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Philly is not, so what is the answer? Don't say Toronto...
Why does Chicago or Philly have to be a poor man's version of NYC? Even though I've heard Philly mention as the 6th borough or similar to Brooklyn but it would make a LITTLE more sense than Chicago. Still, Philly has enough of it's own distinct character to be a poor version of New York.
I suppose Duluth, MN is a poor man's Anchorage? I would call Buffalo a poor man's Cleveland but Buffalo has a higher cost of living and New York has much higher taxes than Ohio. Perhaps Oklahoma City is a poor man's Dallas?
I suppose Duluth, MN is a poor man's Anchorage? I would call Buffalo a poor man's Cleveland but Buffalo has a higher cost of living and New York has much higher taxes than Ohio. Perhaps Oklahoma City is a poor man's Dallas?
Why does Chicago or Philly have to be a poor man's version of NYC? Even though I've heard Philly mention as the 6th borough or similar to Brooklyn but it would make a LITTLE more sense than Chicago. Still, Philly has enough of it's own distinct character to be a poor version of New York.
I hear what you're saying. Some are taking this thread to mean that the poor man's version is negative thing. I do not see it that way. I take it to mean that the poor man's version has similar vibes, things to do, etc. on a smaller and less expensive scale. Philadelphia, to me, is not the answer because Chicago has more things to offer closer to NYC. Philadelphia is not really comparable, but to each his/her own.
Chicago is known as the "second city" for a reason. It is the poor man's NYC and has long been. The built environment, big city feel, striking views along a prominent body of water, etc. Chicago is the only other city in the US where I feel these type of NYC vibes (San Fran to a lesser degree). Some of you young bucks on here need some more context, no offense. But even when I was your age in the early 2000's I easily knew popular culture references from 20 years before me. I guess it was just my thirst for knowledge but damn some of you youngins seriously need to expand your purview a bit.
Philly is its own deal. The outward migration of NYers or the interconnectedness of the two metros distance wise in terms of daily/weekly commuting aside, I have never heard anyone from NY or Philly refer to it as that.
Chicago? I have been hearing this for decades. Chicago is such a great architecture city too, I really like it.
Chicago is known as the "second city" for a reason. It is the poor man's NYC and has long been. The built environment, big city feel, striking views along a prominent body of water, etc. Chicago is the only other city in the US where I feel these type of NYC vibes (San Fran to a lesser degree). Some of you young bucks on here need some more context, no offense. But even when I was your age in the early 2000's I easily knew popular culture references from 20 years before me. I guess it was just my thirst for knowledge but damn some of you youngins seriously need to expand your purview a bit.
Philly is its own deal. The outward migration of NYers or the interconnectedness of the two metros distance wise in terms of daily/weekly commuting aside, I have never heard anyone from NY or Philly refer to it as that.
Chicago? I have been hearing this for decades. Chicago is such a great architecture city too, I really like it.
Chicago is the birthplace of both the skyscraper and modern American architecture, not to mention the city where the greatest American architect ever* honed his skill at the feet of Louis Sullivan.
I was fortunate enough to have my mother take me to Chicago so I could research things first-hand for a paper I wrote for an architectural drafting course in high school. (It's close enough to Kansas City to make this possible.)
No serious student of American architectural history can do the subject justice without giving Chicago prominence.
Edited to add: But while it's true that no one in Philadelphia compares it to New York City and vice versa, there is that occasional surfacing of the phrase "the sixth borough," injected into the language by a Philadelphia Weekly contributor who wrote a story for The New York Times about the growing stream of New Yorkers pulling up stakes and relocating to Philadelphia. You do get comparisons like this one, however, related by local rapper-turned-children's-book-author Raj Haldar ("P is for Pterodactyl: The Worst Alphabet Book Ever") describing the reaction of a Brooklynite friend of his to the city after moving here:
"It's like 80 percent of New York at 20 percent of the cost!"
I think you could say that phrase is definitely calling Philly a poor man's New York.
*Said architect managed to singlehandedly rescue the man who is either the greatest or the second greatest (after Louis Kahn) architect Philadelphia ever produced from the dustbin of history when he visited the University of Pennsylvania in the 1950s and pointed out to the architecture faculty there the brilliance of Frank Furness' 1891 University Library.
Last edited by MarketStEl; 10-28-2022 at 11:26 PM..
Chicago is the birthplace of both the skyscraper and modern American architecture, not to mention the city where the greatest American architect ever* honed his skill at the feet of Louis Sullivan.
I was fortunate enough to have my mother take me to Chicago so I could research things first-hand for a paper I wrote for an architectural drafting course in high school. (It's close enough to Kansas City to make this possible.)
No serious student of American architectural history can do the subject justice without giving Chicago prominence.
Edited to add: But while it's true that no one in Philadelphia compares it to New York City and vice versa, there is that occasional surfacing of the phrase "the sixth borough," injected into the language by a Philadelphia Weekly contributor who wrote a story for The New York Times about the growing stream of New Yorkers pulling up stakes and relocating to Philadelphia. You do get comparisons like this one, however, related by local rapper-turned-children's-book-author Raj Haldar ("P is for Pterodactyl: The Worst Alphabet Book Ever") describing the reaction of a Brooklynite friend of his to the city after moving here:
"It's like 80 percent of New York at 20 percent of the cost!"
I think you could say that phrase is definitely calling Philly a poor man's New York.
*Said architect managed to singlehandedly rescue the man who is either the greatest or the second greatest (after Louis Kahn) architect Philadelphia ever produced from the dustbin of history when he visited the University of Pennsylvania in the 1950s and pointed out to the architecture faculty there the brilliance of Frank Furness' 1891 University Library.
Chicago is much cleaner in its loop district than NYC, for sure.
It is a much smaller city, so less to keep up with downtown, overall. I do love the beauty of the city from the lakeshore beaches and parks.
Chicago's skyline is one of my favorites.
You gotta love how Chicago boosters put so much emphasis on how clean the city is even though in the reality of the world it means little to nothing.
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