Why would people choose Chicago over other major cities? (Manhattan: crime rate, homes)

[Drover]

Originally Posted by swingset

Agreed on the above. Also, Chicago is much cleaner and safer than NYC.

You lost most rational people at "safer."

[Aleking]

I love the dude with the hardcore anti-salt water stance.

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by Aleking

I love the dude with the hardcore anti-salt water stance.

Pretty funny. Also stating subjective stuff like "Midwesterners are by far the most attractive people in the US." (I do not agree, but to each their own).

The easiest, *objective* things to say would be about standard of living, cost, overall congestion, attractions, etc.

[Davis Street]

Parks in NYC are significantly better and more plentiful in NYC than in Chicago. I can't believe this is even a topic for discussion.

Compare, say Prospect Park/Riverside Park/Central to Lincoln Park. No comparison whatsoever. Then compare all the neighborhood parks. Then compare the various squares (Union Square, Madison Square, Gramercy, Stuyvesant, Tompkins, Washington, etc.)

There's a huge difference in both quality and quantity. Lincoln Park, probably Chicago's best park, is pretty shabby in comparison. A highway runs through the damn park.

[Davis Street]

Also, LOL at some of the comments.

Chicago is better because of the famously attractive Midwest people and lack of salt water. Huh?

Granted, there are arguments one can make in favor of any city, but I never heard of the Midwest as some epicenter of hotness, and of oceans as some horrible pox upon our existence.

[MassVt]

Originally Posted by Davis Street

Parks in NYC are significantly better and more plentiful in NYC than in Chicago. I can't believe this is even a topic for discussion.

Compare, say Prospect Park/Riverside Park/Central to Lincoln Park. No comparison whatsoever. Then compare all the neighborhood parks. Then compare the various squares (Union Square, Madison Square, Gramercy, Stuyvesant, Tompkins, Washington, etc.)

There's a huge difference in both quality and quantity. Lincoln Park, probably Chicago's best park, is pretty shabby in comparison. A highway runs through the damn park.

There's nothing bucolic about Central Park. It can be just as crowded as 5th Avenue.

When it comes to parks and nature, I'm not taking the opinion of New York City residents all that seriously.

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by Davis Street

Also, LOL at some of the comments.

Chicago is better because of the famously attractive Midwest people and lack of salt water. Huh?

Granted, there are arguments one can make in favor of any city, but I never heard of the Midwest as some epicenter of hotness, and of oceans as some horrible pox upon our existence.

I agree with you, but each person has their own opinion of beauty. I do not find the average Midwesterner attractive, but that's just me. Other people might, other people might not.

Not really something you can actually debate because most of that is not scientific after a certain point (yes, you can argue for symmetry but there are many more deciding factors of perception of beauty from one person to the next).

[A2DAC1985]

Originally Posted by Davis Street

Parks in NYC are significantly better and more plentiful in NYC than in Chicago. I can't believe this is even a topic for discussion...

Fair enough.

But in Chicago they don't count the 10' wide strip of grass separating the sidewalk from the street as a "park" either.

If they did, I would think Chicago would have a bigger percentage of it's land classified as a "park". Maybe the same holds true for New York... but it seems unlikely, at least from my opinion and my limited knowledge of the area.

You can't be a "concrete jungle" and have grass and trees everywhere can you?

[Chi-town Native]

Originally Posted by Tex?Il?

to that in bolded.

I can understand everything else, but "godawful ocean", that some strong sentiments.

I think a freshwater great lake is way superior to the atlantic, just purely in terms of beach enjoyment. We had a 4 or 5 year run of staying on the ocean in north carolina, and the water can just be nasty, not to mention full of freaky creatures that will bite or sting you.

[MassVt]

Originally Posted by A2DAC1985

Fair enough.

But in Chicago they don't count the 10' wide strip of grass separating the sidewalk from the street as a "park" either.

If they did, I would think Chicago would have a bigger percentage of it's land classified as a "park". Maybe the same holds true for New York... but it seems unlikely, at least from my opinion and my limited knowledge of the area.

You can't be a "concrete jungle" and have grass and trees everywhere can you?

The 10" strip near the sidewalk? New Yorkers would call that "The Ponderosa"...