r/BeAmazed • u/Super-Stevie117 • Aug 15 '26

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

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u/Fit-Actuator4194 Aug 15 '26

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 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 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 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 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 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/thomasplanter Aug 20 '26

Seriously. I’m from Chicago and now live in LA and I think people are way nicer on the west coast. I do miss home dearly sometimes though