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I'd now add Philly to the list: 2nd best and largest downtown! I'm seeing it first hand since I'm in Philly.
Center City second largest downtown? Chicago's downtown is more than just the Loop now. It extends into the Near North Side, West Loop, and South Loop. When you take that into account, it is smaller than Chicago's. If you say ALL of Center City versus ONLY the Loop in Chicago, then you'd have a point, but that was valid 50 years ago...not anymore today.
Center City second largest downtown? Chicago's downtown is more than just the Loop now. It extends into the Near North Side, West Loop, and South Loop. When you take that into account, it is smaller than Chicago's. If you say ALL of Center City versus ONLY the Loop in Chicago, then you'd have a point, but that was valid 50 years ago...not anymore today.
I wouldn't pay a lot of attention to that post. Yes CC is bigger than the Loop, and yes DT Chicago has expanded into adjacent neighborhoods. But the same is true of Philly. The vibrancy of CC expands into University City to the west, Northern Liberties to the northeast, Fairmount to the northwest, and Queen Village, Bella Vista and Graduate Hospital to the south.
I am not versed enough in Chicago to judge whether its "downtown" is larger than Philly's or not, nor do I really care. Both are pretty great places to roam around. I just wanted to expose a bit of Phildelphia's expansion.
I am not versed enough in Chicago to judge whether its "downtown" is larger than Philly's or not, nor do I really care.
I mean, no one should really care, right? It's not a matter of opinion, is it?
Chicago has more tall buildings, more square footage in the CBD, etc. It's a bigger city. It makes sense that it has a bigger downtown. How's that controversial?
I mean, no one should really care, right? It's not a matter of opinion, is it?
Chicago has more tall buildings, more square footage in the CBD, etc. It's a bigger city. It makes sense that it has a bigger downtown. How's that controversial?
If you can show me figures that demonstrate the Chicago has a larger downtown, then so be it. If someone can show me data that Philly has a larger DT, then so be it. That said, "size" can be measured by square footage, square mileage, "more tall buildings" or any number of other metrics some CD posters use to prove (to themselves?) that their city is more important.
I offered some insights as to how Philly's vibrancy expands well-beyond Center City in response to a poster who offered that Chicago's DT extends beyond the loop. As I already said, however, in the case of which city's DT is "larger," I don't really care.
I mean, no one should really care, right? It's not a matter of opinion, is it?
Chicago has more tall buildings, more square footage in the CBD, etc. It's a bigger city. It makes sense that it has a bigger downtown. How's that controversial?
Chicago clearly has the larger downtown. It is the second largest downtown in the country after New York Only.
1. New York City
2. Chicago
3tie. Philadelphia
3tie. San Francisco
4. Washington D.C.
5. Boston
6. Seattle
7. Los Angeles
So, as you can see below. The two are pretty close in size. Chicago obviously has more tall buildings, but Philadelphia was never really a highrise city.
Here is what I would consider "Downtown Chicago"
1.71 miles wide and 4.38 miles in length Downtown Chicago - Google Maps
Much of the South Loop you highlighted of Chicago doesn't seem very downtown-like. What would you consider the equivalent for New York City?
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