Why do young people love Chicagoland so much? (universities, to live)

[caverunner17]

After visiting a few major European cities (Zurich, Amsterdam, Brussels, Munich, Istanbul), I love the idea of public transportation and the walk-ability, but hate how NYC/Chicago are all high-rises of boring, grey concrete.

I know Washington Park area is pretty nice... but it's on the southside and not that safe...

[meatpuff]

Link N. Parker hinted at it, but the answer is simple. So simple it sounds like circular logic, but it's still correct.

Young people love Chicagoland so much because lots of young people like to live in Chicago.

Young people want to live around people like them (don't listen to what they tell you about how they value diversity!). There is the biological imperative to procreate, as well as simply being able to find a guy who also wants to see They Might Be Giants next Saturday. Chicago is actually a nice place, but the bottom line is if many thousands of upper middle class, educated youngsters with jobs nearby all lived at the bottom of the Thornton Quarry, that's where a lot of your friends would want to move.

[linicx]

Europe was formed centuries before the first European settled in the 13 colonies that had not yet been formed. The architecture looks much different and is probably not constructed like American buildings. It is impossible to fairly compare an Amerian City with Switzerland or the Red Sea with Lake Michigan. There is too much, too different, in too many ways.

Originally Posted by caverunner17

After visiting a few major European cities (Zurich, Amsterdam, Brussels, Munich, Istanbul), I love the idea of public transportation and the walk-ability, but hate how NYC/Chicago are all high-rises of boring, grey concrete.

I know Washington Park area is pretty nice... but it's on the southside and not that safe...

[Vlajos]

Originally Posted by linicx

Europe was formed centuries before the first European settled in the 13 colonies that had not yet been formed. The architecture looks much different and is probably not constructed like American buildings. It is impossible to fairly compare an Amerian City with Switzerland or the Red Sea with Lake Michigan. There is too much, too different, in too many ways.

Very logical post!

[Tex?Il?]

Originally Posted by meatpuff

Link N. Parker hinted at it, but the answer is simple. So simple it sounds like circular logic, but it's still correct.

Young people love Chicagoland so much because lots of young people like to live in Chicago.

Young people want to live around people like them (don't listen to what they tell you about how they value diversity!). There is the biological imperative to procreate, as well as simply being able to find a guy who also wants to see They Might Be Giants next Saturday. Chicago is actually a nice place, but the bottom line is if many thousands of upper middle class, educated youngsters with jobs nearby all lived at the bottom of the Thornton Quarry, that's where a lot of your friends would want to move.

Again though, its not ChicagoLAND they love. If young people love a place where there is a high concentration of young people like them, then where they love is downtown and the north lakefront, and near northwest neighborhoods. Like Link N. Parker said, the suburbs are largely families, etc. and they don't love the suburbs, even though they still make up the bulk of ChicagoLAND.

Many suburbanites, love ChicagoLAND because that is where they are from, what they are familiar with, where their family and high school friends are, etc. but there is a big difference between that subculture and those that are transplants to the neighborhoods of the city where all the young adults are.

[time2play]

Originally Posted by Tex?Il?

Most transplants don't love Chicagoland. Chicagoland is really like any other large metropolitan area. What they love is downtown Chicago, and the neighborhoods to the north and immediately to the northwest.

As far as native Chicagolanders go, they've simply been brought up to believe that where they live is the center of the universe.

Go west young man (or woman) living elsewhere away from where you are from is the best way to expand your horizons.

I'd consider moving to Chicagoland partially for its nice suburbs. :-)

[williepotatoes]

Let me suggest one more reason as to why young people are swarming Chicago these days:

Sex, liquor, music and tech. Chicago excels at most of these.

[Zoness]

Originally Posted by williepotatoes

Let me suggest one more reason as to why young people are swarming Chicago these days:

Sex, liquor, music and tech. Chicago excels at most of these.

But many of us can get at least three of these things even in more rural parts of the state.

Admittedly the electronic music scene in Chicago is great whereas its basically nonexistent here.

[oakparkdude]

Originally Posted by caverunner17

After visiting a few major European cities (Zurich, Amsterdam, Brussels, Munich, Istanbul), I love the idea of public transportation and the walk-ability, but hate how NYC/Chicago are all high-rises of boring, grey concrete.

Clearly you have a very distorted view of Chicago. Only in a small fraction of the city are high-rises numerous.

[JillCotton]

Chicagoland is place full of fun where every sort of entertainment available for young people. If you have plan to live there then its not a bad idea.