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Chicago is about as Midwestern as Miami is southern.
Meaning???
Also, I see people said Chicago is like the East Coast because of it's density. That's because it retained a large population. People forget that St. Louis, Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Detroit use to have a population density equal to what Chicago has now. Heck, St. Louis could pass off as an Eastern city. They say soda while the rest of the Midwest says pop lol.
Chicago is Midwestern just like Miami is definitely in the south. What sets Miami apart from the rest of the deep south is its Caribbean appeal. Chicago has the urbanized neighborhoods, convenient train system, and compact commercial streets that are more associated with the Northeast than the Midwest.
Chicago is Midwestern just like Miami is definitely in the south. What sets Miami apart from the rest of the deep south is its Caribbean appeal. Chicago has the urbanized neighborhoods, convenient train system, and compact commercial streets that are more associated with the Northeast than the Midwest.
the same could be said for a host of midwest cities, such as st. louis, cincinnati, detroit and cleveland, all of which are older cities than chicago. as recently as 1950, st. louis, for example, was more densely populated than chicago is today. even now, that city retains very impressive density that is not typical of the midwest. the difference between the midwest and the east coast is the urban/rural dichotomy, which is much more distinguishable in the midwest. chicago is midwestern, like it or not. the people in chicago look you in the eye; one is noticed and one is observed in ways that are not as common on the east coast. i've lived in both regions and have contemplated the differences over a long period of time. chicago. is. as. midwest. as. you. get.
slengel;15813082] even now, that city retains very impressive density that is not typical of the midwest.
Yeah, but what about commercial streets? Looking at streetview, St. Louis has the housing for high density, but lack compact urban streets with retail and bars/clubs outside downtown. Chicago has that(including 6 corner intersections) and plus with a convenient train system. No other city in the Midwest can give you that.
Last edited by Chicagoland60426; 09-09-2010 at 01:33 AM..
Yeah, but what about commercial streets? Looking at streetview, St. Louis has the housing for high density, but lack compact urban streets with retail and bars/clubs outside downtown. Chicago has that(including 6 corner intersections) and plus with a convenient train system. No other city in the Midwest can give you that.
you are wrong. st. louis has a number of large commercial streets that are still vibrant. fyi, downtown is not the center of nightlife in this city and hasn't been for decades, although there are a lot of high dollar clubs there. have you checked out:
cherokee street (benton park/benton park west/gravois park)
euclid ave (central west end)
south grand (tower grove east/south)
manchester ave (forest park southeast/the grove)
park ave (lafayette square)
delmar blvd (delmar loop)
locust st (midtown alley)
morganford (tower grove south)
just to name a few. many of these areas are accessible via metrolink rail. it's no chicago by any stretch and never claims to be, but it's a charming, much older city with many distinctive and dense neighborhoods, each with its own flavor and identity.
Many people seem to be equating east coast with urban vibrancy, which is why they are saying Chicago feels east coast. While it is true that much of the east coast has a lot of urban vibrancy, this is not an absolute trait. Places like Dover, DE or New London, CT are certainly small town-ish but still east coast. Other attributes such as architecture, attitudes, and landscape have to be considered here when comparing Chicago.
That being said I think Chicago is absolutely midwestern. It's a midwest city that also happens to be very dynamic and cosmopolitan. Walking around Chicago does not give me the feel I'm on the east coast. The streets here are wide and on a grid pattern, giving way to a very sprawling region. The surrounding landscape is flat and as stereotypically midwest as it gets.
Chicago to me feels very midwestern, the city is somewhat unique in size and makeup. there are attributes similar to East Coast, large, cultural concentration, restaraunts, large urban/dense/vibrant neighborhoods but to me it still feels a bit of an American culture of its own, like the midwestern capital with a little bit a few things but mostly it's own thing. And a real gem at that
Chicago is like San Francisco.
San Fancisco - A west coast city all the way with some east coast influence
Chicago - A mid west city all the way with some east coast influence
Chicago is somewhat akin to the urban east coast cities. However, it has a very different culture and a very different urban setting.
As a city, Chicago was built with all the errors of the urban cities back east in mind. There are alleys (believe me, for the experienced urbanite this is a big deal), tight square grids and other such things.
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