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Location: That star on your map in the middle of the East Coast, DMV
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CCrest182
Yeah, but DC comes nowhere close to Chicago in terms of nightlife, food scene, ethnic/diverse neighborhoods, sports, festivals/events, shopping, sightseeing, entertainment, etc.... does DC have those things? Yes. But Chicago far and away excels higher than DC in all of those categories. Putting it as "you can do what you do in Chicago in DC" is pretty disingenuous. Like, Boston has decent nightlife, but it is not comparable to the nightlife you'll find in Miami.
And for "more months of the year"... DC is warmer than Chicago in the winter months, but it is indeed still a cold city January-March (though I won't argue DC has better, milder weather than Chicago). Not that either city shuts down completely in the winter months....
I definitely think you are exaggerating this "gap" you speak of. The "gap" between Chicago and DC, on restaurants and nightlife certainly isn't as wide as the difference between Miami v Boston nightlife, as you stated. DC at it's peak level is an above average nightlife city. It's also still a top 10 food city for major cities in the US, and one of four on the continent with a Michelin guide. There is nightlife scattered about much of the city's neighborhoods, and it seeps into the urban core suburbs beyond that. There is NO level of entertainment provided in Chicago that you can't get in a good amount in Washington either.
As mentioned by others, DC's top urban neighborhoods are elite and compete with their counterparts in Chicago. You guys may have your own rankings but many would place DC 2nd on the EC after NYC in overall amenities. So this "insurmountable gap" between DC and Chicago honestly is only coming from you guys.
Location: That star on your map in the middle of the East Coast, DMV
8,128 posts, read 7,568,606 times
Reputation: 5785
Quote:
Originally Posted by Enean
LOL, people don't need to get so defensive. I think it's true, that without the presence of the USG, DC wouldn't even be in this discussion. My thoughts...can't be convinced, otherwise.
DC is the capital, then it's a city.
LOL, people don't need to get so defensive. I think it's true, that without the presence of the USG, DC wouldn't even be in this discussion. My thoughts...can't be convinced, otherwise.
DC is the capital, then it's a city.
Without Hollywood, what would LA be? Without Wall Street, what would NYC have been? Without oil, what would Houston have been? Without tech, what would The Bay Area be?
See how that works?
It’s nice to imagine what would something be without A, B, C, or D. To bad they exist where they are. Here is a question, what would NYC be if America had decided to place their financial and government hubs in their capital city like England, Japan, France etc. did?
I just think it's a little odd, to try to compare the seat of our government and its buildings, museums, monuments, and history, as a tourism attraction, against another city. Talked about stacking, in favor of one city.
I think DC has more attractions and Chicago has better attractions. Things I think Chicago do better are:
Lake Michigan (boat rides, swimming, jet skiing etc.)
Chicago River (River walk, architecture tour etc)
Beaches
Willis Tower (Skydeck, the ledge)
Hancock building (360 Chicago, TILT, Signature Room)
Mag Mile and Oak St - best shopping experience in either city
Food - best high end dining and local cuisine in either city
Nightlife - Chicago arguably has better nightlife
Wrigley Field / Wrigleyville - especially on a game day
Theater - Chicago has better shows four tourists who are into that
Festivals - Lollapalooza, Jazz Fest, Taste of Chicago etc.draw thousands of tourists each year
Chicago has more of a local culture and while that isnt an attraction in itself, imo it makes a city more interesting.
Other things like the skyline, the L, the Bean, Navy Pier, Maggie Daley ice rink/ribbon, the 606, the worlds largest starbucks etc.
DC has the edge on museums, monuments (huge gap), and government buildings (huge gap). DC's attractions are more unique. Both cities are very picturesque, have great parks, and great neighborhoods in and near the core.
Last year, I went on a trip to Chicago, DC, Philly, and NYC with friends from Minnesota. While we enjoyed all of the cities, a few friends enjoyed DC the least because they aren't into museums. Everyone enjoyed the local food and nightlife, I can't wait to go back next year!
Who voted Chicago the best of these categories? You need to get out of the Midwest and see more of the USA.
Apparently no objective list, statistic, or popular opinion will convince you (as well as resident who continues to argue in circles and not accept reality). So continue to delude yourself thinking DC is a city where people go for nightlife, food, and entertainment.
To be sure, nobody, including myself, is saying Chicago is the BEST city for nightlife period, but compared to DC, it's a curbstomp.
Quote:
DC has everything Chicago has just on a smaller scale when it comes to nightlife, restaurants and festivals.
You know, you could say the same exact thing about Jacksonville, Tulsa, Spokane, and Providence. They all have what New York City has to offer... just on a smaller scale. I mean, it's true, all those cities do have some kind of nightlife, a restaurant scene, and festivals. According to your logic, that puts those cities on par with NYC in terms of nightlife and restaurants? Just try to be consistent at least.
Where have you been over the last decade? You could at least try to do some research prior to posting. You are so uninformed it’s not worth responding to this post. It’s common knowledge at this point that DC now has one of the best food scenes in the nation. Every newspaper and publication has talked about it. The Michelin guide in DC will also provide some great options for you.
On a side note, Chicago is not winning best African American nightlife. DC beats Chicago in that in a landslide and it’s not close.
DC has a food scene. Is it better, bigger, and more prominent than Chicago? No.
You DC folks seem to want to argue different things. Nobody is saying DC has NO food scene. The point is tourists aren't going to DC for food. People DO travel to Chicago, Philadelphia, NYC, LA etc. for food of all kinds. DC is improving, but it still is not a "food destination". Face it, the tourism numbers for DC are thanks to museums and monuments and the government. Most of you seem to admit this too.
Now I have no clue which city wins on African American nightlife, but in terms of nightlife in general, Chicago is world class.
Last edited by CCrest182; 10-19-2020 at 11:44 AM..
Location: That star on your map in the middle of the East Coast, DMV
8,128 posts, read 7,568,606 times
Reputation: 5785
Quote:
Originally Posted by DC's Finest
Who voted Chicago the best of these categories? You need to get out of the Midwest and see more of the USA. DC has everything Chicago has just on a smaller scale when it comes to nightlife, restaurants and festivals. I would argue that DC's black nightlife scene is much better than Chicago.
Exactly, someone listening to these posters who's never visited either city would hear this stuff like wow Chicago must be South Beach + Vegas nightlife on steroids.
Quote:
Originally Posted by CCrest182
To be sure, nobody, including myself, is saying Chicago is the BEST city for nightlife period, but compared to DC, it's a curbstomp.
Stop it. One who's been to and spent time in either city extensively would clearly state it's no where close to a curb stomp in that category. As mentioned before, you need to get out more often.
Two great cities! Both are in my top 4 favorite overall US cities and favorite US cities to visit.
I would give the slight edge to DC because of how unique the monuments and museums are. There just isn't anywhere else to go to see iconic things like the monuments to the presidents, white house, etc. Plus the breadth of the Smithsonian museums is unparalleled.
That being said, I think Chicago is the more well-rounded destination. Food, nightlife, and pro sports are better in Chicago (though DC is great for an these, just not quite on Chicago's level).
So I'd slightly pick DC, but lots of good arguments for Chicago, it really depends on a person's interests .
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