Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I grew up in the Midwest (Cleveland), my parents are from Illinois and we visited a lot of relatives in and around Chicago. I didn't make it to NYC until I was well into my teen years so, until that time, Chicago was the biggest city I'd ever been in and it was (and is) more than enough for me. It's a unique and unusual big city from my POV. It is middle America, high-culture/international (and yet unpretentious like Eastern cities), bustling/exciting and, even, a bit of a resort feel with that amazing lake shore, beaches, LSD and all the majestic high-rise apartments -- it's as if you took Park Avenue put beaches on one side opposite the apts and condos... As a Midwesterner, the Chicago culture was familiar so it always kind of feels like home -- even though I know Cleveland people bristle at the idea that Cleveland is a "Little Chicago" just as Chicagoans, in turn, hate the "mini-New York" crap.
I love NYC and realize it's in a class of itself as big cities go. But New York just always seems to have a run-down (some say dirty) feel about it with a "so-what, we're New York" attitude when anyone questions this. Chicago, on the other hand, has always seemed much cleaner, spruced up and carries the attitude of hospitality and accommodation to visitors -- the City's mantra is: "I Will." ... I know these are stereotypes, but it's just my take having experienced, and loved, both of the great cities, but for different reasons.
Location: East Central Pennsylvania/ Chicago for 6yrs.
2,535 posts, read 3,283,834 times
Reputation: 1483
Quote:
Originally Posted by TheProf
I grew up in the Midwest (Cleveland), my parents are from Illinois and we visited a lot of relatives in and around Chicago. I didn't make it to NYC until I was well into my teen years so, until that time, Chicago was the biggest city I'd ever been in and it was (and is) more than enough for me. It's a unique and unusual big city from my POV. It is middle America, high-culture/international (and yet unpretentious like Eastern cities), bustling/exciting and, even, a bit of a resort feel with that amazing lake shore, beaches, LSD and all the majestic high-rise apartments -- it's as if you took Park Avenue put beaches on one side opposite the apts and condos... As a Midwesterner, the Chicago culture was familiar so it always kind of feels like home -- even though I know Cleveland people bristle at the idea that Cleveland is a "Little Chicago" just as Chicagoans, in turn, hate the "mini-New York" crap.
I love NYC and realize it's in a class of itself as big cities go. But New York just always seems to have a run-down (some say dirty) feel about it with a "so-what, we're New York" attitude when anyone questions this. Chicago, on the other hand, has always seemed much cleaner, spruced up and carries the attitude of hospitality and accommodation to visitors -- the City's mantra is: "I Will." ... I know these are stereotypes, but it's just my take having experienced, and loved, both of the great cities, but for different reasons.
Great post a Testimonial.... I do think it is New Yorkers who abhor Chicago given any comparisons to NYC. They see it lessens their stature. Chicagoans really don't care. They understand though..... it IS A TESTEMONY OF THE LEVEL AND ESTEEM. THEIR DOWNTOWN HAS GAINED..... in its growth and level of Skyscraper levels in business and Skyscraper High-End living. Outside of NYC.
Great post a Testimonial.... I do think it is New Yorkers who abhor Chicago given any comparisons to NYC. They see it lessens their stature. Chicagoans really don't care. They understand though..... it IS A TESTEMONY OF THE LEVEL AND ESTEEM. THEIR DOWNTOWN HAS GAINED..... in its growth and level of Skyscraper levels in business and Skyscraper High-End living. Outside of NYC.
I don't think New York thinks about any other city. They would probably laugh at these comparisons to their city. They're arrogant that way. They scoff at New Jersey across the river, they probably scoff even more at the suggestion other cities are anything like them. Scoff and laugh.
Chicago probably doesn't care, either. Everyone claims to not care, yet there are so many threads on this stuff.
I don't think of Chicago as a mini New York. Never have. I like Chicago a lot more than New York.
Chicago is the perfect combination of being Middle America and an International city whereas NYC is strictly international. I lived in Liincoln Park for two years. If the weather weren't so putrid, I'd still be there. I can't do those winters again tho...
Lot of the Irish and Italian neighborhoods in NYC do not feel that International to me and the Jewish neighborhoods do not feel that international. NYC while being the most diverse city to me it still feels uniquely America.
Chicago is nothing like NYC and that's a very very good thing.
Bits and pieces are definitely alike. In my view, those are mostly what's good about Chicago. If not for those, it would be just another Midwestern city with only a few bits of fun in my opinion.
Apart from the obvious, which is things it has to offer being much lower both in quantity and vibe, the biggest difference I notice for Chicago is really the people. They put great emphasis in suburban values such as being "clean" and other stuff like that.
You would often think they are suburbanites living in an urban city. It's very Midwestern (urban Midwestern) in that sense.
Location: East Central Pennsylvania/ Chicago for 6yrs.
2,535 posts, read 3,283,834 times
Reputation: 1483
Quote:
Originally Posted by VA All Day
This. Somebody already said it earlier, Chi strikes me more as a bigger Cleveland than it does a smaller NY.
... LOL I'm not sure if this is a ....
Complement to Cleveland
Insults Cleveland
Complement for Chicago
Insults Chicago
To me it is a bit of a insult, only because Chicago may have less in quantities but plenty of quality today it has ATTAINED. Like a ...
Skyline that can go up with Manhattan
Top Restaurants as NYC
High-End Shopping street to go up to 5th Ave
Skyscraper living in Upscale and TRUELY High-End as NYC
A Theatre district today, for evolving Plays before Broadway and Top plays to come
A Downtown with Vibrancy and to Live in with desirability
Why i see it as a bit of a insult is.....
Chicago does have attributes of Manhattan
Earned a right to have it given credit for those aspects
Has attained Premier Shopping Street up with 5th Ave NYC and Rodeo Dr. LA.
High-End Living Downtown and Gentrified neighborhoods with great to superior housing
If you say Bigger Cleveland. You seem to deny Chicago's HARD EARNED STATURE in its Downtown especially, that has evolved.
What i would call Chicago is .....a Cleaner NYC. Some valid comparisons and qualities today. But of course not in quantities. GENERALLY IT IS NEW YORKERS WHO GET OFFENDED TO SEE CHICAGO AS A MINI-THEM... NOT REALLY CHICAGOANS OFFENDED. If it ACKNOWLEDGES SOME..... MANHATANIZATION ATTRIBUTES. But in a TOTALLY CHICAGO VERSION and added Mid-Western flavor. It's about Positives then.....
I see Downtown Chicago and North Shore neighborhoods as a CLEANER AND GENTLER TREE-LINED VERSION of Manhattan. That isn't PRETENTIOUS all wrapped up in itself. Chicago displays better too, what it does have...
Chicago is Chicago. Not sure we needed a whole thread on this topic.
Yep. No city like Chicago. It's the king of interior US cities. NYC is the king of old Eastern Seaboard cities, and Los Angeles is the king of new Western US cities. As for Sun Belt cities, I think there are several cities competing for primacy and no clear leader.
There are parts of Chicago that remind me of NYC, though I don't think those are the parts that really define the city in my eyes. Plus, there are parts of many cities which remind me of NYC, Chicago just might have the highest number of them.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
... LOL I'm not sure if this is a ....
