A few questions for Chicagoans

[olive_green]

Originally Posted by Ramo Nash

And lastly, would anyone seriously disagree that much of Illinois/the midwest (aside from Chicago) is not "flyover" country to people not from here? I'd concede easily that some of the places I've lived in the northeast would be pretty horrid places for people to visit, but I love them just the same. Just seems like a silly thing to get upset about, especially given that it's such an overused and cliched term, but point taken.

Judging by how your posts are written I can tell you are fairly intelligent. You can't deny that the term "flyover states" has a dismissive implication. That is going to offend some people, no matter how silly you believe the reactions. You might say that's their problem for taking offense, but then you'd be guilty of self-righteousness by absolving yourself of responsibility to the use of language.

But I'll go along with you for a moment. Yes, if one identifies with the cutting edge sophistication of cities on the coast, and is myopic enough to see value only in those places, then there is a lot of space and dull monotony out there in between. Here in SF, where the majority seem to be transplants from the east coast, I've heard my fair share of the term "flyover states" and the context is always dismissive.

[neonwattagelimit]

I think my issue with the phrase "flyover state" is that it manages be kind of insulting to everyone involved. It makes East/West coast people sound like snobs, and everyone in between sound like hicks. Obviously, that's not the case, but I've always disliked that phrase, even though I'm from New York.

Oh, and even though Chicago is fantastic, I'd never argue that it's better than NYC .

[adele115]

I grew up in Chicagoland, lived in Boston for a year, then moved back. Chicago pros and cons:

Pros:
Architecture, Lake Michigan, Great theater/arts scene esp Steppenwolf, University of Chicago, Distinct and culturally unique neighborhoods that are totally walkable communities, generally gay friendly, friendly people, Lakefront park access for miles, excellent culinary options, good pub trans, Millenium Park concerts, intellectuals, (if one doesn't find these they're looking in the wrong place), the city looks beautiful (thanks mostly to Daley's efforts), Obama!, Some beautiful burbs to the north and west.

Cons:
Long, grey, cold winters
Flat as a pancake
Daytrips w/out mountains or oceans
Todd Stroger
Imbeciles place space junk on the streets where they may or may not have shoveled the snow to reserve a spot
Gary Indiana is close by
rush hour goes from 6-10 a.m. then 1:30-7 pm
cook county has highest sales tax in the nation (again, thx todd stroger)

It's not for everyone, especially the weather part gets really old around March. But all in all, the city has improved drastically the past couple of decades and is now, I believe, world class.

[chicago_bound]

Woo i didn't know my post would stir up so much tension LOL anyway, i am very aware that there is no such thing as "utopia" and that each place will have there good and bad. Living in Boston now there are many things I love about this area, especially being so close to so many different areas (Ptown/Cape Cod, Portland/Ogunquit Maine, NYC 4 hours away, etc) I love the history and architecture here as well. Like I mentioned earlier its just that I am more of a "big city" guy and Boston is actually quite small, at least to me anyway.

I really appreciate all the posts, especially the ones from former Bostonians who could really shed some light on the winter weather thing. Also, is it safe to say Chicago is a diverse city? That is something that is extremely important to me (more than weather). One thing about Boston is that it feels very provincial, and it seems a bit segregated as well. What I loved most about living in NYC was the diversity, meeting people who moved there from all over the world, I learned so much about different cultures during my time there. I'm aware Chicago will not be nearly as diverse as NYC, but I'm hoping more so than Boston.

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by chicago_bound

One thing about Boston is that it feels very provincial, and it seems a bit segregated as well. What I loved most about living in NYC was the diversity, meeting people who moved there from all over the world, I learned so much about different cultures during my time there. I'm aware Chicago will not be nearly as diverse as NYC, but I'm hoping more so than Boston.

Chicago is every bit as diverse as NYC, but just as segregated as Boston. You'll understand what I mean after you've been here a while.

I don't know where people get the idea that Chicago isn't diverse. The public schools in West Ridge have something like 72 languages spoken in them! You won't find as many people in Chicago from the Jet Set of Paris or London, but the lower-income corners of the world are very well represented here.

[neonwattagelimit]

^^^

What he said, pretty much. Chicago is almost as diverse as NYC, and almost as segregated as Boston.

[via chicago]

I had a friend relocate from NY to Chicago a while back. We had exchanged emails and I asked her if she ever missed NY. I think her reply succintly sums up Chicago:

"I miss it from time to time. But what I love about Chicago is that everyone is not obsessed with being on top or beating someone out for some prize, like in New York. Everyone here just makes it a point to enjoy living."

And she hit the nail on the head. Though you can’t specifically characterize the city as easily as New York or LA, Chicagoans aren’t concerned with winning anything (with sports perhaps being the exception), but are more focused on soaking the most joy out of each day. The city embodies a composite of so many different things that there is always something new to discover. Thats what makes Chicago great.