what down south city would be most similar to chicago?? (Nashville: insurance, living in)

[Peter1948]

Originally Posted by C. Maurio

No southern city would be much like Chicago because the cities of the south are relatively new. I guess Atlanta Georgia would be the closest because it has tall buildings (it is the only city in the south with a 1000 ft building), subways and a fair amount of Chicago Vienna Beef hot dog places and Chicago sports bars. Lots of ex Chicagoans reside there as well. Also Atlanta's climate is more moderate in the summer time. It is generally less humid and less hot because it is highly elevated in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. 100 degrees there happens but is unusual.

Hmm. I disagree. Size wise ATL is most similar. But from a cultural standpoint, in an odd way, Louisville is more similar, only with a southern flair. There are lots of Chicago transplants in Louisville, a few good Chicago style dog places, and a growing number of core urban neighborhoods.

In fact, like Chicago, Louisville is a city of compact urban neighborhoods. Also, like Chicago, there is a huge emphasis on arts and dining. The restaurants in Louisville are phenomenal. Although Louisville has a metro area 25% the size of ATL, I would say the restaurants, especially their accessibility in the urban core, are as good or better. The neighborhoods are where the action is. And it is less than 5 hours down I-65.

If the OP wants much better weather, no traffic, and lower cost of living with a city that is very neighborhood oriented like Chicago, then I think Louisville is the best bet.

This website provides a brief overview of some of the local nabes in Louisville attracting people to the area:

Discover | New2Lou

Also keep in mind that for much of the 19th and part of the early 20th centuries, it was Louisville and New Orleans which were the largest southern cities. By far.

[Peter1948]

Originally Posted by ChiNaan

You really won't find anything like Great Lakes-area cities in the South, just like you won't find anything like Miami, Atlanta, or Charlotte in the North.

The closest would probably be river cities like New Orleans or Memphis, but even that is a stretch.

I don't think you're going to find crime rates to be much better in the South, in general, and you're going to find HUMID heat, not dry heat. (I, too, cracked up at the idea of Houston being dry.) The Southwest is where you'll find the dry heat.

Those are good options too. I think the 3 old southern river cities (New Orleans, Memphis, and Louisville) should be where the OP focuses her search. Louisville seems to be the natural fit since it is so close to home. In fact, when I lived in Louisville and needed a bigger city, it was nice being able to skip up to Chicago for a few days to visit family and go shopping or to a bears game. I lived in Louisville so cheaply I actually enjoyed Chicago more from afar, because I was actually able to afford to do things there. When I lived in Lakeview, I found myself "stuck in a rut," the daily grind and the cold preventing me from enjoying all the cultural amenities that make up Chi!

[bellhead]

Originally Posted by urbanlife78

I am sure Atlanta has a lot of amazing things about it, I have friends that live there and love it, but it is definitely no Chicago. And I really don't think any modern city today that has seen its population growth in more recent years than 100 years ago will ever have a similar look and feel as Chicago unless we have a city that fully takes on the demand of creating a massive public transit system that could compete with Chicago or NYC.

Atlanta is a naturally beautiful city because of the hills being on the edge of the Piedmont range. It also has a great culture to it, but it's growth is going to be limited unless it goes up and more dense. Doing this will require a massive public transportation upgrade. Also Atlanta has grown by plucking companies from around the country by offering tax incentives. Ga. and Texas where the two leading states but now the rest of the country has caught on and they cannot rely on this anymore. This is why a world class university is needed in order to spur growth. The biggest problem is the state has cut education funding statewide by about $ 2 billion in order to balance the budget, while giving out massive tax breaks to benefactor companies.

[DoneWithDallas]

I guess I don't see the appeal of Atlanta. It's like a Houston to me.

[urbanlife78]

Originally Posted by DoneWithDallas

I guess I don't see the appeal of Atlanta. It's like a Houston to me.

Basically it is a city built in the era of the car and was built around the car much like Houston was. If you took the land size of Houston and Chicago, you could fit two and a half Chicagos into Houston, which would make Houston's population almlst 6 million within the city limits if that was done.

[ChiNaan]

Originally Posted by Peter1948

the 3 old southern river cities (New Orleans, Memphis, and Louisville)

I wouldn't put Louisville in the same category as the Mississippi River cities. It doesn't have that same kind of feel to me.

[Peter1948]

Originally Posted by ChiNaan

I wouldn't put Louisville in the same category as the Mississippi River cities. It doesn't have that same kind of feel to me.

How many times have you been there? It is very similar just with more of a Midwest vibe. Louisville is actually bigger than New Orleans and roughly the same size as Memphis.

[ChiNaan]

Originally Posted by Peter1948

It is very similar just with more of a Midwest vibe.

I'd say more of an Appalachian vibe, actually. I'd lump it in more with Cincinnati. More of a backwoods feel than the more historically cosmopolitan feel of the Mississippi River cities, IMO.

[LILRAZORHOG]

Originally Posted by mscbrown

I live in Wisconsin and have visited chicago a million times due to my family living there and I LOVE it, especially the down town area with the electric/exciting vibe!

BUT the crime is out of hand and as a young african american single women probably not the best city for me

SO I thought down south would be a little better, cross paths with some southern gentlemen and some good southern cooking lol

BUT I need that same electric feel where it feels like a CITY not a town! Where I feel like i'm living and not just existing! I will only move to humid tropical climates so my top choices where

Jacksonville, FL, Charlotte, NC, Louisville, KY and Nashville, TN. I was looking into places like houston and dallas but the weather alone would make me miserable I hate dry heat !!!

Cities down south are no safer than up north. Learn more about the weather and culture BEFORE you move down south. If you don't you're in for a culture shock.

[Tex?Il?]

Originally Posted by LILRAZORHOG

Cities down south are no safer than up north. Learn more about the weather and culture BEFORE you move down south. If you don't you're in for a culture shock.

I know. I Actually like big Southern cities, and there are certian things that I actually like about them even more than Chicago most notably natural forested parks/neighborhoods right in the middle of the action of the urban core (Piedmont Park, Atlanta, Memorial Park, Houston (Chicagoland only has natural forest in the suburbs) as well as a larger classy/affluent minority population (more options for neighborhoods that are both nice/safe AND diverse).

But when people think that Southern cities are safer and have less crime than Chicago, I'm like huh?? If anything crime problems are more widespread in southern cities than in Chicago. Its not did they NOT do any research on Memphis, New Orleans, even Atlanta, etc? And while they may have southern cooking in many places, the cities are just that . . . cities. Its not some 21st century version of gone with the wind. Atlanta, Dallas, and Houston, are just southern versions of cosmopolitan cities.