Chicago and New York City: Similarities and Difference

[ChiSkyline]

This was inspired by my thread Chicago and Toronto: Similarities and Difference thread.
This is pointing out the odds and similarities such as:
-People (types of people)
-Skyline
-Density
-Size
-Neighborhoods
-Buildings
-Advantages
-Disadvantages
-cool things about both cities & bads?
This not a City vd City thread, nor do I want it to turn out that way, so please don't make it turn out that way. NYC and Chicago our very similar but then again very different and I want to see how.

[Sarcasticity]

People - Obviously New York has more people, more immigrants, more tourists. Chicago has the higher poverty rate I believe but for sure New York has way too many homeless people walking

Skyline - Chicago has the more balanced and contiguous skyline, but New York has 2 distinct skylines and 2 smaller other skylines - LIC and Downtown Brooklyn

Density - If talking about urban buildup, New York triumphs. If about population, New York still triumphs

Size - New York City is larger

Neighborhoods - Don't know much about Chi-Towns neighborhoods

Buildings - Both have amazing collections of skyscrapers from different eras. Chicago is the birth of the skyscraper, but New York has the better layering and display of skyscrapers.

[ChiCity]

People- NYC defiantly has a lot of more people. Like 3 times as much. But they're RUDEEEEEE! I would much rather stay here then live in NYC.

Skyline: NYC does have a much bigger skyline, with just as much lights, but chicagos skyline is much more pleasant to look at.

Density: defiantly NYC.

Buildings: both have marvelous buildings to look at especially pre war buildings. Both cities provide skyscraper city porn!

[chicagogeorge]

Originally Posted by ChiCity

Like 3 times as much. But they're RUDEEEEEE! I

That's a stereotype. I never get that impression when I visit. I will say, that I think people on the street here in Chicago are more willing to engage a complete stranger in conversation.

Personally I love NYC.

Diversity: NYC
Density: NYC (almost too much in some spots, I mean do you really want to live packed in like a sardine?)
Neighborhoods: NYC more distinct neighborhoods thanks to geography, but Chicago's not far behind
Mass transit: NYC easily
Aesthetics: Chicago imho
Skyline: NYC bigger, Chicago's better imho
Crime/Poverty: Worse in Chicago as a result to the gang problem here
Restaurant: Toss up, but I will go with Chicago
Museums: NYC, there is just way more of them.
Theater: NYC, Chicago is the "Second City" not the "First"
Cost of living: Cheaper in Chicago, you can get more for less
Suburbs: Both are similar. At least the ones outside NYC I have been too
Politics: NYC Boss Tweed era long gone. Chicago is the most politically corrupt city in the US.
Climate: Similar, NYC's more stable however (due to the Atlantic). Chicago's winters are definitely colder, and Chicago is also more humid during the summer, more like Philadelphia. Day to day temperature swings are wilder here

[ChiSkyline]

I should add in those topics..

[ChiCity]

Originally Posted by chicagogeorge

That's a stereotype. I never get that impression when I visit. I will say, that I think people on the street here in Chicago are more willing to engage a complete stranger in conversation.

Personally I love NYC.

Diversity: NYC
Density: NYC (almost too much in some spots, I mean do you really want to live packed in like a sardine?)
Neighborhoods: NYC more distinct neighborhoods thanks to geography, but Chicago's not far behind
Mass transit: NYC easily
Aesthetics: Chicago imho
Skyline: NYC bigger, Chicago's better imho
Crime/Poverty: Worse in Chicago as a result to the gang problem here
Restaurant: Toss up, but I will go with Chicago
Museums: NYC, there is just way more of them.
Theater: NYC, Chicago is the "Second City" not the "First"
Cost of living: Cheaper in Chicago, you can get more for less
Suburbs: Both are similar. At least the ones outside NYC I have been too
Politics: NYC Boss Tweed era long gone. Chicago is the most politically corrupt city in the US.
Climate: Similar, NYC's more stable however (due to the Atlantic). Chicago's winters are definitely colder, and Chicago is also more humid during the summer, more like Philadelphia. Day to day temperature swings are wilder here

In my opinion they are.. I love the city and yea, there are some pretty nice people there, but every time I visit I would get bomb rushed, pushed, yelled (which I hate), and most of the time never got a please or thank you. I don't know maybe its just downtown. Because the suburbs was pretty great out there.

Diversity: NYC
Density: NYC = denst, I feel Chicago has that density feel.
Neighborhoods:In my opinion Chicago, seems cleaner. But NYC is pretty good too.
Mass transit: NYC
Aesthetics: Chicago
Skyline:Right, NYC bigger, Chicago's better
Crime/Poverty: Agree
Restaurant: I have to say Chicago, but NYC has some restaurants better than Chicago.
Museums: NYC
Theater: NYC
Cost of living:Totally right.
Politics: Agree
Climate: And agree they both have similar weather types. But I feel our summers are more humid/hotter, and our winters are much colder.

[chicagogeorge]

Originally Posted by ChiCity

Climate: And agree they both have similar weather types. But I feel our summers are more humid/hotter, and our winters are much colder.

Chicago summers are not really hotter. The average temperatures are about the same, it's just that we have wider extremes. Plus, NYC actually has a Spring and Autumn seasons, while we just go from winter to summer with maybe a couple of weeks of spring and autumn in between.

[ChiCity]

Originally Posted by chicagogeorge

Chicago summers are not really hotter. The average temperatures are about the same, it's just that we have wider extremes. Plus, NYC actually has a Spring and Autumn seasons, while we just go from winter to summer with maybe a couple of weeks of spring and autumn in between.

true, I guess it just feels hotter because its a lot more humid..

[chicagogeorge]

New York can also get humid, but the Atlantic tends to provide that ocean breeze to keep humidity more inland especially in New Jersey. Lake Michigan also provides some relief for the city, while the west and south suburbs swelter more during the summer.

[DCboom]

Similarities:
They're both cities in the United States

Differences:
People in Detroit, Cleveland and Milwaukee worship Chicago's urban nuts as West Coasters fly over on the way to the capital of the world, NYC.


BTW, the reason Chicago is cheaper is because people are not willing to pay as much to live there.

[Sarcasticity]

AFAIK Chicago has some of the most expensive neighborhoods in the States, restaurants, and even gas ,the last one may not be a good thing though but, it's not like people there are living so thriftily

[The anti-cheesehead]

they're both old and dirty and sometimes smelly. New York is dirtier, some areas have garbage all over the place. New York is smelly-er, bigger, and has a lot bigger rail system. The people have different accents, but they're the same in that the smartest person in the world sounds like a raging idiot with a heavy New York or Chicago accent. Before anyone points it out, I know you could say the same about a Minnesota accent. They both have lots of graffiti. They're both really the only two big, real, old school, dirty, congested, financial hub, white collar, blue collar, immigrant, cities in the US. Chicago is major, New York is the same, just more, much more. Source: me, who travels to Chicago quarterly and is in New York at this moment.

[chicagogeorge]

As for DCBoom

Don't mind him, viewing a couple other remarks he made in other threads it's evident that he has a chip on his shoulder.

[Xusein]

Chicago is a smaller, cheaper, cleaner and nicer version of NYC without the bridges.

[bayviews]

Originally Posted by Xusein

Chicago is a smaller, cheaper, cleaner and nicer version of NYC without the bridges.

Chicago too has lots of bridges, must be dozens of them.

Albeit small ones that cross all the little rivers & canals.

[ChiCity]

Originally Posted by DCboom

Similarities:
They're both cities in the United States

Differences:
People in Detroit, Cleveland and Milwaukee worship Chicago's urban nuts as West Coasters fly over on the way to the capital of the world, NYC.


BTW, the reason Chicago is cheaper is because people are not willing to pay as much to live there.

Chicago home prices are cheaper than NYC because its in the midwest
and thats not only the houses
.. I would rather spent less money than more money.. So im pretty sure people agree if it had to be an arguement with money. Chicago will most likely win because how cheap it is...
i found this thread if any one wants to here someone elses opinion.
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showth...=971510&page=6

[Northsider]

This dead horse again?! :-p

The similarities are greater between Toronto-Chicago than with Chicago-NYC I'd say. But with size and scope of urbanity there's really no other city (LA will crucify me) that compares to these two.

-People (types of people)

NYC has more people and more diversity. NYC is most definitely a ruder city (just from experience!), but considering I got kicked in the back coming off the L in Chicago, I'd say we have our fair share of rudeness.

-Skyline

NYC has that "HOLY FUCK" feeling when you first see it, because of the sheer number of buildings. Chicago, stylistically, is much much much better. From any angle, Chicago's shines...from certain angles, NYC looks really odd and unimpressive.

-Density

Nothing beats the density of NYC, but Chicago certainly comes closest in the states. However, I much prefer Chicago's density pattern throughout the city. I feel it has that perfect mix of highrise, midrise, and 2-3 flats, and single family housing.

-Size

Size of what? NYC is bigger in probably every single category (except corruption, w00t)

-Neighborhoods

It's a wash. Both cities have really great neighborhoods. However, I feel NYC has done a lot more to protect the urban, gritty feel of it's ethnic neighborhoods. Chicago is content with just putting up chain stores and making every single area more or less the same.

-Buildings

It's a wash. Both cities have kickass historical buildings. Both cities were at the forefront of skyscraper technology and singlehandedly put skyscrapers on the map.

-Advantages
-Disadvantages

Meh. The only thing I can think of is cost. Chicago is much much much more affordable than NYC, and I'm not sure you're getting that much more for the cost of NYC.

NYC has a lot going for it, there's a reason it's the "center of the universe"...but to be completely honest I feel it's way overrated and overpriced. It's like going to a really fancy dinner and paying 30 dollars for 3 forkfulls. Those 3 forkfulls were really good (certainly not the best you've had in your life), but you are still hungry and broke. With that being said, it's a kickass city and I'm glad I visited a few times...but I'd never move there and I wouldn't really recommend it to first time visitors to the country.

[ducus]

You can't compare NYC, "the financial center of the world" with Chicago, in my opinion. Only if we see the 68,5 billion$ budget of NYC compared with the budget of Chicago...Chicago is a little brother compared to NYC, it's like the little finger of one's hand.
Remember that Chicago is shrinking it's population decade by decade, and if the situation continues, it may drop in 20-30 yers below 2 million people, since NYC has always grown!
Job opportunities between two cities are different, housing and rent as well, utilities, gas price etc.

[Northsider]

Originally Posted by ducus

Remember that Chicago is shrinking it's population decade by decade, and if the situation continues, it may drop in 20-30 yers below 2 million people, since NYC has always grown!

The urban area keeps growing though. I highly doubt Chicago will drop below 2 million in my lifetime...but who knows... Only in Detroit have we seen such a massive outflux of residents.

[chicagogeorge]

Chicago's population is down 25% from it's peak population of 3.6 million in 1950. Right now the population is where it was back in 1920.

Originally Posted by ducus

You can't compare NYC, "the financial center of the world" with Chicago, in my opinion.

I agree. New York is so far ahead of any other US city in so many categories that it really can't be compared.

Only if we see the 68,5 billion$ budget of NYC compared with the budget of Chicago...Chicago is a little brother compared to NYC, it's like the little finger of one's hand.

Is it that much? Wow.

Chicago's 2011 budget was 3.2 billion.

Remember that Chicago is shrinking it's population decade by decade, and if the situation continues, it may drop in 20-30 yers below 2 million people, since NYC has always grown!
Job opportunities between two cities are different, housing and rent as well, utilities, gas price etc.

Chicago's population is shrinking, and it will likely fall to 2.5 million or a bit less by 2020 before it finally stabilizes at just over 2 million.

HOWEVER, the revenues of the city keep rising. The fell the last couple of years due to the recession, but that had little if anything to do with the declining population. As long as those large immigrant or African American families that are bleeding out of the city continue to be replaced with high income professionals, city officials aren't going to do much to change the pattern.

Originally Posted by Northsider

The urban area keeps growing though. I highly doubt Chicago will drop below 2 million in my lifetime...but who knows... Only in Detroit have we seen such a massive outflux of residents.

The Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission put out this population projection table for the city and nearby counties back in 2009:




Boy were they off on the city count. Chicago was down 200,000, all of Cook which was expected to be at 5,216,638, was down slightly, but I expect Cook to see a huge drop by 2020 as the collar counties syphon off more and more people. Their projections of the city growing to 3.2 million by 2040 is laughable.

Here was the actuall census figures show slower growth than the estimates above.

Cook County, Illinois MSA 5,194,675
DuPage County, Illinois MSA 916,924
Kane County, Illinois MSA 515,269
McHenry County, Illinois MSA 308,760
Kendall County, Illinois MSA 114,736
Will County, Illinois MSA 677,560
Lake County, Illinois MSA 703,462



and for the entire MSA: Chicago- Naperville- Joliet, IL-IN-WI MSA 9,461,105


The urban or metropolitan area of Chicago will continue to grow at a modest rate for the foreseable future, but by say 2040 if growth patterns remain constant, Dallas, Houston, and Washignton/Baltimore will probably have reached Chicago in population in the CSA category, but not the MSA category. One thing that would keep Chicago's CSA well ahead of them woud be if by then Chicago and Milwaukee, merge into one CSA.