also, they share a common similar history of immigration patterns related to manufacturing with the Great Lakes area that are different than those related to agriculture that you see more of in the rest of the Midwest.

Here's an interesting map a sociologist did in the early 70's showing one way that state lines could be drawn more along sociocultural lines than their current arbitrary boundaries. Some of these would be different now than 40 years ago, but most still hold true. The area labeled as "Dearborn" illustrates what I'm talking about.

http://wwwc.mentalfloss.com/wp-conte..._38-States.jpg

Interesting map

Some can state they are just political boundaries, and I can also see where it would be an advantage.

After all in 50 years the Megapolis from Chicago to Milwaukee will be connected along with points East to Michigan City.

Looking at the Map the state of Dearborn would encompass a fairly large portion of the Great Lakes Megapolis.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Th...egaregions.png

[linicx]

Originally Posted by mayhem_223

Downstate Illinois or anything outside is not well promoted in TV or billboards, but are in brochures in oasis service centers on tollways.

I just looked at the brochure. It proved two things. [1] The content is out of date. [2] Whoever writes it has never looked at a Illinois map. The Illinois tourism group absolutely does not know how to promote anything except the Chicago area and Lincoln (Springfield). They should quite trying to con smart shoppers. Why would they pair half of QC with a city 90 miles in the wrong direction? This is as dumb as asking someone who lives in Chicago to drive to Rockford for a pizza because both are near I-80.

There is absolutely nothing in Illinois that is even near Chicago except nearby counties like Will and Kankakee, Lake, DuPage. etc.. St. Louis is just as close or closer to downstate. The Gateway City to the Southwest has 1/10th the traffic, a lower retail tax, cheaper gas, wine and cigarettes, and a lower COL than Chicago.

[linicx]

Originally Posted by Chicago76

I'm not trashing the non-Chicago portion of IL here. It's not that it's a bad area. It's just that it really isn't all that different. What makes Peoria different from Ft Wayne, In or Grand Rapids, MI for example?

According to the State Treasurer that is true a large portion of state income is from Cook County. It is also true a large portion of state funds are returned to Cook County in State funding to schools.

If you insist on comparing Peoria to X then find a City of 125,000 that is on a large body of water. Then we might have something to talk about.

[linicx]

Originally Posted by sunnyandcloudydays

Wanted to bring up a point that I think is helpful.

Whether anyone likes Dick Durbin or not I believe he helps Illinois.

A: So does LaHood and his son. They are both in DC.

He is from Downstate I believe around the St. Louis area and I think it's good to have a
higher ranking official in the nations capital representing Illinois/
Seems he has a good grasp at the different make-up and flavors across the state and its differences.

A: Durbin was born in E. St. Louis. He received his JD, and BSFS degrees from Georgetown U.

In addition I believe Illinois does a poor job promoting what the state has to offer outside of the Chicago area.

A: Agreed.

I realize Chicago is probably the money maker due to it's size but there are other areas that showcase this state.

IMO Peoria is probably about as close to what Illinois is like once you take the Metropolitan area out of the picture.

Mixture of Industry both large and small , family oriented but has a flavor of a mid size city.
Farming.

A: Removing MSA does not change the face of Peoria for two reasons. [1] There are no suburbs. [2] The largest town is 20 miles from Peoria. All you remove is numbers.

It is almost as if the Chicago area really is a different state all together.

A: An Alpha City has little in common with Beta Cities.

However I keep an open mind and enjoy Illinois for what it has to offer.

A: It's wonderful to know; you're a rare cat.

Other areas in the country are probably similar
NYC and Upstate NY
LA and then the areas to the East in the deserts.

A: NYC and LA are Alpha cities that also have a companion Alpha City within one day drive. Chicago does not.

[ChiNaan]

Originally Posted by sunnyandcloudydays

After all in 50 years the Megapolis from Chicago to Milwaukee will be connected along with points East to Michigan City.

Well, Michigan City is already part of Chicago's combined statistical area. Milwaukee is significantly further out (90 miles vs. 60 miles), and of course centers its own CSA, but it bumps up right next to Chicago's. It's hard to discern by eye where Chicago's burbs stop and Milwaukee's start. So if Milwaukee to Michigan City is the definition, I'd say that megapolis already exists.

The image in the link you posted is far more ambitious, though. It shows nearly all of Indiana and Ohio being filled in, for example, along with everything between Chicago and St. Louis. I don't see that happening within 50 years, especially with the price of both farmland and petroleum going up.

[ChiNaan]

Originally Posted by linicx

A: NYC and LA are Alpha cities that also have a companion Alpha City within one day drive. Chicago does not.

I guess that depends on how long you can drive in a day. Chicago to Toronto is 8 or 9 hours. That's definitely a day's drive. Chicago to New York, Philly, or DC is 12-14 hours. That's a long day's drive, but doable for many people.

[linicx]

Toronto is not in the USA.

SF is in California, and DC is within a days drive of NYC. Therefore California is the only state with two Alpha Cities.