Detroit is a better tourist destination than Chicago (to buy, Irish)

[ChiNaan]

Originally Posted by Irishtom29

Maybe they're Moravians out there. I've seen various types of kolackis around here but never like he ones I had in Texas. Like you said, maybe it's regional. Maybe a Bohemian or Pole here can pipe in.

I've never even seen the Czech ones spelled the Polish way, like you're spelling it. Always kolaches.

I have Bohemian ancestry, and my ancestors never referred to themselves as Czech. As I understand it, the immigrants who called themselves Bohemians in the U.S. were from Western Bohemia and of German descent, or at least German-speaking. Often they spoke both German and Czech. I would imagine this is why the Chicago neighborhood is called Pilsen (in Western Bohemia) and not, say, Prague, which is what the immigrants who called themselves Czech named several settlements in the U.S. The people who called themselves Czech were often also from Bohemia, they just identified more with Czech as a whole and related more with that culture and language than the people who called themselves Bohemian. It's complicated, but that's my perhaps oversimplified understanding. Anyone even remotely associated with Germany was run out of Bohemia along with the Nazis at the end of WWII, by the way, so I would imagine the distant relatives of U.S. "Bohemians" are now mostly in Germany.

So maybe it was that difference. Or maybe it was the Polish influence in Chicago (which there wouldn't have been much of in Texas).

Originally Posted by Irishtom29

The Germans around Fredericksburg and New Brunfels Texas have an interesting history, it's said they even got along with the Comanches, if true they were the ONLY people other than the Kiowas who could make that boast. I had good German chow in Fredericksburg and noticed that the German settled areas of the Hill Country hadn't gone to ecological Hell like the Anglo areas.

That whole history of German settlement in Northern Mexico (much of which is now Texas) is interesting to me. Germans were considered to be the best farmers at the time, which Mexico needed, so they recruited German immigrants by giving free land to people as long as they farmed it. That immigration pattern is the reason a lot of Mexican music has accordion and sounds like polka. I've been to New Braunfels and Gruene a few times. That's enough history nerdery for me today.

But anyway, yeah, I can't believe that guy said Detroit is a better tourist destination than Chicago. Screw that guy.

[Tex?Il?]

Originally Posted by ChiNaan

Could have fooled me.



Yep, I think it's all of that and more. I don't know if the numbers support this (though I would guess they do), but in terms of overall "feel" of influence, Houston and Dallas seem to be much more about the suburbs than Chicago and Austin. I'm well aware of Houston's inner loop, and I like it, but it seems like such a tiny portion of the city, almost like a little fortress surrounded by endless sprawl. Austin's downtown, by comparison, dominates the culture of the city. (Not as much as it used to, but still far more than Houston.) Everyone I've known who has lived "in Dallas" (which is a large percentage of people I knew in high school and college) and all but one who has lived "in Houston" has really lived in a suburb, and is conservative, religious, in a traditional marriage/family with children, a big cookie cutter house, and SUVs. There's nothing wrong with that if that's your thing, but it doesn't exactly make for much of a tourist destination, IMO, and there is good reason they're not known as such.

Fair enough, but you could understand why a particular city that doesn't get as much attention and affection could also generate a reaction of pleasant surprise to learn of amenities, neighborhoods, etc that get talked about little because said city doesn't get as much attention? Maybe downtown Austin may very well be a better city experience than Houston because of what you described, but if one were to learn about the cool places in the inner loop, that simple fact that it gets overlooked can generate a strong interest.

I think thats the point of the whole list. Its not to say that this of that city is a better experience, but rather, as I take it, here are some cities that you might be surprised as to how fun and cool they are. Whereas the "overrated" cities are ones that you kind already know about, and there is less of surprise factor. Even going back to Detroit. Detroit gets so much bad attention of all its very real problems, but when you experience the fun things to do, museums, sports, nightlife, or whatever, it can seem like a great experience, because you only heard bad things.

Its more of the discovery of those amenities and fun things that get overlooked add a certain amount of fascination, rather than the experience of the amenity itself. I think its a natural trait to want to "discover" something that others don't know about.

[ChiNaan]

Originally Posted by Tex?Il?

Fair enough, but you could understand why a particular city that doesn't get as much attention and affection could also generate a reaction of pleasant surprise to learn of amenities, neighborhoods, etc that get talked about little because said city doesn't get as much attention?

Sure, but there's a difference between saying, "Houston actually has some cool things if you know where to look and is worth checking out, you might be surprised" and "Houston is a better place to visit than Austin." Same with Chicago and Detroit, or most of the other things on the list. He's clearly intentionally sacrificing accuracy for sensationalism, which is obnoxious. Mission accomplished on his part, though.

[knitgirl]

Originally Posted by ChiNaan

So maybe it was that difference. Or maybe it was the Polish influence in Chicago (which there wouldn't have been much of in Texas).

I'm 100% Polish. Nobody has done genealogical research of either side of my family, but I do know that I had a great grandmother who came to Chicago from Texas. This would have been sometime post Civil War, but probably pre-1900. I've always wondered how she got to Texas.

[ChiNaan]

Originally Posted by knitgirl

I'm 100% Polish. Nobody has done genealogical research of either side of my family, but I do know that I had a great grandmother who came to Chicago from Texas. This would have been sometime post Civil War, but probably pre-1900. I've always wondered how she got to Texas.

Polish Texans | Texas Almanac

[knitgirl]

Originally Posted by ChiNaan

Polish Texans | Texas Almanac

Thank you!!

[MassVt]

Originally Posted by Irishtom29

Maybe they're Moravians out there. I've seen various types of kolackis around here but never like he ones I had in Texas. Like you said, maybe it's regional. Maybe a Bohemian or Pole here can pipe in.

The Germans around Fredericksburg and New Brunfels Texas have an interesting history, it's said they even got along with the Comanches, if true they were the ONLY people other than the Kiowas who could make that boast. I had good German chow in Fredericksburg and noticed that the German settled areas of the Hill Country hadn't gone to ecological Hell like the Anglo areas.

The Germans weren't slaveholders and during the War of the Rebellion many were Unionists and were given a very hard time by the Anglos; massacres and lynchings and such, a shameful part of Texas history (which is shameful enough anyway).

Very true--although most German immigrants settled in the Midwest, some settled in central Texas, and remained loyal to the Union, and opposed slavery, and were persecuted for it by Anglo Texans..

And yes, I can't imagine Detroit being a better tourist town than Chicago, but I've never spent any significant time there...

[LakeShoreSoxGo]

Detroit is garbage.

[dude1984]

Originally Posted by Chicagoist123

Looks like someone is trying to get publicity with some of these:

David Landsel: 10 Terribly Overrated Destinations (And Where To Travel Instead)

Detroit over Chicago to visit?! Not knocking Detroit but seriously. He makes some valid points but t the same time is way off on a lot of stuff.

Anyway, loses all credibility when he says Buenos Aires is overrated and instead go to underrated Rio de Janeiro. BA if anything is vastly underrated.

Worst list I have seen in a long time.

Detroit over Chicago is LOL...it is like saying go to Newark instead of Manhattan...

As far as BA goes, it is an amazing city and Argentina is an amazing country. I visited in January and I am looking forward to going back some time in the future. I cannot compare it to Rio, but based on what I have read about both cities, Rio has a few "good" blocks and the rest is ghetto.

[Chicagoist123]

Originally Posted by dude1984

Detroit over Chicago is LOL...it is like saying go to Newark instead of Manhattan...

As far as BA goes, it is an amazing city and Argentina is an amazing country. I visited in January and I am looking forward to going back some time in the future. I cannot compare it to Rio, but based on what I have read about both cities, Rio has a few "good" blocks and the rest is ghetto.

I studied abroad in BA loved it. What gets me is that he says BA is overrated. Overrated? Buenos Aires? You never hear anything about it here in the states!