Chgo/Milw: is it something? (Chicago, Rockford: neighborhoods, gated, gangs)

[edsg25]

Is Chicago/Milwaukee a "thing". Does it exist? Let me explain..

obviously SF/Oak/SJ, D/FW, Mpls/StP are metro areas. Many people tend to see Baltimore/Washington as one metro (or region).

Chicago and Milwaukee are as close as two major cities can be while not forming one metro area. Only Baltimore and Washington and Baltimore and Philadelphia are closer. I believe that the distance from Chgo to Milw, some 90 miles, is about the same as NYC to Phila. and LA to SD. Nothing else comes close.

So have we formed some sort of general region on the southwestern shores of Lake Michigan. Is Milwaukee just close by, or are Chicago and Milwaukee truly joined on some levels?

[flamadiddle]

IMO, not really joined, but I believe most Chicagoan's think of Milwaukee as their little brother up North. A friendly relationship, but not really business related. They're also in two separate states, giving them less potential of becoming a "thing".

[NealIRC]

In terms of the gangs, I think so. Most of the gangs here have a region there.

The founder of the Spanish Cobras, his younger brother founded the gang there.

Also, Chicago and Milwaukee were both listed as the top 3 most segregated cities in America earlier this year. So that means they got their share of Hispanic and Black neighborhoods too.

We have a gang called Milwaukee Kings, but have nothing to do with the city.

[Maintainschaos]

It sort of is and sort of isn't. Clearly the two don't meet the commuting threshold for CSA status, but their MSAs abut one another. However, driving between the two, there's clearly a bit of gap in development, mostly south of Mke to the IL border. Places like Pleasant Prairie are growing at a decent clip, though, so that gap may continue to fill in over time. The two are linked very easily via expressways and train service, and culturally there's not a huge difference. But then, there's not a huge cultural difference between most of the Great Lakes cities.

[IrishIllini]

There's not a ton of overlap yet, but I could see that changing in the future. It's something like 80 miles from downtown Chicago to downtown Milwaukee. There isn't a ton of undeveloped land between the southern most suburbs of Milwaukee and the northern most suburbs of Chicago. I don't think it'll be as cohesive as Washington-Baltimore in my lifetime (maybe ever?), but I definitely do see it trending that way...especially if HSR ever gets off the ground.

[MassVt]

I don't think it approaches the proximity of NYC's southern suburbs and Philly's northern suburbs, although NYC and Newark are pretty much indistinguishable. There are still some open spaces between Chicago and Milwaukee, I believe..

I've heard similar stories about the NW suburbs of Chicago stretching towards Rockford, too..

[jwaiter]

It ain't no thing.

[ToriaT]

No I don't think its a thing. There obviously a certain segment of the population in both places that do business and personal stuff with both cities but for most people here, Milwaukee is a separate city and not really connected or influential.

[blacknwhiterose]

Outside of the people who commute/socialize/do business between Lake Co and Kenosha/Racine/Lake Geneva, it's not a super close connection. Most people in Milwaukee tend to stay in Milwaukee. Likewise for Chicago.

That said, Chicago and Milwaukee are very similar. Culturally, demographically, topographically, history, economy, and architecture... Chicago and Milwaukee mirror one another and are very similar, with Milwaukee being smaller, more regional, than the larger, more global Chicago.

[MassVt]

The ethnic groups who settled both cities are fairly similar, both cities have a physical resemblance ( bungalow neighborhoods), and both have an industrial past. Milwaukee is just a scaled-down version of Chicago..