Midwest Cities

[Dr. Blackheart]

Pittsburgh is NOT a midwestern city.

Here are your choices:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Midwestern_cities_by_size

[T-Bone]

This going to kill you but I always just lump Wicker Park / Ukranian Village / Logan Square in with Lakeview, etc.  I realize they are different.  I guess what I mean is they are distinct neighborhood yes, but not suburbs or city with suburb feel.

They are very much the same place, just at a different time.  Good call.

You married a QAS girl?

[GooooMarquette]

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

Agree you don't have to live there first.  My post was mainly in response to some of the posts about one place being so clearly better than another...which made me wonder how many people actually lived in some of the places they were dissing.

FWIW, I would never have even considered moving to Rochester, but I got the job offer of a lifetime, so off we went.  Nineteen years later, and we LOVE this place.  And at the time of the move, I would never have guessed that I'd come to like Minneapolis (where our daughter now lives, so we visit often) more than my original hometown of Milwaukee.

[GB Warrior]

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.

 

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hT6Q6XRqu5I" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hT6Q6XRqu5I</a>

[Galway Eagle]

They are very much the same place, just at a different time.  Good call.

You married a QAS girl?

Howso? I’d be hard pressed to believe Lakeview and Lincoln Park were ever not overrun with B1G and ND alumni and clubs constantly. Wicker and Logan drew/draw a more artsy crowd.

[MUBurrow]

Madison is more akin to being the compared to the best "suburb" of Milwaukee than to Milwaukee itself.  And I weirdly mean that as a compliment. Any comparisons of Madison-to-Milwaukee-to-Chicago are just going to be a bunch of people talking past each other.

Case in point - I always thought that judging cities by the number of top restaurants was kind of like when people go on House Hunters and say "I entertain my family once a year, so I need a 6 BR, 4000 sq ft house for my family of 3." Its not the number of five star restaurants that make a big city great to me, because I wouldn't go there enough anyway. Its how good/many/cheap ethnic restaurants are close to my place that also happen to be stupid good or vaguely authentic - because that's where I actually go enough to affect my quality of life.  Then again, that shows how lame I am, and why I think saying that Madison is more like an ideal suburb than a destination city is a good thing.

[The Lens]

They are very much the same place, just at a different time.  Good call.

You married a QAS girl?

And have held her captive in MKE for 18+ years.

[T-Bone]

Howso? I’d be hard pressed to believe Lakeview and Lincoln Park were ever not overrun with B1G and ND alumni and clubs constantly. Wicker and Logan drew/draw a more artsy crowd.

They were not always that way. 
Wicker park doesn't really draw that artsy a crowd any more, at least not in my experience.  It's a miracle Rainbo is still there.  I mean Real World did a show there, making it as Lincoln Park-y as anything. 
Lakeview was a dump not all that long ago - 30 years.  There were a lot of corner bars and it was very working class.  Now most single family homes are former tear downs going for 1 mil+.
Logan has become the Wicker Park of 20 years ago.  Humboldt Park will follow.
Lincoln Park - has always had the sport bars, for as long as I can remember.  I think that's due to DePaul (clearly the DePaul fan isn't taking up those sports bars).  However they did have their day in the artsy community (at least a drop in the pool) with Wax Trax and Lounge Ax.  Lincoln north of Fullerton was great.  South, khakis and college shirts.

Curious if there are real old-timers that have any thoughts on where the young ones lived and hung out in the 70s/80s?  My knowledge really only goes so far. 

More info here: http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/715.html

[Galway Eagle]

They were not always that way. 
Wicker park doesn't really draw that artsy a crowd any more, at least not in my experience.  It's a miracle Rainbo is still there.  I mean Real World did a show there, making it as Lincoln Park-y as anything. 
Lakeview was a dump not all that long ago - 30 years.  There were a lot of corner bars and it was very working class.  Now most single family homes are former tear downs going for 1 mil+.
Logan has become the Wicker Park of 20 years ago.  Humboldt Park will follow.
Lincoln Park - has always had the sport bars, for as long as I can remember.  I think that's due to DePaul (clearly the DePaul fan isn't taking up those sports bars).  However they did have their day in the artsy community (at least a drop in the pool) with Wax Trax and Lounge Ax.  Lincoln north of Fullerton was great.  South, khakis and college shirts.

Curious if there are real old-timers that have any thoughts on where the young ones lived and hung out in the 70s/80s?  My knowledge really only goes so far. 

More info here: http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/715.html

Interesting. All I knowas far as old timers go is my dad graduated NIU in 78 and used to hang out on rush street and at that Dearborn and division area.

I suppose that’s fair about wicker, guess I just still pretend it’s what it was when I was going there in jr high and high school.

[rocket surgeon]

You are the worst.

but she is right on.  great place to visit if you go with someone who knows their way around.  go out to eat, hit 2nd city and go home

[rocket surgeon]

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.

   east troy??  i probably know your dad's family then.  i grew up there, my parents, a brother and sister still live there.  it's a small world after all

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

Chicago is the worst of the lot by far.

But just to talk about crime for a second here, yes there are certain areas of the city you wouldn't want to get stuck in like an Austin or an Englewood (and lets be honest, every major city has those areas) but a lot of it is greatly exaggerated.

I was on the wayyyyy south side just last night, 111th street in Morgan Park, which people would generally consider unsafe. But I never had a problem, and my safety never even crossed my mind once while I was down there.

Plus southside neighborhoods like Pullman, and Bronzeville are some of the coolest areas in the city. Take that for what you will.

[Galway Eagle]

   east troy??  i probably know your dad's family then.  i grew up there, my parents, a brother and sister still live there.  it's a small world after all

Probably, though his older half of the 9 are from the south side of Chicago so that’d depend on your age.

[Sheriff]

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.

The improvements in test scores and graduation rates (still well below state and national averages) reflect to a degree an ongoing drop in student population, particularly in poorer performing schools.  And as the population of students declines, measures to reduce cost are not commensurate.  Plans to close or consolidate schools and reduce administrative overhead are met with opposition of CTU, whose pension system is insolvent despite the recent $140 MM bailout from the state's "Education Funding" bill.

And the CPS CEO resigned today amid an ethics scandal....

[Jay Bee]

Minneapolis is the best.

[SaveOD238]

So, it sounds like Gurnosha is the place where it’s at. Dead center in the “Beer ‘n Brat Triangle”.

I don't know why I ever complained about growing up in Gurnee.  Chicago and Milwaukee were a hop-skip-and-a-jump in either direction, even though there was no Metra in town.  I loved living by the highway and having easy access to everything unlike where Mrs Save OD grew up in Cary.  That way I could experience everything there is to love about both cities and not have to deal with the crap that comes with living in either one.  If it's up to me, I'd live on the I94 corridor for the rest of my life.

[AZWarrior]

The two years I lived in Chicago, when I was tail-gunner on a Budweiser truck, were among the happiest of my life.






Should I have used teal?

Yes, it's an old joke, but I have a weakness for the classics.

[real chili 83]

I lived in Chicago.  It's a sh1t hole to live in, but there is a ton of fun stuff to do.  Good to visit.  Mmmm, Italian beef.  Mmmm, Chicago dogs.   Mmmmm, Gepetto's deep dish.  Love me some Wrigley Field. 

BS to the crime is limited to two neighborhoods.  And much of the criminal element in SE Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Madison, and Mpls has strong ties to Chicago.

[warriorchick]

There was an article on my Facebook feed entitled "Each state perfectly summed up in one photo".


This was Illinois:

[🏀]

There was an article on my Facebook feed entitled "Each state perfectly summed up in one photo".


This was Illinois:

Really?

[GooooMarquette]

There was an article on my Facebook feed entitled "Each state perfectly summed up in one photo".


This was Illinois:

Looks like fun!

[Wally Schroeder]

Howso? I’d be hard pressed to believe Lakeview and Lincoln Park were ever not overrun with B1G and ND alumni and clubs constantly. Wicker and Logan drew/draw a more artsy crowd.

Curious what the basis is for your opinion of Lakeview & Lincoln Park? If you're going based on the bar scene, then yes, you'd be right. I'd feel the same way if I got caught in Tbox today, but my experience is a bit different.

I've spent 7+ years in Lakeview and my block alone is a little melting pot - different ethnic backgrounds, ages, races, orientations, and wide income spectrum. I love it. Keep things interesting. We've got nicknames for all the local characters. I also love the proximity to the lakefront, where I spend a good chunk of time. Great access to downtown or anywhere north too. Going west or driving anywhere is a huge pain in *ss.

Love the character of the neighborhoods you mentioned too. Lakeview is a just a better fit for my lifestyle at this point. Regardless, it's nice to not think twice and just walk for the majority of the day-to-day stuff (groceries, dry cleaning, pharmacy, local restaurants & bars, Cubs games, etc..) and see people from all different walks of life.

 

Chicago is the worst of the lot by far.

But just to talk about crime for a second here, yes there are certain areas of the city you wouldn't want to get stuck in like an Austin or an Englewood (and lets be honest, every major city has those areas) but a lot of it is greatly exaggerated.

I was on the wayyyyy south side just last night, 111th street in Morgan Park, which people would generally consider unsafe. But I never had a problem, and my safety never even crossed my mind once while I was down there.

Plus southside neighborhoods like Pullman, and Bronzeville are some of the coolest areas in the city. Take that for what you will.

Grew up a bit west of there. Loved the South Side bubble, but glad I got out. Know too many people with their name on the local bar stool.

[mu_hilltopper]

Chicago receives -10000 points for its traffic issues.  Too many damn people.

[Galway Eagle]

Curious what the basis is for your opinion of Lakeview & Lincoln Park? If you're going based on the bar scene, then yes, you'd be right. I'd feel the same way if I got caught in Tbox today, but my experience is a bit different.

I've spent 7+ years in Lakeview and my block alone is a little melting pot - different ethnic backgrounds, ages, races, orientations, and wide income spectrum. I love it. Keep things interesting. We've got nicknames for all the local characters. I also love the proximity to the lakefront, where I spend a good chunk of time. Great access to downtown or anywhere north too. Going west or driving anywhere is a huge pain in *ss.

Love the character of the neighborhoods you mentioned too. Lakeview is a just a better fit for my lifestyle at this point. Regardless, it's nice to not think twice and just walk for the majority of the day-to-day stuff (groceries, dry cleaning, pharmacy, local restaurants & bars, Cubs games, etc..) and see people from all different walks of life.

 
Grew up a bit west of there. Loved the South Side bubble, but glad I got out. Know too many people with their name on the local bar stool.

Ironically I’m at TBox right now. I have a love/hate relationship with it. I love Lakeview to, for different reasons than I loved my time in Humboldt Park and growing up in Albany Park. It’s safer, has an abundance of restaurants that are cutting edge, clean, intriguing etc.

I was primarily going off the bar scene and the 20 something’s I know that live in the respective neighborhoods. If I wanted to go to a punk show or an underground hip hop show I’d hit up my friends out in Logan or Humboldt or Pilsen if I wanted to go to see dave Matthews I’d hit up my friends in Lakeview or LP and if I wanted to play the bagpipes and fight a cops son I’d go to Beverly or Jefferson Park

[TheREALwrk]

In what way?

You're always negative. Pretty sure I'm sitting next to you at Wandos right now. Resting bitch face.