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A triple digit heat wave is a very rare occurence in Chicago. Where do you people come up with this stuff? There are only a handful of posters around here that actually think before they type.
I know its rare, im just saying, its also rare for Miami to surpass 92 F, Miami hovers around 85-91 all summer passing 92 about 5-10 days.
I know Chicago averages low 80s in summer but when its heat waves strike the ordinary person would prefer Miami weather.
Culture (Museums, theatre, art galleries, festivals, music scene, etc.) CHICAGO BY A MILLION MILES
Scenery MIAMI BY A MILLION MILES
Parks CHICAGO BY A MILLION MILES
Shopping Chicago for the experience and selection...it's a flagship city with urban shopping whereas Miami is a city that simply must carry all of the luxury brands en masse to cater to a less sophisticated shopping crowd
Education CHICAGO BY 10 MILLION MILES
Restaurants Chicago by a pretty good bit...I put in a monthssss in advance reservation and flew to Chicago just to kiss Charlie Trotter goodbye. Miami has no such restaurants.
Nightlife MIAMI BY A MILLION MILES, though full disclaimer I personally love Chicago nightlife, especially Chicago's gay nightlife which is hard to beat (Miami's gay nightlife pales in comparison)
Public Transportation CHICAGO BY 10 MILLION MILES
Economy both could be better, but Chicago is truly a dynamic, global city that doesn't rely on tourism and has a large economy of its own. So definitely Chicago.
Better Quality of Life Chicago for me, easily.
Better housing costs Chicago, but both are cheap. To me it's a package deal...in Chicago you get the much better city for the same housing costs as you get in Miami, so obvious choice there.
Chicago's four major issues are the 4 C's of Chicago: cold, crime, corruption, and Cubs. Not to say Miami isn't a city with some serious issues of it's own, primarily crime and socioeconomics but climate is definitely not a Chicago advantage.
Are you from Chicago or just visited? I never said Chicago had an advantage in weather. Maybe I'm just used to it but most winters sit around 30 degrees and having 80 inches of snow in a season isn't common. Going into triple digit heat or below zero temps are rare. Crime is a problem but is secluded to a few neighborhoods in Chicago for the most part. The true statistics of Chicago's crime aren't exactly what you hear on Fox.
Are you from Chicago or just visited? I never said Chicago had an advantage in weather. Maybe I'm just used to it but most winters sit around 30 degrees and having 80 inches of snow in a season isn't common. Going into triple digit heat or below zero temps are rare. Crime is a problem but is secluded to a few neighborhoods in Chicago for the most part. The true statistics of Chicago's crime aren't exactly what you hear on Fox.
I grew up in Chicago in the 1990's when I immigrated from Singapore to the United States. Then moved overseas for a few years to Mumbai, then moved back to Chicago. Then moved away, to what I'll agree with my mother and father on as "greener pastures" without damaging winters.
Both times, we lived in our family place right north of the Loop in a moderate height highrise, that we still own but have rented out. Although I haven't been to Chicago since 2010 (no where to crash at, as we rented out our place, and I wont be staying like a guest in my city), I've been to Chicago frequently enough all over the time period of my life.
I know about Chicago's crime. Myth, that the Southside is entirely dangerous, no. It's a massive place, has quite a few prosperous neighborhoods, a decent amount of average/ordinary ones, and a fair amount of rough ones. In my experience, the Chernobyl looking Westside is by far and away the worst area of the entire Chicagoland and certainly feels and looks every bit as dangerous as what people make "all" of the Southside out to be (incorrectly).
As for getting to the rough areas of Chicago, while from an urban point of view those psychological/physically challenging barriers and un-cohesive transitions going from West Loop or South Loop work against Chicago in an urban cohesion sense, they work well for Chicago in a security sense (West Loop, I mean), keeping people aware that they wont be walking off into a place like Austin (the way they would in a dangerously easy transition city like say Baltimore, where people can potentially walk their way to their deaths). In this sense, the lack of cohesion and the infinitely harder to walk to aspect is an advantage in Chicago's case, despite pushing the city into a sort of hyper-segregation and isolationism (for certain neighborhoods).
By the way, I haven't ever watched "Fox news" before in my life. Seriously don't care to either, I know the city I grew up in, where my first developmental memories were (several fond ones). Don't need to watch the news to know Chicago.
Other than the winter (which is every bit as bad as I remember it) and a few other things like the typical Chicagoan mindset to local politics and the like, I quite love Chicago. Awesome city, permanently on my personal short list, not just the country, not just North America, not just the Western Hemisphere, but internationally so.
Living in Chicago from my infant years to early years, it became the city of blueprints for me, on my likes and dislikes. I'm a big aesthetics person, thanks to Chicago. I cant tolerate dirtiness, thanks to Chicago (and Singapore, and indirectly Mumbai (for being dirty)), I love cities built along usable waterways and the like, lined with shimmering, shining, aesthetically powerful modern skyscrapers (with some historical ones integrated in as well but mostly modern and post-modern). I'm a huge food critic, just as Chicago's culinary culture is very devoted to quality food. Dozens of other personality qualities that I've developed, due to having started off my life in Chicago.
Last edited by Trafalgar Law; 04-06-2014 at 04:14 PM..
Culture (Museums, theatre, art galleries, festivals, music scene, etc.) CHICAGO BY A MILLION MILES
Scenery MIAMI BY A MILLION MILES
Parks CHICAGO BY A MILLION MILES
Shopping Chicago for the experience and selection...it's a flagship city with urban shopping whereas Miami is a city that simply must carry all of the luxury brands en masse to cater to a less sophisticated shopping crowd
Education CHICAGO BY 10 MILLION MILES
Restaurants Chicago by a pretty good bit...I put in a monthssss in advance reservation and flew to Chicago just to kiss Charlie Trotter goodbye. Miami has no such restaurants.
Nightlife MIAMI BY A MILLION MILES, though full disclaimer I personally love Chicago nightlife, especially Chicago's gay nightlife which is hard to beat (Miami's gay nightlife pales in comparison)
Public Transportation CHICAGO BY 10 MILLION MILES
Economy both could be better, but Chicago is truly a dynamic, global city that doesn't rely on tourism and has a large economy of its own. So definitely Chicago.
Better Quality of Life Chicago for me, easily.
Better housing costs Chicago, but both are cheap. To me it's a package deal...in Chicago you get the much better city for the same housing costs as you get in Miami, so obvious choice there.
More sophisticated shopping, doesn't necessarily mean better shopping per se. Chicago's position as a flagship city, might give it the edge, but I'd think both cities are pretty even, in offering a great shopping experience. It's not like it's either Gucci, or Goodwill in Miami. Plenty of in-between, plenty of edge, and all that jazz. I guess Miracle Mile might put it over Miami. But whatever....
I grew up in Chicago in the 1990's when I immigrated from Singapore to the United States. Then moved overseas for a few years to Mumbai, then moved back to Chicago. Then moved away, to what I'll agree with my mother and father on as "greener pastures" without damaging winters.............................."
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Beautiful post and I wholeheartedly agree!
I now live in Miami due to my parents divorcing and me coming down south with my mother but having "started out my life" in Chicago was possibly the most amazing thing to happen to me.
Which city is better (IMO)? Chicago, by 1k miles.
Chicago is just one monster of amazingness that only few words can describe. I was raised in the suburb of Gurnee and then when my parents split up I went to live in Naperville with my mother before coming down to Miami. There are some problems that cannot be overlooked, just like in any other city; but Lord do those problems seem minuscule when you actually look at Chicago as a whole.
I'm an outdoors guy so I love biking, jogging, hiking, kayaking. etc, and Chicago is just a better city to do those things in. Chicago beaches are actually quite amazing, considering they are on a lake and winter is rather harsh etc. On any given day from late June to very early September, you can literally go to the beach and feel like you are in a tropical destination (on sunny days).
The whole "jumping on a train" (Metra) and going to the city on the weekends thing was so phenomenal. Such good memories.
Miami? Very one-dimensional. I feel constricted here; there's this anxiety in the air, almost like as if everything is always rushed. I'm Colombian and I'm surrounded by Hispanics but boy do I miss that "American" lifestyle I was raised in. This city most of the time doesn't feel like the U.S; it's a weird "thing".
I can go on and on and on about why Chicago is subjectively better than Miami, but I do have to give Miami some credit as there are things here that you wouldn't find in Chicago.
I now live in Miami due to my parents divorcing and me coming down south with my mother but having "started out my life" in Chicago was possibly the most amazing thing to happen to me.
Which city is better (IMO)? Chicago, by 1k miles.
Chicago is just one monster of amazingness that only few words can describe. I was raised in the suburb of Gurnee and then when my parents split up I went to live in Naperville with my mother before coming down to Miami. There are some problems that cannot be overlooked, just like in any other city; but Lord do those problems seem minuscule when you actually look at Chicago as a whole.
I'm an outdoors guy so I love biking, jogging, hiking, kayaking. etc, and Chicago is just a better city to do those things in. Chicago beaches are actually quite amazing, considering they are on a lake and winter is rather harsh etc. On any given day from late June to very early September, you can literally go to the beach and feel like you are in a tropical destination (on sunny days).
The whole "jumping on a train" (Metra) and going to the city on the weekends thing was so phenomenal. Such good memories.
Miami? Very one-dimensional. I feel constricted here; there's this anxiety in the air, almost like as if everything is always rushed. I'm Colombian and I'm surrounded by Hispanics but boy do I miss that "American" lifestyle I was raised in. This city most of the time doesn't feel like the U.S; it's a weird "thing".
I can go on and on and on about why Chicago is subjectively better than Miami, but I do have to give Miami some credit as there are things here that you wouldn't find in Chicago.
Chicago's an amazing city, but c'mon. Tropical destination?
Culture (Museums, theatre, art galleries, festivals, music scene, etc.) CHICAGO BY A MILLION MILES
Scenery MIAMI BY A MILLION MILES
Parks CHICAGO BY A MILLION MILES
Shopping Chicago for the experience and selection...it's a flagship city with urban shopping whereas Miami is a city that simply must carry all of the luxury brands en masse to cater to a less sophisticated shopping crowd
Education CHICAGO BY 10 MILLION MILES
Restaurants Chicago by a pretty good bit...I put in a monthssss in advance reservation and flew to Chicago just to kiss Charlie Trotter goodbye. Miami has no such restaurants.
Nightlife MIAMI BY A MILLION MILES, though full disclaimer I personally love Chicago nightlife, especially Chicago's gay nightlife which is hard to beat (Miami's gay nightlife pales in comparison)
Public Transportation CHICAGO BY 10 MILLION MILES
Economy both could be better, but Chicago is truly a dynamic, global city that doesn't rely on tourism and has a large economy of its own. So definitely Chicago.
Better Quality of Life Chicago for me, easily.
Better housing costs Chicago, but both are cheap. To me it's a package deal...in Chicago you get the much better city for the same housing costs as you get in Miami, so obvious choice there.
I agree with most of this. Nightlife it really depends on your personal preference. Miami wins for clubbing even though Chicago has some great ones too, but Miami is one of the club capitals of the world. However, clubbing is not the only measure of nightlife. Factor in the lounges, bars, dining, live music, theater/comedy clubs (numerous places in Chicago to see a show even at 11pm or midnight), etc and I'd say that Chicago wins in the end overall for that in a broad way. I know Miami is more than just clubs, but the bars in Chicago trump the ones in Miami IMO by a bit.
Fashion is hard to say but probably about even - Chicago has just as much luxury fashion retailers as Miami - both have their fair share really. And there's more than one shopping district, not just Michigan Avenue/Oak Street/Walton Street/Rush Street. Most tourists completely miss what is out in Wicker Park/Ukrainian Village area for fashion and IMO some of the more cutting edge stuff is in that area, not downtown. Both are decent for getting your fashion, though.
I have lived in both cities. I currently live in Chicago
Culture (Museums, theater, art galleries, festivals, music scene, etc.) - Chicago, although Miami is trying with Art Basel, Ultra & the Miami Book Fair
Scenery - Miami
Parks - Chicago
Shopping - Tie
Education - Miami for public schools, Chicago for private....Chicago for universities and colleges
Restaurants - Chicago has more restaurants but both cities have a variety
Nightlife - Miami for clubs....although a lot of the clubs are highly segregated on any given night. Chicago for bars and such but Chicago isn't integration utopia either lol
Public Transportation - Chicago
Economy - Chicago
Better Quality of Life - Depends....Chicago because you have more job opportunities here and Miami for the weather
Better housing costs - Chicago
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