Is Chicago FLAT out incredible? (Pittsburg: neighborhood, to live in, moving)

[edsg25]

I was reading some of the positive comments that came from out-of-town press about our city during the NATO summit.

While the observations were varied, there seem to have been some common threads: clean, walkable, organized, nicely scaled, etc.

it got me thinking. those factors could exist on their own, but how many of them are actually enhanced by the city's flatness?

this is going to be a real perspective shaker, a totally unexpected paradigm, an assault on conventional wisdom, but I think it is real:

Chicago is a beautiful celebration of flatness.

And for many, CW says not to value flatness. but it's wrong

San Francisco is the poster child for hills, the place that does them with an art form that none can compare.

But Chicago is the poster child for flatness. And flatness has its own rewards.

In Chicago, the very flatness works in the progression of lake, beach, park and soaring skyline behind. It is the city's flat surface that highlights the skyline, makes it the focal point, allows it to be viewed over an enormous landscape in city and suburb alike.

It's flatness that offers the ideal survive for any building project. It is flatness that contributes to the walkability of the city and the way that one neighborhood seamlessly flows into another.

I love hills, but I prefer Chicago's flatness to other relatively flat cities where there is a slight roll to the land. It is so unifying, so drawing together, so inviting to walk or bike. It so drives one on: keep walking, keep biking.

Like river and lake, I just can't imagine Chicago without it.

[ToriaT]

I think you are on to something and I am glad you made these observations. I do like rolling countryside outside of a city but I really do not like hilly cities other than to look at and vacation in. I would not want to live in one. San Fran is pretty but when you try to negotiate all the hills and try to do stuff it quickly can wear you down. Similarly in LA the hills are pretty but many of the highways are in built in the bottoms valley like areas and funnel the smog there and create traffic congestion. I actually love how chicago is laid out.

[soulful]

Flatness totally rocks.

[ForYourLungsOnly]

i thought the flat landscape would be something i would have to get used to after moving here...but I actually like it. It has it's own charm. I drove to Indy from Chicago to visit family and driving in the flat country and being able to see woods miles away is almost creepy in a way and really cool, especially at dusk and in the fall. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy hills as much as the next person, but there are positives to both

[Alacran]

Flat cities - cool
Flat country side - bland

[Drover]

When I moved to Pittsburgh it took me 2 weeks to get acclimated to just walking around town. I find Pittsburgh's layout much more interesting and it's neat to see how the built environment is affected by the terrain. But man is it a pain in the ass figuring out how to get anywhere, especially since I was there before GPS was ubiquitous. I lived there for 7 months before I knew which direction my front door faced, and I had to look on a map to figure it out. There were streets I used almost daily the entire time I lived there that I still didn't know the names of because you generally navigate by landmark rather than by street name.

[MassVt]

Originally Posted by Drover

When I moved to Pittsburgh it took me 2 weeks to get acclimated to just walking around town. I find Pittsburgh's layout much more interesting and it's neat to see how the built environment is affected by the terrain. But man is it a pain in the ass figuring out how to get anywhere, especially since I was there before GPS was ubiquitous. I lived there for 7 months before I knew which direction my front door faced, and I had to look on a map to figure it out. There were streets I used almost daily the entire time I lived there that I still didn't know the names of because you generally navigate by landmark rather than by street name.

Absolutely. Boston's the same way--you learn subway stops and squares rather than street names. Landmarks are important, too.

There are times when a flat surface comes in handy. Driving around SF with a standard shift transmission is a sure way to burn out a clutch in a few weeks, not to mention having a few nervous moments holding your position on a steep hill..

[Vlajos]

Originally Posted by MassVt

Absolutely. Boston's the same way--you learn subway stops and squares rather than street names. Landmarks are important, too.

There are times when a flat surface comes in handy. Driving around SF with a standard shift transmission is out sure way to burn out a clutch in a few weeks, not to mention having a few nervous moments holding your position on a steep hill..

I recently drove an Alfa (manuel of course) that had a technology that stopped the car from rolling backwards on hills. Piedmont is quite hilly so it was awesome!

[oakparkdude]

Originally Posted by MassVt

Absolutely. Boston's the same way--you learn subway stops and squares rather than street names. Landmarks are important, too.

There are times when a flat surface comes in handy. Driving around SF with a standard shift transmission is a sure way to burn out a clutch in a few weeks, not to mention having a few nervous moments holding your position on a steep hill..

Maybe I'm a bit psycho, but I loved driving stick shift in San Francisco. Just like I really miss the driving experience in Boston (This book became my bible.) It gets the adrenaline going and really separates the boys from the men!

[LakeShoreSoxGo]

Driving in Boston is not for the faint of heart.