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Are You Crazy? Chicago is more like CLEVELAND than LA? LA, city center, is nothing! They roll up the sidewalks after dark! Have you ever been to Chicago? I've lived here most of my 60 years and believe me you come here and compare Chicago to Cleveland and you'll be in an instant brawl. LA, COSMOPOLITAN? Try San Francisco for a California cosmopolitan city; sorry, bub. LA is not the center of the chic; it's a place that happens to have the movie industry nearby thereby being chic by its inhabitants that happen to work in the industry. I don't hate LA, I now live in OC because I love SoCal, but you're putting LA way too high in the clouds.
I think your assessment of LA as cosmopolitan city misses the mark. And I say this an OC expat.
Having lived for about 20 years in Kansas City, Columbus and Cleveland I've picked up a pretty good feel for the Midwest.
I've also spent quite a bit of time in LA, though not living there (but my kids do).
Both have advantages, but anyone who is raising a family will find that this is much easier to do in the Midwest. They have great family oriented facilities, such as large community centers, fantastic library systems, inexpensive and varied family activities, large museums and many great public school systems.
In addition, you can generally get a very nice home in pretty safe areas, with good schools, with only an average income.
Also, many areas are pretty scenic. Not as spectacular as some areas of California, but very nice.
Are You Crazy? Chicago is more like CLEVELAND than LA? LA, city center, is nothing! They roll up the sidewalks after dark! Have you ever been to Chicago? I've lived here most of my 60 years and believe me you come here and compare Chicago to Cleveland and you'll be in an instant brawl. LA, COSMOPOLITAN? Try San Francisco for a California cosmopolitan city; sorry, bub. LA is not the center of the chic; it's a place that happens to have the movie industry nearby thereby being chic by its inhabitants that happen to work in the industry. I don't hate LA, I now live in OC because I love SoCal, but you're putting LA way too high in the clouds.
First off, this is a rather old post of mine.
Secondly, I've lived outside of Chicago most of my life, have been to other midwest cities, and just moved to LA because I knew I would have to live here to truly experience all that it has to offer.
Secondly, I am comparing the general culture of the metropolitan areas, not the size of downtowns.
Yes, Chicago has the second greatest downtown. And yes it is one of the few places in this country where you can live in a closed urban core bubble, (and yes San Francisco is also one of those places).
In LA there is trendy nightlife, cultural offerings in many, many different areas across all of LA county. Example: LA has 3 huge art museums but scattered on different edges of the city.
Yes, downtown LA is relatively small for its size (but still huge but huge like downtown Atlanta/Houston nothing like Chicago), but when you add Hollywood and all that it has, Griffith ParkWest Hollywood/Sunset Strip, Beverly Hills/Farmers Market-Grove, etc., Miracle Mile and its museums, Santa Monica, Venice, South Bay, Long Beach, Pasadena, Universal City, Westwood. Come on, everyone knows that Chicago outside its core area, don't have areas that are like this. Theres nothing wrong with that, but the lack of it, means that outside the core, its more like midwest, rustbelt background cities. Obviously the surrounding areas of the outer city and suburbs obviously benefit from Chicagos massive core more than Clevelands counterparts. Closer to more/better employment opportunities, etc. which can translate to better economic development for those neighborhoods.
Most people on this forum define a city and even the surrounding areas by a citys core, downtown plus surrounding areas.
I moved to LA, because to me, its so amazing, there is SO much to see and do here, that I figured I have to actually live here for a few years to see.
I'm more of a metropolitan/county level guy. Not an urban core guy. I like to explore an ENTIRE city. I would feel confined being limited to the dense urban core.
And no one can argue that outside the Loop/museum campus/Mag Mile/River North/Gold Coast that Chicago resembles Cleveland more than LA. And thats not a put down. Cleveland has cool areas like Ohio City/Tremont, University Circle/Little Italy, Warehouse District, etc. Cleveland Hts, Lakewood. Anyone can see that those areas resemble Chicagos counterparts. Do you know there are Puerto Rican, Polish, Italian, and Asian neighborhoods in Cleveland? Have you been to the Warehouse district.
Do you also know there is an actual working steel mill on the edge of Lincoln Park? One of the most trendy neighborhoods in the city??
Look I think Chicago is a great city. But I'm more interested in what the whole city-county area is like. Chicago is world class, exceptional, superlative in the CORE. The rest of the metro area and even much of the city is very much like typical American cities. And it is culturally and landscape-wise across the area more like rustbelt cities but just more economically well-off.
Example: Look at the LA harbor area. Highly industrialized. One one side beautiful, very expensive Palos Verdes. The other side you have Long Beach with its own vibrant downtown with its own museums, etc.
Chicagos equivalent which is the Calumet area? (A port/harbor) theres nothing there. Its basically an extension of Hammond/Gary, IN.
You are an urban core guy. I prefer exploring every acre of a city. And LA is one of the best cities for that. There are suprises at every turn. Chicago is a better city for those who aren't really into exploring an entire city. IF you do explore the city, one would obviously come to the conclusion that many of Chicagos neighborhoods (with the exception of Chicagos neighborhoods having Mexicans) do in fact resemble Clevelands counterparts.
LA has suprises at every turn. There are interesting attractions seemingly everywhere, although you do have to know how to read a map. You do have to plan that around the traffic.
Are You Crazy? Chicago is more like CLEVELAND than LA? LA, city center, is nothing! They roll up the sidewalks after dark! Have you ever been to Chicago? I've lived here most of my 60 years and believe me you come here and compare Chicago to Cleveland and you'll be in an instant brawl. LA, COSMOPOLITAN? Try San Francisco for a California cosmopolitan city; sorry, bub. LA is not the center of the chic; it's a place that happens to have the movie industry nearby thereby being chic by its inhabitants that happen to work in the industry. I don't hate LA, I now live in OC because I love SoCal, but you're putting LA way too high in the clouds.
Look, Radiojunkie, I don't mean to sound intrusive here. But looking at your other posts, I see that when you lived in Chicago you live in Edison Park/Norwood Park.
I'm sorry, I just don't understand it. And its not just, it is the one thing, I will never, ever, ever, ever, understand about Chicago. I almost literally go insane trying to understand how someone in a middle to outer neighborhood of Chicago that is mostly one race, mostly single family homes, claim Chicagos fast pace and cosmopolitan image. Its fine, I just don't get it.
Which is kind of why I left to experience a different city. I'll probably move back to Chicago suburbs, but I might as well experience life in a major city, that I am blown away by. I live by Culver City where I am fairly centrally located to a lot of what LA has to offer.
How in the world, people who spent most of their life in a mostly white, tight night, semi-suburban neighborhood can claim what makes Chicago distinct. Its neighborhoods like Edison Park/Norwood Park IS why I make the comparisons to Cleveland.
I don't know, to me it just seems clear as day.
Its fine if you and everyone else does it, I just don't understand it.
Look, Radiojunkie, I don't mean to sound intrusive here. But looking at your other posts, I see that when you lived in Chicago you live in Edison Park/Norwood Park.
I'm sorry, I just don't understand it. And its not just, it is the one thing, I will never, ever, ever, ever, understand about Chicago. I almost literally go insane trying to understand how someone in a middle to outer neighborhood of Chicago that is mostly one race, mostly single family homes, claim Chicagos fast pace and cosmopolitan image. Its fine, I just don't get it.
Which is kind of why I left to experience a different city. I'll probably move back to Chicago suburbs, but I might as well experience life in a major city, that I am blown away by. I live by Culver City where I am fairly centrally located to a lot of what LA has to offer.
How in the world, people who spent most of their life in a mostly white, tight night, semi-suburban neighborhood can claim what makes Chicago distinct. Its neighborhoods like Edison Park/Norwood Park IS why I make the comparisons to Cleveland.
I don't know, to me it just seems clear as day.
Its fine if you and everyone else does it, I just don't understand it.
You can't compare the collar neighborhoods to the downtown section. That's what I meant.
I had a friend who moved from the valley to Carmel Indiana some 20 years ago. Needless to say, it was a big ajustment for her. The weather being the main factor but she did get used to the cold winters after about 2 years.
I have and I would again. I moved to Orange County to live with my dad when I graduated from high school. After 4 months(and I did find a job out there) I moved back to Ohio. I use to love visiting California, but decided it was not a place for me to live. Way to many people, way to much traffice, way to expensive, hard to make friends, way to many illegals, seldomly heard english, and just felt so far away from the rest of the world. My dad always said he'd never move back to Ohio, but guess what? He got married and him and his wife moved back to Ohio. His wife could not believe how much cheaper and laid back Ohio is then California. She also loved the much less traffic and the changing seasons. Her son and his family ended up leaving California and moving to Ohio too. They rented a 3 bedroom apartment in California(with no washer and dryer or garage) for 1300 a month and it was low income housing to boot. They bought a 4 bedroom 2 bath house with a 2 car garage in Ohio for 70,000. I own a 3 bedroom home with a 2 1/2 car garage and a large fenced in yard and my house payment is on 415.00 a month including taxes and insurance.
I understand why California is so appealing due to Hollywood Celebs, beaches, weather, and all the outdoor activities. But why the heck would anyone want to pay that much just to be poor in California. Live in a cheap state and vacation in California. Duh.
I have and I would again. I moved to Orange County to live with my dad when I graduated from high school. After 4 months(and I did find a job out there) I moved back to Ohio. I use to love visiting California, but decided it was not a place for me to live. Way to many people, way to much traffice, way to expensive, hard to make friends, way to many illegals, seldomly heard english, and just felt so far away from the rest of the world. My dad always said he'd never move back to Ohio, but guess what? He got married and him and his wife moved back to Ohio. His wife could not believe how much cheaper and laid back Ohio is then California. She also loved the much less traffic and the changing seasons. Her son and his family ended up leaving California and moving to Ohio too. They rented a 3 bedroom apartment in California(with no washer and dryer or garage) for 1300 a month and it was low income housing to boot. They bought a 4 bedroom 2 bath house with a 2 car garage in Ohio for 70,000. I own a 3 bedroom home with a 2 1/2 car garage and a large fenced in yard and my house payment is on 415.00 a month including taxes and insurance.
I understand why California is so appealing due to Hollywood Celebs, beaches, weather, and all the outdoor activities. But why the heck would anyone want to pay that much just to be poor in California. Live in a cheap state and vacation in California. Duh.
California is better when you are young and single, in your twenties and thirties. You meet enough single midwestern transplants in greater LA, but when it comes to settling down, buying a house and raising a family. Then yes, Ohio, etc. is better to return to.
But LA is great to live for a few years, especially if you have some investments/savings that you draw from if needed.
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LA, COSMOPOLITAN? Try San Francisco for a California cosmopolitan city; sorry, bub. LA is not the center of the chic; it's a place that happens to have the movie industry nearby thereby being chic by its inhabitants that happen to work in the industry. I don't hate LA, I now live in OC because I love SoCal, but you're putting LA way too high in the clouds.
