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I'm not saying that it's Detroit, because it's not, but Chicago is losing population not "growing" and it's been on a decline for many decades. All of your excitement about the city should be balanced out by an awareness that financially the city and state are in very bad shape, the city's education system is a disaster and is seeing enrollment drop quickly as black and brown families leave the district, and the infamous crime problem is a major blight that constantly inhibits growth and development. Obviously Chicago's outlook is mixed, and it may very well continue to attract educated white young people even as it hemorrhages black and brown families. That will enable it to stay an attractive and important part of the country's economy and urban fabric, but it will quickly be bypassed by the cities that can attract a more diverse workforce and the families who will actually put down roots and grow the population. You can't grow a city on Midwestern frat dudes with MBAs and degrees in Computer Science. But you can keep a city attractive for enough people and business to prevent the decimation seen in places like Cleveland, St. Louis, and Detroit. In that sense you are correct that Chicago has succeeded.
Bronzeville is majority black and single family homes can sell for $800k. Two 'affordable-housing' high-rises have broken ground on 43rd and Calumet along the Green-Line to provide "equitable TOD." The former Michael Reese site has an approved $6 Billion mega-project which will totally transform the area and provide thousands of jobs and residential units. The neighborhood is destined to become the south side equivalent of Lincoln Park with much more diversity. There are far too many projects and plans to list but Bronzeville will become the jewel of the south side along with Hyde Park.
Woodlawn is also seeing a high level of granular infill to erase the urban prairies that plague the neighborhood. Black developers are allowed to purchase vacant lots for $1,000 from the Cook County Land-Bank and are building 3-flats. The Obama Presidential Center will be a major economic driver and the black-owned Apostolic Church of God has proposed a 1.25 million sq. ft. mixed-use development dubbed "Woodlawn Central" directly as a result of Obama's Library.
The city also has instituted a city-wide trail system that will create elevated walking/biking paths on abandoned rail lines to create infrastructure similar to the 606-Trail for the south and west sides.
The Red Line's extension south to 130th has also produced a plethora of future investments like the new Illinois-medical-district established in Roseland that will become a 100 acre mixed-use campus that will bring much needed health care and jobs to the area.
The city's Invest South/West program has already kicked off projects in Englewood, Woodlawn, North Lawndale, South-Shore, Back of the Yards, Austin etc.
Regal Mile Studios is being built in South Shore by Hollywood producers to not only expand Chicago's film-industry but specifically to teach black and brown youth how to work in media production.
Chicago now has three community-areas that are predominately Asian and the only growing China-town in the U.S.
The city obviously has a history of segregation and disinvestment that can't be undone overnight. However, there are many initiatives that may seem superficial but they are indeed leading to transformational investments focused on retaining and expanding minority populations. That city could have all of its problems and be doing nothing about it like they did for so long. I choose to look at the concentration on black-ownership and equitable investments hoping that it isn't too late and Chicago can restore it's historical position as a black epicenter.
Again, there are far too many programs/plans/initiatives to list like the Neighborhood Opportunity Fund that are a positive step in the right direction. Crime and schools absolutely need to be addressed but you have to start somewhere and we are seeing actual change on the ground after decades of unfulfilled talk.
I love Chicago but I never understood why it’s compared to nyc so much. Other than architecture, and the way people move around it’s not that similar to me.
There are so many things NYC has that Chicago does not. So I really get frustrated when I see Chicago homers say “Chicago is exactly like NYC but cheaper”. No it isn’t.
I love Chicago but I never understood why it’s compared to nyc so much. Other than architecture, and the way people move around it’s not that similar to me.
There are so many things NYC has that Chicago does not. So I really get frustrated when I see Chicago homers say “Chicago is exactly like NYC but cheaper”. No it isn’t.
I wouldn’t take anything personally or let things frustrate or otherwise affect you. It’s the internet…posters are just fingers on a board it’s all fun. You don’t know them. But it really depends on what people are comparing. I think everyone knows what the truth is.
There are so many things NYC has that Chicago does not. So I really get frustrated when I see Chicago homers say “Chicago is exactly like NYC but cheaper”. No it isn’t.
Oh 100%. I hear that often too from Chicagoans. It's not accurate and it's glossing over so many amenities that NYC has that Chicago just does not.
I too, love Chicago, but just to visit. NYC is one of the best cities in the world.
Chicago should really be compared to San Fran or Houston, those are much better overall comparisons, size-wise. And Dallas/Fort Worth is fast creeping upon Chicago's metro population too.
Oh 100%. I hear that often too from Chicagoans. It's not accurate and it's glossing over so many amenities that NYC has that Chicago just does not.
I too, love Chicago, but just to visit. NYC is one of the best cities in the world.
Chicago should really be compared to San Fran or Houston, those are much better overall comparisons, size-wise. And Dallas/Fort Worth is fast creeping upon Chicago's metro population too.
Anyone making a one-to-one comparison between Chicago and New York or comparing GDP, population, number of amenities, or importance in the world would be out of their mind. I've never heard this the entire time I've lived in Chicago (maybe on CD, but that's not real life). However, I've heard many people express they prefer Chicago to New York for a variety of subjective reasons like they prefer the waterfront, the architecture, the people, the cost of living, etc. Or maybe they just like the vibe of Chicago better. Hard to judge.
People should see New York and Chicago as two distinct cities, but people like to make comparisons and the fact that both cities are known as hubs of immigration, finance, architecture, and are the major skyscraper cities and were historically the two largest cities for about 100 years I guess is where it comes from.
There's many people who believe Chicago is one of the best cities in the world. The US is big enough for more than one great, world city. I still don't believe that size is the only or best indicator for quality of cities which is why population has little to do with the reason why Houston and Chicago aren't compared more. It's probably more because these two cities are two different animals in terms of form. I've heard more comparison of Houston to LA and that's still a stretch.
Oh 100%. I hear that often too from Chicagoans. It's not accurate and it's glossing over so many amenities that NYC has that Chicago just does not.
I too, love Chicago, but just to visit. NYC is one of the best cities in the world.
Chicago should really be compared to San Fran or Houston, those are much better overall comparisons, size-wise. And Dallas/Fort Worth is fast creeping upon Chicago's metro population too.
Disagree with this post. Chicago has nothing in common with Houston and would be an odder comparison than Chicago and New York. The reason that Chicago and New York get compared so frequently is for a large period of U.S. history, they were the two largest cities. They still share a common skyscraper / density / transit vernacular, although admittedly, New York has much more of all. It's not like we're comparing a toaster to a giraffe. Nobody is going to deny NYC is much larger and has many more amenities than Chicago. It's clearly a full tier higher on the pecking order of cities, but people are not necessarily wrong for comparing NYC to Chicago. It just way more of a similar thing. Chicago also has plenty of attributes that NYC can't share either. I'm happy to list them if you like.
Anyone making a one-to-one comparison between Chicago and New York or comparing GDP, population, number of amenities, or importance in the world would be out of their mind. I've never heard this the entire time I've lived in Chicago (maybe on CD, but that's not real life). However, I've heard many people express they prefer Chicago to New York for a variety of subjective reasons like they prefer the waterfront, the architecture, the people, the cost of living, etc. Or maybe they just like the vibe of Chicago better. Hard to judge.
People should see New York and Chicago as two distinct cities, but people like to make comparisons and the fact that both cities are known as hubs of immigration, finance, architecture, and are the major skyscraper cities and were historically the two largest cities for about 100 years I guess is where it comes from.
There's many people who believe Chicago is one of the best cities in the world. The US is big enough for more than one great, world city. I still don't believe that size is the only or best indicator for quality of cities which is why population has little to do with the reason why Houston and Chicago aren't compared more. It's probably more because these two cities are two different animals in terms of form. I've heard more comparison of Houston to LA and that's still a stretch.
I wrote my response before reading this post. Well-stated.
I love Chicago but I never understood why it’s compared to nyc so much. Other than architecture, and the way people move around it’s not that similar to me.
There are so many things NYC has that Chicago does not. So I really get frustrated when I see Chicago homers say “Chicago is exactly like NYC but cheaper”. No it isn’t.
It's because there is nothing in Chicago that you can't find better and bolder in NYC. Except for substantially lower home prices. So the selling point has become "hey we have so much of what they have in NYC and we have it at far lower cost." I never understood that argument because unless you have family reasons or are truly priced out of NYC why on earth would you choose Chicago over NYC if it's the big, diverse urban experience you're after. It just seems like whenever a city tries to position itself as a poor man' [insert city here] its a really bad sign because nobody wants a poor man's city if there is any chance to get the real thing. The Midwestern cities that are growing right now (Columbus, Indy, Madison, Des Moines) are not trying to be something they're not. They're just trying to offer an affordable place with good job opportunities, low costs, decent schools, and a safe place for families to grow.
It's because there is nothing in Chicago that you can't find better and bolder in NYC. Except for substantially lower home prices. So the selling point has become "hey we have so much of what they have in NYC and we have it at far lower cost." I never understood that argument because unless you have family reasons or are truly priced out of NYC why on earth would you choose Chicago over NYC if it's the big, diverse urban experience you're after. It just seems like whenever a city tries to position itself as a poor man' [insert city here] its a really bad sign because nobody wants a poor man's city if there is any chance to get the real thing. The Midwestern cities that are growing right now (Columbus, Indy, Madison, Des Moines) are not trying to be something they're not. They're just trying to offer an affordable place with good job opportunities, low costs, decent schools, and a safe place for families to grow.
Not to mention Chicago isn’t that similar to NYC. Other Northeastern cities are more like New York IMO, both Philly and Boston. But obviously Boston isn’t cheaper.
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