Better city: Chicago or Boston?

[compact5]

Which city do you believe has a more dynamic social environment?

[prospect]

Chicago is one of the great cities in the US.  Boston is an over the hill TTT.

[elocomotive]

Push.

[Abevigoda]

Actually, both are brilliant cities.  I live in Chicago and just returned from Boston visiting schools last weekend, and was enthralled by Boston.  That being said, Chicago is still better.

[GoHuskies05]

This isn't even close.  Boston is a sweet city with a lot going for it.  I go up there to visit at least a couple times a year.  However, Chicago is Chicago.  It's probably the best city in America.  You basically have a smaller version of NYC (in terms of city amenities), but with Lake Michigan's beach front, friendlier people, and cheaper living. 

[prospect]

Not to hijack, but Chicago is 3rd at most. 1) SF, 2) NYC....Boston, on the other hand, might as well be Philly.

[GoHuskies05]

Not to hijack, but Chicago is 3rd at most. 1) SF, 2) NYC....Boston, on the other hand, might as well be Philly.

SF is a sweet city.  I can understand people liking SF more than Chicago.  Same goes for NYC.  I'm just not one of those people.  Chicago is a better city than either.  The people are better in Chicago than in either of the other cities.  The city has a lot of heart, which I can't say about SF.  Many New Yorkers live in NYC to say they live there, which is a poor reason.  They like the prestige of saying they're a New Yorker.  Those are nitpicky reasons to putdown a city, but I'm not saying Chicago is way better than NYC or SF, just that it's better.

[prospect]

I will not argue against Chicago, but I disagree with your statements regarding both SF & NYC.  SF definitely has a lot of heart & if you like midwesterners, there are tons there.  NYC is the one place where people live there because they are truly in love with the city, in almost a romantic way, not just because they are from there.

I think there are other factors that put these two over Chicago, the main one being that these are the two world class cities in the US.

[GoHuskies05]

I will not argue against Chicago, but I disagree with your statements regarding both SF & NYC.  SF definitely has a lot of heart & if you like midwesterners, there are tons there.  NYC is the one place where people live there because they are truly in love with the city, in almost a romantic way, not just because they are from there.

I think there are other factors that put these two over Chicago, the main one being that these are the two world class cities in the US.

There are a lot of New Yorkers with a serious unjustified chip on their shoulder, that only comes from being a New Yorker.  People somehow think they're all tough because they can say they're from NY.  It's a joke.  The city is great, but most New Yorkers lack the class reflex. 

San Fran is just too artsy and political (in a bad way, tons of wimpy protests that get you nowhere) to have heart.  Chicago also has these people, but they don't take over the city.  I love SF.  It's one of my favorite cities, but I don't get the community feel like I do in Chicago.  Where is the huge city wide festival on St. Patty's day?  When do 1 million people show up at the taste of Chicago?  Oh wait SF doesn't have 1 million people.  It's just not on the same level. 

Finally, to say that SF is world class and Chicago is not is ludicrous.  Travel around the world.  People think of NYC and LA.  The only real world class city is NYC, but this is due to finance.  The financial capitals of the world are NYC, Tokyo, Hong Kong, and London, and these are the cities generally thought of as world class.  U.S. secondary finance captials are Chicago, SF, and Boston. 

[KatieLady]

I find Philadelphia to be a really charming place.  A world-class museum and a fantastic university are countered, however, with less-than-stellar public transportation.  The only things I really dislike about Boston arethe sky-high rent and (although I am a Sox fan) the fanatical mood that surrounds the sports world there.  To wit: It is virtually socially unacceptable to go to a bar in March and not be able to discuss the Sox's spring training schedule.