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I makes me cringe when people choose Illinois because of Chicago.
Iowa was my pick. It's pretty quintessentially midwestern and has the friendliest people, in my experience.
Chicago (+ its suburbs) comprise the majority of the population, wealth, and economy of Illinois. Pretty much the only category it does not dominate is in geographic area. When 75% of the population of a state lives in metro Chicago, I think its fair to say that (for better or worse), Illinois is defined by Chicago.
For me personally, if it wasn't for Chicago, I wouldn't be living in Illinois or the Midwest, but probably in some big city out east, so I guess that means Illinois is my favorite state in the Midwest.
Do you think people in Cairo, Illinois care about Chicago? They're closer to Jackson, Mississippi and Atlanta, Georgia than Chicago, which is over 8 hours away from them. Illinois cities like Springfield (the capital), Peoria, Carbondale, Dubuque (suburbs), St. Louis (suburbs), and Decatur, just to name a few, have nothing to do with Chicago.
There's so much more to Illinois than Chicago and its surrounding area -- forests, prairies, lakes, river valleys, swamps, cities, universities, college towns, small towns, and more. It's not just Chicagoland, which in my opinion is the least interesting part of the state. Ninety percent of the state has nothing to do with Chicago.
Do you think people in Cairo, Illinois care about Chicago? They're closer to Jackson, Mississippi and Atlanta, Georgia than Chicago, which is over 8 hours away from them. Illinois cities like Springfield (the capital), Peoria, Carbondale, Dubuque (suburbs), St. Louis (suburbs), and Decatur, just to name a few, have nothing to do with Chicago.
There's so much more to Illinois than Chicago and its surrounding area -- forests, prairies, lakes, river valleys, swamps, cities, universities, college towns, small towns, and more. It's not just Chicagoland, which in my opinion is the least interesting part of the state. Ninety percent of the state has nothing to do with Chicago.
I hate Chicago, but I love Illinois.
Do you think that people in Chicago (or the overwhelming majority of the rest of the country/world) care about these places (if they even know they exist)? I have to agree with oakparkdude, Chicago IS indeed the overwhelmingly dominant aspect of Illinois in nearly all fields. I respect your opinion, but how could you hate Chicago It's one of the most global and important cities on earth. Nothing in the Midwest can come even close to matching Chicago. Well that's my opinion anyway & everyone has a different one!
Lungs lungs lungs. Oakparkdud. Isn't the bulk of Michigan's population in the Detroit area? Perhaps we should then define and judge Michigan by Detroit. I think the boys who voted Illinois because Chicago's in it,well, they ought to be polled which is the best state in America? Seems by their biased view that global cities negate the overall blandness (compared to Michigan or upper Wi ) of thousands of square miles of Illinois. Well by their logic, the Empire State should win best state in America no matter what?! Having Chicago in Illinois sure doesn't seem to help their DNR from what we see sorely lacking traveling the rest of the state.
Last edited by jessicas4rabbits; 10-16-2011 at 11:07 PM..
Voted for KS, NE, MN. I like the plains and western Midwest best. If Sioux Falls were a larger population/economic center I'd vote for SD too, it's a very nice state.
The western halves of KS and NE aren't even in the Midwest, but are more of a part of the West.
I chose Minnesota, Illinois, Wisconsin and Michigan. I think Wisconsin and Michigan are the prettiest states overall in the Midwest. I chose Minnesota and Illinois because the Twin cities and Chicago are my favorite metro areas in the Midwest. I also chose MN and IL because I think MN is very pretty in the north and I think IL is very pretty in the south. Also, I think most people judge the rest of IL as being "boring" or "icky" because they've maybe driven through a small portion of it and seen wind farms and corn. Yes, there are more things in IL than Chicago, wind farms or corn...(although I also enjoy the vast expansive views you get in IL in the central part of the state)
Lungs lungs lungs. Oakparkdud. Isn't the bulk of Michigan's population in the Detroit area? Perhaps we should then define and judge Michigan by Detroit. I think the boys who voted Illinois because Chicago's in it,well, they ought to be polled which is the best state in America? Seems by their biased view that global cities negate the overall blandness (compared to Michigan or upper Wi ) of thousands of square miles of Illinois. Well by their logic, the Empire State should win best state in America no matter what?! Having Chicago in Illinois sure doesn't seem to help their DNR from what we see sorely lacking traveling the rest of the state.
You know, people are allowed to have opinions other than yours...
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It's one of the most global and important cities on earth. Nothing in the Midwest can come even close to matching Chicago. Well that's my opinion anyway & everyone has a different one!
You know, people are allowed to have opinions other than yours...
