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 kinda agree with this, the only thing I'd quibble with is "immediately". I also wouldn't claim that Manhattan is objectively superior to Downtown Chicago for every single person because that's a value judgment. For me it is because I like large, dense, bustling cities, while someone else might prefer the less rushed pace and more elbow room of Chicago.
Ultimately, I think one's perception of how the two compare depends on their frame of reference and how much time they spend in each. Someone who has never been to a large city and visits both for 2-3 days, just checking out the main sights, might easily come away with the impression that they are peers. That was me many years ago. I visited both for a few days as a teenager in early 90s (having never been to a world class city prior to that) and thought they were in the same weight class. I actually enjoyed Chicago more and thought New York was just dirtier, busier and more obnoxious. But get to know them a little better, and the difference in size and scale becomes apparent. As has been stated before, Manhattan is not just much busier and denser than Downtown Chicago, but in terms of size absolutely dwarves it. Downtown Chicago has a grandiose look but it's tiny by comparison -- around 1/7th the size of Manhattan south of 96th street. Walk half a mile to a mile south, west or northwest from the Loop and you are surrounded by parking lots. Walk a little farther and you are in neighborhoods that are borderline suburban by Manhattan standards. Now some might find its more modest size and relaxed pace to be a good thing, but I find that's the main difference between the two.
True. I remember visiting Chicago as a kid back in the late 90's and it too was the first "world class" BIG city I ever visited, prior to that the biggest city I had been too was Detroit which still had over 1 million at that time, I remember staying in a hotel in Downtown and got absolutely lost. It was so Big I had no idea what part of the loop I was in, and than as I young adult I visited New York and I was beyond Lost, I visited New York again about 2 years later, and than I went back to Chicago about 2 years ago indeed Manhatten does Dwarf Chicago, not a knock on Chicago at all, cuz I really Like Chicago ...I always say you can always see the End of Chicago's Skyline big as it is....New York is Different from some angles , most angles you can't even see the End of Manhattan's skyline unless you're far away like in Jersey it seems to stretch on forever Building after Building after Building after BUILDING and on top of that they're building more Buildings...
I decided to do a little graphic using a lower case L to illustrate my point and the skyline of other cities in comparison
Average Mid size city skyline
lllllll
4 Giant Southern Metros
lllllllllllllllllllll
Chicago
llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll lll
Im gonna follow your lead and post some of my own personal street pics of Manhattan that have just been sitting on my camera roll for a while.. These are just some cell phone pics taken be me. All are recent. (Past few months)
I've taken up cell phone city photography as a hobby lately and I've just been waiting for an excuse/time & place to share some of these
Nice. Same lol! I thought I might as well post them too. NYC is an easy city to photograph.
I have a hard time believing that some posters took those pictures of Chicago though lol...
Last edited by thedirtypirate; 05-04-2017 at 04:45 PM..
I like both. And I've visited both recently. While New York feels busier, Chicago feels more grand. I think New York is just so dirty and trashy that it detracts from the neighborhoods when all you see is garbage everywhere. Chicago's streets are emptier, but impeccably clean.
Architecture-wise, I prefer New York (only because there is more Art Deco).
In terms of visual appeal, Chicago from Grant Park is hard to beat. Not even New York from Hoboken gave me the same goosebumps as seeing Chicago's skyline for the first time.
New York has way more attractions though. After a week in Chicago, I'd be on D-list attractions. A week in Manhattan and I'm barely scratching the surface!
I like both. And I've visited both recently. While New York feels busier, Chicago feels more grand. I think New York is just so dirty and trashy that it detracts from the neighborhoods when all you see is garbage everywhere. Chicago's streets are emptier, but impeccably clean.
Architecture-wise, I prefer New York (only because there is more Art Deco).
In terms of visual appeal, Chicago from Grant Park is hard to beat. Not even New York from Hoboken gave me the same goosebumps as seeing Chicago's skyline for the first time.
New York has way more attractions though. After a week in Chicago, I'd be on D-list attractions. A week in Manhattan and I'm barely scratching the surface!
NYC is 24 hour city even late at night still good amount of people on train and buses.
Visiting both places this summer and want to know how Chicago downtown compares to NYC? Some say Chicago is like NYC midwest and was interested in how some people compare both cities. Thanks
I love both cities but you really are comparing apples and oranges.
Chicago's significantly smaller, cleaner, slower paced and because of that-the people are nicer.
I love both cities but you really are comparing apples and oranges.
Chicago's significantly smaller, cleaner, slower paced and because of that-the people are nicer.
I discovered yesterday that Chicago offers visitors three things nyc don't during the summer season
1. The El riding through downtown Chicago around the skyscrapers
2. The boat tour in between the buildings of downtown Chicago
3. The beach with the Chicago skyline in the background
Visiting both places this summer and want to know how Chicago downtown compares to NYC? Some say Chicago is like NYC midwest and was interested in how some people compare both cities. Thanks
Which city will you visit first?
Will you go directly from one to the other?
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.
