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Author Topic: Midwest Cities  (Read 21284 times)

hairy worthen

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Re: Midwest Cities
« Reply #50 on: December 08, 2017, 09:46:15 AM »
Just curious if people would post the list of cities where they have actually LIVED for at least a year, to get a perspective on how much of it is homerism, and how much is based on real-life comparison.

I'll start:

Milwaukee (born and raised)
Chicago
Madison
Nashville
Richmond
Rochester

And FWIW, in each case, I have lived in the city mentioned (not the 'burbs).

Of the cities I've lived, if I were ranking where I'd want to live for the rest of my life, I'd rank them:

1. Rochester
2. Madison
3. Milwaukee
4. Nashville
5. Chicago
6. Richmond

I don't think you have to live in the city to know that you want to live there or not. I never lived in Chicago but I know I would never live there, but I will play along. In order of preference

Milwaukee
Houston
La Crosse
Madison

Galway Eagle

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Re: Midwest Cities
« Reply #51 on: December 08, 2017, 09:49:33 AM »
Interesting nobody has popped up to talk about Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Detroit, Cleveland, St Louis or Kansas City
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Dr. Blackheart

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Re: Midwest Cities
« Reply #52 on: December 08, 2017, 09:50:49 AM »
So, it sounds like Gurnosha is the place where it’s at. Dead center in the “Beer ‘n Brat Triangle”.

Bad_Reporter

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Re: Midwest Cities
« Reply #53 on: December 08, 2017, 10:05:45 AM »
Interesting nobody has popped up to talk about Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Detroit, Cleveland, St Louis or Kansas City

Because those aren't even worthy of being discussed.

MU82

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Re: Midwest Cities
« Reply #54 on: December 08, 2017, 10:07:25 AM »
I had a love/hate relationship with Chicago.

I loved being part of a vibrant city and having access to all it had to offer, but I grew to hate the politics, weather and especially traffic. My son still lives there, so we go back fairly often, and I make my wife drive. I HATE driving in that city!!!

We lived there for 16 years (as I said in an earlier post) but it was time for a change. Having lived in Charlotte for 7 years now, I'd happily go back to Chicago. My preference would be to live downtown (or close to it) if we could afford it, and not even own a car.

Of course, everything I just said is based on personal experience, as is everything everybody else is saying.

If cost of living is a factor - and for many, it is - it would be difficult to recommend Chicago to most people. But I can say the same about Seattle, where my daughter lives. And NY. And San Fran. And Boston. And DC. And Hawaii. And LA. Etc, etc, etc. There are plenty of good places to live far cheaper than Chicago, depending upon what one wants.

In my first few years living in Chicago, one of my go-to comments was: "The worst thing about living in Chicago is that I no longer get to go to Chicago on expense account."

Oh, how I used to love work assignments in Chicago!
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warriorchick

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Re: Midwest Cities
« Reply #55 on: December 08, 2017, 10:10:00 AM »
Isn’t that what everybody’s doing when they’re saying the schools in Chicago suck when they have 7 of the top 10 in the state? Or saying that there’s terrible crime when 75% of that is concentrated in two sections of the city? I mean really this whole conversation is painting with a broad brush based on everybody’s experience in each city.

Doing a little cherry-picking, aren't we? I believe All of those schools are highly competitive magnet programs, and only educate 10% of the kids in CPS high schools.  What happens to the 90% of the kids who aren't smart enough (or whose parent's aren't politically connected enough) to get in? 
Have some patience, FFS.

Galway Eagle

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Re: Midwest Cities
« Reply #56 on: December 08, 2017, 10:31:00 AM »
Doing a little cherry-picking, aren't we? I believe All of those schools are highly competitive magnet programs, and only educate 10% of the kids in CPS high schools.  What happens to the 90% of the kids who aren't smart enough (or whose parent's aren't politically connected enough) to get in?

I could say the same about Milwaukee and most cities. in fact I’m fairly sure that Milwaukee’s best are lower than Chicago’s but you have never pointed out how bad those public schools are.

It’s like you have a vendetta against CPS and have never acknowledged its successes or any other systems deficiencies.
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Pakuni

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Re: Midwest Cities
« Reply #57 on: December 08, 2017, 10:32:19 AM »
Doing a little cherry-picking, aren't we? I believe All of those schools are highly competitive magnet programs, and only educate 10% of the kids in CPS high schools.  What happens to the 90% of the kids who aren't smart enough (or whose parent's aren't politically connected enough) to get in?

Well, everybody is cherry-picking, you included.
You cite Chicago's horrible crime, but ignore that it's pretty middle-of-the-road as far as major cities go, and you know well that the crime is highly concentrated, both in terms of location and the population affected. It is terrible for those communities and more needs to be done about it (and why more isn't done is a whole other debate we probably want to avoid, right?).
You cite taxes, but ignore that in terms of cost of living Chicago is not terribly high for a major American city.
You talk about how bad the schools are (based on what?) but ignore that many of the state's top public schools are in the city, and CPS across the board has made remarkable progress over the last decade on test scores, graduation rates, students who go on to receive college degrees and a host of benchmarks.

I take no issue with someone preferring Madison or the Twin Cities or Boise, Idaho or their cozy little upper-class suburb to Chicago. Everybody is free to have their own likes and dislikes, and realistically that's going to change depending on your stage in life (i.e. the mid 20s me and the mid 40s me have very different priorities when it comes to choosing where to live).
But I do take issue with those who wish to paint Chicago as some crime-infested and corrupt ghetto, because that's far from the truth.
« Last Edit: December 08, 2017, 10:37:36 AM by Pakuni »

CTWarrior

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Re: Midwest Cities
« Reply #58 on: December 08, 2017, 10:44:11 AM »
Richard Jeni:  'I think that's how Chicago got started. A bunch of people in New York said, 'Gee, I'm enjoying the crime and the poverty, but it just isn't cold enough. Let's go west."

Personally, I prefer smaller town living.  I love visiting the big cities, but would not want to live there.  Maybe when I was younger.  The nice thing about Connecticut, is that I can drive 5 minutes to the train station and be in the middle of Manhattan in about 75 minutes.  And its just a little more than a two hour drive to Boston, which I love to visit.  Similar to the way you folks in WI/IL have close access to Chicago and Milwaukee. 
Calvin:  I'm a genius.  But I'm a misunderstood genius. 
Hobbes:  What's misunderstood about you?
Calvin:  Nobody thinks I'm a genius.

skianth16

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Re: Midwest Cities
« Reply #59 on: December 08, 2017, 11:13:13 AM »
But how often does one visit? Half my dad’s family is from east Troy and Waukesha, that half never steps foot in Chicago which is a consensus I had heard from multiple sconi’s during my tenure at MU.

Re Milwaukee. that’s why I said someone can add other cities to the list. Milwaukee’s my third favorite city after Chicago and Boston, it’s for sure an actual hidden gem and travel, food, and beer blogs generally agree with that sentiment.

Cities like Chicago and Boston, without a doubt, have more going for them than Milwaukee. There's just no way around it. Food, beer, tourism, athletics, scenery, culture, shopping, etc, etc, etc are all better in Chicago than Milwaukee.

Having lived in Madison, Milwaukee, and Minneapolis (next stop Moline!), it also seems pretty evident that Milwaukee and Minneapolis have more to offer than Madison in just about any category you can think of. And the beauty of Milwaukee and Minneapolis is that they're big cities with a small city feel. People are generally friendly and inviting, getting around isn't challenging or time consuming, and the costs aren't much different than living in a town of 100K or so. Bigger perk - living in the burbs still provides easy access to the city centers in both places. Most people I know that have visited have great things to say about both cities and are typically very surprised at how much they enjoy themselves there. I think they're both (not so) hidden gems.

Madison has plenty of things going for it, but in much smaller doses than the bigger cities. Plus, any time you live in a college town, having to deal with congestion on gamedays, graduations, etc is a real pain if you're not participating in those events.

#UnleashSean

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Re: Midwest Cities
« Reply #60 on: December 08, 2017, 11:32:20 AM »
Madison is probably the best city in the Midwest.  Chicago included.  And I love Chicago.  Love him or hate him, Barry Red Pants is one of the most respected figures in college athletics.  A very good guy to have on your side.  UW is a public ivy and a classic American college that draws from all over (What's up Coasties!). 

Please do not let the guy who dropped out of UW-Oshkosh but is draped in red and hates MU cloud your judgement.

Bruh? Minneapolis, Chicago, St Louis, hell even Milwaukee and LA crosse. Lets be real. It's not even the best city in the state.

Dawson Rental

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Re: Midwest Cities
« Reply #61 on: December 08, 2017, 11:32:57 AM »
I can’t tell if you’re trolling, forgot the teal or just a guy from a north shore suburb or far western suburb who claimed he did Chicago because he went to lolla and navy peir one weekend every summer but if it is serious then you didn’t do chicago right and spent too much time in Lakeview/LP

It’s not a public ivy it’s a “worthy runner up” https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_Ivy


Maybe somewhat to the second.

Just curious, did you read the article you cited?  The whole thing?
You actually have a degree from Marquette?

Quote from: muguru
No...and after reading many many psosts from people on this board that do...I have to say I'm MUCH better off, if this is the type of "intelligence" a degree from MU gets you. It sure is on full display I will say that.

Galway Eagle

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Re: Midwest Cities
« Reply #62 on: December 08, 2017, 11:37:47 AM »
Just curious, did you read the article you cited?  The whole thing?

Yes are you referring to the Greene’s guide portion
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#UnleashSean

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Re: Midwest Cities
« Reply #63 on: December 08, 2017, 11:39:00 AM »
Just curious, did you read the article you cited?  The whole thing?

IDK if reading an article based on a book from 1985 is the best thing to do while talking about colleges in 2017.

drewm88

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Re: Midwest Cities
« Reply #64 on: December 08, 2017, 11:55:56 AM »
Boxer, Michelin doesn't review restaurants in Madison. Only Chicago, SF, NYC, and DC (new this year). So you'll have a very hard time finding Michelin-starred places there.

Also, if we're being honest about the makeup of this board, if you all lived in Chicago, most of the crime and bad schools wouldn't be a part of your life.

connie

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Re: Midwest Cities
« Reply #65 on: December 08, 2017, 12:02:12 PM »
I love visiting Madison, and always have.  Having to live there for three years significantly tarnished the shine, as what is new and kooky at first quickly becomes tiresome and worn, and when you start looking around you realize just how little substance there is there.  Love Minneapolis.  Great city and enough not to get bored.  Neither can compare to Chicago, which is truly a great world class city.  Spent a lot of time on the east side of Milwaukee, and really, really loved it as a place to live. 

We all make choices at different points in our lives, as different priorities come to the top.  The only constant is:

1.  The Badgers suck.

2.  (ok, racine sucks too.  ;))
"Let's be careful out there."  Phil Esterhaus

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Re: Midwest Cities
« Reply #66 on: December 08, 2017, 12:09:28 PM »
Interesting nobody has popped up to talk about Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Detroit, Cleveland, St Louis or Kansas City

St. Louis is a perfectly fine place to spend a weekend.

I lived there for three years.

That should tell you how I feel about St. Louis.
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Zephyr820

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Re: Midwest Cities
« Reply #67 on: December 08, 2017, 12:19:00 PM »
Im a consultant and have pretty much lived or worked for an extended period of time in every midwest city.

The top two to live in are unquestionably the Twin Cities and Indianapolis.

Chicago, obviously, has the most going on but its not really livable.

I'd probably have Cincinnati third.

GB Warrior

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Re: Midwest Cities
« Reply #68 on: December 08, 2017, 12:33:12 PM »
I love visiting Madison, and always have.  Having to live there for three years significantly tarnished the shine, as what is new and kooky at first quickly becomes tiresome and worn, and when you start looking around you realize just how little substance there is there.  Love Minneapolis.  Great city and enough not to get bored.  Neither can compare to Chicago, which is truly a great world class city.  Spent a lot of time on the east side of Milwaukee, and really, really loved it as a place to live. 

We all make choices at different points in our lives, as different priorities come to the top.  The only constant is:

1.  The Badgers suck.

2.  (ok, racine sucks too.  ;))

Ditto this. Love visiting Madison whenever I can for work. It's like the essence of Bayview manifested in a big city.

It's not midwestern, but Pittsburgh is a sneaky fun city to visit. Its vibe and architecture is reminiscent of Milwaukee, but it feels like Milwaukee all grown up. Plus, the views from Heinz and PNC are top-notch.

tower912

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Re: Midwest Cities
« Reply #69 on: December 08, 2017, 12:34:37 PM »
Grand Rapids:     200k in a metropolitan area (depending on definition) of  500k
Pros:   Beer, restaurants, proximity to outdoor activity (Lake Michigan beaches on this side of the lake are superior to beaches on the Wisconsin side), growing downtown and surging neighborhood development.    Still relatively low cost of living.  Good employment outlook.  Artprize.   Area really gets out and supports activities and ideas.   Philanthropy.
Cons: Roads.   Weather.   Pollution issues from decades ago coming to fruition.    Provincial mindset.    Lack of an elite university.  3 hours from Chicago, Detroit.   4.5-5 from Milwaukee.   Lack of a diverse middle class. 
Challenges:   Managing growth.   Pollution.   Relying on philanthropy.  Having infrastructure keep up with demand.  Getting kids who went away to college to come back. 

Grand Rapids is much different than it was when I moved here in 1989.   Then, you could fire off an AR 15 downtown at 5:01 on a Friday and not hit anything.    You couldn't buy alcohol on Sunday.    The Christian Reformed Church was the dominant cultural influence.  It was even more insular and provincial.
   Today, it is beer city.    It has many more events that pull people in from the outside and bring suburbanites to the core city.   The core city has a multitude of cranes.    Gentrification is both a blessing and a curse.    Neighborhoods that were crime ridden in 1990 are now full of hipsters.    The CRC is no longer the dominant influence, but the Dutch mafia has simply moved behind the scenes and still have a major influence. 

Compete with Chicago, Milwaukee, Madison?    Not even close.    We probably kick Ft. Wayne and Dayton's ass, though. 
Luke 6:45   ...A good man produces goodness from the good in his heart; an evil man produces evil out of his store of evil.   Each man speaks from his heart's abundance...

It is better to be fearless and cheerful than cheerless and fearful.

skianth16

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Re: Midwest Cities
« Reply #70 on: December 08, 2017, 12:35:26 PM »
Ditto this. Love visiting Madison whenever I can for work. It's like the essence of Bayview manifested in a big city.

It's not midwestern, but Pittsburgh is a sneaky fun city to visit. Its vibe and architecture is reminiscent of Milwaukee, but it feels like Milwaukee all grown up. Plus, the views from Heinz and PNC are top-notch.

I'll second that. Pittsburgh is a great town that really does have a lot of similarities to Milwaukee. I've had a lot of great food there, been to some fun bars, and I'll give their sports fans a high mark too - lots of passionate and dedicated fans out there. Best view in the city is up on Mount Washington, in my opinion.

Eldon

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Re: Midwest Cities
« Reply #71 on: December 08, 2017, 01:18:25 PM »
Ditto this. Love visiting Madison whenever I can for work. It's like the essence of Bayview manifested in a big city.

It's not midwestern, but Pittsburgh is a sneaky fun city to visit. Its vibe and architecture is reminiscent of Milwaukee, but it feels like Milwaukee all grown up. Plus, the views from Heinz and PNC are top-notch.

Dude, yes, yes, and yes.

Highly underrated.  IMO, Pittsburgh is a unique hybrid of Midwest and East Coast.  The Russo-Ukrainian influence is also unique for a bigger city.

TAMU, Knower of Ball

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Re: Midwest Cities
« Reply #72 on: December 08, 2017, 01:21:47 PM »
Love Pittsburgh as well. Great city with surprisingly good night life.

Honestly, I think I got turned off from Chicago simply because I have had too many conversations with people from Chicago trying to convince me that it's the greatest city ever. Especially compared to Milwaukee.

TAMU

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djvern414

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Re: Midwest Cities
« Reply #73 on: December 08, 2017, 01:48:39 PM »
Love Pittsburgh as well. Great city with surprisingly good night life.

Honestly, I think I got turned off from Chicago simply because I have had too many conversations with people from Chicago trying to convince me that it's the greatest city ever. Especially compared to Milwaukee.



This is true but it goes both ways. I've lived in MIL for 15 yrs, love Chicago and grew up by Madison so I'm loving this thread. I think age and marital status matter greatly. Also I think all the cities have evolved greatly since 00. MIL I think is going the right way but even Madison is much more intriguing than 7 to 8 yrs ago. To me it used to be intolerable, but maybe I'm losing steam because I'm not a bachelor anymore. StI'll hate Bucky!!!

Goose

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Re: Midwest Cities
« Reply #74 on: December 08, 2017, 02:08:09 PM »
Pittsburgh is what I ultimately hope MKE becomes. MKE was behind the renaissance curve that similar cities experienced and I think it might be a good thing in the long run. When it comes to trends, first one in or last one in usually benefit the most. I have high hopes for MKE learning from the success cities like Pittsburgh, Cleveland and others and building off of the successes. Probably the most bullish I have been on Mil-town in my life.