Chicago vs New York City - Which is better?

[Pakistanian]

I'm thinkin about leaving the south in a couple years after college, lived here all my life but want a change of scenery and people. I'm lookin at either Chicago or NYC for grad school, I like both cities cause they seem progressive multicultural cities with a lot of stuff to do. For PPers that have been to both cities, which would you say is better?

 

[PetroDollars]

in terms of weather, NYC is bad and Chicago is terrible.

Everything else is quite similar, transportation is probably better in NYC, cheap but dirty otherwise if i was deciding between the two it would be down to weather considering everything else is quite similar.

 

[Pakistanian]

in terms of weather, NYC is bad and Chicago is terrible.

Everything else is quite similar, transportation is probably better in NYC, cheap but dirty otherwise if i was deciding between the two it would be down to weather considering everything else is quite similar.

What's bad about the weather? One of the reasons I wanna move is to escape the extremely hot summers and short winters. I'd also like to experience snow more often, we only get like a couple inches once a year. I like the windy weather of Chicago, but I've heard it's really dangerous there cause of the crime rate.

 

[Pakistanian]

Also all the people I've met from Chicago have been so chilled out, more than Texans or New Yorkers, they're like all zen and stuff. I'm also thinkin' about San Francisco and LA cause of the good vibes.

 

[Pakistanian]

Need advice from any PPers that have lived in either city.
[MENTION=22846]Nostalgic[/MENTION] [MENTION=138463]Slog[/MENTION] [MENTION=101410]LongHorn[/MENTION] [MENTION=137148]Rayyman[/MENTION]

 

[Da_Future_Knick]

Bro come to NY! It's amazing here and it really makes you into a strong person. If you can make it in NY, you can make it anywhere.

 

[Square Drive]

Also all the people I've met from Chicago have been so chilled out, more than Texans or New Yorkers, they're like all zen and stuff. I'm also thinkin' about San Francisco and LA cause of the good vibes.

San Fran is the best. Just coming back from there and would definitely recommend it over any other place in the US.

Chicago is decent apart from the crime rate. Downtown is a carbon-copy of Toronto though so I found it slightly boring tbh.

But Devon etc. is nice.

 

[Pakistanian]

Bro come to NY! It's amazing here and it really makes you into a strong person. If you can make it in NY, you can make it anywhere.

If you need any help with any info of NY, pm me.

That's the goal bro! I wanna make it!

Before that, tell me more about the life, the weather, the grad schools, the people, the food, the everything.

Thanks.

 

[Pakistanian]

San Fran is the best. Just coming back from there and would definitely recommend it over any other place in the US.

Chicago is decent apart from the crime rate. Downtown is a carbon-copy of Toronto though so I found it slightly boring tbh.

But Devon etc. is nice.

Yeah the Bay sounds good and they got great schools like Berkley and Stanford but it doesn't have the charm of NYC or Chi town.

 

[Square Drive]

Yeah the Bay sounds good and they got great schools like Berkley and Stanford but it doesn't have the charm of NYC or Chi town.

Berkeley's sick.

Hmm I guess if you're looking for charm then maybe not.

 

[Da_Future_Knick]

That's the goal bro! I wanna make it!

Before that, tell me more about the life, the weather, the grad schools, the people, the food, the everything.

Thanks.

The life is the best part. It's fast paced and everything just moves so fast, it takes time to let it all sink in. The lifestyle here is amazing, esp if you live in the city. You'll have to come here and check it out for yourself.

The food is pretty good, it lacks a genuine desi resurant tho. I have one in Brooklyn come visit sometime! Haha

 

[Pakistanian]

The life is the best part. It's fast paced and everything just moves so fast, it takes time to let it all sink in. The lifestyle here is amazing, esp if you live in the city. You'll have to come here and check it out for yourself.

The food is pretty good, it lacks a genuine desi resurant tho. I have one in Brooklyn come visit sometime! Haha

Man Brooklyn is super dope, at least the people are. Which borough would you say is the best?Are they like radically different?

Thanks for the offer, would love to try out New York desi food

 

[Nostalgic]

Need advice from any PPers that have lived in either city.
[MENTION=22846]Nostalgic[/MENTION] [MENTION=138463]Slog[/MENTION] [MENTION=101410]LongHorn[/MENTION] [MENTION=137148]Rayyman[/MENTION]

PPers know that one of my pet peeves is flat terrain. Neither NYC or Chicago would work for me in that regard. That said, if I had to choose, which I'm grateful I don't have to, I would go for NYC. At least the Adirondacks and the Appalachians aren't too far away. In Chicago, I would have to drive for two days to get to Montana. Illinois is the flattest state in the country.

Even otherwise, NYC would be my pick, because on most counts, it trumps (no pun intended) Chicago. While Chicago has the lake, NYC has the ocean. Chicago's downtown is actually quite a sight, it is more imposing, but NYC's is world-famous, and for good reason. And then there's the weather. While the NYC winters may intimidate someone from warmer climes, it is no match for the Midwestern cold that chills you to the bone. I endured three years in Minnesota, so I can testify to the fact that one grows weary of it very quickly. I'm not sure how important a Pakistani community is to you, but if it is, Chicago, while home to quite a few, doesn't have as many of us as NYC.

Food is a contentious topic. Thin crust vs deep dish is the perennial raging debate. There are people who've actually decided which city to move to based on just this question.

 

[Pakistanian]

PPers know that one of my pet peeves is flat terrain. Neither NYC or Chicago would work for me in that regard. That said, if I had to choose, which I'm grateful I don't have to, I would go for NYC. At least the Adirondacks and the Appalachians aren't too far away. In Chicago, I would have to drive for two days to get to Montana. Illinois is the flattest state in the country.

Even otherwise, NYC would be my pick, because on most counts, it trumps (no pun intended) Chicago. While Chicago has the lake, NYC has the ocean. Chicago's downtown is actually quite a sight, it is more imposing, but NYC's is world-famous, and for good reason. And then there's the weather. While the NYC winters may intimidate someone from warmer climes, it is no match for the Midwestern cold that chills you to the bone. I endured three years in Minnesota, so I can testify to the fact that one grows weary of it very quickly. I'm not sure how important a Pakistani community is to you, but if it is, Chicago, while home to quite a few, doesn't have as many of us as NYC.

Food is a contentious topic. Thin crust vs deep dish is the perennial raging debate. There are people who've actually decided which city to move to based on just this question.

Thanks!

Yeah I know Chicago is flat, which something I'm not a fan of but I can overlook that.. As for the Pakistani community thing, it is important to me, that's another reason why I wanna move to a bigger metropolis. I heard Chicago has a lot of Pakistanis, at least when I went there sometime back but yeah NYC sounds much better right now. Pizzas alright, not too picky about it. What city do you believe is more progressive?

 

[Da_Future_Knick]

Man Brooklyn is super dope, at least the people are. Which borough would you say is the best?Are they like radically different?

Thanks for the offer, would love to try out New York desi food

I guess it depends on what you prefer. If you wanna enjoy the city life then manhattan and Brooklyn are your best options.

If you want to stay reserved and just have a simple and enjoyful time, Long Island and Weschester are some good places. I wouldn't recommend Staten Island because of the toll and I just don't like it lol

 

[USofA]

@OP, I would say NY any day, when comparing to Chicago. NY has all the seasons and in the right amounts. Plenty of things to do, places to eat, take in the culture and arts and more importantly, plenty of opportunities to advance your career.

But it is very very expensive. Your biggest expense and problem will be housing. I know you plan to go to school, but if you work here prepare to pay taxes. And if you make it then forget it, you will be forking over half your money to the government.

 

[Hamza78]

New York batter by miles New York is the best city in the world nothing can match New York in this world

 

[kingusama92]

New York.

What better place to network and grow as a professional? It's perfect.

Personally, I'd be heading to San Franciso if given the choice. We get enough cold weather here in Toronto to last a lifetime!

 

[Imr4n_Khan]

Weather: New York
Transportation: New York (both have good transportation to get around but I think NY has better transportation)

Living cost: Chicago is cheaper to live in then New York.

Food: I probably go with Chicago. Chicago has the BIGGEST Muslim community in the USA.

School: Chicago, has the best Muslim private school then any where else in the world. The students there have the highest SAT scores then any where else. For college I would pick Colombia University which is in NY.

Overall if its just for grad school then I would pick NY but if you want to settle down and have family at the same city then I would pick Chicago. Chicago has the BEST Islamic private school that teaches about both academic and Islam. Also, it has the BIGGEST Muslim community with lot of Desi people there. The Muslim community is so big that even American restaurants have to state on the food menu weather its Halal or Harm. Summers are pleasant in Chicago but winters can be brutal.

 

[Tired]

Need advice from any PPers that have lived in either city.
[MENTION=22846]Nostalgic[/MENTION] [MENTION=138463]Slog[/MENTION] [MENTION=101410]LongHorn[/MENTION] [MENTION=137148]Rayyman[/MENTION]

Dont come bay area ... I am here for 10+ years .. too much competition ... work is challenging .. every smart one from all over the world move here , the bar keep moving up ... move to chicago for chilled life

 

[Dios]

I am looking to move to the US in a couple of years time and am considering NYC, San Francisco and Boston to move to. Chicago would be an outside contender but I've heard that there is a crime problem there.

 

[Rayyman]

NY life is great man. It's a lot less boring than Chicago and days go by really fast. The weather is amazing. Spring makes you so happy. The flowers blooming. Birds chirping. Everything comes to life in the spring. Summers are really hot for me, but you've probably experienced worse in the south. Central Park is awesome in the summer though. Autumn has best weather overall with mild weather and nice breezes. Winter isn't too bad. The temperature will drop to single digits in January, but for the most part it is from 20-50*F. You'll get a couple snowstorms in January and then one in February. These will dump around 7-20 inches of snow each. Aside from that, there's gonna be a couple of flurries, but nothing else. Chicago is pretty much the same weather-wise. It'll just be 5 degrees colder on average and be a bit windier. Chi-town usually gets a snowstorm in December too. The summers will get hotter in Chicago though because it won't get cool air from the ocean like NY. People in NY are nasty. They will curse and get up all in your face. They are very strong about their opinions and aren't shy at all. But they are friendly and it is very easy to start a conversation with someone there. Once you get to know a New Yorker, they're usually very nice. Food is very diverse in NY. Chinatown is huge and you can order Chinese takeout and have it at your door within minutes. It's very tasty too. The Arab food is my favorite with the world renown Halal Guys. BEST GYROS EVER! If you want Desi, go to Queens. They have a good Desi community and many Desi restaurants. NY pizza is unmatched. A bit expensive, but mad good. So basically Chicago sucks and NY rules.

 

[Thivagar]

I am looking to move to the US in a couple of years time and am considering NYC, San Francisco and Boston to move to. Chicago would be an outside contender but I've heard that there is a crime problem there.

San Francisco's weather is better and the winter isn't harsh. Everyone in New York and Chicago are anti-social.

 

[marlonbrowndo]

New York is way better

 

[troodon]

Crimes/Shootings/Gang Violence vs Overcrowded/Crimes/Dirty

Both are bad for a country like US. Choose smaller cities.

 

[troodon]

San Francisco's weather is better and the winter isn't harsh. Everyone in New York and Chicago are anti-social.

Visited San Franciso and it was dirty and old. I don't understand the attraction there outside of the weather.

 

[Rayyman]

Man Brooklyn is super dope, at least the people are. Which borough would you say is the best?Are they like radically different?

Thanks for the offer, would love to try out New York desi food

Queens is most diverse and has pretty good food and shopping areas. Also generally really nice people there. Brooklyn has a good downtown area and good food (pizza, hot dogs) also, but the neighborhoods are very distinct. There are both wealthy and poor parts of Brooklyn. The stereotypical "NY" accent comes from Brooklyn. It's also great for industry and has a theme park- Coney Island. Bronx is very poor compared to the others and can be confusing with the handful of bridges. Italians galore and a huge zoo. Lots of parks there as well. Manhattan is full of tourists. It's has a lot of places to eat and shop. Though it's very expensive to shop and live there. It's easy to get around Manhattan. There's Grand Central Station, taxis, and you can pretty much walk everywhere. Manhattan is good for Fashion, Business and the Arts too. There's famous theaters and restaurants there. Staten Island has a nice bridge, but that's pretty much it. The dirtiest, filthiest part of NYC.

 

[Thivagar]

Visited San Franciso and it was dirty and old. I don't understand the attraction there outside of the weather.

Never been there, my judgement was based on google and youtube. You have first hand experience.

 

[Ashraful_Rox]

New York City, the city that never sleeps. I enjoyed every moment staying in the city, I have stayed a couple of years in Bay Ridge, it's quite a safe neighborhood, dominated by Jewish, Italian, Arabs and Polish people, friendly neighborhood, mainly family, so if you are studying and don't want distraction, this is the perfect location. Great Coffee at Bagel Boy on 80th street and 3rd Avenue, there was also a running trail not to far where you can enjoy during the summer. I wouldn't recommend you staying here though as most people are quite old there, also most of my friends used to stay in Queens or Long Island.

Then I moved on to Wall Street, Manhattan, my apartment was a few minutes walk from the Bull. Boy, I had a ball, lived like a king. As one of my brother said, if you can make it in New York, you can make it anywhere, a poor man in New York is a king in Delaware. There's plenty of things to do in the city and ways to make money Best of luck brah

 

[Nostalgic]

Thanks!

Yeah I know Chicago is flat, which something I'm not a fan of but I can overlook that.. As for the Pakistani community thing, it is important to me, that's another reason why I wanna move to a bigger metropolis. I heard Chicago has a lot of Pakistanis, at least when I went there sometime back but yeah NYC sounds much better right now. Pizzas alright, not too picky about it. What city do you believe is more progressive?

I think both cities are progressive, but the Democratic party "machine" is corrupt in both cities: these are the cities that gave us Tammany Hall and the Mayors Daley, Clinton and Blagojevich, the list goes on. However, either would work as far as being a progressive, multi-cultural, liberal place, but here too, NYC is simply more multi-cultural, just because of the larger population.

Going back to geography, NYC is in the Mid-Atlantic, and within touching distance of New England, Appalachia, even the South. Chicago is in so many ways the quintessential Midwestern city, surrounded by more of the Midwest. Then there's the crime. NYC isn't free of it, no big city can ever be, but since the late 80's, they've cleaned it up enormously. We can't say the same thing about Chicago.

 

[srh]

Weather: New York
Transportation: New York (both have good transportation to get around but I think NY has better transportation)

Living cost: Chicago is cheaper to live in then New York.

Food: I probably go with Chicago. Chicago has the BIGGEST Muslim community in the USA.

School: Chicago, has the best Muslim private school then any where else in the world. The students there have the highest SAT scores then any where else. For college I would pick Colombia University which is in NY.

Overall if its just for grad school then I would pick NY but if you want to settle down and have family at the same city then I would pick Chicago. Chicago has the BEST Islamic private school that teaches about both academic and Islam. Also, it has the BIGGEST Muslim community with lot of Desi people there. The Muslim community is so big that even American restaurants have to state on the food menu weather its Halal or Harm. Summers are pleasant in Chicago but winters can be brutal.

What are the names of the best Islamic private schools in Chicago? Are you talking about elementary or middle or high schools or all combined?

In Toronto and suburbs (called GTA i.e. Greater Toronto Area) there are couple of Elementary Islamic private schools which are usually in Top 10 in the whole province of Ontario. They are: Islamic Foundation School (in Toronto and in Ajax), Iqra (in Mississauga), Olive Grove (in Mississauga).

 

[Hasan123]

New York is better

 

[Rayyman]

Level 1; NY, LA
Level 2: Chi, Mia, Hou
Level 3: Phi, Pho, Dal, SF
Level 4: Sea, Den, Det, Bos, DC
Level 5: Atl, NO, Cle, St.L, Mem

 

[Tired]

Level 1; NY, LA
Level 2: Chi, Mia, Hou
Level 3: Phi, Pho, Dal, SF
Level 4: Sea, Den, Det, Bos, DC
Level 5: Atl, NO, Cle, St.L, Mem

In terms of what ?

 

[Pakistanian]

Level 1; NY, LA
Level 2: Chi, Mia, Hou
Level 3: Phi, Pho, Dal, SF
Level 4: Sea, Den, Det, Bos, DC
Level 5: Atl, NO, Cle, St.L, Mem

Dallas doesn't feel like level 3 and H-town doesn't feel like level 2, but that maybe cause I've lived in Tx for so long.

 

[Syed1]

Neither, Toronto is better.

 

[Belawal2014]

Neither, Toronto is better.

I obviously haven't lived in Toronto and you've had the opportunity to live in both MTL and TO. Which do you prefer and why?

 

[Rayyman]

Dallas doesn't feel like level 3 and H-town doesn't feel like level 2, but that maybe cause I've lived in Tx for so long.

Cost of living. Booming of businesses. NASA. Great food. Friendly people. Texas is amazing. Of course you won't realize it.

 

[Rayyman]

In terms of what ?

Just overall greatness of US cities.

 

[Pakistanian]

Cost of living. Booming of businesses. NASA. Great food. Friendly people. Texas is amazing. Of course you won't realize it.

I'm tired of it, I wanna move.

 

[Rayyman]

I'm tired of it, I wanna move.

My family was gonna move to Texas, but then decided against it. It's so hot in Houston, my nose was bleeding every day from the heat.

 

[Pakistanian]

My family was gonna move to Texas, but then decided against it. It's so hot in Houston, my nose was bleeding every day from the heat.

That and I don't like how spread out it is, I get bored living in the suburbs. Rn I live in a college town so it's lively for most of the year, NYC appeals to me cause of the urban lifestyle.

 

[Rayyman]

That and I don't like how spread out it is, I get bored living in the suburbs. Rn I live in a college town so it's lively for most of the year, NYC appeals to me cause of the urban lifestyle.

You would have to live in Bronx or Queens for that urban feeling. Manhattan is too expensive and Brooklyn's nice areas are mostly like suburbs.

 

[Pakistanian]

You would have to live in Bronx or Queens for that urban feeling. Manhattan is too expensive and Brooklyn's nice areas are mostly like suburbs.

Where is NYU located?

 

[Syed1]

I obviously haven't lived in Toronto and you've had the opportunity to live in both MTL and TO. Which do you prefer and why?

Montreal has its own charm and beauty and is a wonderful place to live. However, Toronto is a truly cosmopolitan city and has a lot more opportunity to grow and succeed.

 

[Pakistanian]

Montreal has its own charm and beauty and is a wonderful place to live. However, Toronto is a truly cosmopolitan city and has a lot more opportunity to grow and succeed.

I'd pick MTL over TO if I had too.

 

[USofA]

Where is NYU located?

Downtown, Manhattan. Pretty vibrant area. Washington Square Park is a hub to many activities. If you are going to NYU, I believe they have dorms as part of your tuition, which means you will be living right there "on campus". NYU is unique as there is no separate campus. It is right in the city with public roads between buildings.

Union Square is also quite close. If you like the city lifestyle you will enjoy.

 

[farhan]

[MENTION=22846]Nostalgic[/MENTION]........Where in montana? i have lived in both states illinois & montana.

 

[shaz619]

It's a really tough choice because both cities have fickle internet dweeb like wrestling fans, not sure which smarks I dislike more. But I suppose Pizza must be nice in Chicago, that's supposed to be a thing right

 

[GujjarLife]

It's a really tough choice because both cities have fickle internet dweeb like wrestling fans, not sure which smarks I dislike more. But I suppose Pizza must be nice in Chicago, that's supposed to be a thing right

Chicago has the best wrestling fans. He should move there.

 

[Nostalgic]

[MENTION=22846]Nostalgic[/MENTION]........Where in montana? i have lived in both states illinois & montana.

I've never lived in Montana. I was just commenting on how you would need to drive from Illinois to Montana to see real mountains (if we ignore the Ozarks to the South, which are probably closer).

 

[Imr4n_Khan]

What are the names of the best Islamic private schools in Chicago? Are you talking about elementary or middle or high schools or all combined?

In Toronto and suburbs (called GTA i.e. Greater Toronto Area) there are couple of Elementary Islamic private schools which are usually in Top 10 in the whole province of Ontario. They are: Islamic Foundation School (in Toronto and in Ajax), Iqra (in Mississauga), Olive Grove (in Mississauga).

The name of the school is College Preparatory School of America. It is from K to 12th grade. The website is cpsaonline.com; under the achievements section check out the awards and achievements- it is very impressive. Most Islamic school are not good at non religious education but this school is top notch in both religious and non religious education.