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Alright, first off, I'm new here. Would like to introduce myself to you all!
I've been facinated by big cities my entire life, ever since my childhood. After making some intermittent visits all across America, I've come down to my two favorite urban landscapes - NYC and Chicago.
I live in the midwest (Indianapolis) so I of course have been to Chicago more frequently, but still, not a lot. Maybe five or six times, each about three day trips.
New York City on the other hand - I went this past March for a week and two days. And wow, it was really something.
Do I want to move to one of these cities? Heck yeah. I'm about to graduate, and can't make up my mind. I understand many of these NY vs Chicago threads annoy people -- but I'm talking about the actual feeling of being in the city and how you interact with it.
NYC:
There's such an exhilarating feeling of approaching the city at night in a taxi, coming from LaGuardia and into Lincoln tunnel, this place you've NEVER been to before. I was so amazed, all my brother could murmur up was "Wow, this is a big city". And that really says something. My brother never makes those kind of comments. And we both knew what we were in for. I couldn't say anything--I was literally frozen. Midtown from that angle (right before entering the tunnel) is MASSIVE. The taxi driver, like many taxi drivers, was from the Middle East. He was extremely friendly and laughed at how we were amazed by everything. So nonchalant. The garbage on the streets--we weren't used to it. He goes "Oh, that's the beauty of New York! That's the beauty of New York!" You're here for one week? 'Yeah' That will go by really fast". It did. And then the most obvious, the amount of people outside as we went through the narrow streets. Everyone was up to something -good, bad, or ugly. Mostly good though. The lighs were again, everywhere. It's f*cking amazing. As we were approaching our hotel, the double tree in Times Square, we got out. And the rest of it I can't explain, because it's ridiculous. You can smell everything - you can feel everything, hear, see. Beautiful women. There's just this energy. And that's that.
Yes, we did it all. ESB, top of the rock, rock, SI Ferry, the park, the garden, the villiages, lower manhattan, 1 WTC / 9/11 memorial, statue of liberty, ellis island, battery park, broadway, brooklyn bridge, brooklyn, subway, Lombardi's, bus tour, tours, the shopping districts, general exploring. You get the point.
Chicago:
There's an eloquence to this city. A refined lifestyle I guess. At night, the streets are actually clear in some areas. The L trains give the city this dynamic feeling. People not necessarily friendlier--but more willing to talk because there's less people. And windy city? That's true. But NYC in March ough to have the same title--seriously, it's very cold. Landscaping and scaling--gives you a bit more to appreciate each and every skyscraper's uniqueness and size. Obviously cleaner. Here, I feel like I could actually own a car and go out with my friends, pay $1600/month for something 10X better than a shoebox with a door. Sip some coffee at a cafe and have that bit of breathing space, like you own that little bit of the city. If you've ever seen Ferris Beuller's Day Off, you get the same vibe. And nothing against NYC, but Chicago's just that extra bit American. Of course, New York is it's own entity.
There's this feeling though, in New York, that you just can't get anywhere else. A bit of arrogance in a good way, that you're in the number one city, the real deal. Of course, I had a few frustrations with the amount of people there, probably because it was extremely cold. But, these frustrations were very small in comparision to every other good thought I had.
My main concern, is meeting people if I move to New York. I feel that, perhaps, the more people, the more isolated the individual becomes. And of course, prices.
What do you think? How do you feel when you're in these cities? Do you New Yorkers ever get tired of how lively things are? What emotional and practical feelings do you get from each city?
Last edited by infinitelimits; 06-19-2014 at 02:56 PM..
Love both cities. I think I actually like the city of Chicago more than NYC, however, I actually think the people of NYC are nicer, at least in Manhattan. Chicagoans seem to try too hard sometimes to come across as "hard". It's like they have something to prove. NYC on the other hand has nothing to prove and I think that sort plays out with how people interact.
This doesn't make me like Chicago any less. I sort of like it that they have their own unique attitude. Once you get past the outer layers of skin people tend to put on in larger cities, the people end up being about the same everywhere.
There are plenty of threads on this and you can find your answers there. I'm so sick of rehashing this topic over and over again.
Never mind how this thread is trying to be original... no matter how you say it, it's NYC vs. Chicago, and frankly, this topic is SO boring nowadays.
Why bother commenting on it then?
To OP:
I was born and raised in Deerfield, IL and love Chicago. I also attended college in New Jersey and made frequent trips to NYC. Chicago is more "American" and feels more apple pie whilst NYC is more international and feels cultural. I prefer the former to the latter but only because it is my home city.
There are plenty of threads on this and you can find your answers there. I'm so sick of rehashing this topic over and over again.
Never mind how this thread is trying to be original... no matter how you say it, it's NYC vs. Chicago, and frankly, this topic is SO boring nowadays.
There can never be too many threads dealing with these cities. We're talking well over 20+ million people in their metro areas, thousands of buildings, events, culture, lifestyle. And you're telling us a few threads can cover all that? If it's boring, why don't you do the favor of not participating and move to goddamn North Dakota? If you're sick, buy a big glass of "get over yourself" and drink up. You control your own actions, not mine nor anyone else's...I find these topics are timeless and worth discussing.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Antny12
To OP:
I was born and raised in Deerfield, IL and love Chicago. I also attended college in New Jersey and made frequent trips to NYC. Chicago is more "American" and feels more apple pie whilst NYC is more international and feels cultural. I prefer the former to the latter but only because it is my home city.
That's my whole deal. If I move to Chicago, I feel I can fit in that extra bit more. It's not a far drive from home. The thing was, when I was in NYC, every street felt / looked the same -- but went on for miles. (That's likely due tho the amount if people and closeness of buildings). It's almost a mega-assimilation of villages, shops, and business corporations all on top of each other. Chicago on the other hand, was not nearly as "hustle-bustle" but had a vibe.
What about just general transport? Be it, walking, driving, subway? Can you really accomplish a lot more in a day in Chicago?
Your description of NYC brought back good memories from when I revisited NYC only a couple years ago as an adult (despite growing up in the area). After spending many years all over the place... heck, world, nothing beats the feelings you described in NYC. I'm glad that you had such a memorable experience.
I visited Chicago for the first time this year, and enjoyed it. Nothing was particularly impressive, but like you, I can see myself living comfortably there. And I have the same doubts as you with moving to NYC. I have heard that the first year of NYC is almost always difficult. I have no doubt it would be. I also have no doubt that people living there would laugh at our rose-colored glasses. But, having lived in many places, my general experience is that, if you can see yourself living there and enjoying it, and it aligns with your long-term goals, then go for it.
As you're about to graduate, where you choose could have a big impact on your subsequent years. I'd say go for NYC if you can. As far as practical feelings, the feedback I generally get is that the first year is almost always difficult. Not everybody likes it, but I know for me, I would feel more at home there than in Chicago.
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its - possession
it's - contraction of it is
your - possession
you're - contraction of you are
their - possession
they're - contraction of they are
there - referring to a place
loose - opposite of tight
lose - opposite of win
who's - contraction of who is
whose - possession
alot - NOT A WORD
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