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Beyond a massive collection of skyscrapers, what are the differences between New York City and Chicago? In short, what makes these cities two unique entities? Overall, which city jibes with you the best?
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.
There is nothing in Chi-town that cannot be found in far more quanity and quality in NYC.
Except for Italian Beef sandwiches and decent Mexican food
...Oh, we seem to be exporting a fair amount of our theater actors and comedians to nyc as well, so it isn't quite fair to say we've got nothing they want.
Chicagoans tend to have an inferiority complex (Second City Syndrome) while New Yorkers tend to have a superiority complex. Chicago continually tries to outshine NYC anywhere and everywhere that it can because it wants folks to think it is "just as good." Folks in NYC have the "my milkshake brings all the boys to the yard" type of mentality, and they love to brag about how much better they are than everyone else.
Last edited by SteelCityRising; 01-01-2008 at 02:41 PM..
Reason: Typo
NYC has more hills than Chicago. Chicago has alleys, garages and parking. Chicagoans tend to be one generation closer to the farm than New Yorkers and thus less cosmopolitan.
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.
NYC has more hills than Chicago. Chicago has alleys, garages and parking. Chicagoans tend to be one generation closer to the farm than New Yorkers and thus less cosmopolitan.
Ya think? Nobody in my family (extended or immediate) have ever been midwestern farmers (or even lived in the midwest before the late 1960's).
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