Is there a catch with Chicago? (Harvard, Manhattan: wealthy, celebrities, deal)

[Attrill]

Originally Posted by PA Born

If you are in Chicago, be prepared to have everything be very Midwest-focused (ie everyone into Big Ten sports, lots of Indiana/Illinois/Wisconsin/Michigan local stuff I wasn't familiar with, and kind of provincial sometimes). Be prepared to have some very different conversations in social gatherings. You will be considered weird if you want to discuss arts, or politics, or anything non-local.

Just one person's opinion, though. I could be happy anywhere if in a good situation.

It sounds like you never left Lincoln Park or Lakeview, or hung out with anyone not attending a college. The main topics of conversations I have with people are politics, food/drink, art/design, books, and building/fabricating things. I've been in Chicago for 20 years and I don't even know who's in the big 10, or anyone who follows a big 10 team. There's some talk about pro sports (especially Blackhawks and Bulls recently) - but no more than I saw growing up in Boston or living in NYC.

[mjtinmemphis]

I guess I don't hang out with midwestern folks.
Most of my hangout people outside of work are from the East coast. But I can't deny the Midwest vibe of Chicago. It isn't bad or good. It is a fact.

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by Attrill

It sounds like you never left Lincoln Park or Lakeview, or hung out with anyone not attending a college. The main topics of conversations I have with people are politics, food/drink, art/design, books, and building/fabricating things. I've been in Chicago for 20 years and I don't even know who's in the big 10, or anyone who follows a big 10 team. There's some talk about pro sports (especially Blackhawks and Bulls recently) - but no more than I saw growing up in Boston or living in NYC.

This. Exactly this.

I do have my "YEAH SPORTS!!!" friends and I have friends who are like "Bulls, cool" but are still very politics, art/music, etc driven for the most part. I have many friends who don't even watch sports. It's hilarious to me to hear people say that everyone is like "YEAH BIG 10! SPORTS! GWARRRRHHHHRHRHRHR"

It's ****ing obvious these people who say that never left Lincoln Park, Old Town, or part of Lakeview or River North for that fact. Yeah, it exists, but there's tons of people in the city who are nothing like that. TONS.

[do sum'n]

what caused the downtown and other parts to develop along the lake? was the economy based there near the water? i kno theres a port there too, do the ships go to/from canada or where?

[Attrill]

Originally Posted by do sum'n

what caused the downtown and other parts to develop along the lake? was the economy based there near the water? i kno theres a port there too, do the ships go to/from canada or where?

Pretty much. When Chicago first began to grow the Erie canal and shipping was the main method of transport. Larger ships would arrive in Chicago with manufactured goods to be sold to settlers to the West, and return with grain and lumber to be brought from Erie to NYC by barge. Later as the railroads were built they were built in Chicago, since it had already become a main trading point due to shipping. Some goods (like lumber and grains) continued to be shipped by boat/barge, but more perishable items (like livestock and later meat) were sent East by rail. The fact that the farmers sold in Chicago, and Eastern merchants bought in Chicago made it a massive trading center. The modern concepts of Commodities Trading and grading grain, meat etc. were invented in Chicago.

[do sum'n]

is there any trade activity like this going on in the lake today?

[raleightransplant]

Originally Posted by PA Born

I did, for grad school, and then I moved back to the NY area.

They are very different places. And the people are quite different. It was a bit of an adjustment.

I had a decent time in Chicago, but it wasn't for me. The Midwest isn't my favorite part of the country, though I was happy with my graduate program.

Overall I'm much happier on the East Coast, and prefer the NYC vibe. If you are in Chicago, be prepared to have everything be very Midwest-focused (ie everyone into Big Ten sports, lots of Indiana/Illinois/Wisconsin/Michigan local stuff I wasn't familiar with, and kind of provincial sometimes). Be prepared to have some very different conversations in social gatherings. You will be considered weird if you want to discuss arts, or politics, or anything non-local.

Just one person's opinion, though. I could be happy anywhere if in a good situation.

What? This is just not true. Hell..my girlfriend is from Thailand, doesn't even KNOW about sports. I would say 95 percent of my friends and work acquaintances are the same way...just don't care and prefer Chicago's amazing art, food and music scenes. She lives in Logan Square, and I'm there all the time. You can't even FIND sports bars in Logan Square. There are tons and tons of neighborhoods and people all over this city that could care less about sports or don't even know about them period. If you're in Lincoln Park, or whatever..of course you'll have more sports fans. Other parts of the city..Pilsen, Logan Square, Hyde Park, etc., are VERY art focused and have no cares for sports. Chicago just like NYC, Boston, Philly, etc., is a great sports town.....but for anyone to insist that people are all one way in a metro area of 10 MILLION PEOPLE is patently absurd and/or ignorant.

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by raleightransplant

What? This is just not true. Hell..my girlfriend is from Thailand, doesn't even KNOW about sports. I would say 95 percent of my friends and work acquaintances are the same way

Yeah, my girlfriend is from Malaysia and she barely knows anything about American sports outside of Jeremy Lin (LOL..serious) and most of her friends are the same.

[Swandaddy]

And even on the concept of sports -- not everybody who is into sports in some way or another is some dumb illiterate knucklehead. Us sports fans who have an in-depth knowledge of sports, but also a realistic perspective of its appropriate place in society do find that this city can be an outstanding place to enjoy sports.

To wit, the most engaging conversation I've had with sports in the last year was a 45 minute conversation with a Harvard educated architecture professor who rarely follows sports about how teams try to manage the game clock in American football and leverage their respective advantages versus their opponents.

[probablyimnotsure]

Originally Posted by Swandaddy

And even on the concept of sports -- not everybody who is into sports in some way or another is some dumb illiterate knucklehead. Us sports fans who have an in-depth knowledge of sports, but also a realistic perspective of its appropriate place in society do find that this city can be an outstanding place to enjoy sports.

To wit, the most engaging conversation I've had with sports in the last year was a 45 minute conversation with a Harvard educated architecture professor who rarely follows sports about how teams try to manage the game clock in American football and leverage their respective advantages versus their opponents.

Let's be honest most sports fans are not like your Harvard friend. They get really into it cause it offers an escape.