How do you feel knowing L.A. lacks the true urban feel of Chicago and NYC? (Los Angeles: to rent, universities)

[greggd1]

Is there something about Chicago that causes people to move to Los Angeles and talk about Chicago.

[Chicano3000X]

Originally Posted by greggd1

Is there something about Chicago that causes people to move to Los Angeles and talk about Chicago.

I'll give you a timeline:

Indifferent towards LA, then move to Chicago.

First snow, love it. 2nd snow, couldn't wait, 3rd Snow hmm,(started working) 4th snow, eh..

Miss Cali.

however, uncle took me to downtown Chicago for the first time. OMG LOOK AT THESE HUGE FREAKIN' BUILDINGS! IT'S A CANYON OF GLASS AND CONCRETE!

Never seen anything like it. Since then I loved going. I knew I'd come back to L.A. again. I then started looking up L.A. and finding pics of downtown.

Eventually I moved back. The first time I went to downtown, it was like Chicago was burglarized leaving big gaps between the buildings.

That's when you realize how undeveloped downtown really is.

And also how neglected and not given any love for such a long time. It's a city in need of growing up. A city that is asking for the architectural beauty of it's siblings around the world.

Chicago was the first time I saw what a real city looks like. L.A. is a city dont get me wrong. But it wasn't the full package.

Atleast that's me. If I was a dictator, I'd say "*********r hatred for skycrapers, I'm gonna build them"
I'd then proceed to level beverley hills.

[nslander]

Originally Posted by Chicano3000X

I'll give you a timeline:

Indifferent towards LA, then move to Chicago.

First snow, love it. 2nd snow, couldn't wait, 3rd Snow hmm,(started working) 4th snow, eh..

Miss Cali.

however, uncle took me to downtown Chicago for the first time. OMG LOOK AT THESE HUGE FREAKIN' BUILDINGS! IT'S A CANYON OF GLASS AND CONCRETE!

Never seen anything like it. Since then I loved going. I knew I'd come back to L.A. again. I then started looking up L.A. and finding pics of downtown.

Eventually I moved back. The first time I went to downtown, it was like Chicago was burglarized leaving big gaps between the buildings.

That's when you realize how undeveloped downtown really is.

And also how neglected and not given any love for such a long time. It's a city in need of growing up. A city that is asking for the architectural beauty of it's siblings around the world.

Chicago was the first time I saw what a real city looks like. L.A. is a city dont get me wrong. But it wasn't the full package.

Atleast that's me. If I was a dictator, I'd say "*********r hatred for skycrapers, I'm gonna build them"
I'd then proceed to level beverley hills.

At the turn of the last century, Chicago's population was approaching 2 million. The population of Los Angeles? 100,000.

If you are going to live in this city and profess an interest in its development, it helps to have an elementary appreciation of its history.

[munchitup]

Originally Posted by nslander

At the turn of the last century, Chicago's population was approaching 2 million. The population of Los Angeles? 100,000.

If you are going to live in this city and profess an interest in its development, it helps to have an elementary appreciation of its history.

Honestly what I find very urban about Los Angeles is not so much downtown (though it is the most 'urban' part of the city), but how neighborhoods like Koreatown and Hollywood and Los Feliz compare to similar neighborhoods in Chicago. Skyscrapers are great but they are mostly for vanity.

[Tex?Il?]

Originally Posted by Chicano3000X

I'll give you a timeline:

Indifferent towards LA, then move to Chicago.

First snow, love it. 2nd snow, couldn't wait, 3rd Snow hmm,(started working) 4th snow, eh..

Miss Cali.

however, uncle took me to downtown Chicago for the first time. OMG LOOK AT THESE HUGE FREAKIN' BUILDINGS! IT'S A CANYON OF GLASS AND CONCRETE!

Never seen anything like it. Since then I loved going. I knew I'd come back to L.A. again. I then started looking up L.A. and finding pics of downtown.

Eventually I moved back. The first time I went to downtown, it was like Chicago was burglarized leaving big gaps between the buildings.

That's when you realize how undeveloped downtown really is.

And also how neglected and not given any love for such a long time. It's a city in need of growing up. A city that is asking for the architectural beauty of it's siblings around the world.

Chicago was the first time I saw what a real city looks like. L.A. is a city dont get me wrong. But it wasn't the full package.

Atleast that's me. If I was a dictator, I'd say "*********r hatred for skycrapers, I'm gonna build them"
I'd then proceed to level beverley hills.

How the hell would leveling a beautiful and densely built neighborhood like Beverly Hills (at least in the triangle between Wilshire and Santa Monica) help to do anything?

Chicago DOWNTOWN is the full package. LA CITY and METRO area is the full package. Look at the youtube video I posted. Take Wilshire from downtown to Santa Monica. Look at the string of high rises along Wilshire in Westwood. There is nothing like that outside downtown Chicago 15 miles away.

Here is my list of densely populated, fun, lively neighborhoods in LA: Hollywood, West Hollywood, Los Feliz

Downtown Chicago is awesome it really is. But realize that that part of Chicago that appeals to true city people, is somewhat of a small slice.

The South side is 60% of the city. Throw in the west side thats another 10%. Its largely a bombed out industrial wasteland that makes South Central and Compton full of vitality.
Beyond that are the suburbs which are more conservative than LA area, that are less diverse, where most people are from there.

You need to get back to New York or Chicago. Thats obviously where you belong. You love downtown life and not much more. You don't like exploring the whole city or metro area. If you did, you would prefer LA. You are more of a live in downtown bubble, in that case those other cities are more for you.

Unless there are family obligations keeping you in LA why not move?

[Tex?Il?]

Originally Posted by munchitup

Honestly what I find very urban about Los Angeles is not so much downtown (though it is the most 'urban' part of the city), but how neighborhoods like Koreatown and Hollywood and Los Feliz compare to similar neighborhoods in Chicago. Skyscrapers are great but they are mostly for vanity.

Check out these completely empty space just a walk away from the Sears Tower. Chicago really never needed to build that tall.

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=S.+Pau...ois+60608&z=16

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=150+W....ois+60605&z=16

Look at these VERY suburban looking neighborhoods in the South Loop. (Dearborn Park). A stone throw away from Sears Tower

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=South+...ois+60605&z=16

[munchitup]

Originally Posted by Tex?Il?

Check out these completely empty space just a walk away from the Sears Tower. Chicago really never needed to build that tall.

Google Maps

Google Maps

Exactly - Chicago basically built a showcase in their downtown area, and because of that area, the Loop, tourists think the entire city is like that. While Chicago is definitely very urban, IMO it is overall less urban than Los Angeles. LA has a true "mega-city" feel to it while Chicago is more just a "big-city" feel.

[Tex?Il?]

Originally Posted by munchitup

Exactly - Chicago basically built a showcase in their downtown area, and because of that area, the Loop, tourists think the entire city is like that. While Chicago is definitely very urban, IMO it is overall less urban than Los Angeles. LA has a true "mega-city" feel to it while Chicago is more just a "big-city" feel.

And now I actually have the link to the streets that I wanted to show.

Chicano needs to look at that Wilshire Blvd. video I posted, to understand how urban LA really is.

[greggd1]

Comin out here to make LA into Chicago...thats what I mean. why this need?

Maybe Chicago should just build a big dome around the City and paint it blue. Then they'd have a perfect world.

[Jester2138]

Originally Posted by Tex?Il?

Yes, New York absolutely have lots of parks, and green space. I never would question the beauty of New Yorks parks, but with the exception of areas on the fringes of the city in the outer burroughs, it pretty much is largely planted and landscaped. It is absolutely is a human creation, in LA and many other western and southern urban areas, parks are patches of wilderness. Native ecosystems that survive because the steep slopes are not buildable. You have wild brush covered hillsides that harbor rattlesnakes and mountain lions with steep rocky cliffs.

Central Park is gorgeous, but it doesn't have an obvious wild feel like Griffith Park.

Thats what I am talking about. Not saying that they are better, but as someone whose career is in ecology and earth science, it makes a big difference to me.

Now in the suburbs of the tri-state areas, thats a different story. The Appalachian trail runs 50 miles from Manhattan. In New York state and New Jersey.

Sure, Central Park is pretty controlled (one of its merits, IMO). On the other hand, I can hop on a train and in hour (maybe a little more depending on where I'm going) be in the middle of nowhere with some of the best (some say the best) hiking and nature parks in the country - especially along the Hudson river. I simply don't agree with you that New York lacks nearby natural areas.

Meanwhile, commuting within the city rarely takes more than 30-45 minutes, while in my time in LA I found that no matter where I wanted to go it would almost certainly take at least 45 minutes. I cannot express how much I hate LA traffic.

All that said, if I were settling down I would not live in any of the three - LA, Chicago, or NYC. Unless I was crazy loaded, in which case I'd live in NYC.