For years only New York has projected a huge difference between city people and suburban people. If you come into Manhattan from the outer boroughs, Long Island, Westchester, Jersey, etc., you are a bridge-and-tunnel person. In that term, a strict line is drawn between those seeking the city life and those beyond the rivers.

Do you think that Chicago has evolved into a similiar city today: a huge suburban population and a very large population at the core of Chicago seeking a strong urban life-style. Similiar incomes, in so many cases, but vastly different life-styles. Different breeds of cat.

and, if so, do any other cities offer such dynamics (Boston's and San Francisco's small sizes works against such comprisons for me)

Yes. . . that is the case here. . . but since we don't have bridges and/or tunnels seperating the city we just refer to them as suburbinites. . .

or people of the chicagoland...

....collar counties (although that leaves a lot of good folks in Evanston, Winnetka, Schaumburg, Oak Park, Orland Park, and Chicago Heights out of the mix; not to mention a whole lot of lions and tigers and bears out in Brookfield).

I call them (the burbanite's) "The Metra People". I work next to the NW(Oglevie) Train Station, and deal with the Metra People pouring on to the bridges and through my building five day's a week. Getting to and from work is like being a fish swimming upstream.

I used to hang out with a rich girl who lived in a highrise in streeterville (who didn't own a car, btw). I once invited her to a party in Arlington Heights and her response was, "sorry, but I have no use for the 'burbs. I never go to the 'burbs"

How cool is that?

I love it looper!!! What a great name :) It's no "bridge-and-tunnel crowd," but, it will certainly work.

Oh... and TUP... good for your friend :) People at school have ceased inviting me to their functions in Joliet, or whatever hell they call home, because they know I will not leave the city unless it involves Ikea.

as the one who started this city/suburban division stuff, I feel strange about offering a counter perspective with this one caveatt: be careful with Evanston; they're in the process of turning it into Lincoln Park North.
Do you think a real North Side lakefront city type would consider Evanston to be a kindred soul (or approaching kindred soulship)?

as the one who started this city/suburban division stuff, I feel strange about offering a counter perspective with this one caveatt: be careful with Evanston; they're in the process of turning it into Lincoln Park North.
Do you think a real North Side lakefront city type would consider Evanston to be a kindred soul (or approaching kindred soulship)?

^ Agree--Evanston is quite awesome. I think it should be annexed to Chicago.

Not only that, but several Chicagoland suburbs are starting to make good choices--downtown redevelopment is starting to become more popular, and housing is popping up--much of this housing around existing or future Metra stations. I think the railroad commuter suburb is making a comeback--that can only help Chicago!

^ I have no issues with Evanston, it has been an established city for more than 150 yrs. On those extreme rare moments (and they are usually rare and fleeting) in which I feel the need to get out of town, I have thought of going to Evanston. This is not to say that I have actually done it, but the thought has crossed my mind.

The only time I leave the city (without getting on an airplane) is for semi annual trips to Ikea, I will rent a car for the weekend, make the trip to the hinterlands of Schaumburg, and then go to Target (The one on Addison most recently). Now that Target will be opening on Roosevelt, I won't even need to make special trips. I will only spend my money at businesses located in the city with the one exception of Ikea, which if they're plans to be in the city had gone through, I would have no need to venture out there.

I too have been invited to parties in the burbs, but alas, without a car, I never attend. I quite like it that way, lest I get lost in a subdivision, or get hit by a Wal*Mart delivery truck. (Neither of which can happen in the city :wink2: )

I lived in Evanston for a couple years; it's a nice town, most of which is certainly urban enough to be a Chicago neighborhood, and most of which is more racially diverse than most Chicago neighborhoods. Sure, Lincoln Park North. That being said, I don't really like Lincoln Park. A guy I knew moved from Uptown to Evanston to be closer to his work, and two months later he couldn't stand it so he moved back to the city. Who knows.

That is so true about Chicago. So few cities (easily NYC, DC though) are like that. When I lived there, as I live here in DC, I rarely ever left the city. Not only that, but I never felt any need to leave (other than go to Walmart--which should change, soon). The same is with DC--if a party I know about, etc, is going to be in Virginia or Maryland, I don't even bother going. I will not go anywhere outside of DC.

That being said, there are better restaurants and ethnic enclaves outside of DC rather than within the city. That is in stark contrast to Chicago, where pretty much anything that matters is in the city proper.

Oh yeah... most of Evanston is a-okay in my book (although the section near the football stadium is a bit suburbanish). Hey looper... you know... getting to Ikea via public actually isn't all that difficult! Tiffani and I did it a few weeks ago and it was a breeze. Blue Line -> Rosemont and then hop on one Pace bus (I think it was the 160?).

Oh yeah... most of Evanston is a-okay in my book (although the section near the football stadium is a bit suburbanish). Hey (I think it was the 160?).

Evanston gets off the hook on that one; much of that neighborhood is actually Wilmette.

^ I have no issues with Evanston, it has been an established city for more than 150 yrs. On those extreme rare moments (and they are usually rare and fleeting) in which I feel the need to get out of town, I have thought of going to Evanston. This is not to say that I have actually done it, but the thought has crossed my mind.

The only time I leave the city (without getting on an airplane) is for semi annual trips to Ikea, I will rent a car for the weekend, make the trip to the hinterlands of Schaumburg, and then go to Target (The one on Addison most recently). Now that Target will be opening on Roosevelt, I won't even need to make special trips. I will only spend my money at businesses located in the city with the one exception of Ikea, which if they're plans to be in the city had gone through, I would have no need to venture out there.

I too have been invited to parties in the burbs, but alas, without a car, I never attend. I quite like it that way, lest I get lost in a subdivision, or get hit by a Wal*Mart delivery truck. (Neither of which can happen in the city :wink2: )

Life doesn't end at Howard Street. It would be hard not to appreciate what Ravinia, Chgo Botanic Gardens, Morton Arboritum, NU, Brookfield Zoo, Frank Lloyd Wright district in Oak Pk, etc., contribute to the greater Chicago community.

Hey looper... you know... getting to Ikea via public actually isn't all that difficult! Tiffani and I did it a few weeks ago and it was a breeze. Blue Line -> Rosemont and then hop on one Pace bus (I think it was the 160?).

I know, but it's hard to carry furniture on public transit. :)

lol... have 'em deliver it :) Hey... I was talking to Tiffani about naming our own "bridge and tunnel crowd." So, she came up with Metranites... WHICH I LOVE!!!!

In fact, we used it 5 or 10 times 2nite :)

while most metra lines do serve an overwhelming suburban customer base, a great many people on the south side of the city rely on the metra electric branch to get around.

my point is that you can't assume that someone is a subrubanite if they ride metra. when i lived down in little italy, i use to take metra to get up to work in evanston everyday.

Well... I would say that 90% of Metra's customer base is 'burbanites. I'll accept the risk of being wrong 10% of the time to have the opportunity to use such a wonderfully pigeon-holing phrase as "metranites."