r/BeAmazed • u/Super-Stevie117 • Aug 15 '26
Place Downtown Chicago is the most beautiful downtown in America đđşđ¸
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u/goodfella311 Aug 15 '26
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 Aug 15 '26
Lived there for a decade and itâs fantastic, Iâd even call it underrated as far as us cities go (I work with a lot of international clients and it doesnât seem to be on peopleâs lists really compared to New York and LA).
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u/dphoenix1 Aug 15 '26
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 Aug 15 '26 edited Aug 15 '26
Totally agree - that got me too. I think itâs because itâs smack-dab in the middle of the Midwest. All the friendly Midwest stereotypes still apply to the city. Itâs 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 Aug 16 '26
Friendly to a point but I wholeheartedly agree with Bourdain's assessment:
It is, also, as I like to point out frequently, one of Americaâs 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 Glasgowâââanother city I love with a similar working class ethos and history.
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u/Character_Poetry_924 Aug 18 '26
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 Aug 15 '26
Just donât wait .5 seconds when a light turns green and youâre all good.
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u/Basserist71 Aug 16 '26
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 Aug 15 '26
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 Aug 15 '26
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 Aug 15 '26
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 Aug 15 '26
When most people think of Chicago they think of o-block and all the gang violence. Itâs a shame. Personally Iâve never been but it seems beautiful from the pictures and videos Iâve seen.
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u/shes_a_gdb Aug 15 '26
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 Aug 15 '26
Listen, us former residents of the firmly established Chicago neighborhood of Lake Zurich take umbrage with your comment.
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u/moch1 Aug 16 '26
I think thatâs because most people not from the area couldnât name a single other city in the areaâŚ
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u/corysama Aug 15 '26
Guilty. For a while I lived in the Elgin district of Chicago.
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u/bloopbloopsplat Aug 16 '26
Meh. Its because everyone knows where chicago is, but maybe not whatever chicago suburb you live in.
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u/anitabelle Aug 15 '26
It really is as beautiful as the videos and pictures. I love my city!! Itâs worth a visit if you ever get a chance.
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u/redhatfilm Aug 15 '26
Thanks Obama.
(the fox propaganda machine went full in on demonizing chi during his first run)
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u/crystallmytea Aug 15 '26
Itâs 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 Aug 15 '26
Have you done the architectural boat tour? So fuggin good
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u/EmotionalTowel1 Aug 15 '26
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 Aug 15 '26
Yes, and also Frank Lloyd Wright Studio and the BahaĂ Temple in Evanston is a MUST.
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u/bicyclecat Aug 15 '26
Underrated is a very fair description. I get why someone would choose NYC for a vacation if theyâre into art or theater; the Art Institute is very good but canât 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 Aug 15 '26
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/2faast Aug 16 '26
Not to mention, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra is one of the top 5 orchestras in the world.
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u/Quovadisdomi Aug 15 '26
I totally agree, but not with the very livable part. The winters feel distinctly unlivable to me.
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u/cutsandplayswithwood Aug 15 '26
Itâs true, thereâs a span in the winter where we get reminded that Mother Nature wants us to die.
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u/anitabelle Aug 15 '26
I always say that itâs something you get used to and itâs not a big deal. But Iâm 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 Aug 15 '26
That 2 week artic blast period is Mother Nature going
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u/Quovadisdomi Aug 15 '26
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 Aug 15 '26
Winters are more mild here now though. It doesnât snow like it used to and itâs not very cold anymore
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u/mr_longfellow_deeds Aug 16 '26
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 thereâs not many days where you feel you canât go outside for any reason
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u/bicyclecat Aug 15 '26 edited Aug 15 '26
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 Aug 15 '26
Unless youâre from the Twin Cities, at which point January in Chicago comes along and youâre thinking âthis is what everyoneâs complaining about?â
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u/Xrmy Aug 15 '26
"unlivable"??
I mean it's rough but let's not be dramatic
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u/Quovadisdomi Aug 15 '26
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 Aug 16 '26
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 Aug 15 '26
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 Aug 15 '26
If that building in the first shot looks familiar, itâs where Heath Ledgerâs Joker got his truck flipped in The Dark Knight
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u/BaconJacobs Aug 15 '26
The architectural boat tour is an absolute bucket list item
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u/Peeweeallgood Aug 15 '26 edited Aug 16 '26
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 Aug 15 '26
Same, grew up in LA and went to Chicago pretty often. One of the few cities Iâd move to if I were to leave LA.
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u/Aggravating-Body-721 Aug 15 '26
Iâm 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 đ
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u/Delicious-Mission943 Aug 15 '26 edited Aug 15 '26
100%, brother lives there and itâs just so upbeat. The fit af women out walking me on heels while Iâm on asics. Beautiful
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u/manofmystry Aug 15 '26 edited Aug 15 '26
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 Aug 15 '26
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 Aug 15 '26
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 Aug 15 '26 edited Aug 15 '26
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 itâs covered in brands like an advertisement.
Youâll 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 Aug 15 '26
The building is beautiful. The giant letters are tacky and shouldn't be allowed.
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u/SimpleAd1604 Aug 15 '26
Theyâve put laws in place since it was built to stop others from doing it.
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u/Iammyown404error Aug 16 '26
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/analogy_4_anything Aug 15 '26
Iâm from Chicago and moved to LA when I was a kid. I was very disappointed with downtown LA đ
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u/-Gurgi- Aug 15 '26
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/Clughless1 Aug 15 '26
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 Aug 15 '26
The architectural boat tour is absolutely fantastic. I always recommend that to anyone traveling to Chicago.
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u/Most_Bet_3658 Aug 15 '26
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 Aug 15 '26
Lived here over 20 years and I still take the water taxi when I can and tourist cosplay. Â
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u/SeonaidMacSaicais Aug 15 '26
I live north of you in Wisconsin, and Iâve 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. đđ It was still in the 50s and I only had a few hours, since Iâd taken the train down there.
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u/Milton__Obote Aug 15 '26
Water taxi to Chinatown is the move. Take in the views then go get some delicious food
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u/AlkalineHound Aug 15 '26
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. đ
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u/parinonly Aug 15 '26
Chicago in December with the Xmas decorations is the most beautiful đ¤Š
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u/wjbc Aug 15 '26
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 Aug 16 '26
That midwestern cold is so brutal. Summer night walks in the city is gorgeous as well
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u/Kevo_xx Aug 15 '26
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. Thereâs Grant Park, Lincoln Park, the Lakefront, Navy Pier, etc.
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u/TGrady902 Aug 15 '26
Yeah butâŚ. 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 Aug 15 '26
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 Aug 15 '26
I live here and do one of the boat tours at least yearly. Never gets old.Â
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u/hahnsoloii Aug 16 '26
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 Aug 15 '26
It absolutely is, but even the cityâs 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/RazzmatazzSea3227 Aug 15 '26
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 Aug 15 '26
Well, point being that this is only a small section of âdowntown.â For example, this view doesnât even have the two most famous Chicago skyscrapers. The size of Chicagoâs central core is much more vast than what is depicted.
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u/BlubberElk Aug 15 '26
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/Alarming_Ad1746 Aug 16 '26
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 Aug 15 '26
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 Aug 15 '26
I lived in Chicago for most of the 90's and it remains my favorite city anywhere.
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u/dangerdaniel27 Aug 15 '26
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 Aug 15 '26
Itâs 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 Aug 15 '26
Numerous buildings is an understatement. The Great Fire burned nearly everything. Even the water tower on Michigan Avenue that famously âsurvivedâ the fire was completely destroyed inside the stone walls.
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u/Available-Ad-9016 Aug 15 '26
Midwestern here. Chicago and Michigan never disappoints. Totally atypical places in Midwest.
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u/natigin Aug 15 '26
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/Rewd_92 Aug 15 '26
Michigan never disappoints as far as Scenery goes. Beautiful geography. That's where it ends for me đ
I love Chicago though
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u/slinkysmooth Aug 15 '26
Agreed. Loved going to Warren Dunes with my family as a kid. But the cities arenât anywhere close to Chicagoâs levelâŚ
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u/HAL-Over-9001 Aug 15 '26
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 Aug 15 '26
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/echo_sang Aug 15 '26
Have to agree. Chicago is ideal as a downtown and metropolis. Iâm not from there, but visit a few times a year. Never disappointed.
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u/making_it_real Aug 15 '26
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 Aug 15 '26
It is! (in the summer time)
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u/meh0175 Aug 15 '26
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 Aug 15 '26
I love October to December. December is chilly but usually above freezing, and the holiday stuff is magical. Itâs really only January and February that get truly rough for me.
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u/prisonmike1485 Aug 15 '26
Hot take but I absolutely love winters here
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u/hedonistic Aug 15 '26
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 Aug 15 '26
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 Aug 15 '26
Iâve 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 Iâll kinda missâŚ
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u/xsjx7 Aug 15 '26
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/AtTheGates Aug 15 '26
Chicago is just incredible for so many reasons. Has ups and downs like many big cities but itâs 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 Aug 15 '26
Went to Columbia College in Chicago, fell in love with the city. My favorite city in the USA.
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u/boogerslurp Aug 16 '26
Same! Wouldnât 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 Aug 15 '26
I love being from Chicago. I recently started traveling more and Iâm blown away by how beautiful Chicago really is.
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u/No_Camel_617 Aug 15 '26
These arenât even the most amazing views of chicago! Love the city so much.
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u/Farewellandadieu Aug 15 '26
Iâm 48 years old, less than 3 hours by plane and Iâve never been to Chicago. Really, really need to fix that.
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u/Square-Dragonfruit76 Aug 15 '26
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/Prudent-Essay-5846 Aug 15 '26
Chicago is the best city in the USA 5 months of the year (4 warm months + December) but summer feels like itâs never coming back.
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u/Usernamesaregayyy Aug 15 '26
Chicago is a beach cityâŚ.that was/is wild to me when I discovered that
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u/oilofotay Aug 15 '26
We recently got flack on social media for having a âconcreteâ beach, which is one area of the lakefront that is just big stone steps that people like to sunbathe on. Itâs actually pretty convenient if you donât wanna get sand on everything you own.
But people on social media made it sound like we donât have like 20 other beaches that have proper sand on them, lol.
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u/philosocoder Aug 15 '26
As a Chicagoan I truly believe we should be considered a coastal city haha
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u/Conscious-Link5627 Aug 15 '26
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 Aug 15 '26
Except the trump building
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u/natigin Aug 15 '26
Lovely building besides the sign
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u/shy-ty Aug 15 '26
My dad's always threatening to rappel down it in the night and remove the T ha.Â
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u/AUSpartan37 Aug 15 '26
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 Aug 15 '26
What time of year is best to visit?
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u/mitkase Aug 15 '26
Really, any time has its own charm. Winter can be brutal, but itâs very pretty. I personally love summer and fall.
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u/Tlevan Aug 15 '26
September - October when the seasons and the leaves start to change is beautiful.
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u/Southside_john Aug 16 '26
September specifically. Clear skies with weather in the mid to upper 70âs usually. Not as much rain and severe thunderstorms as the rest of the summer.
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u/LePyloteAmateur Aug 15 '26
Whatâs 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 Aug 15 '26
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. Itâs 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 whatâs below. In fact, just grab an architecture boat tour, thatâs even better. Thatâs the one thing that stood out most to me as a tourist before I moved. Wave up at the people on the bridges, weâll 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 youâre 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 Aug 15 '26
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/Infinite_Dress_3312 Aug 15 '26 edited Aug 15 '26
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.Â
Also, neighboring Oak Park has an incredible collection of Frank Lloyd Wright homes as well as his personal home and studioÂ
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u/PablanoPato Aug 16 '26
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 Aug 15 '26
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 Aug 15 '26
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.Â
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u/Tumerican Aug 15 '26
I am an avid kayakerâŚhas anyone here ever taken a canoe or kayak through the downtown canals?
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u/C_Plot Aug 15 '26
There are routine kayak group tours daily. Some do their own kayaks alone occasionally. Thereâs 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 Aug 15 '26
It's no Chicago, but Pittsburgh is a really beautiful City downtown too.
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u/SmallNoseBigHead Aug 15 '26
Chicago is my hometown. I was heartbroken when we moved away. Someday Iâm moving back. Itâs where the best people live.
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u/MexicanGuey92 Aug 15 '26
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 Aug 15 '26
I like the small country ones, but Chicago is a beautiful city in many parts of it.
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u/SolidusBruh Aug 15 '26
I can only think of one eyesore down by the riverfront where itâs just some guyâs 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/KoalaMcFlurry Aug 15 '26
Everything is great, except that one building.
You know which one im talking about.
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u/nazgulonbicycle Aug 15 '26
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/Economy_Move_5825 Aug 15 '26
Except two mins from where this is filmed is a an underground filled with tents.
Looks good when you only show the good parts đ
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u/riasc1 Aug 15 '26
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 Aug 15 '26
I went to Chicago for a conference years ago and stayed downtown i thought it was pretty awesome.
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u/YinzaJagoff Aug 15 '26
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 stillâ- getting to see the mountains and the beautiful sunset was/is an amazing experience.
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u/CharasInCharge Aug 15 '26
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 Aug 15 '26
I live there and it is gorgeous. I never get tired of the views on the Riverwalk.
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u/Martha_Fockers Aug 15 '26
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 itâs easy to navigate on foot wide spaces to walk compared to these other cityâs 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 donât walk around downtown at night as a normal person itâs 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 cityâs they come from
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u/xsjx7 Aug 15 '26
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 districtÂ
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u/jahauser Aug 15 '26
Iâm not sure what constitutes downtown versus the city as a whole. But Iâd 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 Aug 15 '26
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 Aug 15 '26
I love SF. I plead to the government to get that shit downtown under control. The homelessness and drug use is tragic. Â We need to do better. Â
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u/slinkysmooth Aug 15 '26
Having lived in both cities (currently SF), SFâs 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 thereâs a certain grandness and history that Chicago has that I think only really NYC surpasses.
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u/asdf0909 Aug 15 '26
Chicagoâs winter is what truly I couldnât take after a while. SF is so beautiful year round
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u/jmorlin Aug 16 '26
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/Party-Kangaroo-1139 Aug 15 '26
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 Aug 15 '26
Lmao itâs not even the greatest city in the StatesâŚ
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u/king_platypus Aug 15 '26
Agree 100%. Is there even a close second?
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u/dthains_art Aug 15 '26
As a Chicagoan, thatâs one of the things I found so cool about London. One second youâre looking at a skyscraper, the next youâre looking at some 500 year old church.
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