Doesn't it seem like everyone on the northside is from the suburbs or michigan? (Chicago: theater, schools)

[Tex?Il?]

Originally Posted by AmosBanks

I grew up in Southfield and I've been in Chicago since 1998. My favorite thing about Chicago is that Chicago and Detroit have the same type of people with the same mentality. I moved here and did not skip a beat. I think there would be an element of culture shock had I moved to NYC, LA or down south.

There seems to be enough room in Chicago for everybody. Lincoln Station is (was) a bar for Buffalo fans. Flounder's is for Pittsburgh and Penn State fans. I watched the Red Wings win the Stanley Cup in the Gin Mill. I think it's cool to walk around on a fall Sunday morning and see people headed to the bar for their favorite NFL team. I concur with all the comments about proximity being the reason for all the Michigan folks, but look closely and you will see people from all over the USA.

Good post. Having grown up in the Chicago suburbs, I feel the same way about metro Detroit. Oakland County is almost a carbon copy of Northern Cook and Lake County.

The gentrified north side is obviously the MAJOR part of Chicagoland that has no comparison to anything in Detroit. The suburbs of the two metro areas, and the south side of Chicago has a lot of common with Detroit proper (except that vacant properties are maintained better or torned down, etc.)

When it comes time for settled down, raising a family, a lot of Michigan and Ohio 20 and 30 somethings I think strongly consider moving back home, as the parts of Chicagoland that actually are practical great places to raise kids have little advantage over the suburbs of Michigan and Ohio suburbs (In my opinion Oakland County for example might even have a bit of a leg up in terms of amenities in the suburbs) and some cities like Cincinnati have a suprisingly stable, diverse economy, despite being a lot smaller.

Coupled with the fact, that they have family there that can help them, they can get a more house for their money, and even some of the cultural attractions that Chicago is known for, do to some extent have counterparts in the cities of Michigan and Ohio it makes sense for people to move back. Afterall, if they wanted to take a trip to Chicago for whatever that is not offered in metro Detroit or Ohios 3 Cs (Cincy, Cleve, CBus) they can always make a weekend trip out of going there.

[Chi-town Native]

Originally Posted by Irishtom29

That's something I don't get. One would think that moving to Chicago a person would surrender to local folkways and if interested in consumer sports become a fan of the local teams.

lord knows I love ya Tom, but seriously, if your job took to Green Bay would you become a fan of the Pack?

[Irishtom29]

Originally Posted by Chi-town Native

lord knows I love ya Tom, but seriously, if your job took to Green Bay would you become a fan of the Pack?

Yes, I think so. If you're goin' in go the whole hog.

But it's easy for me to say because I'm not a fan of any team anyway. Oh, I'll defend the Sox against Cubs fans once in awhile but that's more a social amusement thing than from any serious interest in professional baseball or the Sox.

[Chi-town Native]

Originally Posted by Irishtom29

Yes, I think so. If you're goin' in go the whole hog.

But it's easy for me to say because I'm not a fan of any team anyway. Oh, I'll defend the Sox against Cubs fans once in awhile but that's more a social amusement thing than from any serious interest in professional baseball or the Sox.

I dunno, I see a lot of transplanted Sox fans on the Nord Seite that don't seem to have gotten the memo.

Of course, the bandwagon's axles were creaking after that World Series victory.

[sunnyandcloudydays]

Originally Posted by Chi-town Native

The one thing that is a problem with Chicago's high transient rate is that some transplants don't seem to understand that you can't retrofit the City to cater just to a twenty-something crowd. When you make permanent changes (or try to), you need to keep in mind multi-generational use.

yeah and the twenty something crowd has the notion that everyone enjoys gin mills and staying up till 5am drinking and getting sick etc...

[Brian45919]

The North side (and near northwest sides) are havens for young white people coming in from suburbs or small towns in neighboring states because they want to live the trendy and fun city life. They stay 2-5 years and then they are gone back out to the burbs or leave town to return to their small town roots. Why? because most "outgrow" this lifestyle and want to settle down with kids. A few stay but this this a small percentage. How many white families of 5 with school aged kids do you see living in on the North side...very few. They are in the suburbs or have moved back to the town they came from. Only places you really find multigenerational families in Chicago is south/southwest and far northwest sides. Most of these people are from Chicago and are of African American, Irish, Polish, Czech and Mexican heritage.

[grapico]

Originally Posted by Irishtom29

That's something I don't get. One would think that moving to Chicago a person would surrender to local folkways and if interested in consumer sports become a fan of the local teams.

that is one of the most annoying things about Chicago ^^ esp all of the college themed bars of whatever mediocre state college they went to. If I were to go somewhere that caters to that, I'd feel like I'm surrounded by a bunch of provincial hicks, not what I have in mind for a good night out in Chicago. I am not from here either, but I try to go for the more authentic experiences. If that kind of stuff is what people view as Chicago, or what it is turning into, please count me out, that is certainly not what I came here for, but what I wanted to get AWAY from. And honestly, LP/LV are places that really clash with me, it feels suburban minded, sterile and white washed, for sure, even if it is in an urban environment. There is no edge there at all, authenticity, nor community.

[Swandaddy]

Originally Posted by grapico

that is one of the most annoying things about Chicago ^^ esp all of the college themed bars of whatever mediocre state college they went to. If I were to go somewhere that caters to that, I'd feel like I'm surrounded by a bunch of provincial hicks, not what I have in mind for a good night out in Chicago. I am not from here either, but I try to go for the more authentic experiences. If that kind of stuff is what people view as Chicago, or what it is turning into, please count me out, that is certainly not what I came here for, but what I wanted to get AWAY from. And honestly, LP/LV are places that really clash with me, it feels suburban minded, sterile and white washed, for sure, even if it is in an urban environment. There is no edge there at all, authenticity, nor community.

I think to some degree this is related to the whole Cubs/Wrigley phenomenon, in that the Cubs sell so many tickets to whatever visiting baseball team comes in for the weekend, that it precludes this neighborhood to be a sports mecca (with MLB and the Cubs and ESPN marketing this to a nationwide audience trying to lure people from out of town in for a visit), and therefore the suburban/mainstream Americana that comes with it. So IMO it kinda makes sense in a way to put all these college football bars right there, especially given the popularity of sports in America and that sports fans will travel hours upon hours just to see their team play (which I've done many times).

Also, I think that all these whatever random Big 10 bars all clumped together in a sense add to the overall great Chicago sports scene in that Chicago itself already has so many teams. Bulls Cubs Sox Bears Hawks Fire Northwestern and I'm sure there are others. So there's never a city-wide consensus as to which Chicago team is top dog in the city. Though definitely frustrating at times, this is neat because unlike so many of these other rinky dink towns, Chicago is not a one trick pony in sports.

IMO this leads to a very exciting enjoyment of sports overall, as it tends to clear away some of the egocentric my team is the only team on the face of the earth that matters mentality, leading to an enjoyment of the game in and of itself.

I definitely see the whole unfortunate provincial hick thing, and have had plenty of negative experiences because of it. But as a sports fan when I'm looking to satisfy the sports craving the overall positives outrank the negatives. That being said, if I go to that area it's most likely for one reason and one reason only -- sports. If I want to do something else, thankfully there's the entire city available.

[It'sAutomatic]

I can't stand people who move here just to get wasted on Lincoln, Clark, Milwaukee, and Rush Streets and have no interest or appreciation for the history and finer workings of our great city.

[grapico]

Originally Posted by Swandaddy

I think to some degree this is related to the whole Cubs/Wrigley phenomenon, in that the Cubs sell so many tickets to whatever visiting baseball team comes in for the weekend, that it precludes this neighborhood to be a sports mecca (with MLB and the Cubs and ESPN marketing this to a nationwide audience trying to lure people from out of town in for a visit), and therefore the suburban/mainstream Americana that comes with it. So IMO it kinda makes sense in a way to put all these college football bars right there, especially given the popularity of sports in America and that sports fans will travel hours upon hours just to see their team play (which I've done many times).

Also, I think that all these whatever random Big 10 bars all clumped together in a sense add to the overall great Chicago sports scene in that Chicago itself already has so many teams. Bulls Cubs Sox Bears Hawks Fire Northwestern and I'm sure there are others. So there's never a city-wide consensus as to which Chicago team is top dog in the city. Though definitely frustrating at times, this is neat because unlike so many of these other rinky dink towns, Chicago is not a one trick pony in sports.

IMO this leads to a very exciting enjoyment of sports overall, as it tends to clear away some of the egocentric my team is the only team on the face of the earth that matters mentality, leading to an enjoyment of the game in and of itself.

I definitely see the whole unfortunate provincial hick thing, and have had plenty of negative experiences because of it. But as a sports fan when I'm looking to satisfy the sports craving the overall positives outrank the negatives. That being said, if I go to that area it's most likely for one reason and one reason only -- sports. If I want to do something else, thankfully there's the entire city available.

good post, that is another way of looking at it. My post wasn't meant to be all encompassing, but I am sure I am not the only one that has this view towards it.

Originally Posted by It'sAutomatic

I can't stand people who move here just to get wasted on Lincoln, Clark, Milwaukee, and Rush Streets and have no interest or appreciation for the history and finer workings of our great city.

this pretty much sums up how I feel