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What do LA and Mexico City have to do with this? I'm talking about Chicago.
If you’re excluding cities for being “crude and rough around the edges” then there’s only one world class city in the Americas. Hell, Kowloon might even exclude Hong Kong.
If you’re excluding cities for being “crude and rough around the edges” then there’s only one world class city in the Americas. Hell, Kowloon might even exclude Hong Kong.
If you think a city with as much crime, urban decay, fiscal mismanagement, corruption and hyper-segregation as Chicago is world class then more power to you. We all have different standards.
^^^ The Museum of Science and industry, University of Illinois, Chinatown, booming Near Southside and South Loop. Basically, the Core and its key easy commute residential circle .... is joining up the Loop to Chinatown (it was separated by former industrial and warehousing). New booming high-rises, town-housing and older buildings re-purposed to loft-living. Big developments along the river ongoing too there. Including areas touted to Amazon.
Is there any question that the South Side lakefront’s from McCormick Place to Hyde Park will end up filling in with high end, high rise apts and condos? The city is obviously putting in n the $$$$$ to make the lakefront parks more inviting and the dramatic new bridges from neighborhood to park show how valuable the city considers this name
If S LSD gets the type of high rise construction it will N LSD away n quality of views: the south lakefront right runs southeast of the core...meaning the high rises norhern exposure will take in the Loop, the most stunning part of downtown. From the he point nt in Hyde Park northward, the skyline view is entransing, the city’s core seemingly floating on water.
In contrast, N LSD runs northwest of downtown so it is far less able to see the towers of the core. And the skyline it sees most (though the Loop’s towers are visible in the distance) would be the near north side, a downtown area that is not as dramatic as the Loop
Orlando for sure gets excessively and inaccurately stereotyped as a "tourist town" or as "Disney World" when in fact it is a thriving stand alone city with a growing population, local arts and culture scene, pro sports, etc..
I spent two days in Philadelphia earlier this week, and the city didn't seem as dirty as so many people proclaim it is. And no, I didn't just spend time in Center City either; I drove through Northeast, North and West Philadelphia too. In fact, the only areas of the city that I didn't spend any time in were Northwest and Southwest Philadelphia.
Northeast Philadelphia seemed to be more car-focused than the rest of the city, and high-maintenance urbanists would surely complain that the main commercial drag on Frankford Avenue looks "tacky," but nonetheless, it was built on a grid, walkable, and had plenty of vitality and pedestrian traffic. In fact, Northeast Philadelphia is proof that pedestrians and cars can coexist without punishing one or the other.
North Philadelphia was the most blighted area of the city that I saw, and ironically, the areas near Fairmount Park looked to be the worst of all, with lots of dilapidated houses, seedy-looking restaurants and convenience stores, and one huge abandoned factory or warehouse that I saw. Roosevelt Boulevard wasn't very grand either. In fact, it's a much bigger psychological barrier than I-95 is. At least pedestrians can walk over or under I-95.
West Philadelphia seems to be gentrifying. The University City area is like a college town in the middle of a large city. West of there, property maintenance seems to gradually decrease the farther away from the universities you go, though it never deteriorates into outright blight. Regardless of property maintenance, West Philadelphia seems to be much more architecturally significant than North or Northeast Philadelphia.
In terms of architectural significance, I'd say that Center City (including Old City) has the most, with South and West Philadelphia both being a step above North Philadelphia, which itself is a step above Northeast Philadelphia. I can't judge Northwest or Southwest Philadelphia, though, because I still haven't been to either of those parts of the city.
Outside of the city, the Pennsylvania suburbs are generally more interesting and appealing than the New Jersey suburbs, and there seems to be an inverse relationship between wealth and proximity to the Delaware River.
There's a clear and continuous corridor of wealth north and west of the city along and near U.S. 30, U.S. 202 and the Pennsylvania Turnpike, generally from Coatesville in the west to Willow Grove in the east, and centered on King of Prussia. In fact, it turns out that Chester County is the richest county in Pennsylvania by median household income, and one of the 25 richest in the United States.
As for the suburbs closer to the river, the more estuarine the river, the worse the suburbs near it. More simply put, the suburbs in "Lower Bucks" are more desirable than the suburbs in "Lower Delaware." Everything near the river in Delaware County from Darby to Marcus Hook seemed pretty dumpy to me. Conversely, everything near the river in Bucks County from Yardley to Bensalem seemed intact by comparison, even if unspectacular.
Anyway, that's just my take on Philadelphia after a couple of days there.
His “drivel” is completely true. No matter how screwed up the southside is, Chicago is in the top ten economies in the world with everything that goes along with it. Whether or not it’s world class is not a debate to any logical, educated person. As for the well known issues, I’d suggest you southsiders get off city data, stop pointing fingers and blaming and start taking responsibility for your communities. Talk to the police, cooperate with them, rat on people, stop shooting each other and take the help people want to give.
I spent two days in Philadelphia earlier this week, and the city didn't seem as dirty as so many people proclaim it is. And no, I didn't just spend time in Center City either; I drove through Northeast, North and West Philadelphia too. In fact, the only areas of the city that I didn't spend any time in were Northwest and Southwest Philadelphia.
Northeast Philadelphia seemed to be more car-focused than the rest of the city, and high-maintenance urbanists would surely complain that the main commercial drag on Frankford Avenue looks "tacky," but nonetheless, it was built on a grid, walkable, and had plenty of vitality and pedestrian traffic. In fact, Northeast Philadelphia is proof that pedestrians and cars can coexist without punishing one or the other.
North Philadelphia was the most blighted area of the city that I saw, and ironically, the areas near Fairmount Park looked to be the worst of all, with lots of dilapidated houses, seedy-looking restaurants and convenience stores, and one huge abandoned factory or warehouse that I saw. Roosevelt Boulevard wasn't very grand either. In fact, it's a much bigger psychological barrier than I-95 is. At least pedestrians can walk over or under I-95.
West Philadelphia seems to be gentrifying. The University City area is like a college town in the middle of a large city. West of there, property maintenance seems to gradually decrease the farther away from the universities you go, though it never deteriorates into outright blight. Regardless of property maintenance, West Philadelphia seems to be much more architecturally significant than North or Northeast Philadelphia.
In terms of architectural significance, I'd say that Center City (including Old City) has the most, with South and West Philadelphia both being a step above North Philadelphia, which itself is a step above Northeast Philadelphia. I can't judge Northwest or Southwest Philadelphia, though, because I still haven't been to either of those parts of the city.
Outside of the city, the Pennsylvania suburbs are generally more interesting and appealing than the New Jersey suburbs, and there seems to be an inverse relationship between wealth and proximity to the Delaware River.
There's a clear and continuous corridor of wealth north and west of the city along and near U.S. 30, U.S. 202 and the Pennsylvania Turnpike, generally from Coatesville in the west to Willow Grove in the east, and centered on King of Prussia. In fact, it turns out that Chester County is the richest county in Pennsylvania by median household income, and one of the 25 richest in the United States.
As for the suburbs closer to the river, the more estuarine the river, the worse the suburbs near it. More simply put, the suburbs in "Lower Bucks" are more desirable than the suburbs in "Lower Delaware." Everything near the river in Delaware County from Darby to Marcus Hook seemed pretty dumpy to me. Conversely, everything near the river in Bucks County from Yardley to Bensalem seemed intact by comparison, even if unspectacular.
Anyway, that's just my take on Philadelphia after a couple of days there.
I'm not disagreeing with your assessment defending the city. I'm sure our week of heavy rains throughout the region cleaned lots of curbs and drains that had to be cleared or flooding could occur.
Just plenty local links clearly maintain the issue. Center City gets private street sweeping service companies pay for. But sadly, the city stopped all street-sweeper services over a decade ago. Just too many residents claimed .... no place to move cars off streets to. The street-grid is the tightest in the Nation and attached housing of many just 13-ft wide. Give no additional parking. Most have no alley where parking might be too.
The mayor wanted to bring street-sweeper service back. They would have to buy a new fleet of them. But so far has not happened for above reasons too.
Its sad whole cities get taints by certain issues that are more limited to parts. But clearly no street-cleanings outside of CC.... do not help.
Detroit brought back street-sweeper service since cost cutting nearly a decade ago.
** It is time Philly did too. But that is up to locals wanting it back.....
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