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Manhattan is an entire island and is like a city in itself whereas Downtown Chicago is just the core. A better comparison would possibly be Downtown+Northside(particulary everything east of the river) Chicago vs. Manhattan. Northside Chicago in particular has been said to be like a different city from the westside or southside (which is like Chicago's version of Brooklyn), and also has about the same land area as Manhattan at 23 sq. miles but with three times less density and population.
There are quite a few good threads on the topic if you do a search. In short Chicago is huge but New York is a monster it's massive there are just a lot more buildings and once you see Manhattan it kind of spoils you. The other thing that makes NYC seem so much larger is the lack of plazas and parking garages and no alleyways. Different geographically they're both architecturally amazing.
To me it was the opposite in Chicago spoiled my EXPECTTION of Manhattan. I knew Chicago first. I lived there a few years. I never visited NYC before I had Chicago where I had relatives. Chicago has plenty of Skyscrapers to satisfy anyone today and if you want skyscraper living with a view? There are plenty even NYC couldn't surpass. So skyscrapers WERE NOT what NYC really could over-shadow for me.
Manhattan and All NYC is a beast. But knowing ---> Chicago's first? I felt I did not get short-changed in any BIG city experiences. But its overall scale is less. As MOST are saying in any experiences of a Big American City, NYC just is larger and more in quantity and dense overall. In Grandeur and Quality today? Chicago does shine in its own right. Does not mean NYC is lessened.
I was then looking at everything else too. True, Chicago has no replacement to a Times Square. But I found it more gritty ironically. I did see bags of trash on sidewalks as not like the Manhattan in the movies.
Alleys you mentioned - definitely Chicago is with alleys in 90% of the city and downtown. One mistake in designing Manhattan's street-grid was no alleys. They serve a great service that at least hides its trash bags till pick-up. I HATED seeing them on Manhattan streets. Not the Manhattan of the movies I expected. So alleys are a plus. More invisible downtown then visible. Lower-level access to buildings for deliveries aid in less street blockage above.
Chicago does have some plazas - through its Loop Core that provides a bit more openness and it has the skyscraper Canyon effect that should not be downplayed in especially the Loop. Chicago also has its river as a Skyscraper canyon that you can take tour boats on the river for sightseeing and into Lake Michigan that is a great addition to any visit. I'd recommend tourist take a River and Lake tour. Some offer only the river. Take on from the River at Michigan Ave or near and on Navy Pier.
The Manhattanizing of Chicago's Core - has been accomplished with new buildings just adding to it. No shortage of high-rise to skyscraper-living there. Its skyline along its shore is a testament and its supertalls showcased. That it really lacks only quantity and overall size vs. NYC. Not quality or Grandeur.
Parking garages mentioned - are no drawback in Chicago. Its the sunbelt cities they really stand out with some huge ugly bland, block sized garages hurting vibrancy. Chicago having underground city owned garages under its downtown Parks for over 9,000 cars and other private ones. Helps replace a need of more surface garages. What garages it has can't face main streets and most have retail street-level so you don't even know some are a garage.
Core shopping - Chicago's N. Michigan Ave is really no step down from 5th Ave today. It has the Higher-end retailers flagship stores in mostly new buildings less then 15-yrs old with Boutique shops on side streets. Its flower-lined street adds Class
Residential skyscrapers tend to be podium-style in Chicago. They are much rarer in Manhattan. Where the ground level is a parking garage for its residents and living space above it. Most keep street-frontage free for retail and eateries. But the garage is still behind it. Square/footage of space being cheaper in Chicago has a garage for your vehicle in the same building you live pretty standard. In Manhattan its far more a Luxury.
Manhattan will always overshadow its competition. It just can't claim to crush all today.
To me it was the opposite in Chicago spoiled my EXPECTTION of Manhattan. I knew Chicago first. I lived there a few years. I never visited NYC before I had Chicago where I had relatives. Chicago has plenty of Skyscrapers to satisfy anyone today and if you want skyscraper living with a view? There are plenty even NYC couldn't surpass. So skyscrapers WERE NOT what NYC really could over-shadow for me.
Manhattan and All NYC is a beast. But knowing ---> Chicago's first? I felt I did not get short-changed in any BIG city experiences. But its overall scale is less. As MOST are saying in any experiences of a Big American City, NYC just is larger and more in quantity and dense overall. In Grandeur and Quality today? Chicago does shine in its own right. Does not mean NYC is lessened.
I was then looking at everything else too. True, Chicago has no replacement to a Times Square. But I found it more gritty ironically. I did see bags of trash on sidewalks as not like the Manhattan in the movies.
Alleys you mentioned - definitely Chicago is with alleys in 90% of the city and downtown. One mistake in designing Manhattan's street-grid was no alleys. They serve a great service that at least hides its trash bags till pick-up. I HATED seeing them on Manhattan streets. Not the Manhattan of the movies I expected. So alleys are a plus. More invisible downtown then visible. Lower-level access to buildings for deliveries aid in less street blockage above.
Chicago does have some plazas - through its Loop Core that provides a bit more openness and it has the skyscraper Canyon effect that should not be downplayed in especially the Loop. Chicago also has its river as a Skyscraper canyon that you can take tour boats on the river for sightseeing and into Lake Michigan that is a great addition to any visit. I'd recommend tourist take a River and Lake tour. Some offer only the river. Take on from the River at Michigan Ave or near and on Navy Pier.
The Manhattanizing of Chicago's Core - has been accomplished with new buildings just adding to it. No shortage of high-rise to skyscraper-living there. Its skyline along its shore is a testament and its supertalls showcased. That it really lacks only quantity and overall size vs. NYC. Not quality or Grandeur.
Parking garages mentioned - are no drawback in Chicago. Its the sunbelt cities they really stand out with some huge ugly bland, block sized garages hurting vibrancy. Chicago having underground city owned garages under its downtown Parks for over 9,000 cars and other private ones. Helps replace a need of more surface garages. What garages it has can't face main streets and most have retail street-level so you don't even know some are a garage.
Core shopping - Chicago's N. Michigan Ave is really no step down from 5th Ave today. It has the Higher-end retailers flagship stores in mostly new buildings less then 15-yrs old with Boutique shops on side streets. Its flower-lined street adds Class
Residential skyscrapers tend to be podium-style in Chicago. They are much rarer in Manhattan. Where the ground level is a parking garage for its residents and living space above it. Most keep street-frontage free for retail and eateries. But the garage is still behind it. Square/footage of space being cheaper in Chicago has a garage for your vehicle in the same building you live pretty standard. In Manhattan its far more a Luxury.
Manhattan will always overshadow its competition. It just can't claim to crush all today.
Chicago and Manhattan are very different.
Manhattan has a lot of residential high rises and midrises, whereas Chicago's core/loop is primarily office/commercial. A lot of people live in Manhattan.
The entire island of Manhattan feels like one giant never ending downtown, and it's alive well into the night. Chicago's core empties to the suburbs after 5pm.
I was in NYC last year but focused mainly on Manhattan, and it's an incredible city. Spent hours walking midtown and lower manhattan at all hours. Some parts of it reminded me of my native Toronto, but quite frankly no city I've been to in North America comes even close to Manhattan.
NY is the shopping mecca of the world. I think both Madison and 5th Ave are better than Michigan Ave. Far more flagships in NY with a bigger selection too. Gucci opened its first store for children on 5th Ave.
Manhattan has a lot of residential high rises and midrises, whereas Chicago's core/loop is primarily office/commercial. A lot of people live in Manhattan.
The entire island of Manhattan feels like one giant never ending downtown, and it's alive well into the night. Chicago's core empties to the suburbs after 5pm.
I was in NYC last year but focused mainly on Manhattan, and it's an incredible city. Spent hours walking midtown and lower manhattan at all hours. Some parts of it reminded me of my native Toronto, but quite frankly no city I've been to in North America comes even close to Manhattan.
So there are no areas of downtown Chicago for a tourist to go to at night time?
To me it was the opposite in Chicago spoiled my EXPECTTION of Manhattan. I knew Chicago first. I lived there a few years. I never visited NYC before I had Chicago where I had relatives. Chicago has plenty of Skyscrapers to satisfy anyone today and if you want skyscraper living with a view? There are plenty even NYC couldn't surpass. So skyscrapers WERE NOT what NYC really could over-shadow for me.
Manhattan and All NYC is a beast. But knowing ---> Chicago's first? I felt I did not get short-changed in any BIG city experiences. But its overall scale is less. As MOST are saying in any experiences of a Big American City, NYC just is larger and more in quantity and dense overall. In Grandeur and Quality today? Chicago does shine in its own right. Does not mean NYC is lessened.
I was then looking at everything else too. True, Chicago has no replacement to a Times Square. But I found it more gritty ironically. I did see bags of trash on sidewalks as not like the Manhattan in the movies.
Alleys you mentioned - definitely Chicago is with alleys in 90% of the city and downtown. One mistake in designing Manhattan's street-grid was no alleys. They serve a great service that at least hides its trash bags till pick-up. I HATED seeing them on Manhattan streets. Not the Manhattan of the movies I expected. So alleys are a plus. More invisible downtown then visible. Lower-level access to buildings for deliveries aid in less street blockage above.
Chicago does have some plazas - through its Loop Core that provides a bit more openness and it has the skyscraper Canyon effect that should not be downplayed in especially the Loop. Chicago also has its river as a Skyscraper canyon that you can take tour boats on the river for sightseeing and into Lake Michigan that is a great addition to any visit. I'd recommend tourist take a River and Lake tour. Some offer only the river. Take on from the River at Michigan Ave or near and on Navy Pier.
The Manhattanizing of Chicago's Core - has been accomplished with new buildings just adding to it. No shortage of high-rise to skyscraper-living there. Its skyline along its shore is a testament and its supertalls showcased. That it really lacks only quantity and overall size vs. NYC. Not quality or Grandeur.
Parking garages mentioned - are no drawback in Chicago. Its the sunbelt cities they really stand out with some huge ugly bland, block sized garages hurting vibrancy. Chicago having underground city owned garages under its downtown Parks for over 9,000 cars and other private ones. Helps replace a need of more surface garages. What garages it has can't face main streets and most have retail street-level so you don't even know some are a garage.
Core shopping - Chicago's N. Michigan Ave is really no step down from 5th Ave today. It has the Higher-end retailers flagship stores in mostly new buildings less then 15-yrs old with Boutique shops on side streets. Its flower-lined street adds Class
Residential skyscrapers tend to be podium-style in Chicago. They are much rarer in Manhattan. Where the ground level is a parking garage for its residents and living space above it. Most keep street-frontage free for retail and eateries. But the garage is still behind it. Square/footage of space being cheaper in Chicago has a garage for your vehicle in the same building you live pretty standard. In Manhattan its far more a Luxury.
Manhattan will always overshadow its competition. It just can't claim to crush all today.
Hey Dave good points and I love Chicago and everything about it, the neighborhoods and environs are liveable and the city is modern. But we are talking about NYC, a city with many many many more buildings and a city of 8.5 M to one of 2.7 M, the scale of that figure is enormous. That doesn't mean one is better than the other. They serve different purposes and the thing is I love them both for what they are-fun places! Cheers!
Chicago's nightlife is more concentrated outside of the loop (the original downtown). As another poster mentioned, the loop is not that populated yet despite all of the clustered buildings because it's mostly offices. Go a little north and the population becomes over 4 times as great and around 32,000 ppsm(though there is a census tract as high as 92k ppsm). Overall, the densest portion of Chicago is actually the Northside (not including the Near Northside) along the Chicago river to lake. If it were its own city, it would be the second densest city with around(or greater) the population of Atlanta. Just west of downtown is a neighborhood called Wicker Park, which is very dense and can have pedestrian traffic almost similar to downtown/N. Michigan Ave on a weekend.
So there are no areas of downtown Chicago for a tourist to go to at night time?
It depends on how you define "downtown Chicago." If your talking about the "Loop," which is the core business district downtown, there are obviously things for tourists to do at night, but it's not comparable to Manhattan. There are restaurants, bars, and the theaters are there. As others have said though, it's more commercial, and is more of a business district than a tourist area.
The West Loop, just west of the "Loop," has many nice restaurants, bars, and night life. As does River North and the Gold Coast. These districts are considered by many to be "downtown." You've also got all of the tourist parks (Millennium Park, etc), museums, Michigan Ave, etc that encompasses these areas. So there is plenty of tourist attractions in "downtown" Chicago, depending on how you define it.
As others have mentioned, it's not comparable to Manhattan. Manhattan is one large borough, with countless things to see and do. Chicago has a downtown core that thins out into neighborhoods, so the two aren't really comparable.
Chicago the city itself. Defines what is its" Greater Business District" To me that is defining its Downtown. The Loop is like less then 1/2 of this area. I post it when some refer to downtown as the Loop. Heck, its N Michigan Ave shopping is totally north of the Loop. Who would not see it as downtown?
I'd expand it to include the Gold Coast to Lincoln Park and area unofficially called the Near South Loop. But if vibrancy to nightlife of downtown Chicago. Just the Loop is way short of what is its downtown.
Just if a city defines its own core. Those boundaries are a minimum to use.
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