And People say its the best city in the world? LOL (Chicago: 2013, taxes)

[PerseusVeil]

Originally Posted by mookfish

Yes I am planning a move to LA. Born and raised here but I think it is time for a change. Dont get me wrong, great summer city, unfortunately that lasts only 4 months of the year.

You were born and raised here and you thought that Navy Pier and Lake Shore Drive weren't usable 8 months out of the year?

[mookfish]

Obviously some exaggeration, but what does a city like LA or NYC, which does have milder winters usually, not have that Chicago does? Food, culture, museums, skyline(who cares really?), nightlife, etc are great in both these cities so why not have some tolerable weather. Plus, I enjoy outdoor type of activities like hiking and biking so obviously Southern California would be good for me. To each their own, I guess I set off a nerve in this thread.

[HomeIsWhere...]

Originally Posted by mookfish

This weather alone makes this city second tier. What does this city offer that other major cities do not? Half the things are not even doable 8 months of the year(beaches, navy pier, LSD etc.) Cannot wait to move to warm weather. End of rant.

Sorry to hear you are not enjoying our Chicago winter...it has been rather harsh this year and many here feel the same.

Now that I have said that, however, I must disagree wholeheartedly to your statement that Chicago is a second tier city. The criteria and attributes which determine a world class (global) alpha city are not determined by weather but rather the economic contribution, leadership and success in facilitating finance and trade in the global economy and its influence on world affairs.

A primer in the event you may be interested.

Saskia Sassen

Saskia Sassen - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In the meantime perhaps you will consider a vacation (or permanent move?) to one of these more balmy destinations.

Best regards,

HomeIsWhere...


Florida's coastline is world class

Florida travel guide - Wikitravel

Honolulu...
today is a sophisticated, cosmopolitan city that’s also on the doorstep to some world class beaches.

Honolulu | City Pictures, Accommodation, Restaurants, Travel

San Diego

Leading collaborative efforts to bring innovation to market are centered around the world-class institutions like the University of California, San Diego

John Paul the Great Catholic University

South Africa

Rugby, soccer and cricket are also very popular with Durban boasting world class stadia for all major sports.

Durban, KwaZulu Natal

Australia

World Class Golf courses

Cairns Australia Region Attractions & Tours - Cairns Accommodation

[chet everett]

Although monkfish seems, even to me, to be excessively narrow in his range of positives (beaches, Navy Pier, LSD ? Are you kidding me...). That said anyone that really thinks about it should be critical of what Chicago lacks for it's size.

I have been to cities in Canada that do have a much nicer way of dealing with the inevitable challenges of harsh winters -- Chicago really has crappy indoor spaces in the Loop. The look standing policy of only giving spaces in the State of Illinois food court to connected morons with awful chain fast food makes for one miserable excuse of what could be a great asset. The excessive efforts of the Chicago Public Library to run an "anti-bum" policy means it takes a whole lot of effort to get to the indoor roof garden. The handful of office buildings that have public atrium type space are not connected to one another and often have no real "programming" in the sometimes lovely cavernous space. Clearly cities like Montreal and Toronto are doing many things a whole lot better than the bozos in Rahm's adminstration...

The other major short coming of this region when it comes not just to this stretch of unusual supercold weather but also the often cool spring weather and damp autumn is a dearth of what I'd call "semi-outdoor pavilions". I've been to even very small towns in Wisconsin that have a good understanding of the fact that when you provide a heated bathroom, some shelter from the wind and maybe a covered table to keep your head dry it makes things so much easier to take the dog for a longer walk, play a little early season soccer, worry less about being stuck in a sudden deluge, and just generally extending the enjoyment of the outdoors. Now the reality of gang-bangers outnumbering cops, and other idiots that will deface / dismantle / destroy anything might explain why such structures are rare in someplace like Humbolt Park, but the fact is that in the further-out, peaceful reaches of Cook Co Forest Preserves there is a shocking lack of so simple a thing. Sadly the budget issues that they've had with bloated payrolls of do-nothing connected employees are undoubtedly a major factor. Worse this same kind of ultra-minimalist lack of amenities is copied by DuPage and Lake Co as well.

It comes down to not just money but priorities -- head across the border to even the one time armpit of SE Wisconsin, Kenosha, where AMC Gremlin & Pacer motors were once assembled by hard drinking round the clock shift workers and now they have a nice waterfront and a drop dead gorgeous community fitness / sports center with pools and ice rinks that look more like a Olympic facility than woefully undersized for such a huge city that even the cleaned-up McFretridge ice center. It is really sad that years of wasted tax dollars are probably lining the pockets of connected insiders while families in Chicago have inferior acces compared cities a fraction as large...

[NARFALICIOUS]

Originally Posted by mookfish

Obviously some exaggeration, but what does a city like LA or NYC, which does have milder winters usually, not have that Chicago does? Food, culture, museums, skyline(who cares really?), nightlife, etc are great in both these cities so why not have some tolerable weather. Plus, I enjoy outdoor type of activities like hiking and biking so obviously Southern California would be good for me. To each their own, I guess I set off a nerve in this thread.

- NYC's winter is comparable with Chicago with just as much rain, slightly less snow, and slightly higher lows than Chicago. Highs are basically even.
New York City - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Climate of Chicago - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

- LA does not have the public transportation that Chicago has. Chicago, like NYC is a place where you don't need to own a vehicle if you don't want to.

- Traffic and commute times in NYC and LA is worse than Chicago

- NYC has more rats than Chicago

- California has more tolls

- California has much higher tax

- California is much more regulated



All this being said, I wouldn't mind living in NYC, but I was in love with Chicago as soon as I knew what love was.

I always laugh at people who can't handle the weather. I hate it too but I've learned to handle it, PREPARE for it, and live with it. Winter is a great equalizer, keeps rats and bugs down in what would be a dirtier environment otherwise.

[Chicago South Sider]

Originally Posted by mookfish

This weather alone makes this city second tier. What does this city offer that other major cities do not? Half the things are not even doable 8 months of the year(beaches, navy pier, LSD etc.) Cannot wait to move to warm weather. End of rant.

Well, it could always be worse unless you live here:

Yahoo!

[PerseusVeil]

Originally Posted by mookfish

Obviously some exaggeration, but what does a city like LA or NYC, which does have milder winters usually, not have that Chicago does? Food, culture, museums, skyline(who cares really?), nightlife, etc are great in both these cities so why not have some tolerable weather. Plus, I enjoy outdoor type of activities like hiking and biking so obviously Southern California would be good for me. To each their own, I guess I set off a nerve in this thread.

I'll start with the bolded part; what were you expecting when you created this thread? You put "LOL" in your title, called Chicago second tier because of its weather, and then you concluded your post with a ridiculous statement. It wasn't an exaggerated one, it was just a completely incorrect one. There is a difference. It's not like you made a constructive original post dealing with the things you don't like about Chicago, and then you were met with negativity.

As for the rest of your post, NYC is the only American city that has the vast majority of its bases covered, so I'll leave NYC out of the discussion, but, going by the criteria you've listed, LA only has Chicago clearly beat when it comes to weather and outdoor activities. Chicago has the better skyline, arguably better museums, the city's main tourist attractions are fairly well clustered and easy to get to, and Chicago's public transit system is clearly superior. As for culture, food, and nightlife, those are all highly subjective, and it's going to depend on what you're looking for. Chicago is no slouch in those categories, however.

Los Angeles is a great city, and I do enjoy visiting it, so I hope you enjoy your move there. I will say that I hope you have a car though, because it's going to be far harder to navigate Los Angeles than it is Chicago.

[MichiVegas]

Originally Posted by NARFALICIOUS

- NYC's winter is comparable with Chicago with just as much rain, slightly less snow, and slightly higher lows than Chicago. Highs are basically even. .

This is definitely not true. NYC winters are significantly warmer than those of Chicago, and NYC receives significantly less snow.

This winter I have been back and forth between these cities a couple of times, and Chicago has been consistently 20 degrees colder. It has been rough everywhere in the Eastern U.S. this winter, but EXTREMELY rough in the country's midsection, including Chicago.

The good thing is that this winter is a huge outlier. You can't judge any city's winter based on this year. Last winter in Chicago was fine, and most winters are not that bad.

[RarelyOffended]

NYC receives less snow? lol

[probablyimnotsure]

Originally Posted by NARFALICIOUS

- NYC's winter is comparable with Chicago with just as much rain, slightly less snow, and slightly higher lows than Chicago. Highs are basically even.
New York City - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Climate of Chicago - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

- LA does not have the public transportation that Chicago has. Chicago, like NYC is a place where you don't need to own a vehicle if you don't want to.

- Traffic and commute times in NYC and LA is worse than Chicago

- NYC has more rats than Chicago

- California has more tolls

- California has much higher tax

- California is much more regulated



All this being said, I wouldn't mind living in NYC, but I was in love with Chicago as soon as I knew what love was.

I always laugh at people who can't handle the weather. I hate it too but I've learned to handle it, PREPARE for it, and live with it. Winter is a great equalizer, keeps rats and bugs down in what would be a dirtier environment otherwise.

Traffic and commute times are very close to being as bad as LA from what I've read on the forums, and from what I've heard from people who live there.

Doesn't Illinois have higher property taxes than California?