Illinois does not = Chicago!! (Rockford, Naperville: travel, retire, suburbs)

[Kali's Grandma]

I was born and raised in Central Illinois. Even tho I've been gone many years now it still bugs me when I tell people I'm from Illinois and they immediately ask me about Chicago and what it's like to live there.

The closest I ever came to living NEAR Chicago was a year in Naperville, and less than a year in Rockford.

I've only BEEN to Chicago for a band tour in high school, and in and out of the airports.

I have nothing against Chicago, I just don't care much for big cities.

So when asking general questions about Illinios please remember there is so much more to Illinois than that Northeast corner.


GO BEARS and CUBBIES!!

[Steve-o]

I get this alot too, but I lived in the suburbs my whole life. There is lots to do besides Chicago, but unfortunately Chicago is the most popular attraction in the state, and for good reasons. Some of my other favorite areas of the state are Galena, Jo Daviess County in general, Peoria, Starved Rock State Park, Matthiesson SP, Garden of the Gods SP, Shawnee National Forest area, Volo Bog, Nachusa Grasslands, Apple River Canyon SP, Castle Rock SP, Mississippi Palisades SP.

[Chris_]

its also the 3rd largest city in the country, and with good reason TRUMPS the rest of IL. 42% of your states entire population lives in Chicago.

[j33]

Any state with a large city has that delima.

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by Chris_

its also the 3rd largest city in the country, and with good reason TRUMPS the rest of IL. 42% of your states entire population lives in Chicago.

Yes, but its still a shame that the state is known for nothing else, really. There are lots of great places in this state that are outside Chicago.

[Drover]

Originally Posted by Chris_

its also the 3rd largest city in the country, and with good reason TRUMPS the rest of IL. 42% of your states entire population lives in Chicago.

It's 25% actually, but 75% of the state's population lives in either the city or the metro area. So it stands to reason that if you do live in Illinois you are likely to be familiar with Chicago.

[cdrobert]

Its like that every where, if you live in california people assume you are from LA if you are from new york well they think you are from new york and if you are from arizona or florida people think you are a retiree a hick or an immigrant.

[llama214]

No, but Illinois wouldn't be Illinois without Chicago. That's the truth. I think there is a general thought from downstaters that Illinois isn't about Chicago, and that Chicagoens(sp?) think that Illinois is nothing but their city. I(being from downstate) think that it is rather remarkable that we are able to be the leader in growing/producing, gathering, marketing, and selling the worlds food, AND still have a city that people in other countries would know and understand as having great econimic success. I think few other states can say that. New York has perfected it, but others like Colorado don't seem to get it. While I love Colorado, it seems like the only money that is put into the state is put into Denver and Colorado Springs. Yes they make up the majority, but there are other places in the state. While I know there are some places in Illinois that are lagging, it seems that the areas south of I-80 are still given a good amount of attention. Maybe it helps that the capital isn't Chicago(although somtimes it seems like it is...lol) Maybe that is why New York, California, and Illinois are successful. But I'm glad that I live here where that is the case, and not in a Georgia, where I'm sure it's not.

[mrtrain]

Originally Posted by Steve-o

Some of my other favorite areas of the state are Galena, Jo Daviess County in general, Peoria, Starved Rock State Park, Matthiesson SP, Garden of the Gods SP, Shawnee National Forest area, Volo Bog, Nachusa Grasslands, Apple River Canyon SP, Castle Rock SP, Mississippi Palisades SP.

We all the way out west are sometimes glad Chicago hasn't found our place yet. Mississippi Palisades almost my back yard

[j33]

Originally Posted by captnemo62

The closest I ever came to living NEAR Chicago was a year in Naperville, and less than a year in Rockford.

I've only BEEN to Chicago for a band tour in high school, and in and out of the airports.

Haha! So true. I'm just the opposite. I've lived almost my whole life (30+ years) in Cook County (city and southern burbs), and guess what, I've never been to Naperville, I know it is out there, I hear about it, but only have a fuzzy idea where it is, and have only been to a handful of areas in the rest of the state, and have sadly never been south of Springfield (which I've only visited once, when I was 13 years old). I always mean to explore the rest of Illinois, but it just is something I haven't gotten around too yet. Part of my problem is that I don't own a car and because of that I don't get out of the city much, so, usually when I do travel it is somewhere further away by plane.

I find it interesting (and I suppose New York State is the same way) the huge divide in the state and while sometimes it is politically and culturally frustrating (what I wouldn't give for some money to fix our crumbling subway, that the downstaters never seem to understand the importance of, of course I'm sure you have your projects you feel the same way about and harbor the same frustrations with Chicagoans for not caring or understanding), it does make for a fascinating cultural dynamic as long as people don't get too mean spirited about it.