Jdrinboston
New Member
Hi all. Long time lurker here, but infrequent poster. I've enjoyed reading this thread and just wanted to add a few of my comments/observations.
First of all, I live in Boston and grew up/went to college around New York City. However, I've developed an affinity for cities over the years, especially Toronto and Montreal. I spent a few days in Toronto during the spring, and have recently returned from my first trip to Chicago, having spent 3 days there at the end of October.
While the two cities do share some similarities in topography, lakeside location, and cold weather, I have to say that from an urban perspective, I felt much more at home in Toronto. For example:
1. As large a city as Chicago is, I was shocked how quiet the downtown became after dark. I stayed in a hotel just south of Chicago River, and with the exception of some light street activity on Michigan Ave. north of the river, the downtown was virtually dead. From what I have heard about Chicago, I had expected to see Manhattan-like street activity during all hours of the day. That just wasn't the case here, and I felt it somewhat off-putting. On the contrary, I felt Toronto's sidewalks in the downtown area to still be fairly active, even after 10 p.m. I remember walking from the ACC after a Leafs game to my hotel near Younge-Dundas Square and was really surprised how many people were on the streets. These were people in addition to after-game crowd. It really made for a pleasant experience and one that allowed me to really enjoy the walk through the city. As an aside, with the exception of Wrigley Field, none of the Chicago sports arenas are well connected to the city. On the flip side, I am envious of the gathering area that has been created outside of the ACC (I believe it's called Maple Leaf Square?) I would love to have this in Boston!
2. In terms of general architecture and cultural attractions, the central district of Chicago is quite impressive. My husband and I took the architectural boat tour of the Chicago River and it was really enjoyable and provided a great education about the various architectural periods in Chicago's history. I really felt like I was in immersed in a vibrant urban environment. About an hour after the tour, we decided to go to the top of the John Hancock Tower. I ended up very disappointed when I looked about 3 blocks west of the central downtown area and could see various strip mall-type grocery stores and pharmacy's, all surrounded by parking lots. As someone who spent a lot of his childhood in NYC, this was somewhat disturbing and left me with a negative impression of the overall city, which is perhaps unfair, but you know what they say about first impressions. Our subway ride to and from Midway Airport also revealed a lot of neighborhoods replete with suburban style strip malls, restaurants, and wide streets. It's truly a very car-centric place. While I realize Toronto has its fair-share of car-centric areas, I found that they tended to be some distance from the downtown core of the city. I really enjoyed walking on King Street south through the entertainment district as I felt it really had a nice urban vibe. Also, Toronto areas that seem to be more suburban in nature appear to be giving way to more dense developments. The building boom in Toronto is a construction-junkies dream and the difference between my visit in the spring, and my first visit to Toronto as a high-school student in 1995 was palpable. I envy you for being able to watch it so close. So far, Toronto seems to be doing development the right way.
3. Chicago's subway/el system is more extensive than Toronto, but truthfully, I wasn't all that impressed. First of all, the downtown loop seems to place significant physical limits on the system, limiting the size of cars and the number of cars on the various trains. The station platforms seemed to be dangerously small and disabled access seemed to be spotty at best. And for all of the hype Chicago seems to place on their Gold Coast, Navy Pier, Millennium Park, and convention centers, their subway system really doesn't service any of those areas, at least without a 4 or 5 block walk, which for many people is off-putting. (As a Boston resident, I'm fine with walking though a 4-block Boston walk and a 4-block Chicago walk are two different things). Both airports are serviced directly by the El system, so that is a plus. While your system is not huge, I found it extremely user friendly and pleasant. I loved your new trains and the general layouts of your stations. I think the redevelopment of your Union station will be a huge asset to your station once finished. Two or three more well-placed subway lines would really do wonders for you, but you have a really nice start with what you have. I know your street cars are somewhat controversial, but FWIW, I found them completely charming and for me, somewhat iconic.
Also, as an aside, I think your island airport has the potential to be a huge asset to your city. I realize there is a controversial plan to expand the airport and while I large, international airport on that island would not be good for the city, I think some smart, well-conceived expansions/improvements could do wonders for your city's tourism and business travelers. It's really a tremendous asset to have so close to the downtown.
4. Finally, the reality is Chicago's population is on the decline while Toronto's is on the climb. In an odd intangible way, I think it's noticeable when you visit both cities. It's somewhat troubling to see so many cities in the US growing (NYC, LA, Philadelphia, Boston, Miami) while Chicago declines. While Chicago is not dependent on one industry, the city does have some Detroit tendencies in its government and finances. Toronto meanwhile seems to have a very well-rounded economy and a population of welcoming people who really enjoy living in the city. The problems with your mayor aside, I think Toronto is much better poised for the future.
First of all, I live in Boston and grew up/went to college around New York City. However, I've developed an affinity for cities over the years, especially Toronto and Montreal. I spent a few days in Toronto during the spring, and have recently returned from my first trip to Chicago, having spent 3 days there at the end of October.
While the two cities do share some similarities in topography, lakeside location, and cold weather, I have to say that from an urban perspective, I felt much more at home in Toronto. For example:
1. As large a city as Chicago is, I was shocked how quiet the downtown became after dark. I stayed in a hotel just south of Chicago River, and with the exception of some light street activity on Michigan Ave. north of the river, the downtown was virtually dead. From what I have heard about Chicago, I had expected to see Manhattan-like street activity during all hours of the day. That just wasn't the case here, and I felt it somewhat off-putting. On the contrary, I felt Toronto's sidewalks in the downtown area to still be fairly active, even after 10 p.m. I remember walking from the ACC after a Leafs game to my hotel near Younge-Dundas Square and was really surprised how many people were on the streets. These were people in addition to after-game crowd. It really made for a pleasant experience and one that allowed me to really enjoy the walk through the city. As an aside, with the exception of Wrigley Field, none of the Chicago sports arenas are well connected to the city. On the flip side, I am envious of the gathering area that has been created outside of the ACC (I believe it's called Maple Leaf Square?) I would love to have this in Boston!
2. In terms of general architecture and cultural attractions, the central district of Chicago is quite impressive. My husband and I took the architectural boat tour of the Chicago River and it was really enjoyable and provided a great education about the various architectural periods in Chicago's history. I really felt like I was in immersed in a vibrant urban environment. About an hour after the tour, we decided to go to the top of the John Hancock Tower. I ended up very disappointed when I looked about 3 blocks west of the central downtown area and could see various strip mall-type grocery stores and pharmacy's, all surrounded by parking lots. As someone who spent a lot of his childhood in NYC, this was somewhat disturbing and left me with a negative impression of the overall city, which is perhaps unfair, but you know what they say about first impressions. Our subway ride to and from Midway Airport also revealed a lot of neighborhoods replete with suburban style strip malls, restaurants, and wide streets. It's truly a very car-centric place. While I realize Toronto has its fair-share of car-centric areas, I found that they tended to be some distance from the downtown core of the city. I really enjoyed walking on King Street south through the entertainment district as I felt it really had a nice urban vibe. Also, Toronto areas that seem to be more suburban in nature appear to be giving way to more dense developments. The building boom in Toronto is a construction-junkies dream and the difference between my visit in the spring, and my first visit to Toronto as a high-school student in 1995 was palpable. I envy you for being able to watch it so close. So far, Toronto seems to be doing development the right way.
3. Chicago's subway/el system is more extensive than Toronto, but truthfully, I wasn't all that impressed. First of all, the downtown loop seems to place significant physical limits on the system, limiting the size of cars and the number of cars on the various trains. The station platforms seemed to be dangerously small and disabled access seemed to be spotty at best. And for all of the hype Chicago seems to place on their Gold Coast, Navy Pier, Millennium Park, and convention centers, their subway system really doesn't service any of those areas, at least without a 4 or 5 block walk, which for many people is off-putting. (As a Boston resident, I'm fine with walking though a 4-block Boston walk and a 4-block Chicago walk are two different things). Both airports are serviced directly by the El system, so that is a plus. While your system is not huge, I found it extremely user friendly and pleasant. I loved your new trains and the general layouts of your stations. I think the redevelopment of your Union station will be a huge asset to your station once finished. Two or three more well-placed subway lines would really do wonders for you, but you have a really nice start with what you have. I know your street cars are somewhat controversial, but FWIW, I found them completely charming and for me, somewhat iconic.
Also, as an aside, I think your island airport has the potential to be a huge asset to your city. I realize there is a controversial plan to expand the airport and while I large, international airport on that island would not be good for the city, I think some smart, well-conceived expansions/improvements could do wonders for your city's tourism and business travelers. It's really a tremendous asset to have so close to the downtown.
4. Finally, the reality is Chicago's population is on the decline while Toronto's is on the climb. In an odd intangible way, I think it's noticeable when you visit both cities. It's somewhat troubling to see so many cities in the US growing (NYC, LA, Philadelphia, Boston, Miami) while Chicago declines. While Chicago is not dependent on one industry, the city does have some Detroit tendencies in its government and finances. Toronto meanwhile seems to have a very well-rounded economy and a population of welcoming people who really enjoy living in the city. The problems with your mayor aside, I think Toronto is much better poised for the future.
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