Chicago is the slowest-growing big city in the US (Avon: median income, place to live)

[PerseusVeil]

Originally Posted by Avondalist

This is a great post, but I think there's a fourth factor you're not mentioning, WEATHER. Chicago has cold, continental winters and overcast skies half of the year. All things being equal, and I agree that over time national integration will make policies and economies equal, I would prefer to live in Los Angeles for the weather.

Cold weather and fresh water supplies used to be an advantage for office work and manufacturing, respectively. But the former does not matter anymore because of air conditioning and manufacturing has moved elsewhere for different reasons. The latter still is a great advantage for Chicago, as well as its central location for transportation of goods.

Unfortunately for Chicago, it will have a major weather disadvantage into the future.

Nice weather is certainly an added bonus, but I wouldn't necessarily call it an end all. If it was, then places like Boston and New York would be seeing problems, but instead they remain two very desirable cities. The same also goes for Minneapolis, which was just estimated to have grown at a rate of 4.6% between 2012 and 2013.

[thefallensrvnge]

Originally Posted by Avondalist

This is a great post, but I think there's a fourth factor you're not mentioning, WEATHER. Chicago has cold, continental winters and overcast skies half of the year. All things being equal, and I agree that over time national integration will make policies and economies equal, I would prefer to live in Los Angeles for the weather.

Cold weather and fresh water supplies used to be an advantage for office work and manufacturing, respectively. But the former does not matter anymore because of air conditioning and manufacturing has moved elsewhere for different reasons. The latter still is a great advantage for Chicago, as well as its central location for transportation of goods.

Unfortunately for Chicago, it will have a major weather disadvantage into the future.

On the flip side though, I'll bet Chicago's location next one of the largest bodies of fresh water in the world and placement above sea-level will be advantageous in the future. We might not have Los Angeles's year-round summer, but we aren't facing the level of environmental issues they have (and will continue to have). As a city, I'd rather try to adapt to economic changes than environmental ones.

[Standard111]

I think weather plays a role, but is not a major issue. Minneapolis, to take one example, has much more rapid population growth, and much worse weather. Plenty of cities with cold weather have healthy population growth.

[Bucktownbabe]

Originally Posted by Avondalist

More people compared to what?

Cities compared to burbs. Now compared to the Boomer generation, who greatly preferred suburbs.

Originally Posted by Avondalist

This is more a comment on the suburbs, where 75% of the people in the metro area live. I grew up in the western boom burbs when Naperville went from 30,000 people to 140,000 in about 20 years. The feeling out there is totally different now.

Ah, I see. Yeah, I never much liked the "feeling" of the suburbs, so I can't really comment on what has or hasn't changed out there. It doesn't surprise me that they're not growing anymore, though. I assumed we were discussing the city of Chicago, since this is the Chicago forum, and there is a separate Chicago Suburbs forum.

[Lollapalooza773]

Mmm, that is odd to me. I just came back from chicago and have seen a lot of development from dwntwn to rogers park.

[chiMT]

Imagine this: the city could completely change without the population increasing.

[rzzz]

Originally Posted by Standard111

I think weather plays a role, but is not a major issue. Minneapolis, to take one example, has much more rapid population growth, and much worse weather. Plenty of cities with cold weather have healthy population growth.

The weather in Minneapolis is very similar to Chicago. It is on average ten degrees colder than Chicago in December, January and February. That's about the only difference. Chicago is about twice as wet in the fall and spring and gets the bone chilling wind tunnel effect downtown which Minneapolis does not have.

Minneapolis is a lot cheaper and smaller than Chicagoland. Half of Minneapolis's growth is in low income families, followed by medium income. It is a lot easier to have a higher quality of life on a limited income in Minneapolis than it is in Chicago.

[goofy328]

Originally Posted by Avondalist

There article is here. Crain's Chicago Business : Subscription Center

Chicago is growing more slowly than Philadelphia, Indianapolis, and Columbus.

Even more surprising, the suburbs are barely growing at all.

I can feel a loss of energy in the air here since the 80s and 90s.

How is Chicago going to get out of this rut?

Its only a rut if people are leaving Chicagoland. Nothing wrong with standing still, no place in America is as exciting as it was in the 80s and 90s that issue is so much bigger than Chicago.

[mjtinmemphis]

Chicago is different for different people.

If you walk around Chatham and ask the long time Chicago residents if they would like to leave Chicago you will probably be surprised at how many are not happy with living in the city. Many have said "the city isn't what it use to be". The older residents stay because of commitments to their jobs and families. Many young African Americans are leaving the city after graduation. (They tend to head to the southeast). The ones who stay find very little upward mobility for many different reasons. There seemed to be more of an outward migration of African Americans than there are moving in.

If you walk around Lincoln Park and ask residents what they think of living there it will be different. The response would be more like what has been expressed in this forum.

I think Chicagos story is more complicated than many realize. If you never talk with the south and the West siders, you will never know what they are thinking.

I had the privilege of living in Chicago (Oak Park 6mo, Lakeview 1yr, Hyde Park 5 yrs) for over 6 years and can tell you it's one "hell of a town". I can also say it's a totally different city for African Americans than it is for Whites.

It's no surprise to me that the city has a very slow growth rate and it loss population between 2000 and 2010. Whether or not you think it's good or bad depends on the neighborhood you live and experience your life in, race, where you are from and economic status.

[probablyimnotsure]

Originally Posted by mjtinmemphis

Chicago is different for different people.

If you walk around Chatham and ask the long time Chicago residents if they would like to leave Chicago you will probably be surprised at how many are not happy with living in the city. Many have said "the city isn't what it use to be". The older residents stay because of commitments to their jobs and families. Many young African Americans are leaving the city after graduation. (They tend to head to the southeast). The ones who stay find very little upward mobility for many different reasons. There seemed to be more of an outward migration of African Americans than there are moving in.

If you walk around Lincoln Park and ask residents what they think of living there it will be different. The response would be more like what has been expressed in this forum.

I think Chicagos story is more complicated than many realize. If you never talk with the south and the West siders, you will never know what they are thinking.

I had the privilege of living in Chicago (Oak Park 6mo, Lakeview 1yr, Hyde Park 5 yrs) for over 6 years and can tell you it's one "hell of a town". I can also say it's a totally different city for African Americans than it is for Whites.

It's no surprise to me that the city has a very slow growth rate and it loss population between 2000 and 2010. Whether or not you think it's good or bad depends on the neighborhood you live and experience your life in, race, where you are from and economic status.

People say the same thing in Los Angeles. I'm willing to bet they say that about any city over a million in population. I hate when people say "this city isn't what it used to be." Change happens.