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I'm interested in your further insight in explaining how in Chicago, one can feel it being Midwest from its people? I really don't understand this ...
My observation is that whenever you go a large city with a heavy international influence and population, the city automatically separates itself from the characteristics found in the local geography (mainly small towns). Therefore, Philly Chicago Houston, Toronto, are all cities with different spirits than their local geography .. The bigger the city, the bigger the separation
I'm interested in your thoughts
You raise a few points, but again, I don't think the qualities of a bigger city have anything to do with geography. They are just attributes inherent of any city of a certain size regardless of the region it's in. As for the Midwesterness of Chicago's people, I think that is an intangible trait that is really hard to explain. As an urban dweller of another major (albeit smaller) Midwestern city, I feel very at home in Chicago and the people are of the same ilk as in other older industrial Midwestern cities. There is a palpable difference in demeanor of people between the big cities of the east and west coasts and the Midwest.
You raise a few points, but again, I don't think the qualities of a bigger city have anything to do with geography. They are just attributes inherent of any city of a certain size regardless of the region it's in. As for the Midwesterness of Chicago's people, I think that is an intangible trait that is really hard to explain. As an urban dweller of another major (albeit smaller) Midwestern city, I feel very at home in Chicago and the people are of the same ilk as in other Midwestern cities. There is a palpable difference in demeanor of people between the big cities of the east and west coasts and the Midwest.
Exactly... Walk around SF then Chicago for example, the people and vibes are completely different. Walk around a nabe in Minneapolis and Chicago and the difference and vibe will be fairly similar.
My observation is that whenever you go a large city with a heavy international influence and population, the city automatically separates itself from the characteristics found in the local geography (mainly small towns). Therefore, Philly Chicago Houston, Toronto, are all cities with different spirits than their local geography .. The bigger the city, the bigger the separation
I'm not really understanding this.
Places like NYC and LA are a lot more international-feeling than the cities you list, but no one would claim that NYC doesn't feel like a Northeastern city, or that LA doesn't feel like a Southern California city.
I was just in Rome, which is super-international and cosmopolitan, but didn't once think that it didn't feel very Italian because there were tourists and the like. Rome obviously feels thoroughly Italian.
But why compare them to East Coast cities in the first place, it isn't like you are limited by some rule where a more proper comparison isn't apt. Why not just call them urban, large and walkable? "East Coast" is usually used to describe other aspects than you are using it for. Why not say Chicago is west coast? The central areas of SF and LA have higher population densities than Chicago. Why not compare Chicago to Philly more, far more in common between Chicago and Philly than Chicago does with NYC.
Ok I am just going to have to back off and to agree to disagree with you. This isn't going anywhere and neither side is backing off. Not really going to waste anymore of my time debating this. It's not a topic I care all that much about. Go at it though.
City-Data really is a good place to waste one's time!
Chicago is the great American city; New York is a world city.
They are very different places. Chicago is a much-larger version of its Midwestern counterparts and more comparable to those places than it is to NYC. And with that size difference, Chicago has more more cultural sophistication, intellectual diversity and an international presence. But NYC is still far different.
WRONG !!
Chicago is a World City(alpa +) and at the brink of being a Global city.
NYC, along with London, are the only Global Cities (Alpha ++).... My opinion... NYC exceeds London by far
Different classifications rank differently.... My point is that Chicago is not just an American city,... It is well into the international spectrum.
WRONG !!
Chicago is a World City(alpa +) and at the brink of being a Global city.
NYC, along with London, are the only Global Cities (Alpha ++).... My opinion... NYC exceeds London by far
Different classifications rank differently.... My point is that Chicago is not just an American city,... It is well into the international spectrum.
That source doesn't have anything to do with what you're arguing. It's a British university measuring business connectivity, not whether somewhere is a global city.
LA, for example, isn't a huge traditional business city, so is relatively low-ranked. Same goes for Rome. Frankfurt and Zurich are big traditional business cities, so are relatively high ranked. But you would have to be crazy to say that Frankfurt is a world city and LA or Rome isn't, just because those cities don't have lots of big law firms or accounting firms.
If you were to ask "Is Chicago a global city" I think it depends on the context. If you're saying there are only 10-15 global cities, then definitely no. If there are a few dozen global cities, then definitely yes. Chicago is at that level where it isn't quite a global power, but is far too important to be considered local.
Haha, I just read that picture you posted. Wow you are really off....
1) highrises, already discussed, not close, one has 6x more of them.
2) bridges are not similar at all
central park is nothing like grant park
city layout is not similar from Manhattan to the core of Chicago, esp Lower Manhattan, there is nothing laid out in Chicago like the curves and narrow streets.
The neighborhoods are not really similar at all, chicago has relatively nothing that resembles manhattan outside of maybe the gold coast.
In your thing, you said NYC lacks the entertainment district Chicago has, I have to ask is that a typo???
culture/history are definitely not a 9 out of 10 in similarity.
You say NYC is not famous for roast beef sandwiches, but they are very famous for pastrami sandwiches and corned beef, Chicago is famous for italian beefs... neither are really "roast beef"
LOL at you putting Chicago has better restaurants, you can't be serious can you?
You put the shopping of the cities the same, again you can't be serious can you?
You say Chicago has many streets just as intense as NYC, which makes me think you weren't there in either long or just forget the differences.
You say Manhattan is 17 miles, for some reason and is very off. Then you say Downtown Chicago is 11 miles? Not even sure where you got these #s from.
You say NYC has flat surroundings and so does Chicago, NYC does *NOT* have flat surroundings. across from Manhattan are high cliffs, etc.
Anyway, you are way off on some of your comparisons.
- I am very serious.
- Flat = No rolling hills or mountains in the vicinity... Of course Chicago is flatter
- Correct, Lower Manhattan , is completely different, and no curving streets in Chicago
- I did make the distinction that only a FEW Chicago streets were as intense, however, for the most part, the rest are sleepy when compared to Manhattan...
- I measured Down town up to North Avenue, but not wide at all
That source doesn't have anything to do with what you're arguing. It's a British university measuring business connectivity, not whether somewhere is a global city.
LA, for example, isn't a huge traditional business city, so is relatively low-ranked. Same goes for Rome. Frankfurt and Zurich are big traditional business cities, so are relatively high ranked. But you would have to be crazy to say that Frankfurt is a world city and LA or Rome isn't, just because those cities don't have lots of big law firms or accounting firms.
If you were to ask "Is Chicago a global city" I think it depends on the context. If you're saying there are only 10-15 global cities, then definitely no. If there are a few dozen global cities, then definitely yes. Chicago is at that level where it isn't quite a global power, but is far too important to be considered local.
Interesting observation about the link ... You are correct about that.
I wonder if there is any source/ranking that measure a city "Globalness" / International aspect.... I cant find one.
Without looking at Data, and using NYC and London as 100 index gauge....
I still say that Chicago is very international city. ...
Forget the business aspect, ... just looking at people living there.. They come from all parts of the world... and some even make up entire neighborhoods....
Restaurants .... Same thing.
Tourism... Not as strong with international tourist as other places...
Internationally, Chicago is well known, and even has a persona " Capone, Skyscrapers, Chicago Bulls, Blues, Labor Market reform, Slaughterhouse" ....
Of course NYC is King of being International... But Chicago definitely did not feel "Just American" ... it is a world class city ... I have hard time believing otherwise
Chicago's importance has most do with The Chicago Mercantile Exchange:
"As the world's leading and most diverse derivatives marketplace, CME Group is where the world comes to manage risk. CME Group exchanges offer the widest range of global benchmark products across all major asset classes, including futures and options based on interest rates, equity indexes, foreign exchange, energy, agricultural commodities, metals, weather and real estate."
WRONG !!
Chicago is a World City(alpa +) and at the brink of being a Global city.
NYC, along with London, are the only Global Cities (Alpha ++).... My opinion... NYC exceeds London by far
Different classifications rank differently.... My point is that Chicago is not just an American city,... It is well into the international spectrum.
He means the international and diverse feel of the place, global city means you have businesses that are connected to important business centers. Downtown Chicago along with the central neighborhoods do not feel as international as walking around Manhattan b/c Manhattan has way more raw #'s of foreign born plus always has exponentially more international visitors.
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