Is Chicago FLAT out incredible? (Crystal Lake, Algonquin: home, living, rich)

[Tex?Il?]

Originally Posted by edsg25

i'm not really sure what the "it is not easily accessible at any time, and "not theirs." means. I would agree that both Wisconsin and (particularly) Michigan have some of their hilliest areas well removed from Chicagoland.

That said, there are still some close in areas of both states that offer a nice change of elevation. Lake Geneva comes to mind and that is definitely "our", but in distance and the fact that the lake's location is virtually Chicagoland.

in Michigan, there are bluff areas along the lake in Harbor Country that definitely give a nice sense of elevation.

Even in Illinois, we in Chicago have pretty easy access to Starved Rock and, if one truly likes very hilly and picturesque, Galena is not all that far away.

No, we're not California or the northeast when it comes to mountains, but the Midwest has far more of change of elevation than alot of people outside the region realize and Chicago is not all that far away from those a number of those places.

I definitely agree about those places. All three you mentioned: Lake Geneva, Harbor Country, and and Starved Rock are in counties that are just one county away of those counties that are included in the metropolitan statistics. However anywhere beyond that does involve a certain amount of planning. But I was just supporting what you were saying, in that you have areas like that that are more firmly in the Chicagoland area (the Dunes, Palos, western Lake County, etc.)

For the record, although the Northeast may have more hills and mountains, I still think they are closer to what the midwest offers in terms of topography, etc. than California. Most of what can be offered in terms of outdoors and scenery in the northeast can be found in western and northern Wisconsin and adjacent areas of the UP, etc. (as well as the Ozarks, etc.) Its just in the midwest, if covers a lot smaller percent landscape.

[knitgirl]

I was out in Barrington and north of there yesterday driving around (and getting lost) and it's beautiful - hilly and green with winding roads. I love that area. Those of you who never get out of the city would be surprised.

[LakeShoreSoxGo]

What kind of person moves to Chicago for the nature?

[Irishtom29]

Originally Posted by LakeShoreSoxGo

What kind of person moves to Chicago for the nature?

I don't know about Chicago but plenty of farmers moved to Illinois for it, many of them from New England and upstate New York, pretty places where farmers had more luck growing rocks than crops. My grandfather farmed in Will County for awhile after he came over from the Old Country and said he could raise more on 10 acres in Will County than in the whole of County Mayo.

[Swandaddy]

There's just this obscene OMGWTF LOL to Chicago's flatness. Feelings range from OMG I hate how flat it is here to its so flat it's actually funny to usually being in the concrete jungle and right next to the lake so you don't even notice it. The flatness is obscene, but Chicago takes it and says, "This is flatness done right!"

[Drover]

Originally Posted by Irishtom29

I don't know about Chicago but plenty of farmers moved to Illinois for it, many of them from New England and upstate New York, pretty places where farmers had more luck growing rocks than crops. My grandfather farmed in Will County for awhile after he came over from the Old Country and said he could raise more on 10 acres in Will County than in the whole of County Mayo.

They didn't move here for the nature, they plowed nature under and put their crops in its place.

[Irishtom29]

Originally Posted by Drover

They didn't move here for the nature, they plowed nature under and put their crops in its place.

The soil and water that was the attraction is part of nature. And what people did with it is part of nature too. Birds build nests, beavers make dams, people plow and plant.

[Drover]

I see, so this is one of those moments where you're going to pretend not to understand common language usage.

Count me out.

[Tex?Il?]

Originally Posted by knitgirl

I was out in Barrington and north of there yesterday driving around (and getting lost) and it's beautiful - hilly and green with winding roads. I love that area. Those of you who never get out of the city would be surprised.

Agreed

One thing about a highly centralized city in a state with onlly one MAJOR city is that its very easy for people not to know the beauty right in their backyard. The drives down Algonquin Rd, Dundee Rd, etc. are gorgeous through Barrington Hills.

[raleightransplant]

Originally Posted by knitgirl

I was out in Barrington and north of there yesterday driving around (and getting lost) and it's beautiful - hilly and green with winding roads. I love that area. Those of you who never get out of the city would be surprised.

Sounds nice. I'm going to make a point to check it out sometime.