What do Angelenos and Southern Californians think of Chicago?

[Lars]

Originally Posted by Mini-apple-less

Californians in general aren't interested in living in or visiting anywhere east of the Rockies or outside of the US, from what I gather.

If you did any traveling yourself, you would meet a lot of people from California, although perhaps not in the Midwest. People from California love to visit Europe, as well as tropical places, and that sort of leaves Chicago out. A lot of the more conservative people from California are now moving to Texas (which is the place I fled from), and Texas is very definitely East of the Rockies - just ask anyone in New Mexico.

I went to Costa Rica this Spring and plan to visit Italy next year, and when I lived in San Francisco, I spent two months of each winter in Mexico City (and outlying territories) and August in Vancouver. I was able to sublet my bedroom in SF to people from Chicago in the winter who did not realize how cold SF winters were. Now that I live in Los Angeles, I do not feel as much of a need to escape a brutal winter, but I still like to travel. I like visiting New York and feel that Chicago has much less to offer than NY while still being a city with annoying traffic and even worse weather. I also used to live in Houston and met a lot of people from Chicago there as well. I like people from Chicago, but I see no reason to visit, since there are so many other places to go. I would probably visit Toronto before Chicago - because I have friends there, but I might pass through Chicago to visit friends in Michigan. At this point in my life, I definitely have a bucket list, but Chicago is not on it yet.

[steeps]

Originally Posted by Lars

If you did any traveling yourself, you would meet a lot of people from California, although perhaps not in the Midwest. People from California love to visit Europe, as well as tropical places, and that sort of leaves Chicago out. A lot of the more conservative people from California are now moving to Texas (which is the place I fled from), and Texas is very definitely East of the Rockies - just ask anyone in New Mexico.

I went to Costa Rica this Spring and plan to visit Italy next year, and when I lived in San Francisco, I spent two months of each winter in Mexico City (and outlying territories) and August in Vancouver. I was able to sublet my bedroom in SF to people from Chicago in the winter who did not realize how cold SF winters were. Now that I live in Los Angeles, I do not feel as much of a need to escape a brutal winter, but I still like to travel. I like visiting New York and feel that Chicago has much less to offer than NY while still being a city with annoying traffic and even worse weather. I also used to live in Houston and met a lot of people from Chicago there as well. I like people from Chicago, but I see no reason to visit, since there are so many other places to go. I would probably visit Toronto before Chicago - because I have friends there, but I might pass through Chicago to visit friends in Michigan. At this point in my life, I definitely have a bucket list, but Chicago is not on it yet.

I don't know if you were boosting of yourself and wealthy lifestyle? Or trying to lessen Chicago? But since you failed to visit Chicago by now in your many travels. Don't bother adding it to your bucket list.... I honestly don't know why you would leave California?

Seems basically to you... All one in the US needs to acknowledge as worth a visit is Texas, NYC and of course California? All else is fly over. . Oh and friends in Michigan......

[Chicago60614]

Originally Posted by volosong

HOLY BASURA, BATMAN! That's incredible and almost unbelieveable. May 16th was the 136th day of the year. That's one homicide each and every day!

You should see historical numbers. Up until around 10 years ago Los Angeles was averaging two murders per day, and back in the 80's and 90's it was 3-4 per day on average. It was just a few years ago that it dipped to below one murder per day if you average out over a year.

Chicago's murder rate has dropped by over half since he 1990's.

NYC went from 2,200 murders per year down to 375!

The top cities in the country for murder rates are the usual suspects, St louis, Baltimore, Detroit, New Orleans. Then you have your Memphis, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Miami, Washington DC, your Chicago, Houston, Phoenix, Dallas, and then the lower cities like Los Angeles, San Fran, Boston and NYC.

[slimgoodieee]

Ive lived in Chicago my entire life and moved to California in august. you'll love the food and attractions if you go visit. The driving in California is horrible (people always crashing into each other, riding each others bumpers) so you'll have to get it together before you go to Chicago because they won't just shrug off getting rear ended

[sf_arkitect]

I am a southern California native. After university I lived in San Francisco for 3.5 years (2015-2019) and now I live in Chicago.

As a native, naturally, I always wanted to experience something different from what the LA area had to offer. So many people from other places want to live in SoCal. But when you are from there and it's all you have ever known, you become numb to it's charms.

I wanted to live in a city where I wouldn't have to waste so many hours of my life sitting in traffic under the blazing hot sun. I also wanted to live in a place with that wasn't constantly threatened by drought. And lastly, I wanted to live in a city with great architecture and amazing historic housing stock.

Prior to visiting the city for the first time in 2015 - I had never visited anywhere east of the Rockies. My perceptions of the city before visting were that it was a smaller and perhaps cleaner version of NYC. Sadly, an (exaggerated) reputation for crime is one of the few things people in SoCal will associate with Chicago.

However, after visiting the Chicago in 2015, the city far exceeded my expectations. The public transit blows anything on the west coast out of the water. The commercial architecture and skyscrapers of the downtown core were incredible - but I was really fascinated by the brick and limestone flats, bungalows, worker's cottages, and courtyard apartments out in the neighborhoods. In sum, Chicago was very different from the urban environment I knew in LA, and it offered everything I desired.

[TimTheEnchanter]

Originally Posted by sf_arkitect

I am a southern California native...

And why did you feel compelled to resurrect this zombie thread from 5 years ago?

[Chowhound]

I hear it gets windy there.

I also hear that young black men are killing each other at an alarming rate.

[sf_arkitect]

Originally Posted by TimTheEnchanter

And why did you feel compelled to resurrect this zombie thread from 5 years ago?

Why not?

[Taiko]

Originally Posted by TimTheEnchanter

And why did you feel compelled to resurrect this zombie thread from 5 years ago?

The board software, in color to catch your eye ask you to add to zombie threads. For political debates it is not a good thing and a moderator comes around to lock a thread. However for the primary purpose of the board it is not a bad thing.