Why does most of downstate Illinois not care for Chicago? (Naperville: college, incomes)

[TRoweP]

Chicago is preferred when you want to spend the day in the city and enjoy some good food. St Louis is preferred when you want to go shopping because you can buy three times (or even more) as much clothes/stuff as you buy from Chicago for the same money. Not to mention the zoo and most of museums and parking is free. And chicagoans considers us hillbillies and dumb as coconut.

[cubssoxfan]

^^The truth hurts, doesn't it?

Next to the Yankees, the Cardinals are probably the most consistent winners. And usually they do it via a solid farm system, shrewd trades and judicious free agent signings.

And your comment of "kill yourself"? Exactly why downstater's hate Chicagoan's and Wisconsinite's call us FIBer's.
Melodramatic much? Or is it an anger management issue?

[linicx]

I disagree. An upscale brand dress is going to cost the same in St. Louis except the tax will be lower. Gasoline is considerably cheaper, too. But when one considers the drive to St.Louis to take advantage of such savings there isn't any. It's a 600 mile drive round trip. I go to St. Louis to Trader Joe's because it is a necessity with an easy in/easy out access with far less traffic, and I can gas up, too. I don't have to worry about an expensive parking ticket from the City of Chicago because I want to shop for two hours. Once was enough.

The biggest draw is sports. Chicago is the pro-sports center of the Midwest with 5 pro teams. It also has many tourist venues not found in St. Louis. The big draw to St. Louis is the Cardinals. I am Cubbie at heart, but most of my family roots for the Red Birds. We all like the Fightin' Illini.

As a whole downstate food is as good as Chicago, albeit different than Chicago food as Chicago has a much larger and more diverse culture, not mention 20x the restaurants. Downstate does have upscale cuisine too, and upscale hotels, upscale entertainment, blah, blah, ad nauseum.

It has much todo with perceptions and personal experiences. Comparing a gnat to an elephant is a rather futile exercise. .

Originally Posted by TRoweP

Chicago is preferred when you want to spend the day in the city and enjoy some good food. St Louis is preferred when you want to go shopping because you can buy three times (or even more) as much clothes/stuff as you buy from Chicago for the same money. Not to mention the zoo and most of museums and parking is free. And chicagoans considers us hillbillies and dumb as coconut.

[Tex?Il?]

Originally Posted by mmcgirk3

I am still fairly new to Illinois and live about 40 minutes north from Chicago. So far I notice that Chicagoans act like they are their own state. Why is that? Are they ashamed of their midwest roots? Are they just delusional p*****?

This is very interesting. From my experiences, people 40 minutes north of Chicago . . . still say they are from Chicago. Are you suggesting people around where you live think they are from Chicago?? The reason I ask, is because I grew up about 40 minutes from downtown Chicago.

[cubssoxfan]

40 minutes north puts one in the North Shore. Hmm, must have run into the come uppence of a "new money" person instead of the more polite, genteel "old money" person

[NARFALICIOUS]

Originally Posted by Tex?Il?

This is very interesting. From my experiences, people 40 minutes north of Chicago . . . still say they are from Chicago. Are you suggesting people around where you live think they are from Chicago?? The reason I ask, is because I grew up about 40 minutes from downtown Chicago.

Coming from a Chicagoan, I have to give our general perspective and that is:
40 minutes North(which I assume is Gurnee/wauk/lake cty) and you're not from Chicago
Oak Park and you are not from Chicago
Barrington and you're definitely not from Chicago.

Yes, Chicagoans can be arrogant or cocky about where they're from. Is it annoying? Not to another Chicagoan. They'll probably be best friends.

[TheTimidBlueBars]

Originally Posted by Chicagoland60426

I had no idea some people consider Northwestern Illinois as downstate. So people consider Rockford as downstate too then? Now that is funny

As a Chicagoan, my impression is that Northwestern Illinois isn't even culturally that similar to the rest of the state. I think of it as a more industrial area, between all the factories in Rockford and the Quad Cities. And it's not as conservative as Central and Southern Illinois, judging by GOP vote percentages in elections - until recently, many NW Illinois counties voted blue. I only use "downstate" for Central and Southern Illinois.

[ColdAilment]

Originally Posted by Chicagoland60426

Illinois have too many counties with 102 of them. Even the most populous state(California) doesn't have that many counties.

It's because Illinois is an older state.

Indiana has 92 counties and about 1/2 the population of Illinois and about 2/3 the size in land area.

[ColdAilment]

Originally Posted by NARFALICIOUS

Coming from a Chicagoan, I have to give our general perspective and that is:
40 minutes North(which I assume is Gurnee/wauk/lake cty) and you're not from Chicago
Oak Park and you are not from Chicago
Barrington and you're definitely not from Chicago.

Yes, Chicagoans can be arrogant or cocky about where they're from. Is it annoying? Not to another Chicagoan. They'll probably be best friends.

Agreed. I lived in the northern burbs near Gurnee and Waukegan, and would regularly visit more of the burbs close to the city along with the city itself. I never told people I lived in Chicago, I would clarify by saying I lived in the northern burbs, as the northern, western, and southern burbs are all distinctly different, and all are very different from the city itself.

[ColdAilment]

Originally Posted by TheTimidBlueBars

As a Chicagoan, my impression is that Northwestern Illinois isn't even culturally that similar to the rest of the state. I think of it as a more industrial area, between all the factories in Rockford and the Quad Cities. And it's not as conservative as Central and Southern Illinois, judging by GOP vote percentages in elections - until recently, many NW Illinois counties voted blue. I only use "downstate" for Central and Southern Illinois.

Agreed, I have a lot of family in the Quad Cities. It's definitely more of a rust belt city, akin to cities near and around the Great Lakes like Kenosha, South Bend, Toledo, Michigan City, etc. It has a large white working class and a very old urban core. It's definitely set apart from the rest of the state, including Chicago. Quad Cities felt somewhat similar to Rockford however.