CHICAGO | General Discussions

[Handro]

Chicago and Illinois have always been seen as backwater western (and later midwestern) outposts. But I do agree that the insular attitudes, cultural conservativism and horrible (both in substance and quantity) marketing have kept the city spinning its wheels as an afterthought to most people outside the professional class (and even among them, it seems to have the same appeal as a nice office: a good place to do business but not to hang out on the weekends, metaphorically.) For its size and class, Chicago should have a way bigger place in the cultural zeitgeist than it does. Surprise is probably the most common reaction for every first time visitor I've ever talked to.

The burgeoning film industry gaining momentum and the tech scene (more exciting than consulting and finance) expanding are the two widest avenues to try and broaden the appeal of the city. Trying to attract artists of all stripes should be a high priority if the city really wants to capture the next generation and grow the city's population. Offering tax credits for building studio space, lotteries for insanely cheap artist housing, etc. are starts. "Forcing" people from Big Ten schools to move here because they get a job in marketing isn't going to be enough to plant seeds for exponential growth, IMO. They'll just end up moving back to Minnesota or on to one of the coasts as their career blossoms. Chicago needs to become cool, and white collar jobs in legacy industries aren't cool. We need lots more small town kids moving to Chicago because it seems cool. Of course crime is the dark cloud hanging over everything, but one could argue that conservatism is the main barrier to solving that issue as well (we need more affordable housing in desirable neighborhoods, less resistance to investment in blighted ones)

It's going to take more than commercials for tourism to get the city on the map, does anyone know what the city does to try to capture attention beyond the obvious?

My girlfriend was on a work call with some people from Columbus not long ago and the topic of weather came up, the Columbus people went on at length on how they could never live in Chicago because it's so cold, how does she manage to live somewhere like "Chiberia"... anyway long story short it was colder in Columbus that day than Chicago. How do people from Columbus, OH of all places get the idea that Chicago is a wintery wasteland?

[galleyfox]

Originally Posted by Handro

My girlfriend was on a work call with some people from Columbus not long ago and the topic of weather came up, the Columbus people went on at length on how they could never live in Chicago because it's so cold, how does she manage to live somewhere like "Chiberia"... anyway long story short it was colder in Columbus that day than Chicago. How do people from Columbus, OH of all places get the idea that Chicago is a wintery wasteland?

Photography.

Most of the other famous Winter cities look more palatial and Christmas-y.

Chicago’s skyscraper core rising abruptly from the seeming frozen tundra looks stark and primeval.

Chicago
• Video Link
https://youtu.be/sasESBLgpCg

Moscow
• Video Link
https://youtu.be/rAxhaiNNfRk

[Steely Dan]

Originally Posted by Handro

How do people from Columbus, OH of all places get the idea that Chicago is a wintery wasteland?

because of the grand pecking order.

if another city has a winter that's a little bit colder and snowier than your city's winter, then you have to shit all over it and endlessly talk up its horribleness so that you can feel better about where you live.

people in atlanta shit on DC winters
people in DC shit on NYC winters
people in NYC shit on boston winters
people in boston shit on chicago winters
people in chicago shit on minneapolis winters
people in minneapolis shit on winnipeg winters
people in winnipeg are in fact just pygmy polar bears dressed in human clothing.

[IrishIllini]

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

because of the grand pecking order.

if another city has a winter that's a little bit colder and snowier than your city's winter, then you have to shit all over it and endlessly talk up its horribleness so that you can feel better about where you live.

people in atlanta shit on DC winters
people in DC shit on NYC winters
people in NYC shit on boston winters
people in boston shit on chicago winters
people in chicago shit on minneapolis winters
people in minneapolis shit on winnipeg winters
people in winnipeg are in fact just pygmy polar bears dressed in human clothing.

If it can realistically snow before Thanksgiving (and certainly on or around Halloween) you should not be shitting on anywhere for less than ideal weather. That excludes everyone but Atlanta.

I have a few friends from the NE that so regularly groan about it never being this cold in the NE and I'll just pull up the weather. If it's 32 in Chicago, it's 38 in NYC, Boston, or Philly. Warmer, but not warm.

[twister244]

I know this might sounds weird, but be careful for what you wish for. Chicago is an amazing city, and has a reputation of being an amazing city with a lot of people, just not to the degree NY/LA has. Chicago definitely needs to do a better job marketing, but Chicago should make sure it maintains the "identity", grit, and affordability that sets it apart from NY/LA.

I want Chicago to start regaining people and grow, but I don't want to see Chicago become another horribly overpriced "hip" city in America. This is basically what's happening to Denver and Austin, and it's not something you want to strive for. A good balanced approach to improving the city's image, maintaining those amazing neighborhoods in the city, while keeping it affordable for all people is what should be the goal here.

[sentinel]

Originally Posted by twister244

I know this might sounds weird, but be careful for what you wish for. Chicago is an amazing city, and has a reputation of being an amazing city with a lot of people, just not to the degree NY/LA has. Chicago definitely needs to do a better job marketing, but Chicago should make sure it maintains the "identity", grit, and affordability that sets it apart from NY/LA.

I want Chicago to start regaining people and grow, but I don't want to see Chicago become another horribly overpriced "hip" city in America. This is basically what's happening to Denver and Austin, and it's not something you want to strive for. A good balanced approach to improving the city's image, maintaining those amazing neighborhoods in the city, while keeping it affordable for all people is what should be the goal here.

This is a really excellent point, and something that I didn't think to add in my initial comment. I absolutely agree about maintaining a balance..

..maybe that's the prime marketing tactic that city leaders should use: "Chicago: the balance between the coasts."

[IrishIllini]

I think Chicago on the whole is so far from having too much growth that it's not even something we need to seriously think about. There are dozens of city neighborhoods that are criminally underpopulated with the existing infrastructure to support tens of thousands of more people literally overnight.

It's the opposite issue in a place like Denver or Austin. If the city added 300k people between today and 2030 we'd probably hardly notice. Those numbers in Denver or Austin would be and are crippling their existing infrastructure.

[left of center]

Originally Posted by twister244

I know this might sounds weird, but be careful for what you wish for. Chicago is an amazing city, and has a reputation of being an amazing city with a lot of people, just not to the degree NY/LA has. Chicago definitely needs to do a better job marketing, but Chicago should make sure it maintains the "identity", grit, and affordability that sets it apart from NY/LA.

I want Chicago to start regaining people and grow, but I don't want to see Chicago become another horribly overpriced "hip" city in America. This is basically what's happening to Denver and Austin, and it's not something you want to strive for. A good balanced approach to improving the city's image, maintaining those amazing neighborhoods in the city, while keeping it affordable for all people is what should be the goal here.

For us to "screw" up in this way would be a nearly impossible stroke of luck, lol. The city could start turning the tides on population loss and its reputation, but for hundreds of thousands of people to start moving in to the point where we lose all the "grit" on the south and west sides would literally take many decades, if ever.

I don't think Chicago has to worry about becoming "too popular". It certainly won't be a problem in our lifetimes. We have a *lot* of work ahead of us before that has a remote chance of happening.

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by left of center

For us to "screw" up in this way would be a nearly impossible stroke of luck, lol. The city could start turning the tides on population loss and its reputation, but for hundreds of thousands of people to start moving in to the point where we lose all the "grit" on the south and west sides would literally take many decades, if ever.

Pretty much. NYC added a lot of people since 2010, overall and so much construction yet the majority of the grit still remains whether it's in Brooklyn, Queens, or The Bronx. It would literally take some epic China-level growth in some cities that was previously seen to get to the level of all that being erased. Fat chance of that happening in the US right now anywhere.

[SIGSEGV]

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

because of the grand pecking order.

if another city has a winter that's a little bit colder and snowier than your city's winter, then you have to shit all over it and endlessly talk up its horribleness so that you can feel better about where you live.

people in atlanta shit on DC winters
people in DC shit on NYC winters
people in NYC shit on boston winters
people in boston shit on chicago winters
people in chicago shit on minneapolis winters
people in minneapolis shit on winnipeg winters
people in winnipeg are in fact just pygmy polar bears dressed in human clothing.

Boston winters are warmer but much snowier than Chicago. Not sure that's better...
Anyway obviously Winnipeg shits on Inuvik who shits on Yakutsk who who tries to shit but the shit freezes to their asses on the way out.