Chicago's glorious North Side vs Boston's iconic metro core (living, best, cost)

[odurandina]

Put in your favorite 20~25 categories from Chicago out toward the suburbs west, north a bit past Evanston, compared to Boston's neighborhoods and unincorporated boroughs.
More people are familiar with Chicago.
i love em. Along with SF, they're the best examples of urban living outside the Big Apple.
i give a slight edge to Boston because i'm more familiar with the nuances of those communities, and there's a comfort level.
New England dude Carlton Fisk stayed in Chicago after his career.

Can't ignore the neglected/challenged neighborhoods of these cities.
income inequality/poverty/destitution and suffering....
i can't give either topic/suptopic its proper due.
include it? allow it? Don't know. Can't all be about tinsel.
Go in any direction.
be respectful, and let's party.


re; the myth that Boston's suburbs aren't dense enough:

Originally Posted by odurandina

Boston out to every town that Rt 128 touches,
in totality, is about as dense as a metro core needs to be.
After a long hiatus, the towns between 128 and 495 are infilling somewhat remarkably.
There are a ton of wetlands. The area receives 50~60 in. of rain annually.
There's only what's left of a few town forests (sigh)
As much as it goes against the grain:
we have a duty to protect our waterways and natural habitat:
You can only go so far. Let Millis/Medfield/Sherborn/Natick be that.
Let Arlington be Arlington, Belmont be Belmont.
But the Red Line should have gone under it clear to Rt 128
since the 70s when it was killed. Shame we never got it.
I spent a day in Andover last week. I'd never been!
Wow. Boston's core has such a fine mix of urban density and charm.
Give it time. SF wasn't built in a day.
Andover is filling in near the train station. Could do more.
Boston is maxed out on cars. No more.
More Transit Oriented Development/ Air Rights is needed,
and more MBTA r.o.w. potential brought on line--
like every city.

[NoHyping]

Guess I will give it go .... not quite sure what all is being asked? Going by Title and bits and pieces of the other parts that seems more Boston orientated? Seeing Chicago's North Shore and North Side in general as criteria for this city. I though this was a GOOD video on a gorgeous Chicago Fall Day on ride though the streets COVID era last year. Quieter but still vibrant and clean with lots of shops as it goes along main streets.

Does make a full circle around Wrigley Field now a National Landmark of as of last year also, besides just a Chicago one for years. Goes by some of its bars around it offerings still intact though a bit quiet perhaps? Travels though a few neighborhoods just on connecting streets saying when it enters each neighborhood. Mostly on the main streets though.

Still think it was greatly done and no slow spots, great timing and coloration with a nice STEADY camera
that is what you want.... Hope worthy for this poll of two great cities and for those who view it??? I think
it does Chicago well and worthy a look.... Just know these are some North side neighborhoods north
of downtown Chicago. So location fits what thread is asking ..... I hope.
September drive of 2020 Chicago North side areas


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rujgWTvhBw0&t=1379s


Just another still covid 2020 era bike ride video and great shots in a few neighborhoods on
the North Side of Chicago to complement the first. Beautiful day again of course and well made.

Posted in September of 2020. Some streets of l few neighborhoods. Starting in the Park... Lincoln Park


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZjOTWr2kvQ&t=792s

Found this video on a beautiful spring/summer day in May of 2020 video. On just one
street a regular main east/west running straight road street running Northside though the
Northwest side where I use to live. Clean and not gritty .... airy and green though many
main streets have less trees then in the housing blocks. Chose to include is for its coverage
of the Northside as I gathered this thread comparison for 2 cities is on?

Posted May of 2020. Starts in Uptown neighborhood.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VGDXyyg0Bc&t=6s

[GeoffD]

I don’t see how you can compare them since Chicago is so much bigger and is the dominant city for hundreds of miles. Boston is a boutique city that is world class in narrow areas. Education, obviously. It has critical mass with biotechnology/Big Pharma and tech. It has world class health care. Fidelity is there so it has a bit of finance though dominated by NYC a few hours away. Outside of the Bay Area, it’s the biggest concentration of smart-educated people in the country. Those smart-educated people cluster together in blue chip suburbs with outstanding schools and amenities. The ones without children cluster in fancy urban enclaves. If you’re not one of those, it’s the biggest socioeconomic divide in the country with the largest gap in income and wealth in the country.

[odurandina]

NoHyping, you read my mind.
Read my mind!! Great videos!!
i didn't post all the usual suspects of categories
because i'm just a wee bit busy with a trip.
I am a bit taken aback by the idea that the two area's are so different
by "size." Chicago's Magnificent 1.5 Miles and insane height aside, i don't
find that too much of an impediment. The size of the business footprints of
Chicago and Boston/Cambridge/128/495 aren't nearly as out of proportion as
people think. Of course Boston will more appropriately be compared to
it's big brother--(SF) in that way/ and Chicago is a business hub
for a huge swath of the midwest, and probably (even) Canada to some extent....
Yet. Spending so much time in both, i find my experiences to be very similar.

Originally Posted by GeoffD

I don’t see how you can compare them since Chicago is so much bigger and is the dominant city for hundreds of miles. Boston is a boutique city that is world class in narrow areas.

Interesting point of view. Can't say i agree.
i don't know if you'll find much universal agreement there.
But glad to see your post in any case.

[masssachoicetts]

Boston's is more posh and 'picturesque'.

But it lack 3 big things
-Diversity
-Density
-Vibrancy

Also, Boston's Metro West and North Shore are outrageously expensive and overpriced. And, the people who live there are classist a*holes.

Chicago all the way

[odurandina]

It's amazing you find North Shore of Boston such Ma-sholes.
i couldn't agree more. Barring possibly some enclaves of Miami/Dade/Broward,
they are some of the rudest people in the nation:
re Newburyport/Gloucester/Marblehead/Lynn etc.
Then there's Brockton, Fall Rivahh and New Bedfudd,
Cape Cod and the Islands......
A whole nuther level of rude.

[masssachoicetts]

Originally Posted by odurandina

It's amazing you find North Shore of Boston such Ma-sholes.
i couldn't agree more. Barring possibly some enclaves of Miami/Dade/Broward,
they are some of the rudest people in the nation:
re Newburyport/Gloucester/Marblehead/Lynn etc.
Then there's Brockton, Fall Rivahh and New Bedfudd,
Cape Cod and the Islands......
A whole nuther level of rude.

Not really rude, just classist. I don't typically have a probably anywhere with rude people (Outside LI and California)

MA wealth burbs have big issues with arrogance, classism, elitism, and preservation of wealth unlike no other

[mwj119]

I love them both. With the criteria at play to include the city Chicago, I have to give it to Chicago and north. Endless livable neighborhoods. Whole different animal.

I don’t need to go into a deep dive into suburban comparisons. Pros and cons to both areas. One overtly unique and charming, one logical and well designed.

Feel at home in both.

[mwj119]

Originally Posted by odurandina

re; the myth that Boston's suburbs aren't dense enough:

Saw the note about Andover. I love Andover. It is very similar to the inner north shore suburbs that’s i’m from. Places like Glenview, Northbrook, Deerfield, but Andover is a tad more upscale with more neighborhood variety. In a vacuum, the comparison between Andover vs. similarly positioned suburbs in Chicago is highly representative of the suburban comparisons at large. A bit more charm, more posh, less continuous density, less sporadic commercial activity, more disconnected town to town.

Andover is more idyllic, picture book than Illinois comps. Arguably the single best high school in the World in Phillips Andover, it pulls student from nearly every country around the globe. The campus blends almost perfectly into downtown Andover. And then downtown Andover itself combines 2021 functionality and convenience with that old school New England charm. Steeple in the back drop, hillier terrain, trees everywhere, brewery, train, a bunch of restaurants with some serious eats.

A town like Northbrook will be more gridded and will be more dense throughout. More consistent neighborhoods, with older homes on smaller lots near the core, and then 60s 70s sub developments as it expands out. Very, very similar to other upscale villages throughout Illinois. You’ll see more folks walking and biking, doing yard work, or having a BBQ. That’s the rule in upscale IL suburbs, not the exception. That’s friendly, neighborly “thing” is something you miss in much of Boston’s suburbia. Ditto the Bay Area and around Seattle, where there is even less of it.

I could go on for days. Ultimately, we miss New England more than we miss the Midwest when we are away. But for day to day living, Chicago and it’s northern suburbs are simply easier and more cost effective.

[mojo101]

I remember Lake Shore Drive turns into Sheridan Rd and there are many apt buildings on each side of Sheridan,whatever happens to those facing the Lake?