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.
don't have much of a problem with the observations put out there by the likes of TheProf and Xpat.
Two excellent summations of the two cities. I never heard of the 'inferiority complex' thing. Two different cities that are alike in many ways. I have had great times in NYC but I do think Chicago is far more friendly and less frantic.
I don't think Chicago has an inferiority complex, its a major established city of its own.
The city is laid out in a grid system and much easier to navigate than NYC
Its vast open plains allow for extention of the greater Chicagoland area.
It is one of the greatest cities of the industrial revolution than can't be duplicated.
It is the city that can best be described "all American", and will remain #1 in by book!
I disagree that Chicago CAN'T be duplicated. Some industrial cities came darn close. Detroit was growing faster than Chicago from the 1910s to the early 1960s. Could've been a true world class city, if they just had the visionary leaderships of Chicagos leaders.
Many people believe Houston, while doesn't quite have the range of culturaly amenities, diversity, and excitement quite yet, they are sure getting there, with their big dreams. Houston, while its light rail is still in its infancy, has made more strides within recent times, than Chicagos crumbling 'L'
And can't forget San Francisco, Washington D.C., and Boston. While there city propers have smaller population, and there skylines aren't as "impressive" have something about the histoy, scenery, charm and distinctiveness of those places irreproducable (if thats a word).
Chicagos more like a regular industrial American midwest, that played its cards right, lucky to have the strong-armed mayors it did, and therefore did VERY well for itself.
There are differences, but as a Chicagoan, I feel more of a kinship with NYC'ers than I do people from large Sun Belt cities. I think it's because my family came to the US via NYC though Ellis Island and were part of the huge wave of immigrants from Europe that came to the US looking for a better life. People of my ethnic group tended to wind up in NYC, Chicago and the Pittsburgh area. So as far as the ethnic flair, these 2 cities are similar. I read so many posts on this site of people in the South or Southwest looking for ethnic food and am amazed how many suggest Publix, Walmart, etc. Or someone is looking for a particular church and there isn't one or there's 1 that's 50 miles away. In this way, NYC and Chicago are similar. No matter what your ethnic background is, you can rub elbows with others and be an American without losing your heritage.
I was going to respond to this Lisa, but I think XPat and TheProf hit it dead on.
While no one really compares Chicago to Detroit, the two cities were very similar in ethnic composition and cultural amenities up until the 1960s/early 1970s.
The heavy Polish ethnic of Chicago reflects what you find in Detroit and other Great Lakes cities. East Coast cities have a lot less Polish. Italians and Irish were very important in Chicago and other midwest cities, but not so much in New York and Boston.
Chicago has a lot more Mexican culture, whereas New York has much more Carribean culture.
Also, African-Americans that came to Chicago (and Detroit and St. Louis) came from the Mississippi valley that Blues is so big here.
Asians: Houston, anywhere in California, and New York have quite a bit more Asian culture than Chicago, (although we got 'em here in Chicago) too. Vietnamese and Chinese are huge in Houston (not only sunbelt, but Texas too!)
The biggest difference is in the attitudes of the people about their city. I have never heard anyone from NYC say, "I hope this compares to whatever Chicago is doing!" But everything in Chicago is based upon how it can beat out, or look better than, NYC. Chicago has a massive inferiority complex that will only get worse as places like Houston and Phoenix grow bigger than them. NYC doesn't have to compare though. They know they are the best, and honestly, couldn't care more what happened in Chicago. There is nothing in Chi-town that cannot be found in far more quanity and quality in NYC. Chicago strives to be NYC, but the same can not be said that other way around.
Heres one Chicagoan that doesn't "strive" to be NYC
Let other cities become bigger than us, that's good for them, Chciago will always be my great city.
BTW - Sending love to NYC, my second home. If Phoenix ever does pass Chicago, I hope YOU don't start competing with NY, but you do have somewhat of a competitive attitude
The heavy Polish ethnic of Chicago reflects what you find in Detroit and other Great Lakes cities. East Coast cities have a lot less Polish. Italians and Irish were very important in Chicago and other midwest cities, but not so much in New York and Boston.
Wilmington, Delaware, Philly and Baltimore all have significant Polish populations. In that last sentence, did you mean not so much AS NY and Boston? Otherwise it doesn't make sense to me.
Wilmington, Delaware, Philly and Baltimore all have significant Polish populations. In that last sentence, did you mean not so much AS NY and Boston? Otherwise it doesn't make sense to me.
Actually he was right. Chicago is the heaviest Polish city in the nation. In fact, it's the largest Polish population outside of Poland.
USA WEEKEND Magazine (http://www.usaweekend.com/05_issues/050515/050515travel_diverse.html#chicago - broken link)
Poles add diversity to Chicago's wonderful selection of food. We do also have a great share of Irish, Italian, and Greeks. It's a great culture and food scene here.
Lets not compare it to the east coast, Chicago is great in and of it's own.
i might upset people with this but, one difference imho, is that New York is more 'worldly' and international while Chicago seems distinctly American to me
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.
). 
The real difference?????
