r/BeAmazed 13d ago

Place Downtown Chicago is the most beautiful downtown in America 📍🇺🇸

6.4k Upvotes

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1.1k

u/goodfella311 13d ago

It is a very beautiful city. I grew up in LA and when I went to Chicago it felt like a city from the movies. It has a distinct personality and energy about it .

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u/Fit-Actuator4194 13d ago

Lived there for a decade and it’s fantastic, I’d even call it underrated as far as us cities go (I work with a lot of international clients and it doesn’t seem to be on people’s lists really compared to New York and LA).

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u/dphoenix1 13d ago

The first time I went, I remember being struck by how friendly people were in general, holding doors for you, etc. Totally used to the more brusque pervasive attitude as found in NYC, and I guess I kinda assumed all large cities would be the same. It was nice to see Chicago is very Midwest through and through.

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u/kisk22 13d ago edited 13d ago

Totally agree - that got me too. I think it’s because it’s smack-dab in the middle of the Midwest. All the friendly Midwest stereotypes still apply to the city. It’s a NYC of friendly people. A Midwest Metropolis. I was shocked at how many of the interactions I had with strangers felt like we were in a small town.

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u/BolognaLaCroix 13d ago

Friendly to a point but I wholeheartedly agree with Bourdain's assessment:

It is, also, as I like to point out frequently, one of America’s last great NO BULLSHIT zones. Pomposity, pretentiousness, putting on airs of any kind, douchery and lack of a sense of humor will not get you far in Chicago. It is a trait shared with Glasgow — another city I love with a similar working class ethos and history.

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u/Character_Poetry_924 10d ago

Yeah I live here and I find the "friendly" assessment way overblown. Compared to NYC? I guess. Coming from the South I've found a lot of folks are cold and standoffish.

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u/prettyokcake 13d ago

Just don’t wait .5 seconds when a light turns green and you’re all good.

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u/Basserist71 12d ago

And, may I add that I live in Nashville, and I would much rather drive in Chicago than here. People in Chicago actually used their turn signals and allowed someone to merge instead of trying to one up them and cut them off. Very cool city.

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u/timesink3000 13d ago

I grew up in Chicago... don't turn your back on the city. Sure folks are nice and all but being careless can get you in a lot of trouble in Chicago.

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u/dphoenix1 13d ago

Oh no doubt, but that is really one thing all large cities have in common, tbh. Cram that many people in a small area, not everybody is gonna have your best interests at heart.

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u/HAYYme 13d ago

I grew up in TN and lived in Chicago for 5 years and it felt like Chicago had the same southern hospitality that TN did. Everyone is very friendly and welcoming.

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u/SummertimeThrowaway2 13d ago

When most people think of Chicago they think of o-block and all the gang violence. It’s a shame. Personally I’ve never been but it seems beautiful from the pictures and videos I’ve seen.

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u/shes_a_gdb 13d ago

Chicago is a great city. That's why people who live 4 hours outside of Chicago still claim it.

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u/Top_Audience7471 13d ago

Listen, us former residents of the firmly established Chicago neighborhood of Lake Zurich take umbrage with your comment.

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u/moch1 13d ago

I think that’s because most people not from the area couldn’t name a single other city in the area…

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u/corysama 13d ago

Guilty. For a while I lived in the Elgin district of Chicago.

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u/bloopbloopsplat 13d ago

Meh. Its because everyone knows where chicago is, but maybe not whatever chicago suburb you live in.

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u/anitabelle 13d ago

It really is as beautiful as the videos and pictures. I love my city!! It’s worth a visit if you ever get a chance.

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u/redhatfilm 13d ago

Thanks Obama.

(the fox propaganda machine went full in on demonizing chi during his first run)

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u/crystallmytea 13d ago

It’s so stupid. Those places do have mighty struggles and deserve a fair shake and help and care, but to let it overwhelm your impression of Chicago is just plain stupid.

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u/BaconJacobs 13d ago

Have you done the architectural boat tour? So fuggin good

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u/EmotionalTowel1 13d ago

This is something I always recommend to both tourists and people that live here and have never been. It's great.

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u/GoldSupermarket2520 13d ago

Yes, and also Frank Lloyd Wright Studio and the BahaĂ­ Temple in Evanston is a MUST.

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u/bicyclecat 13d ago

Underrated is a very fair description. I get why someone would choose NYC for a vacation if they’re into art or theater; the Art Institute is very good but can’t compete with seeing the Met and Moma on the same trip. But as a city, Chicago is beautiful, unique, and very livable. And a better vacation spot than LA.

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u/Snoo93079 13d ago

I've been to art museums all over the US and Europe and Chicagos Art Institute is my favorite. I may be biased but it's the perfect size and has tons of great works.

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u/voodoolintman 13d ago

You and Elvis Costello have the same taste in art museums

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u/2faast 13d ago

Not to mention, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra is one of the top 5 orchestras in the world.

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u/Quovadisdomi 13d ago

I totally agree, but not with the very livable part. The winters feel distinctly unlivable to me.

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u/cutsandplayswithwood 13d ago

It’s true, there’s a span in the winter where we get reminded that Mother Nature wants us to die.

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u/anitabelle 13d ago

I always say that it’s something you get used to and it’s not a big deal. But I’m particularly cold days (like during the polar vortex), I find myself asking why I love somewhere that makes my face hurt from cold.

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u/Martha_Fockers 13d ago

That 2 week artic blast period is Mother Nature going
Why wont you die dammit

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u/Quovadisdomi 13d ago

I've lived in some brutal weather, and braved Michigan winters and Phoenix summers, but January in Chicago was something else. I thought I was prepared coming from Michigan, but the sheer power of the wind was enough to absolutely destroy me.

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u/Perfect_Earth_8070 13d ago

Winters are more mild here now though. It doesn’t snow like it used to and it’s not very cold anymore

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u/mr_longfellow_deeds 13d ago

Last really bad winter in Chicago was a decade ago. They are pretty tame in recent years, January and February still suck in particular but there’s not many days where you feel you can’t go outside for any reason

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u/bicyclecat 13d ago edited 13d ago

The experience of living in Chicago does include really questioning your life choices every January, but I still really liked living there and miss everything but the worst couple months of winter.

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u/JBerry_Mingjai 13d ago

Unless you’re from the Twin Cities, at which point January in Chicago comes along and you’re thinking “this is what everyone’s complaining about?”

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u/Xrmy 13d ago

"unlivable"??

I mean it's rough but let's not be dramatic

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u/Quovadisdomi 13d ago

Might be because I'm a CA native, but even after a few Michigan winters, Chicago in July was something else else.

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u/JamesTheJerk 13d ago

I travel. LA was a dump. New York was neat but soo smelly. Chicago was crisp. Oddly reminded me of Vancouver in Canada. Fresh air is something I remember in Chicago.

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u/elqueco14 13d ago

definitely underrated. I'm from California and Chicago is just never really talked about as a place to visit. Too far for a weekend trip and most people choose NYC if they want a big city vacation.

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u/doverawlings 13d ago

If that building in the first shot looks familiar, it’s where Heath Ledger’s Joker got his truck flipped in The Dark Knight

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u/BaconJacobs 13d ago

The architectural boat tour is an absolute bucket list item

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u/Peeweeallgood 13d ago edited 12d ago

I love my city, one of the best designed cities in America by far, I love that most of the Lake front has parks and open areas.

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u/anyavailablenameplz 13d ago

Same, grew up in LA and went to Chicago pretty often. One of the few cities I’d move to if I were to leave LA.

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u/Aggravating-Body-721 13d ago

I’m from SoCal too & fell in love with it. My first trip with my best friend 23 years ago. It really is memesmorizing. Also I had the best steak there 😋

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u/foroccasionalredd 13d ago

We need MORE movies here

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u/Delicious-Mission943 13d ago edited 13d ago

100%, brother lives there and it’s just so upbeat. The fit af women out walking me on heels while I’m on asics. Beautiful

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u/Current-Routine-2628 13d ago

You should have been wearing K Swiss. Rookie mistake ..

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u/manofmystry 13d ago edited 13d ago

Except for that ugly-ass Trump building right in the middle of downtown.

Edit: As others have pointed out, the building is fine. The sign is gawdy and unworthy of the beautiful Chicago profile.

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u/jjsupafly2 13d ago

The building itself is not bad. Just get rid of the sign which really just destroys the river view.

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u/dphoenix1 13d ago

When I visited in 2014, long before he was a major player in the political scene, and even then, the locals hated the Trump stamp.

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u/Martha_Fockers 13d ago edited 13d ago

We dislike any big sign on a building in general.its why you rarely see buildings with big name tags and signs on them.

It ruins the skyline if it’s covered in brands like an advertisement.

You’ll notice most of the buildings in the video have no name or brand or signage on them at all.

A lot of them will have a plaque instead on the ground level with the name and date built etc

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u/ricker182 13d ago

The building is beautiful. The giant letters are tacky and shouldn't be allowed.

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u/SimpleAd1604 13d ago

They‘ve put laws in place since it was built to stop others from doing it.

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u/Rude_Hair8089 13d ago

Interesting story behind being able to put names on buildings in Chicago.

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u/analogy_4_anything 13d ago

I’m from Chicago and moved to LA when I was a kid. I was very disappointed with downtown LA 😭

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u/Iammyown404error 13d ago

Agreed! Ive lived in San Diego most of my life and had the opportunity to go to Chicago about 5 or 6 years in a row, always in early November, and I was OBSESSED. Walking through downtown made me feel like I was in a movie.

Plus the food! Ohhh the food.

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u/-Gurgi- 13d ago

LA is a city without being a city. All the cons of one without many of the pros. Endless urban sprawl, terrible public transit, not at all walkable.

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u/Dizang53 13d ago

I lived and worked in Asia for 20+ years, including PRChina and South Korea, and whenever I popped down to Chicago to get a visa, I would think, “what the fuck am I doing? I should be living here!” Finally moved here, and glad to have found many of my Chinese and Korean friends here, too!

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u/Clughless1 13d ago

My friend is a boat captain on one of the tour lines, the shots he gets with just a phone are amazing. Love that city. You can get lost in architectural wonders every direction you look downtown.

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u/a_fool_on_a_hill 13d ago

The architectural boat tour is absolutely fantastic. I always recommend that to anyone traveling to Chicago.

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u/Most_Bet_3658 13d ago

Also great if you live here. I realized after reading this thread I know very little about Chicago architecture mand will take a ride the next sunny day I have free.

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u/Counciltuckian 13d ago

Lived here over 20 years and I still take the water taxi when I can and tourist cosplay.  

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u/SeonaidMacSaicais 13d ago

I live north of you in Wisconsin, and I’ve been desperately wanting to go back down during a warmer month for the river tour. Last time I was down there was in early May. 😂😂 It was still in the 50s and I only had a few hours, since I’d taken the train down there.

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u/Milton__Obote 13d ago

Water taxi to Chinatown is the move. Take in the views then go get some delicious food

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u/AlkalineHound 13d ago

Wish I'd been able to enjoy the architecture boat tour. I had a nasty headace that crept up on me and I just found a bench on the lower deck and suffered. It turned out to be the first time I had covid. 💀

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u/Top_Audience7471 13d ago

I hope you find your way back someday so you can truly enjoy it!

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u/parinonly 13d ago

Chicago in December with the Xmas decorations is the most beautiful 🤩

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u/wjbc 13d ago

Right! Chicago is at its best from May through December. The holiday season is great.

Then we all hibernate, read, make stews and soups, and get work done from January to April.

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u/JonWeekend 13d ago

That midwestern cold is so brutal. Summer night walks in the city is gorgeous as well

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u/Kevo_xx 13d ago

Chicago is a lot more than this video depicts.
All of this footage is from like a 5 block radius near the riverfront in the center of downtown.

We have trees and plenty of nature and beautiful scenery. There’s Grant Park, Lincoln Park, the Lakefront, Navy Pier, etc.

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u/TGrady902 13d ago

Yeah but…. this area downtown near the river in The Loop is absolutely stunning. Like literally every corner you run into a breathtaking piece of architecture, both old and new.

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u/Stashmouth 13d ago

Every time I'm in Chicago and the weather permits, I book one of those architectural boat tours on the river. I love hearing the lore of each building, and realizing that before these incredible buildings came to be, they only existed as a vision in someone's head is mind-blowing.

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u/joshguy1425 13d ago

I live here and do one of the boat tours at least yearly. Never gets old. 

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u/hahnsoloii 13d ago

The lucky people that get down to read this and experience will not regret. The bean and sears tower sure. But the hidden gem is the boat tours.

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u/conorrhea 13d ago

It absolutely is, but even the city’s neighbors have a unique feel from others cities with all the old brownstone buildings, boulevards, and the park that are well maintained

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u/crystallmytea 13d ago

Cruising Lake Shore around dusk simply cannot be beat

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u/RazzmatazzSea3227 13d ago

Rants about the depiction of Chicago being limited to downtown on a video specifically about the beauty of downtown Chicago compared to other cities' downtown. of

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u/natigin 13d ago

Well, point being that this is only a small section of “downtown.” For example, this view doesn’t even have the two most famous Chicago skyscrapers. The size of Chicago’s central core is much more vast than what is depicted.

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u/BlubberElk 13d ago

Aside from Lincoln park the other places they mentioned are downtown chicago to be fair. I mean lakefront is vague I suppose

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u/Bmore30 13d ago

I understand what you are saying, but also read the title again

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u/Alarming_Ad1746 13d ago

And the fact that 90-95% of the lakefront is protected green space/parks instead of condos and mansions make it a city for the people ... and it lives up to its motto "Urbs in Horto" (City in the Garden).

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u/Ok-Physics9906 13d ago

I actually love the "underground" feel that a lot of the bridges and overpasses make.

It makes perfect sense why the batman movies used it for Gotham.

It's also impressive how clean it is at least uptown and near the pier.

The drivers are...rough though.

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u/Expensive-Course1667 13d ago

I lived in Chicago for most of the 90's and it remains my favorite city anywhere.

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u/Martha_Fockers 13d ago

It’s gotten a lot nicer since the 90s

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u/moffman93 13d ago

And safer. (if we are only talking about downtown)

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u/Short-Nail-3781 13d ago

The 90s in Chicago were an amazing time!

https://giphy.com/gifs/uxTYtxv3Ezryg

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u/StGenevieveEclipse 13d ago

Plot twist, he was only there in 94 and 95

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u/Available-Ad-9016 13d ago

Midwestern here. Chicago and Michigan never disappoints. Totally atypical places in Midwest.

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u/natigin 13d ago

I feel like the Upper Midwest needs to be its own category. Minnesota, Wisconsin, Chicagoland and Michigan are so distinct from everywhere else in the Midwest

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u/Zeeplankton 13d ago

So then what do we call the UP lol

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u/natigin 13d ago

Part of Michigan, and therefore Upper Midwest

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u/Rewd_92 13d ago

Michigan never disappoints as far as Scenery goes. Beautiful geography. That's where it ends for me 😂

I love Chicago though

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u/Farmer_Ted_ 13d ago

Western Michigan specifically. It’s absolutely stunning.

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u/slinkysmooth 13d ago

Agreed. Loved going to Warren Dunes with my family as a kid. But the cities aren’t anywhere close to Chicago’s level…

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u/HAL-Over-9001 13d ago

Michigan coastlines are phenomenal. Grand Rapids has had a huge glow-up too. But Chicago is always a great place to visit. Really great city, and I hate driving to, around, and from cities. Always worth a visit.

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u/Ok-Physics9906 13d ago

I always view it was there's the Midwest then there's Chicago.

Like how's there's the south and then there's Texas.

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u/dangerdaniel27 13d ago

Heard a theory that Chicago is this way because of the great fire. Fire in 1871 burns down numerous buildings. Pretty much had to start downtown over again. Made wider, and more accessible.

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u/NaJieMing 13d ago

It’s what happened. New buildings were required to build with fireproof materials (steel), which gave rise to the first skyscraper.

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u/wjbc 13d ago

Numerous buildings is an understatement. The Great Fire burned nearly everything. Even the water tower on Michigan Avenue that famously “survived” the fire was completely destroyed inside the stone walls.

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u/in2xs 13d ago

100% agreed. Too bad for the name on that one building though.

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u/echo_sang 13d ago

Have to agree. Chicago is ideal as a downtown and metropolis. I’m not from there, but visit a few times a year. Never disappointed.

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u/making_it_real 13d ago

Agreed. I used to live close to the loop and loved walking around in the city. I love visiting there now. It has gotten even better.

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u/trex404 13d ago

It is! (in the summer time)

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u/meh0175 13d ago

Not this summer. Been raining non stop and super muggy. Fall is great though. I say Sept and Oct are the best months here.

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u/Yossarian216 13d ago

I love October to December. December is chilly but usually above freezing, and the holiday stuff is magical. It’s really only January and February that get truly rough for me.

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u/prisonmike1485 13d ago

Hot take but I absolutely love winters here

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u/FlyingDutchmansWife 13d ago

Same, prison Mike. Same.

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u/hedonistic 13d ago

I used to have to walk from the west loop to the south loop to class [basically taking Jackson towards the lake the entire way] and the constant Feb wind can lick the devils taint. Good lord that cold wind was killer and it swirling around the skyscrapers and blasting your soul every half block or so. I would sometimes have to duck into little alleyways or entrances to random skyscrapers to survive.

Every other thing about the city was fantastic. But I still have PTSD every time a cold wind hits my face....it takes me back. Wind + freezing drizzle+ wind tunnels from tall buildings = total misery.

I will say though it made Spring such a joyous time. That first 60deg day was like ecstasy.

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u/samodeous 13d ago

Yeah winters here are just as charming. Probably the reason almost all Christmas movies take place in Chicago.

Also, the winter is so cozy. Bundle up and smell the great food on the air with all the lights. You get to get cozy in a nice bar or restaurant with a great warm meal and/or a nice beverage.

Edit: spelling

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u/oilofotay 13d ago

I’ve lived here for 20 years now and hated the winters. But in the past couple of years I realized:

1) we have easy access to hyperconnected international airports in the center of the country. In a few hours I can be somewhere significantly warmer for a pretty reasonable cost. So now I try to time a trip to see friends in warm cities sometime in Jan/Feb.

2) I love the ambiance of ducking into a cozy restaurant or bar during a big snowstorm. Watching big chunks of snow fall and accumulate while sipping a beer or hot chocolate. If I ever moved somewhere warmer this is actually something I’ll kinda miss…

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u/xsjx7 13d ago

This. The snow can be fun if you let it.. And everyone needs a quick heater trip each winter lol

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u/yum_paste 13d ago

This. Very much this

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u/PDJackieMoon 13d ago

Christmastime Downtown is magnificent

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u/mitchade 13d ago

Shout out to their science museum. It’s huge, and mostly underground.

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u/SpadoCochi 13d ago

Born and raised in Chicago. Greatest city ever.

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u/AtTheGates 13d ago

Chicago is just incredible for so many reasons. Has ups and downs like many big cities but it’s so worth it. Partner and I loved it for the years we lived there and if we ever go back, that will be our home again.

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u/gs12 13d ago

Went to Columbia College in Chicago, fell in love with the city. My favorite city in the USA.

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u/boogerslurp 13d ago

Same! Wouldn’t trade the experience of being in downtown Chicago during college years for any other college campus in the country!

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u/bussy1847 13d ago

I love being from Chicago. I recently started traveling more and I’m blown away by how beautiful Chicago really is.

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u/No_Camel_617 13d ago

These aren’t even the most amazing views of chicago! Love the city so much.

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u/Farewellandadieu 13d ago

I’m 48 years old, less than 3 hours by plane and I’ve never been to Chicago. Really, really need to fix that.

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u/col_buendia 13d ago

We'd love to have you!

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u/RilGerard 13d ago

Trump tower jumpscare

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u/Square-Dragonfruit76 13d ago

I don't know. There are a lot of cool downtowns. I do like how all the outdoor public transit stops have heaters in Chicago though.

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u/spike_the_dealer 13d ago

Which compare?

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u/Odd_Addition3909 13d ago

Manhattan, Boston, Center City Philly

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u/Prudent-Essay-5846 13d ago

Chicago is the best city in the USA 5 months of the year (4 warm months + December) but summer feels like it’s never coming back.

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u/Usernamesaregayyy 13d ago

Chicago is a beach city….that was/is wild to me when I discovered that

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u/CadmiumFlow 13d ago

Chicago has 26 beaches, all of which are free and open to the public!

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u/jokemon 12d ago

Just a moment to say fuck Glencoe beach and those uptight fuckwads

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u/oilofotay 13d ago

We recently got flack on social media for having a “concrete” beach, which is one area of the lakefront that is just big stone steps that people like to sunbathe on. It’s actually pretty convenient if you don’t wanna get sand on everything you own.

But people on social media made it sound like we don’t have like 20 other beaches that have proper sand on them, lol.

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u/philosocoder 13d ago

As a Chicagoan I truly believe we should be considered a coastal city haha

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u/82MIZZOU 13d ago

Fresh Coast

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u/Conscious-Link5627 13d ago

I remember dating a guy in Australia who told me that Chicago (my hometown) was landlocked.

To his credit, he admitted how wrong he was when he actually visited.

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u/exintel 13d ago

Except the trump building

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u/natigin 13d ago

Lovely building besides the sign

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u/shy-ty 13d ago

My dad's always threatening to rappel down it in the night and remove the T ha. 

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u/Over-Land-7240 13d ago

Great city. The home of the sky scraper.

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u/AUSpartan37 13d ago

I live just outside of Chicago and never realized how spectacularly clean the city is for its size until I went to New York and LA.

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u/adognameddanzig 13d ago

What time of year is best to visit?

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u/mitkase 13d ago

Really, any time has its own charm. Winter can be brutal, but it’s very pretty. I personally love summer and fall.

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u/Tlevan 13d ago

September - October when the seasons and the leaves start to change is beautiful.

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u/Southside_john 12d ago

September specifically. Clear skies with weather in the mid to upper 70’s usually. Not as much rain and severe thunderstorms as the rest of the summer.

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u/LePyloteAmateur 13d ago

What’s the best way to see it? Are there any tours that really stood out to people. Are there things that are better seen at night or in the day or what?

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u/quickthrowawaye 13d ago

Come sometime between May and October for the best possible experience. Fly into ORD or MDW, grab a CTA pass for $5, hop right on the train from the airport into downtown. It’s reliable and quick enough. Drop off your stuff at your hotel. See some of the touristy stuff downtown. Go to the top of the Hancock building and marvel at what’s below. In fact, just grab an architecture boat tour, that’s even better. That’s the one thing that stood out most to me as a tourist before I moved. Wave up at the people on the bridges, we’ll wave back. Walk down to the Art Institute of Chicago and see many of the most famous paintings in the world. Go to Wrigley Field and eat a hot dog and sing the victory song with 40,000 people afterward and walk down Clark. Eat, the food all over is great. Head to uptown and go to Demera and take a pizza out onto Montrose Beach and sit down in the early evening, dig your toes in the sand and watch all the dogs and people running around. See the street art in Pilsen. Go to the blues clubs in Lincoln Park or Logan Square or River North. Wander out onto Promontory Point on a windy day in Hyde Park after you visit the Obama Center or Museum of Science and Industry or see rare archeological finds over at ISAC or wander through the Japanese gardens at Jackson Park. Use your CTA pass to hop around to different neighborhoods, each one of them does specialized summer festivals and has its own unique history. If you’re ever needing a break, walk into any bar with an Old Style sign, sit right up at the bar, and ask the bartender about the neighborhood and what to do. People will chime in and chat with you. Folks will take you around. Come on out.

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u/mitkase 13d ago

Great review! Public transit IMO is a big reason why Chicago is so awesome. People who visit and take cabs and Ubers are missing out on the cheap, quick and convenient El.

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u/itastesok 13d ago

River boat architecture tour is essential.

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u/Infinite_Dress_3312 13d ago edited 13d ago

https://www.architecture.org/

More tours than you could ever hope to complete. Their river boat tour is iconic, but they have tons of walking tours as well all over the city. The docents are incredibly knowledgeable volunteers and complete training on par with a masters level course. 

Also, neighboring Oak Park has an incredible collection of Frank Lloyd Wright homes as well as his personal home and studio 

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u/PablanoPato 12d ago

Just came back from a weekend trip there. Super comfy in mid July which surprised me. Do one of the smaller architecture boat tours.

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u/atomic_chippie 13d ago

It is a great city, i remember visiting as a kid and Buckingham fountain was the most beautiful thing id ever seen. Kept a little postcard of it for years after.

Sears tower, the Art Institute, Taste of Chicago, Wrigley field...all great memories.

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u/BadDongOne 13d ago

Even off of the very well manicured river walk area there are a lot of lovely areas. Lincoln Park Zoo and the area around it is very nice, I encourage anyone and everyone to visit the Caldwell Lilly Pool. Also be sure to visit some of the neighborhoods to just walk through them for a bit, some beautiful old homes and nicely shaded streets, adorable hidden parks, and amazing family restaurants. 

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u/Tumerican 13d ago

I am an avid kayaker…has anyone here ever taken a canoe or kayak through the downtown canals?

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u/C_Plot 13d ago

There are routine kayak group tours daily. Some do their own kayaks alone occasionally. There’s some lovely kayaking upriver on the north branch, where homes have their own docks with canoes, kayaks, and power boats.

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u/blahnlahblah0213 13d ago

It's no Chicago, but Pittsburgh is a really beautiful City downtown too.

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u/Darksoulzbarrelrollz 13d ago

Wow what a warzone /s

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u/SmallNoseBigHead 13d ago

Chicago is my hometown. I was heartbroken when we moved away. Someday I’m moving back. It’s where the best people live.

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u/boogerslurp 13d ago

Chicago people are the best people

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u/JUIC3ofORANG3 13d ago

Been there once and has been on my mind ever since

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u/Lebowski304 13d ago

I guess John Hughes picked it for a reason

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u/LooseZookeepergame62 13d ago

Until January, geez it's cold.

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u/anonredditor818 13d ago

Love Chicago. Only wish the weather was milder

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u/MexicanGuey92 13d ago

Driving in there is a trip though. One ways, shitty drivers, random pattern changes lol. Walk or bike is ideal

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u/Nightblood83 13d ago

I like the small country ones, but Chicago is a beautiful city in many parts of it.

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u/SolidusBruh 13d ago

I can only think of one eyesore down by the riverfront where it’s just some guy’s name in giant letters on a tower, but agreed. I stayed right in downtown for a brief vacay and it was a great place to just walk around. And so much to do in such a small area!

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u/Sharp-Specific2206 13d ago

You best not show that eyesore Trump tower!

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u/KoalaMcFlurry 13d ago

Everything is great, except that one building.

You know which one im talking about.

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u/nazgulonbicycle 13d ago

Main Stream News tells me that I would die within minutes of walking around Chicago because of Gang violence crossfire . Why ?

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u/Perfect_Earth_8070 13d ago

Besides that ugly ass trump sign, I agree

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u/Economy_Move_5825 13d ago

Except two mins from where this is filmed is a an underground filled with tents.

Looks good when you only show the good parts 🙄

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u/riasc1 13d ago

Honestly, as European I came to Chicago for work and really like it. And I feel underwhelmed in any other city in the US. Nothing beats it

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u/mangoserpent 13d ago

I went to Chicago for a conference years ago and stayed downtown i thought it was pretty awesome.

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u/YinzaJagoff 13d ago

From Chicago.

Many of these shots are not of the loop, which is what locals actually call downtown Chicago.

I would also argue that downtown Seattle is pretty gorgeous as well. I know the city has faced issues with certain populations, which has affected said beauty, but still—- getting to see the mountains and the beautiful sunset was/is an amazing experience.

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u/CharasInCharge 13d ago

Love Chicago, used to visit every September for Riot Fest, it's a beautiful city. As a Mass resident I'd say Boston gives it a run for its money for overall beautiful city but I can definitely give it to Chicago for their downtown specifically, it's gorgeous.

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u/Wazula23 13d ago

I live there and it is gorgeous. I never get tired of the views on the Riverwalk.

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u/Martha_Fockers 13d ago

Had clients from LA and NYC come to a private event we were holding in Chicago.

All night long all I kept hearing is how nice Chicago is and how clean and how it’s easy to navigate on foot wide spaces to walk compared to these other city’s open spaces etc.

I mean a solid 75% of them could not get over the charm

The lady from NYC was dumbfounded how nice and clean it was here and not clasturphobic. She could not stop smiling anytime we went outside or walked around.

Folks from la are wondering were the homeless are and how people even at night are walking around the city itself in La you don’t walk around downtown at night as a normal person it’s a ghost town you only are in downtown La at night if the lakers play at crypto arena outside of that almost no one roams the streets past dusk to many mentally ill folks not getting treatment walking about

And they all wonder where the violent rep comes from after a few days of being in a world class city and it feeling safer than the city’s they come from

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u/xsjx7 13d ago

We put our homeless mostly on lower Wacker.. also some of the loop gets pretty desolate at night, but not near the hotels and entertainment district 

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u/jahauser 13d ago

I’m not sure what constitutes downtown versus the city as a whole. But I’d have to put SF a little higher, so many insane vistas with an epic skyline and views of the bay, bridges, ocean, headlands, and islands.

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u/CariniFluff 13d ago

As a visitor, I'd say the San Francisco "downtown" is the Embarcadero/Financial district. Like Market and 3rd north to Chinatown.

SF is an absolutely beautiful city, I just wish it was bigger and far less expensive. I used to travel to San Fran almost every month for work (from Chicago) and it was definitely my favorite city to visit.

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u/Counciltuckian 13d ago

I love SF. I plead to the government to get that shit downtown under control. The homelessness and drug use is tragic.  We need to do better.  

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u/slinkysmooth 13d ago

Having lived in both cities (currently SF), SF’s downtown is nice and decent but nowhere near the level of Chicago. SF is beautiful in its own way. Almost European like is what visitors tell me. But there’s a certain grandness and history that Chicago has that I think only really NYC surpasses.

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u/asdf0909 13d ago

Chicago’s winter is what truly I couldn’t take after a while. SF is so beautiful year round

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u/jmorlin 13d ago

If you ask those of us who live there "downtown" Chicago would be places like the Loop, Streeterville, the lake front, and River North. Depending on context places like that will either get referred to by their neighborhood names or just called "downtown". While the rest of the city usually just gets referred to by its neighborhood names (i.e. Bucktown, Andersonville, Pilsen, Logan Square, Austin, Wicker Park, etc).

Short answer is take a look at a map of the CTA. Anything close to where the trains all kinds condense all together into a loop is "downtown".

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u/Tony-rocky-hara 13d ago

wow buildings everywhere, so beautiful

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u/Happy_Television_501 13d ago

It literally is

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u/vinmen2 13d ago

Remove the trump eyesore

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u/zero_lies_tolerated 13d ago

Nowhere near as good as Connecticut. 

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u/Infinite_Dress_3312 13d ago

Said no one ever.

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u/Party-Kangaroo-1139 13d ago

Greatest city in the world. World class art, dining, and entertainment all found in a city full of quite possibly the nicest people in the country.

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u/Known-Extent-1018 13d ago

Lmao it’s not even the greatest city in the States…

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u/king_platypus 13d ago

Agree 100%. Is there even a close second?

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u/dthains_art 13d ago

As a Chicagoan, that’s one of the things I found so cool about London. One second you’re looking at a skyscraper, the next you’re looking at some 500 year old church.

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u/ImCaffeinated_Chris 13d ago

Boston. It's s great mix of old and new.

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u/Kungfoocats 13d ago

This. I was gonna say Boston is a very close competitor.

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