Is Chicago Tourism mostly Domestic? (Fulton, Manhattan: how much, houses, tax)

[urbanlife78]

Originally Posted by marothisu

I think of NYC as I do baseball. Baseball is "America's Pasttime" even though other sports have probably overtaken baseball.

NYC is a great city no doubt, but anybody who's traveled to other cities around the world knows there are other cities on par if not better than NYC.

Oh I think of Chicago when I think of baseball, but that is because I love Wrigley Field.

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by urbanlife78

Oh I think of Chicago when I think of baseball, but that is because I love Wrigley Field.

I didn't mean it that way. My point was that people THINK of NYC as the #1 thing, like baseball is supposedly still #1 in america for sports, but it's really not anymore (there are greater cities in the world).

[jahk]

[quote]

Originally Posted by marothisu

I'd 75% agree with the "same stores as any mid-sized city mall" has. However, there are many places on Michigan that most places do not have i.e. Chanel, Gucci, Cartier, Tiffany & Co, even Top Shop/Top Man, even Zara you aren't going to find in a Des Moines or Indianapolis.

There's also the convenience of having all these stores on the same street. You can hit a good number of them in one day, and the whole lot of them in a weekend, and do it all without needing a cab, car, or bus.

For an out-of-town visitor, going to the independents means figuring out how to get there, and running the risk of spending a good chunk of your shopping time getting to a store that turns out not to be as exciting as its reputation. On Michigan Ave, if a store is a dud, just go on to the next.

[rparz]

Don't forget the sizable immigrant population / first gens, and family members that come here to visit them.

[sunnyandcloudydays]

There has been studies completed and foreign travelers are willing to open their wallet, billfold and purse.

Go to Aurora someweekend to premium outlets and you will see the influence of international travel.

They spend money here and travel the region.

[urbanpln]

[i][i][i]

Originally Posted by marothisu

One of the things that helps New York and LA out is that they are more diverse. I'm not saying Chicago isn't, because it is here, but I find things rather homogeneous here in many areas and when I think of a lot of areas like Lincoln Park, Lakeview,Irving Park, etc..it's all the same area to me.

True but Chicago is also very diverse when compared with most cities in this country and the world. Orlando and Las Vegas are one industry towns. Chicago is certainly a much more complex city. There are also many neighborhoods that have different personalities. Parts of Wicker Park are very different from Lincoln Park. Logan Square has a totally different vibe. So does Bridgeport, Pilsen, and the Fulton Market District. There are different hoods uptown that have very different vibes. Do you get out much?

[/quote] As a coworker of mine from the east coast pointed out...the arts scene here is pretty sad compared to other areas. It exists here, but there's not a ton of areas where you go and you're like "wow this area is...different..").[/quote]

Your co worker sounds like the typical east coast snob. The fact is, we have a great cultural scene. It is significant and interesting. Paris or Barcelona do not have a better theater scene than London. London's art scene is probably larger than Paris when you consider the vast amount of wealth that city has but, all three cities attract tons of tourist each year.

The point I'm trying to make is that Chicago is dynamic enough. Why do we continue to try and compare it to other cities. It is a great city that is unique. It just has not done a good job of marketing itself. My advice to you is travel the world. You will find that every place on the map has something to offer. You will also realize that this city has a lot to offer the world.

[/quote] I think a lot of things have to do with what the cities are known for. LA is known for celebrities and movies while NYC is just known for a lot of different things (art, celebrities, tall buildings, history, etc).[/quote]

Exactly, they have a better marketing machine in place. Being a big media center gives you a big advantage. Other cities that are not media centers do very well with attracting international tourist. They just had to work harder at it (Las Vegas, Barcelona, Florence, Montreal, Toronto). Chicago needs to really get its message right about what it has to offer.

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by urbanpln

[i][i][i]

True but Chicago is also very diverse when compared with most cities in this country and the world. Orlando and Las Vegas are one industry towns. Chicago is certainly a much more complex city. There are also many neighborhoods that have different personalities. Parts of Wicker Park are very different from Lincoln Park. Logan Square has a totally different vibe. So does Bridgeport, Pilsen, and the Fulton Market District. There are different hoods uptown that have very different vibes. Do you get out much?

I agree. Compared to other US cities, it's fine. I meant compared to the other large cities it seems more homogeneous, BUT it's still diverse. No doubt there. The diversity might be more spread out though here. Not sure if that makes sense.

Your co worker sounds like the typical east coast snob. The fact is, we have a great cultural scene. It is significant and interesting. Paris or Barcelona do not have a better theater scene than London. London's art scene is probably larger than Paris when you consider the vast amount of wealth that city has but, all three cities attract tons of tourist each year.

He's actually a veryy cool and humble guy, but maybe for the arts stuff...because he went to art school on the east coast..he's a little upset in the scene here or something.

The point I'm trying to make is that Chicago is dynamic enough. Why do we continue to try and compare it to other cities. It is a great city that is unique. It just has not done a good job of marketing itself. My advice to you is travel the world. You will find that every place on the map has something to offer. You will also realize that this city has a lot to offer the world.

Exactly, they have a better marketing machine in place. Being a big media center gives you a big advantage. Other cities that are not media centers do very well with attracting international tourist. They just had to work harder at it (Las Vegas, Barcelona, Florence, Montreal, Toronto). Chicago needs to really get its message right about what it has to offer.

Yes, exactly. Just need more marketing. Hell, I'm reminded of Montana almost everytime I ride the El because there's ads up everywhere about it..

[rparz]

Originally Posted by urbanpln

Exactly, they have a better marketing machine in place. Being a big media center gives you a big advantage. Other cities that are not media centers do very well with attracting international tourist. They just had to work harder at it (Las Vegas, Barcelona, Florence, Montreal, Toronto). Chicago needs to really get its message right about what it has to offer.

Rahm needs to work out a deal with hometown hero's Leo Burnett and get going on this marketing push.

[japster28]

We get plenty of international tourists, just not as much as NYC, LA, LV, and Miami. I would say we could actually be on the safe level as SF in international tourism imo. We're also getting more and more global regocnition every year to the point where we can bump ourselves up to the cities mentioned in international tourists.

[urbanpln]

Originally Posted by japster28

We get plenty of international tourists, just not as much as NYC, LA, LV, and Miami. I would say we could actually be on the safe level as SF in international tourism imo. We're also getting more and more global regocnition every year to the point where we can bump ourselves up to the cities mentioned in international tourists.

We could do better. It's going to take money, time and serious effort but, it can be done. I used to live in Miami. It's a interesting city but, is nowhere near Chicago on the dynamic scale. I've been to Las Vegas a bunch of times. Outside the strip it's bland. Orlando! Please, it's not a real city. I have nothing against those places. They are all fine towns but, Chicago has far more depth. It is not a light weight culturally.