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As for Detroit and Minneapolis (My two favorite Midwestern cities), the two are close enough to make a legitimate argument for either. I'll be diplomatic and say they're tied. However, few would be likely to disagree that Detroit is in decline and Minneapolis is ascending. I don't know if they've passed each other yet, but they are in clear sight of one another.
I pretty much agree with this. I'd probably still give a slight edge to Detroit because of its higher population, history and higher national recognition (even if that recognition is not always good), but as others have commented, Detroit is declining and Minneapolis is rising, so I'm not sure when they will switch places.
Although honestly, The eastern midwest (great lakes states) and the western midwest (almost great plains) are sort of two different animals.
Minneapolis has a different history and vibe all together, and feels more like Seattle or Denver without mountains.
I don't think metro population has anything to do with it due to the fact that one metro may be smaller than another, but still have everything the larger one has to offer.
I think the Minneapolis area has definitely surpassed the Detroit area in certain areas. Detroit, however, still has much more name recognition (good and bad), which Minneapolis does not have.
Location: Cleveland, OH USA / formerly Chicago for 20 years
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Maintainschaos
I love the twin cities, but I think you may be putting them on too high of a pedestal...I mean, dodging a bullet being a daily routine in Chicago and Detroit?! I can't speak for Detroit, but last time I visited Chicago it wasn't entirely covered by some sort of bombed-out ghetto...
I've lived in Chicago for 16 years and have yet to dodge a bullet. I must not be doing something right...
Location: Cleveland bound with MPLS in the rear-view
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Quote:
Originally Posted by andrew61
I've lived in Chicago for 16 years and have yet to dodge a bullet. I must not be doing something right...
Depends where you live, obviously. "dodging a bullet" is dramatic but please don't deny the crime in Detroit or Chicago, because it's not only there but at times is very "in your face". At least, that's how I've perceived it. But, if you live in Farmington Hills and not Detroit, you may not care about crime.
I would say they are nearly tied... While the TC area seems better economically and etc, Detroit PWNS IT BY FAR in terms of name recognition, historical significance and pop cultural influence hence preventing the TC from having a clearer lead....
Depends where you live, obviously. "dodging a bullet" is dramatic but please don't deny the crime in Detroit or Chicago, because it's not only there but at times is very "in your face". At least, that's how I've perceived it. But, if you live in Farmington Hills and not Detroit, you may not care about crime.
Oh I'm not denying that there is crime in Chicago and Detroit, and of course it's going to be worse than the Twin cities, because both cities/metro areas are a good bit bigger than the Twin cities. But let's not make the Twin cities out to be Mayberry (because the Twin cities have crime, too) and Chicago/Detroit out to be Baghdad.
No I think the comparison may be appropriate. Baghdad is a warzone correct? The first time I visited Chicago I was enjoying my trip until the fourth day when I took the L accidentally into the southside, the horrors of what I experienced there are to much to detail on this forum. Drug dealings, muggings, weapons, very scary and aggressive looking people and that's just on the train. What I saw out of the window from the train was even worse and haunts me to this day of how a city can just let itself go like that.
The way millions of people are living in Chicago is inhumane and there's nothing your city is doing to make it better. My first trip to Chicago was in 1998 and my last trip there was 2009 and there's very little change in living conditions in those areas of Chicago. I was watching Erin Burnett Outfront on CNN last night when a special report came in of 3 teenage boys that brutally for a full hour beat their classmate's parents to death for $35,000. Just about everyday on any national news media there's some twisted sinister story coming from Chicago about a killing, slaying, rampant crime. When half the city's land area is taken by the decaying warzone natured west and south sides, you should be concerned about your city and its people. I liked north Chicago and its just as desirable as the desirable parts of any other city which is good but the south and west sides put Chicago in dim light IMO.
Minneapolis has a much better quality of life than Chicago IMO
The only area where MSP recently obtained an edge over Detroit is in GDP. However, MSP's gain over Detroit will be short lived. In the past year or so, MSP inched past Detroit because America's major automakers almost collapsed into oblivion. In 2009, one of the largest industries in the world came to a grinding halt in Detroit.
Detroit's factories and and Fortune 500 companies are now humming again. Metro Detroit is an economic powerhouse that MSP cannot even hope to compare. It just so happened that America's industrial engine nearly died, but things have changed. Detroit is churning out new technology, new concepts, new jobs in skilled manufacturing, engineering, and research and development, etc.
It stuns me how many people underestimate Detroit. It's like they read something in Newsweek about abandoned buildings and such and they assume that nothing is going on over here. Let me inform you that the news reports are overly dramatic. Metro Detroit is loaded with high-tech factories and mile-upon-magnificent-mile of American industry. This is where "stuff" gets made out of raw materials.
Detroit is a titan, a giant, an economic colossus. If MSP finds itself surpassing Detroit by leaps and bounds, this entire nation better start sweating bullets. Starbucks and Walmart cannot be the backbone of America's GDP. We make things in Detroit.
Our sports teams may also clobber the **** out of you.
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