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The OP only asked about which the best looking downtown so we are not 100% sure what he wanted. And with less than 50 posts since 2008, it is not likely he will be coming back to tell us.
Having said that, I would guess he is talking skylines because he picked New York and Chicago to compare and skylines are a common topic.
Skylines are a common topic, but I'm not sure why people would focus on it when "best looking downtown" is mentioned. I would have assumed people were referring to street level. If you're in the downtown you can't really see the skyline.
Chicago will be bigger,,,,it's WAY CHEAPER to build tall there, and it is NOT an island
Deal with it...there is only so much development Manhattan can handle.
Chicago is a MUCH larger (and WAY CHEAPER) canvas.
Pure and simple economics.
The question is which is better NOW... Not which "WILL BE" better...
Sure Manhattan is on an Island. Do you HONESTLY think Chicago will ever catch NYC just because Manhattan is an Island?
NO CHANCE buddy... Will never happen. NYC and the rest of financial America will never allow NYC to not be the biggest. If need be, the ENTIRE Island of Manhattan (Harlem included) will become ALL Empire State height skyscrapers before they allow Chicago to be "Bigger"
Chicago will for sure be "taller" cause Chicago places it's claim to fame on that. It will always fight to stay taller, but more skyscrapers/aka bigger or better downtown will never be accomplished.
Yes, excuse us for the protected marshland that NJ cannot build on or in unless we want to completely destroy what's left of the ecosystem. Jersey City has an extremely impressive skyline, and Newark's isn't so bad, either. Brooklyn has a really great skyline, too. Manhattan, the core skyline in the area, is surrounded by other impressive skylines. The whole area is built up, minus marshland, parkland, stuff like that. In general, though, the NYC/northeastern NJ area is extremely dense, developed, expansive, and has multiple skylines. NYC's downtown and midtown obviously being the strongest and dominating.
I'm not denying that NYC is larger and denser but it's not the only city with a skyline outside it's downtown. Evanston has it's own skyline which is north of the city in Chicago. I'm only making this correction. The aerial photo someone posted showing Manhattan and the rest of the area doesn't show areas close up that have pocket areas of less development in between which is why I posted the wild life refuge area photo. You can even Google these less developed areas around NYC. NYC isn't necessarily concrete jungle like Tokyo, Sao Paulo, Paris or Seoul spreading as far as the eye can see consistently beyond Jersey City either. Now just because the dense development in those cities spread further beyond Manhattan does it make them better? The same argument could also be made about Chicago. I do have photos that show suburban like areas even inside NYC. Chicago is just as guilty. When it comes to which one is better it's all subjective anyway. There are reasons why some pick one city over the other. Personally, I like both just as equal (minus the Bloom Nanny Daddy of course)
You can even Google these less developed areas around NYC. NYC isn't necessarily concrete jungle like Tokyo, Sao Paulo, Paris or Seoul spreading as far as the eye can see consistently beyond Jersey City either.
Maybe the other three, but New York City's concrete jungle stretches further than Paris if only because its urban area has more people. True, going west from Manhattan into New Jersey its far less developed, which is partly from political boundaries reasons and partly because the marshlands west from New Jersey aren't good to build on. But the total extent of concrete jungle like areas is large, larger than Paris.
You say we are small town closed minded people?! Haha, pot meet kettle. You just proved that you are exactly what you are hating on.
The simple fact that you are so close minded to think the only way a city can be is the NYC way is extremely close minded. Cities are different, and just because Chicago is slower paced does not make it a crappy, bland city. If every city needed to live up to the pace of NYC, well this world would be a sad place. NYC is not my cup of tea, but I respect that city, it's exciting and beautiful, but I still prefer Chicago. I just have more tact where I don't have to put it down to make my point.
After traveling to various regions around the country you will have some people in those areas who are close minded about other cultures and cities outside their region (ie the Northeast, South etc). He seems to have problem that there is another large city outside the Northeast that can hold it's own and makes a generalization about an entire region. If I weren't open minded I wouldn't be traveling and living in parts of the world. I wouldn't care to visit the Northeast. He probably thinks that the evolving world experience only happens in the Northeast which I find incredibly ignorant.
Chicago will be bigger,,,,it's WAY CHEAPER to build tall there, and it is NOT an island
Deal with it...there is only so much development Manhattan can handle.
Chicago is a MUCH larger (and WAY CHEAPER) canvas.
Pure and simple economics.
You are making absolutely no sense. Where did you learn these voodoo economics? So a place where the land is cheaper and more plentiful should be expected to grow a bigger skyline than one where space is more limited and expensive? Does that mean that Detroit and Rockford are on the way to having bigger skylines than Chicago?
And if you think that Manhattan simply doesn't have any more space for additional skyscrapers you are wrong. Not only are there still areas available for development (eg Hudson Yards) but there is a ton of lowrise, unprotected construction all over the island that could be torn down and redeveloped. Manhattan could easily double its skyline if the demand and economics justified it.
Maybe the other three, but New York City's concrete jungle stretches further than Paris if only because its urban area has more people. True, going west from Manhattan into New Jersey its far less developed, which is partly from political boundaries reasons and partly because the marshlands west from New Jersey aren't good to build on. But the total extent of concrete jungle like areas is large, larger than Paris.
I will post later because my job requires that I travel to Omaha (not a bad little town).
After traveling to various regions around the country you will have some people in those areas who are close minded about other cultures and cities outside their region (ie the Northeast, South etc). He seems to have problem that there is another large city outside the Northeast that can hold it's own and makes a generalization about an entire region. If I weren't open minded I wouldn't be traveling and living in parts of the world. I wouldn't care to visit the Northeast. He probably thinks that the evolving world experience only happens in the Northeast which I find incredibly ignorant.
Seriously, it's like if it's not just like NYC then it's no good. What's the point then? I mean wouldn't he be happy that it's not like NYC, because that would make NYC not very unique. Instead of embracing diverse cities in his countries, cities that are not like NYC he puts down, which is virtually every city in this country.
I can imagine he must have a miniscule penis to feel so insecure. Little itty bitty thing.
Seriously, it's like if it's not just like NYC then it's no good. What's the point then? I mean wouldn't he be happy that it's not like NYC, because that would make NYC not very unique. Instead of embracing diverse cities in his countries, cities that are not like NYC he puts down, which is virtually every city in this country.
I can imagine he must have a miniscule penis to feel so insecure. Little itty bitty thing.
Wow. Talking about small town minds: "If I am losing at least I get to offend you" Just like a 7 years old. Typical Chicago state of mind.
I don't think you really understand what I wrote, the fact that northeast is much more densely populated than midwest so its cities are more densely populated as well as closer to each other. Philly is just 100 miles from NYC, Boston and DC just 200 miles from NYC. That alone tells you about differences in density of population in the regions as Chicago's nearest big city is 300 miles away and the next one 400 miles. Think about it. Even if Chicago geographically swallowed the entire state of Illinois it would still be just 12M people which is just 50% bigger than NYC today. NYC that is 300% bigger than Chicago. It's not about the land it's about density of population.
Chicago will be bigger,,,,it's WAY CHEAPER to build tall there, and it is NOT an island
Deal with it...there is only so much development Manhattan can handle.
Chicago is a MUCH larger (and WAY CHEAPER) canvas.
Pure and simple economics.
The problem is that nobody wants to live in Chicago. Chicago is bleeding population since 1960s while NYC has never been bigger than today.
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Jersey City has an extremely impressive skyline, and Newark's isn't so bad, either. Brooklyn has a really great skyline, too. Manhattan, the core skyline in the area, is surrounded by other impressive skylines. The whole area is built up, minus marshland, parkland, stuff like that. In general, though, the NYC/northeastern NJ area is extremely dense, developed, expansive, and has multiple skylines. NYC's downtown and midtown obviously being the strongest and dominating.
