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Highrises still make a massive difference in how large a city feels. Manhattan still feels very large even when you're in Upper East or Westsides where those aren't skyscraper, but they are still highrises nonetheless.
definitely, highrises along with # of people living in multi unit buildings are a fairly good gauge at determining urban intensity over a large area, not always, but it's a start.
Philadelphia does have many similarities to NYC, and in fact is often referred to as the 6th Borough. But when compared to only Manhattan, Chicago has more similarities, than Philadelphia, or any other city in the world. (see attachment in the beginning of this post) Specifically to relating to Philidelphia, it does not have the skyscrapers, world influence, nor the dynamics as does Chicago's downtown.
Regarding Midwestern comment....
I feel that that is a convenient label (regardless if used for good or bad) often placed on Chicago to quickly sum it up and shut it up.....
I think that "Midwestern characteristics" can apply to small towns.
Once you hit a big cities, the characteristics associated with any big city, overrides and regional characteristics found in the area
I'm pretty sure he was talking about the architecture style, wider boulevard streets, street grids, and housing stock throughout the city that was built and laid out centuries after the east coast cities, not that people were shucking corn. However, the culture of Chicago is definitely midwestern, too and the differences are pretty easily felt going to Chicago to NY back to back. Or going to SF to Chicago, the differences in people are obvious, none are necessarily better than another though.
I think Philadelphians are more East Coast than New Yorkers nowadays, especially now that NYC is being gentrified by white 20-somethings from around the country. Nowadays the only tension in Brooklyn comes from whether or not your local gourmet donut store will sell out of products, and whether you can get almond milk instead of soy milk.
I think Philadelphians are more East Coast than New Yorkers nowadays, especially now that NYC is being gentrified by white 20-somethings from around the country. Nowadays the only tension in Brooklyn comes from whether or not your local gourmet donut store will sell out of products, and whether you can get almond milk instead of soy milk.
Agreed. I think the same goes sometimes with Chicago. People say Chicago is totally midwest, which I disagree. To me Chicago is a mix of Midwest and East Coast in culture. People assume it because they visit neighborhoods like Lincoln Park and Lakeview that are made up of nothing but mostly midwest transplants and not so much native Chicagoans. So yes neighborhoods like Lincoln Park and Lakeview tend to be very midwestern. However, the majority of the neighborhoods imo aren't really just midwestern. Places like Pilsen, Logan Square, Avondale, Wicker Park, Irving Park, Roger's Park, Edgewater, Uptown, Ukranian Village, etc, have more of an East Coast vibe than Midwest, but overall they are hybrid of the two.
I think Philadelphians are more East Coast than New Yorkers nowadays, especially now that NYC is being gentrified by white 20-somethings from around the country. Nowadays the only tension in Brooklyn comes from whether or not your local gourmet donut store will sell out of products, and whether you can get almond milk instead of soy milk.
The hip, SWPL like part of Brooklyn is only one part. Far more of it is a mesh of immigrant (first and second generation) and some "native" neighborhoods. Even in transplant full Park Slope, one can hear native NYC accents.
Agreed. I think the same goes sometimes with Chicago. People say Chicago is totally midwest, which I disagree. To me Chicago is a mix of Midwest and East Coast in culture. People assume it because they visit neighborhoods like Lincoln Park and Lakeview that are made up of nothing but mostly midwest transplants and not so much native Chicagoans. So yes neighborhoods like Lincoln Park and Lakeview tend to be very midwestern. However, the majority of the neighborhoods imo aren't really just midwestern. Places like Pilsen, Logan Square, Avondale, Wicker Park, Irving Park, Roger's Park, Edgewater, Uptown, Ukranian Village, etc, have more of an East Coast vibe than Midwest, but overall they are hybrid of the two.
Maybe. There's a certain style I noticed in Philadelphia and Boston that seems vaguely familiar culturally to Long Island or the more "native" residents of NYC. I didn't get that from Chicago. Not sure how to describe it.
The hip, SWPL like part of Brooklyn is only one part. Far more of it is a mesh of immigrant (first and second generation) and some "native" neighborhoods. Even in transplant full Park Slope, one can hear native NYC accents.
I know, I was being facetious. There is a little bit of truth though, just look at the changing demographics of Brooklyn from the last census to this one.
Agreed. I think the same goes sometimes with Chicago. People say Chicago is totally midwest, which I disagree. To me Chicago is a mix of Midwest and East Coast in culture. People assume it because they visit neighborhoods like Lincoln Park and Lakeview that are made up of nothing but mostly midwest transplants and not so much native Chicagoans. So yes neighborhoods like Lincoln Park and Lakeview tend to be very midwestern. However, the majority of the neighborhoods imo aren't really just midwestern. Places like Pilsen, Logan Square, Avondale, Wicker Park, Irving Park, Roger's Park, Edgewater, Uptown, Ukranian Village, etc, have more of an East Coast vibe than Midwest, but overall they are hybrid of the two.
People in Chicago were so nice. I guess that friendliness sort of strikes me as being a pretty midwestern trait, as people from the east coast are usually pretty frigid to outsiders.
Also the popcorn served in every bar struck me as incredibly midwestern.
Agreed. I think the same goes sometimes with Chicago. People say Chicago is totally midwest, which I disagree. To me Chicago is a mix of Midwest and East Coast in culture. People assume it because they visit neighborhoods like Lincoln Park and Lakeview that are made up of nothing but mostly midwest transplants and not so much native Chicagoans. So yes neighborhoods like Lincoln Park and Lakeview tend to be very midwestern. However, the majority of the neighborhoods imo aren't really just midwestern. Places like Pilsen, Logan Square, Avondale, Wicker Park, Irving Park, Roger's Park, Edgewater, Uptown, Ukranian Village, etc, have more of an East Coast vibe than Midwest, but overall they are hybrid of the two.
That is like saying NYC and Boston aren't east coast, or SF isn't west coast, or Atlanta isn't the south just b/c there are immigrant areas. All big cities over 5 million or so have these features. Point being, you could make exceptions for every large city. However the point is in the abstract notion of Midwestern, in the particulars of Chicago you can start to generalize a certain pattern, and that pattern is decidedly Midwestern. It's *the* hub city of the Midwest, of course it is midwestern and attracts more midwestern transplants from the region than any other city in the midwest.
I know, I was being facetious. There is a little bit of truth though, just look at the changing demographics of Brooklyn from the last census to this one.
The census showed an increase of the non-hispanic white population from 34.7 to 35.7%. Not that large, and some of the increase is from an increase in the Hasidic Jewish population.
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