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Chicago's #1 drawback is that it's located on the shore of a Great Lake, and not the coast of an ocean (or even gulf). It's tougher to get international attention when it's less accessible than a coastal city.
Not true, there are plenty of cities that are not located on the coast with many international connections. You have Mexico City, Paris, Toronto, Montreal etc. etc.. I actually grew up in the Miami area for years and also grew and lived in the Midwest for years to become really familiar with a city like Chicago. I know these cities inside and out. Chicago by far has more established diverisfied ethnic neighborhoods dating back all the way to the 19th century along with denser, walkable neighborhoods connecting to one of the largest heavy rail systems in the country (ei CTA, Metra commuter etc.). Miami can't match any of that mile for mile when you stack it all up. Chicago is an urban beast. Miami is more suburban once you venture outside downtown or Miami Beach. Don't get me wrong I love both cities and are two of my tops in this country (throw in New Orleans). I'm just calling it like I see it. I know about the styles from music genre to architecture between them. You have two different worlds. On a urban scale Chicago goes beyond Miami and Miami Beach for miles. Miami draws more of it's immigration and cultural influence from the Caribbean and South America. Chicago has more Asia diversity (ie. Chinatown, Koreatown etc.) and European culture.
Not true, there are plenty of cities that are not located on the coast with many international connections. You have Mexico City, Paris, Toronto, Montreal etc. etc.. I actually grew up in the Miami area for years and also grew and lived in the Midwest for years to become really familiar with a city like Chicago. I know these cities inside and out. Chicago by far has more established diverisfied ethnic neighborhoods dating back all the way to the 19th century along with denser, walkable neighborhoods connecting to one of the largest heavy rail systems in the country (ei CTA, Metra commuter etc.). Miami can't match any of that mile for mile when you stack it all up. Chicago is an urban beast. Miami is more suburban once you venture outside downtown or Miami Beach. Don't get me wrong I love both cities and are two of my tops in this country (throw in New Orleans). I'm just calling it like I see it. I know about the styles from music genre to architecture between them. You have two different worlds. On a urban scale Chicago goes beyond Miami and Miami Beach for miles. Miami draws more of it's immigration and cultural influence from the Caribbean and South America. Chicago has more Asia diversity (ie. Chinatown, Koreatown etc.) and European culture.
There is really not a big difference between Miami and Chicago in terms of urbanity. Chicago has more skyscrapers, but outside its small core it loses it's form far quicker than Miami. Just look at suburbs like Arlington Heights, it looks like Iowa to me.
Let's put some statistics to these things, and let's talk urban areas :
1)NYC-Newark - 18.3 million
2)LA-LB-Anaheim 12.2 million
3)Chicago 8.6 million
4)Miami 5.5 million
There is really not a big difference between Miami and Chicago in terms of urbanity. Chicago has more skyscrapers, but outside its small core it loses it's form far quicker than Miami. Just look at suburbs like Arlington Heights, it looks like Iowa to me.
Let's put some statistics to these things, and let's talk urban areas :
1)NYC-Newark - 18.3 million
2)LA-LB-Anaheim 12.2 million
3)Chicago 8.6 million
4)Miami 5.5 million
If I want a truly urban area I would never pick Chicago, I would go straight to NYC.
Yes it is and there isn't a city in the US close to NYC as far as urbanity. But Chicago is in that next tier with Boston, SF, and Philly. Miami is not nearly as urban as the two especially once you leave the city. Miami metro (including the city) is dense but it's mostly still suburban. Nearly all of the 227 sq miles city of Chicago is a walkable urban city.
Yes it is and there isn't a city in the US close to NYC as far as urbanity. But Chicago is in that next tier with Boston, SF, and Philly. Miami is not nearly as urban as the two especially once you leave the city. Miami metro (including the city) is dense but it's mostly still suburban. Nearly all of the 227 sq miles city of Chicago is a walkable urban city.
Actually, it's the opposite Miami holds it's urbanity far better than Chicago once you leave the city. As I gave an example of suburb Arlington Heights, you really won't find such suburbia in Miami.
What do you mean by walkability? To me it means amenities packed into a small area. I really don't see any Chicago neighborhood outshining Miami Beach, especially South Beach. I think overall, the Miami urban area is more walkable than the Chicago one, as those density figures indicate.
Actually, it's the opposite Miami holds it's urbanity far better than Chicago once you leave the city. As I gave an example of suburb Arlington Heights, you really won't find such suburbia in Miami.
What do you mean by walkability? To me it means amenities packed into a small area. I really don't see any Chicago neighborhood outshining Miami Beach, especially South Beach. I think overall, the Miami urban area is more walkable than the Chicago one, as those density figures indicate.
And you won't find multiple dense urban suburbs like Oak Park, Cicero,and an Evanston in Miami either. The closest is maybe Hialeah but that's still pretty much suburban and Arlington Heights is basically 15 miles away from the city of Chicago. Comparing South Florida which is basically hemmed up by an ocean to the east and a swamp to the west, you really have no choice to build up the area and unless you drain the swamp, you will always have a smaller land area than most metros. Miami metro is even smaller than NYC. That's why Miami's density is not far off from NYC in Urban Area population. South Florida has more barriers to stop development than Chicagoland does. But when you compare the actual cities, Chicago destroys Miami. Public transit is better, more urban neighborhoods, more walkable neighborhoods.
Density does not equal urban. You put entirely too much stock into density. Las Vegas metro is denser than Chicago metro, does that mean Las Vegas is more urban than Chicago? Miami is dense but it's still suburban in nature. You still need a car to get around most of the city of Miami and especially metro Miami. The same is not so for Chicago. There is nothing like the entire Miami metro area. There is nothing like downtown Chicago period in the entire Miami metro area.
Actually, it's the opposite Miami holds it's urbanity far better than Chicago once you leave the city. As I gave an example of suburb Arlington Heights, you really won't find such suburbia in Miami.
What do you mean by walkability? To me it means amenities packed into a small area. I really don't see any Chicago neighborhood outshining Miami Beach, especially South Beach. I think overall, the Miami urban area is more walkable than the Chicago one, as those density figures indicate.
This is sheer insanity. The entire North side of Chicago is way denser and more urban than South Beach. I can think of a dozen Chicago neighborhoods that are significantly more densely populated than South Beach: River North, Streeterville, Old Town, Lincoln Park, Roscoe Village, Lakeview, Uptown, east Rogers Park, Irving Park, Bucktown, Gold Coast, Ukrainian Village …
According to the 2010 census, Miami beach has a population density of around 11,000 people per square mile. It is the densest neighborhood in the Miami MSA. The densest neighborhoods in Chicago and there are many of them are over 30 000 people per square mile. The most urban parts of Chicago are over 3 X as densely populated as the most densely populated part of Miami.
Hilarious, losing the international recognition/renown battle, certain Miami boosters/homers are trying to make this into a diversity/density battle. Not a smart strategy, while Miami has a unique demographic mix, Chicago is indisputably more diverse than Miami in terms of languages and ethnicities represented and it is much more urban and much more densely populated over a much larger area than Miami and Miami Beach.
Miami Beach - its densest neighborhood is a little more densely populated than a Chicago suburb like Evanston and NO WAY can go toe to toe with the most urban parts of the city itself.
Actually, it's the opposite Miami holds it's urbanity far better than Chicago once you leave the city. As I gave an example of suburb Arlington Heights, you really won't find such suburbia in Miami.
What do you mean by walkability? To me it means amenities packed into a small area. I really don't see any Chicago neighborhood outshining Miami Beach, especially South Beach. I think overall, the Miami urban area is more walkable than the Chicago one, as those density figures indicate.
Chicago loses its urbanity once you leave the city. Not so with Miami, which loses its urbanity before you even leave downtown.
According to the 2010 census, Miami beach has a population density of around 11,000 people per square mile. It is the densest neighborhood in the Miami MSA.
Miami Beach is an island, so the census includes a lot of water. There is no Chicago equivalent of Miami Beach in terms of shopping, restaurants, and nightlife. Name me a big brand name department store (macy, nordstorms, forever 21) and I can walk there inside 5 minutes.
Not to mention other things.
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Hilarious, losing the international recognition/renown battle
When did we lose? We won. A CD poll doesn't determine who is more internationally renown but tourist visits give a strong indication.
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