Chicago and East (and West) Coasters

[liberalpragmatist]

I've spent most of 21 years growing up in the Midwest (plus a few years in Connecticut). Though I won't claim that Milwaukee and Indianapolis (for all their merits) are quite world-class cities, I've always found that while Chicago has its Midwestern attributes, it really is a cosmopolitan, world-class city.

It always amuses me how so many people I know from the East Coast (and, to a lesser extent, from the West Coast) who have never been to Chicago assume it to be a drab and uncultured "Midwestern" town. I just had a long conversation with one of my roommates - a New Yorker - who insists that while, yes, Chicago isn't quite Kansas City, it's downtown area is "small" and it doesn't have "distinctive neighborhoods" or that much ethnic diversity.

Anybody else have similar experiences?

[QueenOfCalifornia]

1. Not me

Chi-town is hip and has lots going on... it's the weather that keeps me from ever wanting to live there.... (Me, I live in San Diego)

[XemaSab]

2. Wierd.

I (think) Chicago is the third largest city in the US, and as such I would assume that it has world-class culture and is a global city.

Redding, OTOH.... :P

[SeattleGirl]

3. Chicago? A drab and uncultured Midwestern town?

I've never been there, but I can promise you, that's NOT the idea I have of Chicago.

[Inchworm]

4. I feel I know you!!

Ever drank beer with a hillbilly at the train station?

hehe

:hi:

[fizzgig]

5. i need to get to chicago

i've never thought of it as drab and uncultured. it looks awesome to me

[Tafiti]

6. New Yorkers.

I know several - they tend to get high and mighty about their city. Nothing else holds a candle.

I love Chicago, and I can't say I've ever met anyone who didn't like it. Doesn't have a midwestern feel at all to me, and I've lived pretty much my whole life in the midwest.

Indy, now that feels like a midwestern city. I was shocked when I found it's the 12th largest city in the country. It just doesn't feel very big at all.

I like Milwaukee better than Indy, seems to have more character.

But Chicago is the cat's pajamas of midwestern cities.

[liberalpragmatist]

7. Indy's a nice enough place

But it is fairly dull. And it has completely lost whatever ethnic character it may have once had. (At one point, it was, along with Milwaukee and St. Louis a huge center of German-American culture; like those two it was practically a bilingual town.)

Nice things about Indy are that the downtown is actually quite nice; many revitalized, historic neighborhoods. It's safe. People are friendly. But, yes, very dull.

Also, it's the 12th largest city in the country b/c there was - for all practical purposes - a city/county merger in the '60s or '70s, where Indianapolis city absorbed nearly all of the surrounding (and largely suburban) Marion County. So while the Indy metro area only has about 1.5 million people, over 700,000 of those are within the "city".

But I agree that Milwaukee and St. Louis retain more character. Indy's more like Cincinnati or Columbus.

[Tafiti]

8. Hmm.

I just moved to Oregon after living in IN for the past 15 years, so I know Indy quite well. I didn't really know much about its history though.

Don't get me wrong, I like Indy, mainly for the positive attributes you already listed. It's just not sexy.

I've been to the Lou a few times, I liked it as well.

[SteelPenguin]

19. Yeah Indy is the 33rd in size for metro area

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_metropolitan_areas

A respectable size, but nowhere near 12th largest.

[lligrd]

9. Speaking From The West Coast

I just thought Chicago equals cold. It is one of the few places in the US that I have not been to (except to change planes - and O'Hare is not the greatest attribute Chicago has I take it). Will have to make a trip someday.

[AggieGal]

10. Chicago is Awesome

I recently spent about 2 weeks there and loved it. The train/bus system is great. Wish we had that level of service here in Dallas. We stayed in a Polish neighborhood and liked to walk around and check out the stores. It was nice to be in a place that was not overtaken by national chains. The city was fun and easy to get around to see the sites.

[Lyric]

11. Speaking as someone with very little experience

when it comes to big cities, when I think of Chicago I think:

Cold
Hot Dogs
Pizza
Baseball
Oprah

:hi:

[XNASA]

12. It's already been noted in this thread that Chicago....

Is only well known for it's cold weather, hot dogs and Oprah.

I suppose that nothing more needs to be said. If that our rep, then it's OK with with me. Hopefully, it will shoo the riff-raff away.

[terrya]

15. Yeah...who goes to those museums....

and theaters anyway? That Art Institute, for instance...just a big building with some paintings in it. Nah, we wouldn't want to be known for things like THAT.

[XNASA]

20. It's not like there's any good theater here either....

Or restaurants for that matter.

It makes me so sad to have to live here. :-(

;-)

[Missy Vixen]

13. We live just outside of Seattle

I went to Chicago two years ago for a conference and fell in love with the place. I'm going again in April, and I'm ALREADY looking forward to it! I tried to talk Mr. JulieRB into moving there with NO luck.

I LOVE Chicago!

Julie

[Phillycat]

14. Never been there, from Philly, but I don't think that about it.

I assume it's a very cool city, from what I know of it. The only reason I haven't gone is because I hate REALLY cold and windy weather! :)

[BlooInBloo]

16. Chicago RULES! If it had a mountain, I'd live there in a heartbeat....

... It's obviously not as cool as the city, and it's a close call between chitown and SF, but other than that, chicago would be my first choice. If it had a mountain. I gots ta snowboard.

EDIT: Lincoln park bars, seminary bookstore, Lakeshore Drive (where people truly know how to dirve) - hell, even bombed-out 48th is kinda cool, Buddy Guy's (even if it's way too touristy nowadays)....

[northzax]

17. ahh, nothing like a flyover stater who feels disparaged

they're so cute with the "but we're a world class city, too!" methinks the Lady doth protest too much.

[Silver Swan]

18. First they have to find Chicago

As a native mid-westerner and a suburban Chicagoan, I really haven't had much opportunity to talk to east or west coast dwellers about Chicago.

Except once, back in 1974, I was visiting Seattle and a talkative young woman asked where I was from. When I replied, "Chicago," she turned up her nose and said, "Chicago has no water."

From this, and similar stories I've heard from others, I am led to believe that many folks on the continental edges have no real idea where Chicago is located!