Does Chicago "feel" Midwestern? (Lansing, Montgomery: movers, university, living)

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by FAReastcoast

But each region is not just defined by it's largest cities, that is my point. Chicago shares common big city characteristics with other large cities in this Country, but that doesn't make Chicago any less midwest.

Within each region, there are different sub-regions, SoCal doesn't really feel like NoCal or the PNW, just as New England doesn't feel like the MidAtlantic or Central Texas and the Carolinas.

I would say within the Midwest, Chicago is part of the Great Lakes Region, and to me, Chicago feels very much apart of the Great Lakes Cities (Milwaukee, Cleveland, Detroit) obviously larger, but it definitely belongs.

Curious - how many places in the midwest have you lived in outside of Chicago, and how many other cities have you spent considerable time in (let's say you spend 5 hours in ____ town/city at least once a week) outside of the Chicago area?

[FAReastcoast]

Originally Posted by marothisu

Curious - how many places in the midwest have you lived in outside of Chicago, and how many other cities have you spent considerable time in (let's say you spend 5 hours in ____ town/city at least once a week) outside of the Chicago area?

i went to school in Ann Arbor, my wife is from Minneapolis (have been there literally dozens of times), and I travel to Milwaukee quite often as I own rental buildings there, and have visited on numerous occasions: Cleveland, Cincy, Detroit, St Louis. I'm familiar with the midwest.

[UrbanCheetah]

Originally Posted by FAReastcoast

But each region is not just defined by it's largest cities, that is my point. Chicago shares common big city characteristics with other large cities in this Country, but that doesn't make Chicago any less midwest.

Within each region, there are different sub-regions, SoCal doesn't really feel like NoCal or the PNW, just as New England doesn't feel like the MidAtlantic or Central Texas and the Carolinas.

I would say within the Midwest, Chicago is part of the Great Lakes Region, and to me, Chicago feels very much apart of the Great Lakes Cities (Milwaukee, Cleveland, Detroit) obviously larger, but it definitely belongs.

Well now there is a point I can agree with. Chicago does feel more in tune with the Great Lakes region. The Midwest overall, I agree to a lesser degree.

However you are contradicting yourself though. You say Chicago shares common big city characteristics with other large cities, yet if you had to lump Chicago into one of two groups Group 1 being Los Angeles, Houston, San Diego and San Antonio vs. Group 2 Boston, Philly, NYC and DC it would be quite clear from those two groups which Chicago would go into. I would then say that Chicago has more in common CULTURALLY with Milwaukee, Cleveland and Detroit than it does with cities from Group 1. So while size is in important, people are going more than just the size of the city, more so the vibe, pace, amenities, walkablity, mass transit, etc. of the city. They type of urban environment found in Chicago is found in the East Coast's major cities.

[FAReastcoast]

Originally Posted by UrbanCheetah

I don't think anyone is denying that Chicago has a Midwest feel to it, but to say that it feels ONLY Midwest and nothing else is not very accurate.

I actually do feel NYC has its East Coast vibe, but is also has a different vibe mixed in with it that makes it stand apart from it's region. Yes, NYC is very East Coast, but for someone to say its purely just East Coast and nothing else would be a great injustice. I would say the same thing for cities like San Francisco, Chicago and Miami. Chicago probably to the least extent, but those cities do stand apart from their respective regions and I believe are more hybrid cities rather than just products and reflections of their regions.

Who would say that Chicago ONLY feels midwest? No city anywhere is "ONLY" anything. It sounds like you are arguing against a point nobody made.

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by FAReastcoast

Who would say that Chicago ONLY feels midwest? No city anywhere is "ONLY" anything. It sounds like you are arguing against a point nobody made.

You said it feels 100% midwest - isn't the saying the same thing? Question: when you are at a nice rooftop lounge in town, do you feel like you're anywhere else in the midwest? When you are at a place like Le Colonial, do you feel like you're in any other place in the midwest? When you are walking around the Viagra Triangle, do you feel like you're in any other part of the midwest?

[FAReastcoast]

Originally Posted by UrbanCheetah

Well now there is a point I can agree with. Chicago does feel more in tune with the Great Lakes region. The Midwest overall, I agree to a lesser degree.

However you are contradicting yourself though. You say Chicago shares common big city characteristics with other large cities, yet if you had to lump Chicago into one of two groups Group 1 being Los Angeles, Houston, San Diego and San Antonio vs. Group 2 Boston, Philly, NYC and DC it would be quite clear from those two groups which Chicago would go into. I would then say that Chicago has more in common CULTURALLY with Milwaukee, Cleveland and Detroit than it does with cities from Group 1. So while size is in important, people are going more than just the size of the city, more so the vibe, pace, amenities, walkablity, mass transit, etc. of the city. They type of urban environment found in Chicago is found in the East Coast's major cities.

The Great Lakes ARE part of the midwest. I'm not contradicting myself, Chicago is a big city and will share big city infrastructure/amenities with other large cities; but that has nothing to do with being midwest. San Francisco shares these same qualities with east coast cities, but is no doubt a west coast city.

[FAReastcoast]

Originally Posted by marothisu

You said it feels 100% midwest - isn't the saying the same thing? Question: when you are at a nice rooftop lounge in town, do you feel like you're anywhere else in the midwest? When you are at a place like Le Colonial, do you feel like you're in any other place in the midwest? When you are walking around the Viagra Triangle, do you feel like you're in any other part of the midwest?

I should have put midwest in parenthesis, as I meant Chicago isn't only Midwest the way you guys are painting the midwest. It does feel 100% midwest, but the midwest (and Chicago) is many many diffeerent things. It is diverse, segregated, global, and provincial all at the same time, but those things are not mutually exclusive of the midwest. They are all bits and pieces of the midwest.

[UrbanCheetah]

Originally Posted by FAReastcoast

Who would say that Chicago ONLY feels midwest? No city anywhere is "ONLY" anything. It sounds like you are arguing against a point nobody made.

First of all you are contradicting yourself again you said it feels 100% Midwest.

I also disagree with your statement. Cities like Milwaukee, Madison, Indianapolis to me feel purely Midwest and nothing else. The Great Lakes flavor (which Chicago also has) yes is purely Midwest, but that's my point Chicago has that BUT also has flavor to it that DOES NOT EXIST outside of Chicago in the Midwest. So Chicago does not purely feel Midwest.

[UrbanCheetah]

Originally Posted by FAReastcoast

I should have put midwest in parenthesis, as I meant Chicago isn't only Midwest the way you guys are painting the midwest. It does feel 100% midwest, but the midwest (and Chicago) is many many diffeerent things. It is diverse, segregated, global, and provincial all at the same time, but those things are not mutually exclusive of the midwest. They are all bits and pieces of the midwest.

Yeah totally contradicting yourself now. It seems like you aren't even sure what you are trying to say. So yet no place is purely representative of the region it lives in, no city, as you say, but then you say Chicago is 100% midwest.

I am going to agree to disagree, because I don't think you even know what you are trying to say.

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by FAReastcoast

The Great Lakes ARE part of the midwest. I'm not contradicting myself, Chicago is a big city and will share big city infrastructure/amenities with other large cities; but that has nothing to do with being midwest. San Francisco shares these same qualities with east coast cities, but is no doubt a west coast city.

Yes, I agree that infrastructure shouldn't have anything to do with feel, as it shouldn't. Feel has to do with the people, the types of establishments, the architecture, and also to a point the streetscape (but not as much as the others). All of these things contribute to it - I don't think having a train or major highway has anything to do with it. In the end, there's plenty of places in town where I can feel like I am in the midwest and say "this could be in Minneapolis" but at the same time there's many other types of places (and architecture) where you can comfortably say "haven't seen that too often or anywhere else in the midwest, but I've seen it elsewhere in the country/world." Although the midwest can be diverse in its offerings, the majority of it feels much the same as far as establishments go (i.e. restaurants, bars) on average. The drinking establishments for example are very conformist all over the region and are pretty much the same on average whether you're in Minnesota or Indiana. However, a nice "sophisticated" cocktail lounge is not really out of the ordinary in Chicago, but it is far less common in a city like Des Moines or Indianapolis. Sure they might exist, but not in very large numbers to even think they're normal for the culture.