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So there's a lot of culture here. I've barely scratched the surface.
As for the original poster's question, "is Chicago friendly," I'd say yes. I'm not originally from Chicago, but I've lever here for most of the past 25 years. Part of the reason I've stayed is that it's always felt like one of the most friendly cities I've spent time in, which still being a major city with major city amenities, where I can live the way I feel people in Global cities should be able to live (lots of variety, car-optional, lots of good transit options, good central business district(s)). I've lived in the West Loop, the Near North Side, the North Side, and the Far North Side. I've also spent a lot of time on the Northwest Side and in Hyde Park, while also riding my bike all over the city and near suburbs. I liked Chicago from the first month I moved here, and have grown to really love it. Is it perfect? No, but no city is, and I like Chicago's pluses and minuses.
Exactly! You pointed out some really great highlights of the city. If you want it, whatever it is, it's in Chicago. Chicago is cosmopolitan! Every culture is here. I can only think of one culture you can't find easily in downtown Chicago-North Koreans, which would probably like to come here if they could find a way.
The diversity is phenomenal! You called out so much of the beauty of Chicago!
And yesterday I performed at the Skokie Festival of Cultures. And just like the actual CITY of Milwaukee, it was beautiful to see so many cultures represented, and in harmony with one another!
Last weekend I was out and about and in the span of 15 minutes heard Spanish, Italian, and French being spoken. Other times I've heard Hindi, Mandarin, and and Russian within a short span. German and Polish are pretty common, too, as are various Eastern European languages, Arabic, German, Japanese, Korean and others. We may not be New York when it comes to hearing other languages, but we're not exactly a slouch.
If by "watered down" Sunbiz1 means we're not *actually* France, and not *actually* Russia, and not *actually* China, then, sure, culture here is "watered down." But you can find aspects of dozens of different cultures here. Including various types of American culture. And more than just "Chinese" food - you can find Sichuan food, you can find Dongbei cuisine, you can find Taiwanese food, Hunan food, Guangzhou food, and more. From South Asia, there isn't just "Indian" food, but you can find regional foods, and Pakistani food and Bangladeshi food. You can find multiple types of Korean food. You can find Filipino food. You can of course find sushi, but also other kinds of Japanese food. You can find a wide variety of BBQ. And soul food. You can find New York pizza, St. Louis pizza, Detroit pizza, Los Angeles pizza, and several types of Chicago pizza. And that's just some of the food.
You can find just about any variety of music you want to hear performed, in a wide variety of venues. Classical to electronica to punk to opera to house to whatever. We've been home to free classical in Millennium Park for nearly two decades, and outdoor classical at Ravinia Park in the north suburbs, which you can take a commuter train to from downtown, stopping literally at the gates of the venue. We've hosted Lollapalooza for over a decade, and Riot Fest, and Blues Fest and many other music festivals.
The summer is filled with neighborhood festivals, some of which are just about getting out and having a beer while talking to friends in the street, some of which are about specific cultural celebrations. But it's not just the summer with festivals. The best known holiday festival is probably Christkindlemart, a German-style Christmas "village" set up in Chicago's main square, Daley Plaza, and staffed by actual Germans. If you want German food outside of the holiday season, you can go to Lincoln Square, which was traditionally a German neighborhood and still has a pretty strong German flavor to it.
So there's a lot of culture here. I've barely scratched the surface.
As for the original poster's question, "is Chicago friendly," I'd say yes. I'm not originally from Chicago, but I've lever here for most of the past 25 years. Part of the reason I've stayed is that it's always felt like one of the most friendly cities I've spent time in, which still being a major city with major city amenities, where I can live the way I feel people in Global cities should be able to live (lots of variety, car-optional, lots of good transit options, good central business district(s)). I've lived in the West Loop, the Near North Side, the North Side, and the Far North Side. I've also spent a lot of time on the Northwest Side and in Hyde Park, while also riding my bike all over the city and near suburbs. I liked Chicago from the first month I moved here, and have grown to really love it. Is it perfect? No, but no city is, and I like Chicago's pluses and minuses.
Repped! I hope you work for the chamber of commerce. Actually, hope you work for the county. Can you lower the property taxes?
Last weekend I was out and about and in the span of 15 minutes heard Spanish, Italian, and French being spoken. Other times I've heard Hindi, Mandarin, and and Russian within a short span. German and Polish are pretty common, too, as are various Eastern European languages, Arabic, German, Japanese, Korean and others. We may not be New York when it comes to hearing other languages, but we're not exactly a slouch.
If by "watered down" Sunbiz1 means we're not *actually* France, and not *actually* Russia, and not *actually* China, then, sure, culture here is "watered down." But you can find aspects of dozens of different cultures here. Including various types of American culture. And more than just "Chinese" food - you can find Sichuan food, you can find Dongbei cuisine, you can find Taiwanese food, Hunan food, Guangzhou food, and more. From South Asia, there isn't just "Indian" food, but you can find regional foods, and Pakistani food and Bangladeshi food. You can find multiple types of Korean food. You can find Filipino food. You can of course find sushi, but also other kinds of Japanese food. You can find a wide variety of BBQ. And soul food. You can find New York pizza, St. Louis pizza, Detroit pizza, Los Angeles pizza, and several types of Chicago pizza. And that's just some of the food.
You can find just about any variety of music you want to hear performed, in a wide variety of venues. Classical to electronica to punk to opera to house to whatever. We've been home to free classical in Millennium Park for nearly two decades, and outdoor classical at Ravinia Park in the north suburbs, which you can take a commuter train to from downtown, stopping literally at the gates of the venue. We've hosted Lollapalooza for over a decade, and Riot Fest, and Blues Fest and many other music festivals.
The summer is filled with neighborhood festivals, some of which are just about getting out and having a beer while talking to friends in the street, some of which are about specific cultural celebrations. But it's not just the summer with festivals. The best known holiday festival is probably Christkindlemart, a German-style Christmas "village" set up in Chicago's main square, Daley Plaza, and staffed by actual Germans. If you want German food outside of the holiday season, you can go to Lincoln Square, which was traditionally a German neighborhood and still has a pretty strong German flavor to it.
So there's a lot of culture here. I've barely scratched the surface.
As for the original poster's question, "is Chicago friendly," I'd say yes. I'm not originally from Chicago, but I've lever here for most of the past 25 years. Part of the reason I've stayed is that it's always felt like one of the most friendly cities I've spent time in, which still being a major city with major city amenities, where I can live the way I feel people in Global cities should be able to live (lots of variety, car-optional, lots of good transit options, good central business district(s)). I've lived in the West Loop, the Near North Side, the North Side, and the Far North Side. I've also spent a lot of time on the Northwest Side and in Hyde Park, while also riding my bike all over the city and near suburbs. I liked Chicago from the first month I moved here, and have grown to really love it. Is it perfect? No, but no city is, and I like Chicago's pluses and minuses.
Agree. Chicago is one of the most diverse cities in the country. You'll find every culture you can think of here.
Most of yall won't like this but it is what it is...black and Latino Chicago is where you're going to find genuinely friendly people. Far too much of white Chicago (which let's be real is mostly transplants in 2021) are on some ish where they constantly act like they have something to prove. Threads like these are great examples...someone will invariably say how "tough" Chicagoans are. Like foh son let's see you get sent to 26th & Cal talkin that junk when in reality most whiteboys in Chicago are butter soft.
I, therefore, am blessed. I have only had great experiences from the border town of Wadsworth, Illinois and everytown south, to the south side of Chicago and also western suburbs.
I'm sorry to hear about your negative experiences/perceptions. It's amazing how great mine have been, for years!
If they weren't so, would I come down practically every weekend?!?
From the predominant White of Edison Park to the predominant Hispanic of Little Village to the predominant Asian of Chinatown, and everything in between, every place I keep going back to is friendly..
I would offer a case study. Pick any of the areas I mentioned. Let's meet at a place for coffee. Let's engage with staff, clients, people walking down the street directly outside the establishment.
I predict it would be positive interactions, primarily.
Last edited by PJSaturn; 05-17-2021 at 10:34 PM..
Reason: English only is permitted in City-Data posts.
From the predominant White of Edison Park to the predominant Hispanic of Little Village to the predominant Asian of Chinatown, and everything in between, every place I keep going back to is friendly..
I would offer a case study. Pick any of the areas I mentioned. Let's meet at a place for coffee. Let's engage with staff, clients, people walking down the street directly outside the establishment.
I predict it would be positive interactions, primarily.
Mod cut.
i mean yea, theres always good people to be found everywhere. i will say with edison park, thats a white area where one is much more likely to find chicago natives vs transplants. in virtually any city ive found the latter to embody more of what i was talking about before.
Last edited by PJSaturn; 05-17-2021 at 10:35 PM..
Reason: English only is permitted in City-Data posts.
Interesting for me: Canaryville supposedly has a reputation for not being particularly to outsiders.
I went into a local bar, announced I was from Milwaukee, and still was treated just fine. The bartender even gave me some free pens with the bar name on it.
They were just as friendly at the nearby pizza place, and the Canaryville library.
So until further notice, I'm going to guess that I keep getting treated well because I am treating the people well that I am coming into contact with.
Thoughts, anyone? I'm up for a friendly debate/discussion on this....
Last edited by PJSaturn; 05-17-2021 at 10:35 PM..
Reason: English only is permitted in City-Data posts.
Illinoisans in general are very cold and very anti-social. Chicagoans are very anti-social and very unapproachable, but it's actually a lot worse in the suburbs, especially the collar county area. Conversations in Illinois, including in Chicago and especially Chicago's suburbs, generally are exclusively business-related, especially with strangers.
I don't agree with this. Part of why I fell in love with Chicago is that the people I met here were mostly friendly and warm. I spent eight months of 1995 here, then finished college in another state, graduating in 1996, then took a job in the Twin Cities. I found the Twin Cities to be very cold both literally and figuratively. The only friends I made there were from out of state. So I moved back to Chicago in 1999. It was just as figuratively warm as I remembered it. I'm a white guy but don't only do stereo-typical "white guy transplant" things. Sure, I've been to my fair share of Cubs games in the bleachers, but also Sox games (even, perhaps especially, pre-World Series). Before most of my friends had kids and it got harder to organize things, I used to get them to get out of the Near North Side/north lakefront bubble and do things like visit Army and Lou's or other soul food classics, or visit Little Village for excellent regional Mexican food, or check out Filipino food or Vietnamese food or Puerto Rican food in Humboldt Park - or the P.R. parade, or any manner of other ethnic food here. I'd get people to go to Chinese New Year parades in both Chinatown and on Argyle (which I always preferred).
I'm not trying to make myself look like anything special, I'm just saying I'm not a cloistered transplant. I do think that there is some truth in another poster who identified two ethnic groups in Chicago as being particularly friendly, but I would dispute anyone trying to say that only those two groups are friendly. I think that most people in Chicago of any ethnic group will respond positively to friendly, respectful, kind approaches from anyone. As with most things in life I think you generally get back what you put into things. Maybe not 100% of the time, but usually. It's a good rule of thumb, and a good way to live life.
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