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Everything about this comment reeks of homerism, and ignorance.
The DC people seem to be struggling to provide anything non-government, museum, and park related that DC offers that just blows Chicago away as a tourist destination. Seems quite telling to me.
Most of the stuff mentioned by the Chicago folks just seems parochial and of minor to negligible interest to someone from outside the area. Chicago feels like it's just a really big version of other Midwestern cities like Detroit or Milwaukee..which let's be honest here won't exactly be top of the list for a visitor either.
Location: That star on your map in the middle of the East Coast, DMV
8,128 posts, read 7,547,924 times
Reputation: 5785
Quote:
Originally Posted by DC's Finest
It's DC by a wide margin
Recreation (Parks, sports, etc.)C. Nothing in Chicago compares to the iconic attractions on the National Mall. It's a 2 mile area that houses over 100 attractions. Someone said DC was all government related. The Spy Museum and the Holocaust Museum aren't connected to the government. DC just has more attractions (government & non-government) than Chicago. Plus DC has Rock Creek Park. Four miles of complete wilderness and rugged landscape, where you can get lost. DC has access to cliffs on the GW parkway and Great Falls. For sports, Chicago is a much better sports town, but I would argue that Capital One arena is in a much better location than the United Center. Nats Park is also better integrated into the urban framework of DC than Cellular One field. Wriggleyville is cool.
Festivals: Tie. Chicago is a great festival city but keep in mind, this is the Nation's Capital. Every weekend, there is something on the National Mall. Chicago shuts down in the winter. DC has too many events (political and non political). Plus DC has over 300 embassy festivals and events each year.
History: DC
Dining/food: Chicago
Ethnic neighborhoods: Chicago
Buildings/Architecture: DC
Shopping districts: Chicago
Museums: DC
Entertainment: Tie
Walking/guided tours: DC
Overall DC The city has too many events, happenings and activities from a per capita standpoint all year long. Chicago is dry during the winter.
Thank you for highlight the difference in parks as I was wondering how people were just glossing over that one and handing it to Chicago. DC's parks and recreation is top notch and hard to beat, at least in the Eastern US. Chicago also is very flat which makes it less exciting for bicyclists etc. Although I do envy that Chicago technically has a beach in the city. I don't want to veer off topic of the tourism too much however.
Regarding the festivals you're exactly right, it's very common especially in warm weather months to encounter multiple sections of the city blocked off to traffic in DC due to this festival and that festival going on simultaneously. I'm sure this happens in Chicago too, but Washington DC is definitely an events/festivals city with better outdoor weather for 3-4 months of the year.
Last edited by the resident09; 10-05-2020 at 04:38 PM..
Everything about this comment reeks of homerism, and ignorance.
The DC people seem to be struggling to provide anything non-government, museum, and park related that DC offers that just blows Chicago away as a tourist destination. Seems quite telling to me.
DC just has more activities. Can you rock (cliff) climb in Chicago (GW Parkway)? What about whitewater rafting (Great Falls) ? Or hiking in complete wilderness in the middle of the city (Rock Creek Park)? Add to the fact that DC has 300 embassies that throw events like festivals and parties, etc.
Last edited by DC's Finest; 10-05-2020 at 03:33 PM..
DC just has more activities. Can you rock (cliff) climb in Chicago (GW Parkway)? What about whitewater rafting (Great Falls) ? Or hiking in complete wilderness in the middle of the city (Rock Creek Park)? Add to the fact that DC has 300 embassies that throw events like festivals and parties, etc.
Lets not get radical in homerism. Many DC attractions are NATIONALLY OURS. It was a planned city to be OUR NATION'S CAPITAL.
Also pleeeze. DC is flat like Chicago. Are we going to go into a CSA battle and bring in Baltimore now?
It is time for links on DC festivals as tops in the Nation too. Downtown Chicago festivals ARE TOURISTY also. Taste of Chicago is Nationally renowned and Lolapollosa music festival. Even if draws more from the Midwest.
Why in my post I did state that the draw of The Bean .... is not a National Monument belonging to all of us. Yet for this thread is a huge draw in tourist.
DC just has more activities. Can you rock (cliff) climb in Chicago (GW Parkway)? What about whitewater rafting (Great Falls) ? Or hiking in complete wilderness in the middle of the city (Rock Creek Park)? Add to the fact that DC has 300 embassies that throw events like festivals and parties, etc.
Does the average DC tourist do ANY of those things!?!?!? I have never heard of a single soul flying to DC to do any of that. Festivals and parties at embassies?
Also, you, Veritas, and resident all replied within 10 minutes of eachother. Are you guys friends or something?
Location: That star on your map in the middle of the East Coast, DMV
8,128 posts, read 7,547,924 times
Reputation: 5785
Quote:
Originally Posted by CCrest182
Does the average DC tourist do ANY of those things!?!?!? I have never heard of a single soul flying to DC to do any of that. Festivals and parties at embassies?
Also, you, Veritas, and resident all replied within 10 minutes of eachother. Are you guys friends or something?
Actually they do. In long lines honestly. Embassy Week or Passport DC is an annual function that literally opens up cultures from around the globe to tourist who want to see their Embassy in the nation's capital. The point I'm getting at is, in DC it's common where you'll have Passport DC going on up around Massachusetts Avenue, and then ride like 6 blocks away in the city and bump into another festival, then go in the other direction, and see more blocked off streets with another event happening quite possibly for tourist or locals, and so on and so forth etc. I'm not saying Chicago doesn't reach this level of activity, but DC's functions are pretty unique.
Lets not get radical in homerism. Many DC attractions are NATIONALLY OURS. It was a planned city to be OUR NATION'S CAPITAL.
Also pleeeze. DC is flat like Chicago. Are we going to go into a CSA battle and bring in Baltimore now?
It is time for links on DC festivals as tops in the Nation too. Downtown Chicago festivals ARE TOURISTY also. Taste of Chicago is Nationally renowned and Lolapollosa music festival. Even if draws more from the Midwest.
Why in my post I did state that the draw of The Bean .... is not a National Monument belonging to all of us. Yet for this thread is a huge draw in tourist.
Pleeeze play fair.
DC is definitely not flat. The downtown area is flat but the rest of the city rises significantly.
Does the average DC tourist do ANY of those things!?!?!? I have never heard of a single soul flying to DC to do any of that. Festivals and parties at embassies?
Also, you, Veritas, and resident all replied within 10 minutes of eachother. Are you guys friends or something?
When I said "diverse", I meant the attractions aren't confined to government/U.S. history related museums, monuments, etc. Again, DC obviously wins in that department, but is also very limited to that department. Whether you want to see a ballgame at one of the oldest standing sports stadiums in the U.S., go to the Art Institute looking at pieces for hours, see a show/musical at one of Chicago's many historic theaters, go to the beach, or just roam the city.... Chicago is a far more well-rounded city tourist-wise than DC. Not every tourist is going to be keen on looking at statues and monuments all day in DC. Chicago is a much bigger and more extensive city too, so combining that with that fact its tourist attractions are well rounded and can appeal to a much bigger set of tourists, that's why I say it wins.
It's ironic you say Navy Pier isn't diverse, because there is tons to do at Navy Pier. A movie theater, boat rides, an outdoor theme park, Chicago Children's Museum, several restaurants, a live theater..... all on a historic pier that was used in WWII. You're right, totally lame and not diverse at all.
So I’m going to travel to Chicago to go to a pier with boat rides...maybe if I’m in Chicago for another reason I’ll go to navy pier..I’m never going to visit Chicago to check out navy pier..I will and have gone to dc to check out the monuments etc
So I’m going to travel to Chicago to go to a pier with boat rides...maybe if I’m in Chicago for another reason I’ll go to navy pier..I’m never going to visit Chicago to check out navy pier..I will and have gone to dc to check out the monuments etc
Welp, that's your opinion which you are free to have, but it's still a tourist attraction that attracts millions of people yearly. What monuments are you going back to DC to check out? How many times have you checked these monuments out?
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C. Nothing in Chicago compares to the iconic attractions on the National Mall. It's a 2 mile area that houses over 100 attractions. Someone said DC was all government related. The Spy Museum and the Holocaust Museum aren't connected to the government. DC just has more attractions (government & non-government) than Chicago. Plus DC has Rock Creek Park. Four miles of complete wilderness and rugged landscape, where you can get lost. DC has access to cliffs on the GW parkway and Great Falls. For sports, Chicago is a much better sports town, but I would argue that Capital One arena is in a much better location than the United Center. Nats Park is also better integrated into the urban framework of DC than Cellular One field. Wriggleyville is cool. 
