Chicago vs. Philadelphia (live, best, better, largest)
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Chicago's downtown is more grand, but I prefer Philadelphia's, which is more intimate and loaded with historical charm.
I tend to like Philadelphia's downtown somewhat too. It's small, walkable and there is some charm. Also, a lot of grime and dirt, which all-in-all, is not necessarily a bad thing. Not as bad as NYC anyway.
I had a nice visit to chicago this summer. I went with a group of other people from Philadelphia so we did do a good amount of comparing. I thought the rivers and lake is what made Chicago special. We did the twilight tour with the Chicago Architecture Foundation, and our docent was (on purpose) a man who grew up in Philadelphia but had lived in Chicago since the 1970s'. It truly was an awesome and unique experience. I suggest anyone visiting Chicago to do it.
(All of my own photos)
Philly is getting a new Four Seasons and the restaurant at the top will have incredible views, great food, and a neo art deco design. The restaurant on the first floor will be led by one of our excellent local chefs.
Quote:
Vongerichten, a celebrity chef/restaurateur with properties around the world, will open his restaurant at the top of the tower, reports Philly.com. Philly-based Vernick, who was named best chef in the mid-Atlantic region at this year’s James Beard Awards, will open a restaurant on the first floor. This will be the second restaurant for Vernick, after his eponymous Rittenhouse Square eatery.
The two chefs are already well acquainted. Vernick, originally from Cherry Hill, worked for Vongeritchten earlier in his career, starting as a line cook and moving up to become sous chef at Jean-Georges. He later took on a role as a chef trainer for Vongrichten’s restaurants in Qatar, Tokyo, Vancouver, Utah, and closer to home in Boston. In 2012, he came back to the Philly area to open Vernick Food & Drink with his wife, Julie. "I’m grateful to be able to open another restaurant in Philadelphia, a city that I will forever call home,” Vernick said over email.
French chef Vongerichten’s list of restaurants spans a dozen countries, from China to Brazil, and includes several critically acclaimed New York eateries. He’s perhaps best known for Jean-Georges, set in the Trump Tower on Central Park. The restaurant, opened in 1997, earned three Michelin stars.
Chicago's core is definitely grander. After NYC and DC, Chicago has the grandest, most monumental core in North America (and probably the Americas overall).
But Philly has a tighter, more urban core. It's more of a quasi-European model, as opposed to the North American model in Chicago.
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