Does Chicago feel like the third largest city? (Manhattan, Brooklyn: castle, residential)

[Belmont11]

Originally Posted by edsg25

the true age of high rise office building in our downtowns is arguably over. not that it won't take place. but it hardly will be the norm. so basically we're talking about residential construction. and, as such, I hardly get the notion that the quality of life in a city will be improved if it has a higher number of high rises than another city or indeed if it's population is larger.

Might we need to rethink our paradigms. The world is choking on large population, the footprint of mankind, our effect on the environment, and indeed the impersonal aspects of our continual crowding into more and more faceless, corporately stamped out cities. Height, population, density, etc., are OUR notions of urbanism and in no way are embraced by the whole world or people in previous eras. Those notions are ours, not inherent to density.

I get the feeling from too many people that they are far more interested in the attributes of a city that exist in abstraction, in the sense of what the city has, rather than the very human interaction with the city. Sometimes our biggest, densest, tallest cities work at the detriment of their citizens, although the city itself can glory in what it has to offer.

Aren't cities about serving the need of real people? And haven't we created urban prisons, cities cut off from much of nature and scale and out of tune with the true nature of human beings?

Not sure that the age of skyscrapers is over as NY is breaking ground on several large buildings. Chicago needs downtown residential development-I was just in Chicago and noticed how slow and not busy it was...NY/Philly/DC have a busier feel to them.

[OhAcid]

Originally Posted by Belmont11

Not sure that the age of skyscrapers is over as NY is breaking ground on several large buildings. Chicago needs downtown residential development-I was just in Chicago and noticed how slow and not busy it was...NY/Philly/DC have a busier feel to them.

That's because activity isn't centrally located in The Loop.

[Belmont11]

Originally Posted by OhAcid

That's because activity isn't centrally located in The Loop.

Right, Chicago is a poster-city for decentralization...65,000 leaving the Loop is not a good sign...this translates into slow and not busy feeling.

[Vlajos]

Originally Posted by Belmont11

Right, Chicago is a poster-city for decentralization...65,000 leaving the Loop is not a good sign...this translates into slow and not busy feeling.

65,000 what is leaving the Loop? When were you downtown that it wasn't busy. I'm here every day and people are all over the place.

[OhAcid]

Originally Posted by Belmont11

Right, Chicago is a poster-city for decentralization...65,000 leaving the Loop is not a good sign...this translates into slow and not busy feeling.

Yes, in the Loop - which occupies 1.5 of the 235 square miles that make up Chicago, leaving room for 24 hour activity in many places other than the financial district.

I don't understand why it's an issue that activity isn't centered immediately downtown.

Originally Posted by Vlajos

65,000 what is leaving the Loop? When were you downtown that it wasn't busy. I'm here every day and people are all over the place.

I think he's talking about the number of people in The Loop during peak hours vs. at night.

[Jandur]

Originally Posted by OhAcid

Yes, in the Loop - which occupies 1.5 of the 235 square miles that make up Chicago, leaving room for 24 hour activity in many places other than the financial district.

I don't understand why it's an issue that activity isn't centered immediately downtown.




I think he's talking about the number of people in The Loop during peak hours vs. at night.

Yeah I don't get it either. Its our business/financial district. Is Wallstreet hopping on Saturday nights? Probably not.

[Belmont11]

Originally Posted by OhAcid

Yes, in the Loop - which occupies 1.5 of the 235 square miles that make up Chicago, leaving room for 24 hour activity in many places other than the financial district.

I don't understand why it's an issue that activity isn't centered immediately downtown.




I think he's talking about the number of people in The Loop during peak hours vs. at night.

Sorry, I meant 65,000 jobs...the post was about chicago feeling like the 2nd largest city which, imo, it does not. If NYC is the largest and Chicago feels like the 2nd, there is no way Chicago compares as being or feeling like 2nd largest. I was in Chicago on Monday and there are people around it's just not crowded or busy feeling. I know at times there are more people down there but on an average day, it's kinda slow.

[Belmont11]

Originally Posted by Jandur

Yeah I don't get it either. Its our business/financial district. Is Wallstreet hopping on Saturday nights? Probably not.

Also, with 235 sq miles, there were 3.6 million people; now there are 2,695,000 and dropping...this is why it doesn't feel like the 2nd largest city.

[Belmont11]

Originally Posted by Vlajos

65,000 what is leaving the Loop? When were you downtown that it wasn't busy. I'm here every day and people are all over the place.

And I was in Lakeview around midday...really slow there too.

[gwillyfromphilly]

What I'm curious about is what would Chicago's population be if it had the same city limts boundaries as Los Angeles does (469.1 sq. miles).

On the topic of which cites Fell the largest:

1. New York City- Obviously feels the largest, no argument there.

2. Chicago- On the street level Chicago feels larger than LA. It has the 2nd largest downtown. I have to give the edge to Chicago the true 2nd city.

3. Los Angeles- The shear massiveness of LA earns it the 3rd spot.

4. Philadelphia- Has the 3rd Largest downtown in the U.S. and very few cites rival Philly in terms of size, scope, and density. Some people who visit Philly for the first time say it is like a smaller version of New York City. Philly is a solid #4.

5. Houston- This city beats any city in the South in terms of big city feel. Even beating out Southern powerhouses like Atlanta and Dallas in terms of big city feel. Houston earns the 5th spot.