Why Do Chicagoians Put Down Other Midwestern Cities? (Nashville, Kansas: neighborhood, living in)

[QCongress83216]

I'm from Cleveland and I love visiting Chicago. But, at times I feel that Chicagoians look down on Cleveland. Well, not just Cleveland but other Midwestern cities. When I visited Chicago a while back when I told people I was from Cleveland some looked at me like I was from Mars. A few people were cool but only a few. So, Chicago, tell me why do you put down or look down on Midwestern cities? Maybe I'm missing it.

[Maintainschaos]

I think the answer is "yes," but I think it's also a two-way street where other Midwestern cities (and rural areas) definitely will and do (not always) put down Chicago.

I also strongly believe the same is true across the country, and that this phenomenon is in no way just a Midwestern phenomenon.

[thefallensrvnge]

Interestingly, since I've been living in Chicago, Cleveland is a a city I've heard good things about. I have a coworker who adores the city, and she is a native Chicagoan. I don't really hear Chicagoans say bad things about other Midwestern cities, at least not often.

It caught me by surprise, because I'm originally from Kansas, and when I moved to Indianapolis, I was teased far more by Hoosiers. I had a professor from Nebraska who found the same kind of teasing in Indiana. We couldn't understand it because we're thinking "You're from Indiana..."

In Chicago, nobody has said a thing. People here are from every part of the world. In fact, the one time somebody apologized to me when they heard I was from Kansas was a Hoosier visiting Chicago from Evansville.

[andrew61]

Originally Posted by Maintainschaos

I think the answer is "yes," but I think it's also a two-way street where other Midwestern cities (and rural areas) definitely will and do (not always) put down Chicago.

Many Clevelanders I talk to say Chicago is a great city, they love visiting, but they wouldn't want to live there, citing things like congestion, crime, and high cost of living. I don't know if that's really a "putdown" or just stating a preference.

As for Chicagoans putting down Cleveland, the Chicago natives I know who have actually visited Cleveland generally have favorable impressions of the city... although they might readily take note of Cleveland's relative smallness.

Just before I moved back to Cleveland two years ago, I ran into an acquaintance on the street in my Chicago neighborhood, told him I was moving, and his companion smiled at me and said, "Cleveland Rocks!"

[BigLake]

Originally Posted by QCongress83216

I'm from Cleveland and I love visiting Chicago. But, at times I feel that Chicagoians look down on Cleveland. Well, not just Cleveland but other Midwestern cities. When I visited Chicago a while back when I told people I was from Cleveland some looked at me like I was from Mars. A few people were cool but only a few. So, Chicago, tell me why do you put down or look down on Midwestern cities? Maybe I'm missing it.

Toughen up. Seriously, I don't know any Chicagoans who demean other cities. They may innocently make a comment about how small a city is or perhaps what it lacks, but it's rooted in truth. I rarely hear a Chicagoan say boast about Chicago at the expense of another Midwest city. Fact is, Chicago is the beast of the Midwest and perhaps other cities feel jilted because of the limelight and attention it gets. Kind of like how Chicagoans feel vis a vis NYC. Most Chicagoans I know appreciate other Midwest cities.


Mod cut.

[MN_Ski]

I grew up in Milwaukee, and have a long list of friends and relatives who live in Chicago. I also would visit 3 or more times a month during my younger days.

I think people develop a superiority complex when living in major cities (NYC, Chicago, LA, Miami, etc). From what I see, people think that the city is the golden standard, and than it should be the benchmark for every other city in the country.

I live in Denver, and we have tons of people from Chicago here. Most of those people who are my friends will complain about Denver almost daily, and always find a way to inject some jab into every conversation. "The food here sucks, it's nothing like what is was back in Chicago". They will also complain about how people don't dress up, or that everyone drives slow, or that this/that isn't as "nice"...yet ironically, they sure do love to move here and post their mountain selfies all over Facebook.

Another thing that always bugged me was the hypocrisy of "never leaving". Someone from say...Minneapolis, who has never lived outside of the twin cities, will visit Chicago. They make a comment about the traffic or expense, and locals will usually respond with something like "Well yeah, it's a real city unlike Minneapolis"...followed by some comment about how their opinion isn't valid because they never moved to a different city before. However, people who have never left Chicago feel free to put down other cities just because well, "It's Chicago".

I also can't tell you how many people I know who have never moved out of Chicago, and have maybe driven through Milwaukee a few times to go to the Dells or something, completely trash Milwaukee with zero knowledge of the city. A Wisconsinite trashing Chicago though?..."Your are just a sheltered hick who is too afraid of cities".

It's all fun though Honestly, I think people need to get thicker skin and realize that just because your city is the top 3 largest in the country, doesn't mean everyone is going to love it, or be impressed that your are from it...well, most likely from one of the suburbs.

[doodlemagic]

I think the coasts look down on the midwest in general. I personally havn't noticed Chicagoans looking down on other midwestern cities. I know nothing about Cleveland but the limited impression I have of it is that it's not that nice or desirable, that said I've heard great things about Kansas City in terms of good food, good nightlife, craft breweries popping up, etc.

[biggunsmallbrains]

Originally Posted by QCongress83216

I'm from Cleveland and I love visiting Chicago. But, at times I feel that Chicagoians look down on Cleveland. Well, not just Cleveland but other Midwestern cities. When I visited Chicago a while back when I told people I was from Cleveland some looked at me like I was from Mars. A few people were cool but only a few. So, Chicago, tell me why do you put down or look down on Midwestern cities? Maybe I'm missing it.

Not sure who you were talking to but I wouldn't be so offended by what a few folks say. I visited Cleveland last year when the Cubs were in the World Series. I had a great time and enjoyed meeting quite a few locals. Most people were nice and friendly. Although, there was plenty of ribbing going on too.

Still, we all have our prejudices. I mean any city thats river catches on fire is going to be made fun of. Maybe you mistook humor for "putting down." We do enjoy our humor here, mostly because we have a lot to laugh at, even ourselves. There are so many people that live in Chicago that are from all over the midwest and world though.

[lepoisson]

Chicagoans (people living in the city) love to insult people from the suburbs and people from rural areas. It's really pathetic.

[Vanderbiltgrad]

When I visited Chicago and I said I was from Nashville everyone seemed to have a nice thing to say everyone was like I love Nashville it is so safe and the people are so friendly, I have heard they don't really like NYers because NYers complain Chicago is not as good as NYC when they visit. I don't know about how they view Midwest cities.