Chicago more like 3 biggest East Coast cities OR 3 biggest Midwest cities (Lincoln: 2013, townhouse)

[andrew61]

Originally Posted by EddieOlSkool

Boston, NYC, and Philly don't even resemble each other. What a terrible argument.

St. Louis and Cincinnati resemble NE cities and they are still Midwest. I am not sure you are familiar with the Northeast OR the Midwest based on this post.

I think the architectural styles in different cities have more to do with the time period in which the city was mostly built than on where it's located geographically. St. Louis and Cincinnati are for the most part 19th-century cities.

FWIW, a friend of mine, who lived for years in New England, observed that he thought Chicago three-flats looked strikingly similar to Boston triple deckers.

[EddieOlSkool]

Originally Posted by andrew61

I think the architectural styles in different cities have more to do with the time period in which the city was mostly built than on where it's located geographically. St. Louis and Cincinnati are for the most part 19th-century cities.

FWIW, a friend of mine, who lived for years in New England, observed that he thought Chicago three-flats looked strikingly similar to Boston triple deckers.

I don't get NOLA's logic. Like at all.

[Nafster]

Originally Posted by NOLA101

Midwest, easily. Chicago doesn't look like East Coast cities.

Why would a city in the middle of the Midwest look like a city on the Atlantic Ocean? I don't get it.

It's not that Chicago "looks" like New York or the other East Coast cities to a T per say (though there are pockets that have similarities) - it's also the vibe and feel of the city. Having lived in all three major US cities and been to all major Midwest cities when I lived in Chicago, I can confidently say that Chicago is MUCH, much more similar to East Coast cities then the Midwest cities.

It doesn't mean that Chicago is like New York, but if I had to choose which vibe comes off more, it's definitely an East Coast vibe due to it being an international city (though of course not nearly as much as New York). To be honest, the only East Coast city that can remotely resemble Chicago IS New York, as like someone previously mentioned, no East Coast cities look alike. Philly and Boston certainly don't have any similarity to Chicago in any way at all, not even Downtown. DC I have never been to, so I don't know.

There are definitely neighborhoods in Queens that can compare to neighborhoods in Chicago, and even slivers of Brooklyn. I don't get why a few people get their panties in a bunch over Chicago, lol. In the real world this doesn't happen.

[EddieOlSkool]

Originally Posted by Nafster

It's not that Chicago "looks" like New York or the other East Coast cities to a T per say (though there are pockets that have similarities) - it's also the vibe and feel of the city. Having lived in all three major US cities and been to all major Midwest cities when I lived in Chicago, I can confidently say that Chicago is MUCH, much more similar to East Coast cities then the Midwest cities.

It doesn't mean that Chicago is like New York, but if I had to choose which vibe comes off more, it's definitely an East Coast vibe due to it being an international city (though of course not nearly as much as New York). To be honest, the only East Coast city that can remotely resemble Chicago IS New York, as like someone previously mentioned, no East Coast cities look alike. Philly and Boston certainly don't have any similarity to Chicago in any way at all, not even Downtown. DC I have never been to, so I don't know.

There are definitely neighborhoods in Queens that can compare to neighborhoods in Chicago, and even slivers of Brooklyn. I don't get why a few people get their panties in a bunch over Chicago, lol. In the real world this doesn't happen.

Because Chicago is in "flyover" country so therefore its influence and magnitude shouldn't matter. That seems to be the prevailing thought.

I would agree on the Boston triple Decker idea. Also, I would say the following Northeast cities have their Midwest counterparts in

Pittsburgh: Cincinnati
Philadelphia: St. Louis
New York: Chicago
Buffalo: Cleveland

I wonder what Boston's Midwest equivalent would be?

[Bluefox]

Originally Posted by NOLA101

Midwest, easily. Chicago doesn't look like East Coast cities.

Why would a city in the middle of the Midwest look like a city on the Atlantic Ocean? I don't get it.

You must have never visited the Midwestern cities he listed. Kansas City for example looks absolutely nothing like Chicago, and the difference between Chicago and Kansas City is an order of magnitude more than the difference between Chicago and those east coast cities. And no I'm not referring to just the downtowns.

[Nafster]

Originally Posted by Bluefox

You must have never visited the Midwestern cities he listed. Kansas City for example looks absolutely nothing like Chicago, and the difference between Chicago and Kansas City is an order of magnitude more than the difference between Chicago and those east coast cities. And no I'm not referring to just the downtowns.

Trust me - many of the people that say things like that have never even been to Chicago, let alone other Midwestern cities like Detroit, Indy, Twin Cities, or Milwaukee.

They think looking at a few Google Street View images gives them all they need to know.

[TheSunshineKid]

Originally Posted by EddieOlSkool

Notice how none of those hot dogs has ketchup. I don't understand Chicagoans obsession to tell everyone we don't put ketchup on hot dogs. Neither of those other cities did. It annoys the ever living s h i t out of me. You want a cookie, Chicago? You want a cookie for doing something that everyone else does but doesn't feel the need to brag about? I feel like choking people who say that.

P.s. I don't put ketchup on my hot dogs, either. Just annoys me that Chicagoans pay no attention and realize the majority of the country also doesn't.

lol It's a cultural food thing. Yes, it can get annoying but ease up. It's not bragging on their part just stating a tradition. Simple as that.

[UScityUrbanCores]

Originally Posted by EddieOlSkool

I don't get NOLA's logic. Like at all.

Originally Posted by EddieOlSkool

Because Chicago is in "flyover" country so therefore its influence and magnitude shouldn't matter. That seems to be the prevailing thought.

I would agree on the Boston triple Decker idea. Also, I would say the following Northeast cities have their Midwest counterparts in

Pittsburgh: Cincinnati
Philadelphia: St. Louis
New York: Chicago
Buffalo: Cleveland

I wonder what Boston's Midwest equivalent would be?

Chicago's 3-flats are brick mostly. But a similar reasoning to live in one and rent two made it more affordable is a reasoning for them. They also were a aspect of both cities to NOT chose to continue or do more Row-homes as Philly for example. Boston's Triple-Decker's were not really brick either.

I'm not sure if you are being facetious on Chicago STILL seen as Flyover to the West Coast? Or seem to think it still is primarily? Sorry if I do no agree it's seen as Flyover.

I do see Chicago as a bit closer to Boston being primarily SEPARATED housing outside its core colonial areas then Philly primarily Row-Homes in most of the city Chicago has far less.

[EddieOlSkool]

Originally Posted by UScityUrbanCores

Chicago's 3-flats are brick mostly. But a similar reasoning to live in one and rent two made it more affordable is a reasoning for them. They also were a aspect of both cities to NOT chose to continue or do more Row-homes as Philly for example. Boston's Triple-Decker's were not really brick either.

I'm not sure if you are being facetious on Chicago STILL seen as Flyover to the West Coast? Or seem to think it still is primarily? Sorry if I do no agree it's seen as Flyover.

I do see Chicago as a bit closer to Boston being primarily SEPARATED housing outside its core colonial areas then Philly primarily Row-Homes in most of the city Chicago has far less.

Chicago has far less row homes than most cities but like Boston it has its unique type of architecture in the 3 flat style building. Whether brick or not, Chicago's 3 flat does resemble a triple Decker. No other NE big city really has the equivalent of such. But Chicago does and is located further from Boston than the other 2.

NYC row housing is unique in and of itself. I would say only Philly and Baltimore are two cities with near identical housing stock. Pittsburgh and Cincinnati may be hundreds of miles apart but their housing stock and city layout is almost identical.

It's hard because unlike many Midwest cities, Chicago in terms of architecture doesn't have a NE counterpart. It has some Boston elements, few New York ones, and little to no Philly appearance whatsoever. You can point at other Midwest locales and find obvious Northeast influence but Chicago is very unique.

[DC's Finest]

Chicago and DC look a lot alike in certain residential neighborhoods.