Many Chicagoans have an unhealthy obsession with berating surrounding states. (Skokie: how much, dangerous)

[Tex?Il?]

Originally Posted by andrew61

I've been carfree in Chicago for the past ten years and I do just fine. I don't feel "limited" at all.

Of course, a lot depends on what part of town you live in and what your daily routine is.

I've lived carfree in Cleveland and found it a lot more limiting than here. A major difference in Chicago is that the city is a lot more self-contained... if you live in one of the key urban neighborhoods, you find that everything you want is pretty accessible without traveling great distances, and there's little need to travel to the suburbs for anything. In fact, you can pretty much forget the suburbs even exist.
I live in East Lakeview. I find that 95 percent of everything I could ever want is within six miles or so of where I live. I rarely venture further south than Chinatown, and I almost never go to the suburbs at all, except for occasional jaunts to Evanston and Oak Park.

When I first moved here, however, my job was in Hoffman Estates in an area with no public transportation, so a car was a must no matter where I lived. Again, it all depends on your personal situation.

Exactly!

You hit the nail on the head there.

And I think it is the very basis of this very thread.

Living in a self-contained urban world where you can forget that the suburbs even exist has a lot to do with why this very thread was created. Because if you can forget that the suburbs even exist, and one doesn't travel south of Chinatown, it can very much change people, and it attracts those who specifically want to live in that very environment, and therefore other environments don't do it for them.

Not that thats a bad thing, its great that we have a city in the midwest that offers that kind of lifestyle, but it but I think it is the very foundation of why this thread was started.

[aragx6]

Originally Posted by Payne222

Ok, even people living in the city go to the suburbs for shopping, entertainment, family, friends, etc. Are none of you guys from here?

And renting a car? No, you do that when you fly somewhere on vacation. This isn't New York where you rent a car to go out of the city.

Shopping: Better in the city

Family: No, I wasn't from Chicago

Friends: They all lived in the city or otherwise accessible via public transit

And why can't you rent a car to go out of the city? Rates are actually very reasonable on the weekends.

[Lorielicious]

I was with you all this time, Payne, but now you're just talking crazy. I'm in Chicago and I'm supposed to get my entertainment where exactly? Naperville?

I'm not from here, no, so all of my friends are city dwellers as well. I suppose if this were my home turf I would have friends and family members who lived elsewhere, and I'd want a car. Hell, I live in the city and not having a car is irritating at times, but I'm not sold on this idea of leaving the city to eat and shop in the suburbs. "Hey guys, let's go to an art show and then dinner in Schaumburg!" No. That's silly.

[Tex?Il?]

Originally Posted by Kamms

Other than the area bounded by Roosevelt/Ashland/Irving Park and the Lake, Illinois really sucks as well. Please expound on the virtues of Illinois vs. Ohio; it's amazing to hear the square/box midwest states put each other down.

Very true. Outside of those boundaries, Chicago (either city of suburbs) offers little that other midwest metros don't offer.

Chicago is all about downtown and the near north side.

And its just my opinion, but if you don't live within those boundaries, you really shouldn't be claiming it as your own anymore than someone who lives in New Jersey claims NYC. (which they often don't. They say they are from New Jersey even if they lived in Hoboken).

And Paynes comment about the "the only thing great about Ohio is Cedar Point and Kings Island"

Wow. Its like saying the only great thing about Chicago is Navy Pier and the John Hancock!"

[Payne222]

Originally Posted by Lorielicious

I was with you all this time, Payne, but now you're just talking crazy. I'm in Chicago and I'm supposed to get my entertainment where exactly? Naperville?

I'm not from here, no, so all of my friends are city dwellers as well. I suppose if this were my home turf I would have friends and family members who lived elsewhere, and I'd want a car. Hell, I live in the city and not having a car is irritating at times, but I'm not sold on this idea of leaving the city to eat and shop in the suburbs. "Hey, guys, go to an art show and then dinner in Schaumburg!" No. That's silly.

I'm not saying go everyday, but there's stuff out in Arlington Heights (track a main one) and then stuff like Six Flags in Gurnee. Also being from the area there's restaurants you like to go eat at in some suburbs, family is a big part of it. Also I play soccer at a certain park in Niles because of the Poles I know there.

I just think you're looking down on anywhere not in the city because you're not from here and you just know all of the city.

But you guys have a right to think that I guess. I'm just used to being all over Chicagoland like all of my friends and family because we're all from here and know of stuff in other towns and what not too.

Also, Bridgeview. Fire games and concerts.

[aragx6]

You really like theme parks, eh? Rather than going to Six Flags, Id rather drive out to Cedar Point anyway!

And AH has a metra station.

[Payne222]

Originally Posted by aragx6

You really like theme parks, eh? Rather than going to Six Flags, Id rather drive out to Cedar Point anyway!

And AH has a metra station.

Haha my friends and I 2 Summers ago went on a road trip hitting up theme parks. Here, Quebec, Massachusetts, New York and Ohio were the states with the theme parks, but we stopped everywhere in between.

[Tex?Il?]

Originally Posted by Payne222

It sounds like you've never left Chicago to do anything else in Illinois. First off, there's all of Cook County that has plenty of landmarks and things to do. There's the Brookfield Zoo, Schaumburg has Legoland and Gameworks and stuff, Arlington Heights has Mitsuwa, There's the various fests across the Chicagoland area throughout the year, mostly during the Summer. There's the Chain 'O Lakes, Six Flags, down in Ottawa we've got Starved Rock and stuff. There's Galena. I could go on.But I'm a native, this is my home, Chicago. The Second City.
I'm proud of where I cam from and everywhere I've gone, yeah there are places I liked and even loved and some I hated. But at the end of the day none of them are Chicago, none of them are home. That is why Chicago, Chicagoland and Illinois are the best.

I'm sure you take great pride in wherever you come from, and that's great! But you have to think lots of us are from here and we take great pride in it.



Well I mean, c'mon. Whoever says you don't need a car is a complete stoonad. Not unless you wanna be bound to only certain parts of the city or take hours on the bus/Metra to get elsewhere. That sounds like stuff someone's who's not from the area would say, you don't need a car.

Dude, your clueless.

I'm glad that you are proud of that stuff, and those are some great things (Legoland, are expecting me to take that seriously?).

ALL of those things can be found in within the metro areas of Detroit, Cleveland, Cincinnati, and St. Louis. Trust me, they ALL have good zoos, great upscale suburban malls, some ethnic grocery stores, festivals, etc. All of them have charming vacation towns and beautiful natural areas.

Like I said, its good to have pride, and those things are great. But if you think Ohio sucks, then very logically based on everything you listed which can be found in Ohio, then everything outside Roosevelt, Ashland, and Irving Park . . . sucks. (which it doesn't of course).

You don't like Ohio. You don't want to explore it. Thats cool. Just trying to put together logical arguments.

[Payne222]

Originally Posted by Tex?Il?

You don't like Ohio. You don't want to explore it. Thats cool. Just trying to put together logical arguments.

Didn't I say that end of the day no matter what since it's not home it'll never be the best? That's it.

[oakparkdude]

Originally Posted by Tex?Il?

And its just my opinion, but if you don't live within those boundaries, you really shouldn't be claiming it as your own anymore than someone who lives in New Jersey claims NYC. (which they often don't. They say they are from New Jersey even if they lived in Hoboken).

So if you live in Galewood you shouldn't claim to be a Chicagoan? Really?