Chicago more like 3 biggest East Coast cities OR 3 biggest Midwest cities (Washington: fit in, school)

[gladhands]

Originally Posted by Tex?Il?

Compared to metros of the Northeast and California, Chicagoland has a clear edge to its metro area, with corn beyond it. Route 47 in Kane County can easily be a road in rural Iowa, if it wasn't for a little more traffic. McHenry county even more so. I grew up on the edge of Cook and Lake County, and in the 80s and 90s there were cornfields not that far away.

I think you're also underestimating how much desert, farmland and even oil fields exist in California metros. This is Inglewood. Not exactly the far-flung fringes of metro LA:

[JustGoForIt]

All this mention of Chicago and RUST-BELT? Has me see less and less warrant to even call Chicago STILL a Rust-belt city. As the Steel mills are virtually gone. Even if standing in Indiana. It is not the city. The main industries that defined the Rust-belt are virtually gone from the city. Former warehousing areas ringing downtown converted to Loft living.

So to me Chicago has reached a point of FORMER RUST-BELT CITY. Don't understand promoting it as a Rust-belt city without the term FORMAL in the thread? To me, a city like Philadelphia was not technically in the Rust-belt more a Textile mill city. With areas just north in the Rust belt having steel mills in Allentown area. But in appearance and Huge storage tanks in the city of the Row-home Capital of the US. It looks still Rust-belt city in many ways. Old mills still standing empty.

[EddieOlSkool]

Originally Posted by JustGoForIt

All this mention of Chicago and RUST-BELT? Has me see less and less warrant to even call Chicago STILL a Rust-belt city. As the Steel mills are virtually gone. Even if standing in Indiana. It is not the city. The main industries that defined the Rust-belt are virtually gone from the city. Former warehousing areas ringing downtown converted to Loft living.

So to me Chicago has reached a point of FORMER RUST-BELT CITY. Don't understand promoting it as a Rust-belt city without the term FORMAL in the thread? To me, a city like Philadelphia was not technically in the Rust-belt more a Textile mill city. With areas just north in the Rust belt having steel mills in Allentown area. But in appearance and Huge storage tanks in the city of the Row-home Capital of the US. It looks still Rust-belt city in many ways. Old mills still standing empty.

The point was that Chicago isn't really in a very agriculture heavy area of the Midwest.

Kind of like saying Philly is sandwiched between Amish dairy farms or that DC is surrounded by tobacco.

[IrishIllini]

Originally Posted by EddieOlSkool

The point was that Chicago isn't really in a very agriculture heavy area of the Midwest.

Kind of like saying Philly is sandwiched between Amish dairy farms or that DC is surrounded by tobacco.

That's a first.

[EddieOlSkool]

Originally Posted by IrishIllini

That's a first.

It's not. Heavy agriculture does exist in Illinois but the Metro itself and the surrounding cities aren't really known got agriculture. Look at the industry heavy NW Indiana versus going down 65 in the rest of the state. Or the industry heavy suburbs of Chicago vs the agricultural feel of driving down 57.

[IrishIllini]

Originally Posted by EddieOlSkool

It's not. Heavy agriculture does exist in Illinois but the Metro itself and the surrounding cities aren't really known got agriculture. Look at the industry heavy NW Indiana versus going down 65 in the rest of the state. Or the industry heavy suburbs of Chicago vs the agricultural feel of driving down 57.

Many of Chicago's suburbs are former farm towns that matured into suburbs over time. It's why many are built on grids in their cores (even if just for a few blocks) with a Metra station before fanning out in every direction with curvilinear streets and cul-de-sacs for days. There are plenty of agricultural fields along the fringe. Agriculture doesn't dominate the local economy like it does downstate, but it exists.

[EddieOlSkool]

Originally Posted by IrishIllini

Many of Chicago's suburbs are former farm towns that matured into suburbs over time. It's why many are built on grids in their cores (even if just for a few blocks) with a Metra station before fanning out in every direction with curvilinear streets and cul-de-sacs for days. There are plenty of agricultural fields along the fringe. Agriculture doesn't dominate the local economy like it does downstate, but it exists.

No one said it doesn't exist. My reply was to some ignorant troll who said that Chicago is sandwiched between cornfields. That is just simply a lie. Chicago is sandwiched between heavy industry and has been for a long time. Even if we go as far South or West as Joliet or Aurora, there is still a heavy industrial heritage and feel and these are arguably not even in our metro. Same goes with going as far North as Kenosha or as far East as Michigan City. On each end you see industry. Cornfields can be found if you really venture out of the metro. But before you find that, you find factories. So no, Chicago is not sandwiched between cornfields. That would be more accurate to say of a place like Indianapolis.

As far as former farm towns, let's also not forget the heavy industrial heritage of our suburbs.

[Tex?Il?]

Originally Posted by gladhands

I think you're also underestimating how much desert, farmland and even oil fields exist in California metros. This is Inglewood. Not exactly the far-flung fringes of metro LA:

I live there, and explore it. I am 100% aware.

I love all that open space. In 20 minutes I could be in the Angeles National forest in the San Gabriel mountains. In fact its a major positive about California metro areas.

The point I was making was a bit more about the culture.

Yes, there are farmland, oil fields, and desert in LA, but yet you are not going to get the culture or voting patterns, or vocal Trump supporters of say West Texas in Southern California. Even in the more conservative or rural parts of California you are going to find more ethnic diversity and lifestyle diversity than similar areas in say Texas or wherever.

Whereas Western McHenry or Kane County, or southern Will county is indistinguishable from similar areas in Iowa or Indiana. Not judging, just saying thats what it is.

[EddieOlSkool]

Originally Posted by Tex?Il?

I live there, and explore it. I am 100% aware.

I love all that open space. In 20 minutes I could be in the Angeles National forest in the San Gabriel mountains. In fact its a major positive about California metro areas.

The point I was making was a bit more about the culture.

Yes, there are farmland, oil fields, and desert in LA, but yet you are not going to get the culture or voting patterns, or vocal Trump supporters of say West Texas in Southern California. Even in the more conservative or rural parts of California you are going to find more ethnic diversity and lifestyle diversity than similar areas in say Texas or wherever.

Whereas Western McHenry or Kane County, or southern Will county is indistinguishable from similar areas in Iowa or Indiana. Not judging, just saying thats what it is.

No part of the Chicago metro fits that culture.

[Howest2008]

If I was going to compare Chicago Ill. to other Midwestern Cities They Would Be Detroit....Minn/St. Paul... Milwaukee....St. Louis especially , and not the cities listed. The Poll was sort of " Rigged For The NE Cities " to win.