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.
When it comes to arts, culture, and museums it's debatable. Neither city really stands heads and shoulders above the other one. NYC is the only city that can make that claim of being in it's own class. You of all people should know that.
lol at the last part of your statement. You act like your comparing Chicago to city like Jackson, MS when it comes to population size. I know Chicago is larger but cities like Philly and Houston are right behind it in population rankings, so Philly isn't that much smaller than you think it is when comparing it to Chicago.
Sure you can debate whatever you want, but in reality Philly vs. Chicago is no more debatable than Chicago vs New York.
Sure you can debate whatever you want, but in reality Philly vs. Chicago is no more debatable than Chicago vs New York.
The gap between "New York City and Chicago" is a lot bigger than the gap between "Chicago and Philadelphia" in most categories and metrics, so it is more debatable.
The gap between "New York City and Chicago" is a lot bigger than the gap between "Chicago and Philadelphia" in most categories and metrics, so it is more debatable.
Well right now we are talking about just one metric -- museum and arts.
In the 5 main categories that I can think of fitting into that description -- museums, theater, orchestra, ballet and opera -- by reputation at least NY bests Chicago in 4 out of 5 (orchestra is either a tie or advantage Chicago) while Chicago makes a clean sweep of Philly. So I am not sure it is more debatable; if anything, probably less debatable.
Philly apparently destroys every single city in the country in every single category.
I'm glad you've finally learned this. Philly is the leading city in everything, and it would be bigger than New York were it not for the Census Bureau conspiracy to make NY look larger.
No city can match Philly's vibrancy, its awesome subway, its homicide rate that's down 99% from last week, and of course, its lead in per capita arts (Broadway is just hype, everyone who knows anything about theater knows that Rittenhouse Square is the leading plays/musicals spot in the country.)
Also, stats are misleading, and often made up by people promoting other cities. Sure, you might have heard that Philly has had about as many homicides this year as New York City and Chicago, but the homicide rate wouldn't look so bad if the Census Bureau wasn't undercounting Philly's population so badly.
And the fact that 23% of adults in Philly have college degrees, while 33% in Chicago do? Well, um, that's also a Census Bureau distortion.
The super cheap office rents in Center City Philly, well everyone knows the market research firms reporting this data are paid off by Chicago politicians trying to make Chicago look better. Thanks Rahm Emanuel.
The fact that Center City Philly has about as much office space as Tyson's Corner, Virginia, an off ramp suburb of Washington, DC? Well, uh, that's um, well, you know, because Philly's post-industrial. Oh wait, can't use that one here because Chicago is too. It's because biased Census Bureau workers, some of whom were Mets fans, discouraged investment in Center City and directed it to Manhattan.
Also, what about the beautiful I-95 off ramp where all the sports teams play? Much more to do in those stadium parking lots than there is around Wrigley Field.
I'm glad you've finally learned this. Philly is the leading city in everything, and it would be bigger than New York were it not for the Census Bureau conspiracy to make NY look larger.
No city can match Philly's vibrancy, its awesome subway, its homicide rate that's down 99% from last week, and of course, its lead in per capita arts (Broadway is just hype, everyone who knows anything about theater knows that Rittenhouse Square is the leading plays/musicals spot in the country.)
Also, stats are misleading, and often made up by people promoting other cities. Sure, you might have heard that Philly has had about as many homicides this year as New York City and Chicago, but the homicide rate wouldn't look so bad if the Census Bureau wasn't undercounting Philly's population so badly.
And the fact that 23% of adults in Philly have college degrees, while 33% in Chicago do? Well, um, that's also a Census Bureau distortion.
The super cheap office rents in Center City Philly, well everyone knows the market research firms reporting this data are paid off by Chicago politicians trying to make Chicago look better. Thanks Rahm Emanuel.
The fact that Center City Philly has about as much office space as Tyson's Corner, Virginia, an off ramp suburb of Washington, DC? Well, uh, that's um, well, you know, because Philly's post-industrial. Oh wait, can't use that one here because Chicago is too. It's because biased Census Bureau workers, some of whom were Mets fans, discouraged investment in Center City and directed it to Manhattan.
Also, what about the beautiful I-95 off ramp where all the sports teams play? Much more to do in those stadium parking lots than there is around Wrigley Field.
Case closed.
We all know the poster "thebiggeo08" is a troll but there is no need on your part to seize the opportunity to take cheap/petty shots at Philly. I see you were trying to be sneaky with it by hiding it underneath your sarcasm but that didn't fool anyone. Sorry dude.
Well right now we are talking about just one metric -- museum and arts.
In the 5 main categories that I can think of fitting into that description -- museums, theater, orchestra, ballet and opera -- by reputation at least NY bests Chicago in 4 out of 5 (orchestra is either a tie or advantage Chicago) while Chicago makes a clean sweep of Philly. So I am not sure it is more debatable; if anything, probably less debatable.
NYC destroys Chicago in all five categories. That isn't even debatable, except maybe for orchestra (and not really, NYC has two of the world's top five orchestras, Chicago has only one).
-The Met is definitely the world's premiere opera company. Largest endowment, biggest performances, biggest stage in the world. There is no other globally renowned opera company in the U.S., so no point in discussing. Vienna is the only opera company globally that may be competitive.
-Broadway is the largest and probably world's premiere collection of theaters. Outside of London, there's nothing else in the same galaxy.
-Metropolitan Museum is one of the world's top two comprehensive art museums, and MOMA is unquestioned #1 modern art museum.
-NYC is the world capital of dance, and has the top two ballet companies in the U.S. (NYC Ballet and American Ballet Theater). Chicago has no globally renowned ballet companies.
- The only debatable is orchestra, but even here probably no. Met Orchestra and NYC Philharmonic are both world class, as is Chicago Philharmonic.
Chicago vs. Philly? Chicago makes a clean sweep. 5 out of 5.
Chicago has a professional opera company, Philly doesn't, Chicago has a theatre scene, Philly doesn't really, Chicago Art Institute beats Philly Museum of Art (but here they're semi-close), Chicago has some dance, Philly not really, and Chicago Philharmonic beats Philly Orchestra.
Overall, IMO, big gap between NYC and Chicago, and big gap between Chicago and Philly (at least on these five categories).
Chicago has a professional opera company, Philly doesn't, Chicago has a theatre scene, Philly doesn't really, Chicago has some dance, Philly not really,
DANCE COMPANIES: Ballet
Pennsylvania Ballet
BalletX
Rebecca Davis Dance Company Modern
Philadanco
Koresh Dance Company
Jeanne Ruddy Dance
Headlong Dance Theater
Group Motion Dance Company
Nichole Canuso Dance Company
Kate Watson-Wallace
Scrap Performance Group
Melanie Stewart Dance Theatre
Merian Soto
Leah Stein Dance Company
Marianela Boan
Dancefusion
Smoke, Lilies and Jade Arts Initiative
Miro Dance Theatre
Tania Isaac
Eleone Dance Theatre
Anne-Marie Mulgrew and Dancers
Jung-Yang Lin / Dancers Hip-hop
Rennie Harris Puremovement Dance | Philly
Chicago vs. Philly? Chicago makes a clean sweep. 5 out of 5.
Chicago has a professional opera company, Philly doesn't, Chicago has a theatre scene, Philly doesn't really, Chicago Art Institute beats Philly Museum of Art (but here they're semi-close), Chicago has some dance, Philly not really, and Chicago Philharmonic beats Philly Orchestra.
Overall, IMO, big gap between NYC and Chicago, and big gap between Chicago and Philly (at least on these five categories).
Unfortunately, I've yet to go to Chicago, so I'm not experienced in its cultural offerings -- although I'm sure it's a top notch city. However, you need to verify some of your facts, here:
i havent been to the chi, but seems to me it looks more upscale and wealthier than philly on the whole
is that the case?
also, why is philly called poor mans ny?
For what it's worth, the current music director/Conductor of the CSO (Chicago Symphony Orchestra) was the music director at the Philadelphia symphony early in his career. 16 years after he resigned from Philadelphia, he signed on at the CSO ...if that tells you anything.
I agree though - NYC beats Chicago in "the arts" handily, but there is no city in the US which is ahead of NYC overall in it. Chicago though, in my mind, beats Philly, but I think Philly has an underrated scene as well.
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.
