Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I’m in Chicago right now for the week and it’s cold as ****.
But I’m going to brave the weather later and check out downtown and possibly adjacent neighborhoods. I’ll report back later
Yesterday was a major aberration. Today it's warming up and will be back in upper 50s by this weekend. Enjoy your time in Chi.
Business districts still seeing fewer workers than before the pandemic: (Percent foot traffic for nonresident workers in Q2 2023 compared to Q2 2019)
10 Houston 68%
9 Lower Manhattan 68%
8 Charlotte 69%
7 Philadelphia 70%
6 Fort Worth 72%
5 Memphis 74%
4 San Diego 77%
3 Midtown Manhattan 78%
2 Nashville 80%
1 San Antonio 85%
More Residents Live Downtown Than Before the Pandemic (Percent foot traffic for downtown residents in 2023 Q2 compared to 2019 Q2)
10 Washington, DC 114%
9 Memphis 114%
8 Denver 114%
7 Atlanta 114%
6 San Francisco 115%
5 Seattle 117%
4 Dallas 118%
3 Los Angeles 119%
2 Houston 121%
1 Portland, OR 134%
Visitors Return to Some Downtowns Faster Than Others (Percent foot traffic for visitors in Q2 2023 compared to Q2 2019)
5 Phoenix 89%
4 Charlotte 89%
3 San Diego 90%
2 San Jose 96%
1 Nashville 103%
Overall Downtown Foot Traffic (Percent overall foot traffic in Q2 2023 compared to Q2 2019)
10 San Antonio 79%
9 Los Angeles 80%
8 Charlotte 83%
7 Phoenix 83%
6 Philadelphia 84%
5 Midtown Manhattan 84%
4 Memphis 87%
3 San Diego 89%
2 San Jose 92%
1 Nashville 100%
I think it's safe to say that if a city is not listed in the top 26 cities of each category, the downtown region is struggling post-COVID, a lot more than others.
Last edited by jjbradleynyc; 11-01-2023 at 01:40 PM..
Business districts still seeing fewer workers than before the pandemic: (Percent foot traffic for nonresident workers in Q2 2023 compared to Q2 2019)
10 Houston 68%
9 Lower Manhattan 68%
8 Charlotte 69%
7 Philadelphia 70%
6 Fort Worth 72%
5 Memphis 74%
4 San Diego 77%
3 Midtown Manhattan 78%
2 Nashville 80%
1 San Antonio 85%
More Residents Live Downtown Than Before the Pandemic (Percent foot traffic for downtown residents in 2023 Q2 compared to 2019 Q2)
10 Washington, DC 114%
9 Memphis 114%
8 Denver 114%
7 Atlanta 114%
6 San Francisco 115%
5 Seattle 117%
4 Dallas 118%
3 Los Angeles 119%
2 Houston 121%
1 Portland, OR 134%
Visitors Return to Some Downtowns Faster Than Others (Percent foot traffic for visitors in Q2 2023 compared to Q2 2019)
5 Phoenix 89%
4 Charlotte 89%
3 San Diego 90%
2 San Jose 96%
1 Nashville 103%
Overall Downtown Foot Traffic (Percent overall foot traffic in Q2 2023 compared to Q2 2019)
10 San Antonio 79%
9 Los Angeles 80%
8 Charlotte 83%
7 Phoenix 83%
6 Philadelphia 84%
5 Midtown Manhattan 84%
4 Memphis 87%
3 San Diego 89%
2 San Jose 92%
1 Nashville 100%
I think it's safe to say that if a city is not listed in the top 26 cities of each category, the downtown region is struggling post-COVID, a lot more than others.
Thanks for posting.
Looks like Memphis is knocking it out of the park. Not a city that's usually on my radar screen.
Streetviewing the downtown, I don't notice any cranes, so I wonder if the new residents are mostly in office-to-residential conversions. What I do notice is the streetcar, which I didn't realize the city had. The neighborhoods east of downtown along the track also look more intact than I was imagining.
Business districts still seeing fewer workers than before the pandemic: (Percent foot traffic for nonresident workers in Q2 2023 compared to Q2 2019)
10 Houston 68%
9 Lower Manhattan 68%
8 Charlotte 69%
7 Philadelphia 70%
6 Fort Worth 72%
5 Memphis 74%
4 San Diego 77%
3 Midtown Manhattan 78%
2 Nashville 80%
1 San Antonio 85%
More Residents Live Downtown Than Before the Pandemic (Percent foot traffic for downtown residents in 2023 Q2 compared to 2019 Q2)
10 Washington, DC 114%
9 Memphis 114%
8 Denver 114%
7 Atlanta 114%
6 San Francisco 115%
5 Seattle 117%
4 Dallas 118%
3 Los Angeles 119%
2 Houston 121%
1 Portland, OR 134%
Visitors Return to Some Downtowns Faster Than Others (Percent foot traffic for visitors in Q2 2023 compared to Q2 2019)
5 Phoenix 89%
4 Charlotte 89%
3 San Diego 90%
2 San Jose 96%
1 Nashville 103%
Overall Downtown Foot Traffic (Percent overall foot traffic in Q2 2023 compared to Q2 2019)
10 San Antonio 79%
9 Los Angeles 80%
8 Charlotte 83%
7 Phoenix 83%
6 Philadelphia 84%
5 Midtown Manhattan 84%
4 Memphis 87%
3 San Diego 89%
2 San Jose 92%
1 Nashville 100%
I think it's safe to say that if a city is not listed in the top 26 cities of each category, the downtown region is struggling post-COVID, a lot more than others.
Those aren't the top downtowns in each category. The study only looked at 26 downtowns...
Atlanta, GA
Austin, TX
Boston, MA
Charlotte, NC
Chicago, Il
Columbus, OH
Dallas, TX
Washington DC
Denver, CO
Fort Worth, TX
Houston, TX
Indianapolis, IN
Jacksonville, FL
Los Angeles, CA
Lower Manhattan, NYC
Memphis, TN
Midtown Manhattan, NYC
Nashville, TN
Philadelphia, PA
Phoenix, AZ
Portland, OR
San Antonio, TX
San Diego, CA
San Francisco, CA
San Jose, CA
Seattle, WA
Looks like Memphis is knocking it out of the park. Not a city that's usually on my radar screen.
Streetviewing the downtown, I don't notice any cranes, so I wonder if the new residents are mostly in office-to-residential conversions. What I do notice is the streetcar, which I didn't realize the city had. The neighborhoods east of downtown along the track also look more intact than I was imagining.
Yeah, numbers for Memphis are impressive, considering its reputation.
The area immediately south of downtown Memphis is surprisingly a very vibrant, pretty robust neighborhood.
Also, there is an island off of downtown to the north, that has a vibrant residential area, too.
In the area immediately south of downtown, there's a grocery store, a movie theater, trendy bars/restaurants, good cultural experiences with theater and museums, and the trolley connecting to the heart of downtown.
There are a lot of lower rise apartments and condos (and lofts) going up in Memphis in general. It's much more under the "development" radar, but there is some good gentrification happening. Problem is, there's so many blighted neighborhoods in Memphis, that it drags the city down.
Those aren't the top downtowns in each category. The study only looked at 26 downtowns...
Atlanta, GA
Austin, TX
Boston, MA
Charlotte, NC
Chicago, Il
Columbus, OH
Dallas, TX
Washington DC
Denver, CO
Fort Worth, TX
Houston, TX
Indianapolis, IN
Jacksonville, FL
Los Angeles, CA
Lower Manhattan, NYC
Memphis, TN
Midtown Manhattan, NYC
Nashville, TN
Philadelphia, PA
Phoenix, AZ
Portland, OR
San Antonio, TX
San Diego, CA
San Francisco, CA
San Jose, CA
Seattle, WA
Ahh. My mistake. Thanks for clarifying.
I'd like to see all cities and their numbers now. haha
If you read the methodology from placer.ai, it's basically what some people on here have tried to do over the years with counting up the census tracts. They also have employment and cell phone data to laid on top.
It should be pointed out that the size of the "greater downtowns" is pretty subjective and varies. The appendix of the new one has the maps of each city.
Yesterday was a major aberration. Today it's warming up and will be back in upper 50s by this weekend. Enjoy your time in Chi.
Quick update: I quickly got used to the cold, and enjoyed it quite a bit once I got some gloves.
I also made it to downtown on Wednesday evening from North Chicago via the UP-N train. Nice ride.
About Downtown Chicago... I got there around 7pm. I was surprised at how fairly quiet the streets were -- even the main strips. Stores all seemed to also close at 7pm, with 8pm being the latest, along Michigan Ave? I guess I was expecting a bit more foot traffic and vibrancy than what was there.
The trains also seem to stop running quite early. I wasn't initially planning on staying out too late, but once I found out how the times for the final trains, I knew I'd just end up Ubering back, so I ended up checking out a bit of the bar/nightlife scene and stay out until past midnight.
Aside from that, downtown is one of the most beautiful, by far, in North America. It's grand, it's CLEAN, it's beautifully laid out, on a gorgeous geographical landscape. I had to pause a few times to admire the beauty when overlooking the rivers, lines with a nice architectural variety of towers.
Oh, and did I mention, CLEAN? I can't think of another LARGE city in NA like it.
Finally, I solo-dined at Carson's, which I found on a whim while randomly exploring around. I was not disappointed, especially considering the very fair price, and service.
Quick update: I quickly got used to the cold, and enjoyed it quite a bit once I got some gloves.
I also made it to downtown on Wednesday evening from North Chicago via the UP-N train. Nice ride.
About Downtown Chicago... I got there around 7pm. I was surprised at how fairly quiet the streets were -- even the main strips. Stores all seemed to also close at 7pm, with 8pm being the latest, along Michigan Ave? I guess I was expecting a bit more foot traffic and vibrancy than what was there.
The trains also seem to stop running quite early. I wasn't initially planning on staying out too late, but once I found out how the times for the final trains, I knew I'd just end up Ubering back, so I ended up checking out a bit of the bar/nightlife scene and stay out until past midnight.
Aside from that, downtown is one of the most beautiful, by far, in North America. It's grand, it's CLEAN, it's beautifully laid out, on a gorgeous geographical landscape. I had to pause a few times to admire the beauty when overlooking the rivers, lines with a nice architectural variety of towers.
Oh, and did I mention, CLEAN? I can't think of another LARGE city in NA like it.
Finally, I solo-dined at Carson's, which I found on a whim while randomly exploring around. I was not disappointed, especially considering the very fair price, and service.
I'll be back one day.
Glad you enjoyed your visit. Things quiet down at night, but Michigan Ave. -at night, is not as vibrant as during the day. At night, more bustling neighborhoods are River North, Fulton Market, Randolph St. and outlying neighborhoods like Logan Sq, Wrigleyville, Bucktown, etc.
Red and Blue line trains (CTA) run 24 hours.
Having traveled to every large city in the U.S., Chicago is a rare gift.
Glad you enjoyed your visit. Things quiet down at night, but Michigan Ave. -at night, is not as vibrant as during the day. At night, more bustling neighborhoods are River North, Fulton Market, Randolph St. and outlying neighborhoods like Logan Sq, Wrigleyville, Bucktown, etc.
Red and Blue line trains (CTA) run 24 hours.
Having traveled to every large city in the U.S., Chicago is a rare gift.
Isn't there still an ongoing bit of residential construction and office-to-residential conversion going on in the Loop? I reckon that'll really push things to be more bustling at night.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
