10) While LA's Silversun Pickups can't seem to shed the Smashing Pumpkins comparisons despite releasing a record -- "Carnavas" -– that tops anything Billy Corgan's done since Siamese Dream, the only think rockin' in Chicago these days is the back seat of R. Kelly's stretch Benz.
9) Ex-Illinois Governor George Ryan may be headed to jail for his activities as a corrupt, crony-lovin' highway-to-nowhere-building Republican, but he at least had the foresight to impose a moratorium on executions to ensure some love and protection in the clink. Will Arnold follow suit (as far as striking the CA death penalty, that is)?
8) Avocados grow on trees, but pizza does not. And nowhere in LA does the imitation Chi-town style deep dish pizzas come close to the real thing (But UPS comes thru -- thanks, Brown).
(photo courtesy Piero's Pizza.)
7) In LA it's cold when it's 70 and hot when it's 80. Average high temp in Chicago, summer: 82 degrees (and humid)! Average low temp in Chicago, January: 18 degrees.
6) Smoking's been banned in California restaurants for nearly a decade, and it's been ten years since prop 215 legalized the use of medical marijuana. In Chicago, you can still smoke "at the bar," but you can't eat foie gras and now trans fats may officially be on the outs.
5) Da Bears. Not just mustachioed coaches named Ditka and linemen named Grabowski, but a bonafide, card-carrying member of the National Football League. (da bears photo via journerdism)
4) Chicago shored up its not-much-better-than-LA public bus system by widening the seats on its buses to accommodate heavier, uhh.... clothing. For drivers, cell phone use (sans headset) has been banned since mid 2005... coming mid '08 to the state of CA, and trust me... I feel no safer trying to send text messages when I'm afraid to put the phone to my ear.
3) Chicago's Millennium Park forever changed the city's landscape even if it opened 5 years late and hundreds of millions of dollars over budget. 
If the same happens with Grand Ave. Intervention and Villaraigosa's "greenification" plans… it will be well worth it. Same may be true for Tony V's LAUSD reform ambitions. Chicago Public Schools aren't perfect, but are considerably better off than they were prior to Mayor Daley's takeover (generally speaking).
2) Chicago may be an island amid a flat desert of soybean and corn farms compared to Los Angeles -- a Mediterranean-like wonder on the Pacific with its varied climate zones and dramatic topography. But Chicago does have beaches, and by late summer Lake Michigan's water temperature is often warmer than the Malibu shores. But both cities suffer from frequent beach closures due to such unnatural nasties as E. coli, sewage, and bad pipes (yeah, and Vince Vaughn singing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" -- he's no Harry).
1) Got wheels? Nobody walks in Chicago either.
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Wait, nobody walks in Chicago? Do you know ANYTHING about Chicago? I routinely walk to work, walk to the drugstore, walk to the El, walk to bars and walk to the grocery store. As a matter of fact, I don't even own a car. And many of my friends don't own cars either. It takes me 20 minutes to get to work on the bus. That's because, unlike L.A., we have a decent, comprehensive public transit system that actually goes useful places in a timely fashion. And owning a car isn't essential. I think you guys ought to spend a little more time here in Chicago and revise your list.
Ummm....you must be joking. Silversun Pickups are damn good, but if you think their album is better than Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, you much either be on crack or have mild mental retardation.
I would update your comment with "since MCIS"...which is still an argument, but at least more reasonable.
ooops...
much = must :-)
I walk or take the train pretty much everywhere in chicago.
also, what brought this article about?
Yeah, I'm with Jason. Comparing SS Pickups to Corgan is ridiculous. At least compare new bands with new bands and old bands with old bands. Like, Wilco vs. RHCP or something. Artists almost always go solo & taper off... Are you guys gonna rip on Manchester by comparing Morrissey to Peaches?
L.A. is far better represented by 400 Blows and Autolux anyway. I like how LAist talks shit about other cities, but this list is embarrassing.
RE: #1
Only in the suburbs is this true. In the city, not so much.
Have you ever even been to Chicago?
I lived in Ukranian Village from 2000-2005. Born in the city and raised in suburbs.
I stand corrected - people do walk in Chicago and by no means do I mean to take away from that, especially with the approaching season of frigidity...
You seem to forget that we're usually too busy comparing ourselves to New York to give a crap about LA.
A rebuttal, dears.
i agree with rob and other commenters - i don't own a car either. i rely on the CTA and my own two legs to get around this fair city.
(and nmpkm - touche. too true.)
You seem to forget that we're usually too busy comparing ourselves to New York to give a crap about LA.
Sad but true^
Comparing mass transit and walking in L.A. to Chicago? I don't think he's been to Chicago, L.A. or Earth.
Even as a proud resident of Chicago, I find Chicago's public transit way overrated (mostly due to lack of trains/subways [since subway systems are far more flexible in navigating through any city than elevated] and overreliance on busses). I honestly believe if the train system was more comprehensive (with more subways), it would be a much closer "Second City" to NYC than how it's been known in the past.
That said, with LA being arguably the worst automobile-based culture in the country, your #1 point about people not walking in either city is ludicrous.
I think it's cute how you people in LA think you're a real city, when we all know you are just a clogged, overgrown collection of suburban-like areas (not neighborhoods).
Here you go Andy, before that foot goes in any further: Mass Transit in Chicago
You seem to forget that we're usually too busy comparing ourselves to New York to give a crap about LA.
So true, well sad but true anyway.
I'd move out to the burbs if I wanted an L.A. experience.
I live in Chicago, I don't walk anywhere, and yes, I've got wheels.
My BIKE gets me to work (3 miles away), to the el (
this is obviously a ploy to get --ist readers and writers to bond, especially with how the list ends on a fragmented thud...yeah we all get it, when you want people to post to your site, just make up a list! everyone loves to disagree with lists!
newsflash: everyone walks in chicago. CTA ridership is up double digits for a couple years now (people don't tend to drive to a bus stop, dontchaknow) and it's common to bar hop without first putting a club to the steering wheel.
the biggest difference between LA and chicago? chicago people keep their fat in their ass where it belongs, and don't fret much over it. LA people plug it into their lips and make believe they're angelina jolie.
Friendly reminder: Watching "My Boys" on TBS does not qualify you to comment about Chicago.
According to 2000 Census data, 26% of Chicago residents commute via transit compared to 10% in L.A. 5.7% of Chicago residents walk to work compared to 3.5% in L.A. Cars are still the number one choice for daily transportation in both cities with 80% of L.A. commutes and 65% of Chicago Commutes.
Chicagoans do indeed walk or use transit at higher rates than Angelenos but both cities could be making a stronger effort to encourage more healthy and sustainable transportation choices.
What's Up with the lame list, especially the 'walking' thing? Simply. Not. True.
For the record, none of us wanted Vince Vaughn to sing anything, since he's actually from Lake Forest.
nobody walks in Chicago? Are you on crack? I've lived in Chicago proper 11+ years and grew up just south of the city, let me tell you, plenty of people walk or find other ways around (30% or more take public transportation to work), I haven't owned a car in years. And no, I'm not some 20 something hipster either, I'm some coporate sod in my mid 30's whose not been 'cool' for years ;)
However some bits of that list were pretty funny.
After having lived in LA for the first 20 years of my life, I took a trip to Chicago and wondered why the hell I didn't move sooner.
Chicago is the best of LA and New York, but better.
The only downside is the winter, although this one has been damn warm.
The funniest "point" made though, was that nobody walks in Chicago. Clearly written by someone that's never visited here. Chicago, unlike NY or LA is actually a joy to walk around. The amazing parks, skyline, neighborhoods, and the lake are top notch.
But that's fine. Please continue to post things like this. It keeps the small minded people away.
After having lived in LA for the first 20 years of my life, I took a trip to Chicago and wondered why the hell I didn't move sooner.
Chicago is the best of LA and New York, but better.
The only downside is the winter, although this one has been damn warm.
The funniest "point" made though, was that nobody walks in Chicago. Clearly written by someone that's never visited here. Chicago, unlike NY or LA is actually a joy to walk around. The amazing parks, skyline, neighborhoods, and the lake are top notch.
But that's fine. Please continue to post things like this. It keeps the small minded people away.
I'm an L.A girl that has visited Chicago and fell in love with the city. there is no comparison because Chicago stands on its own.
But I still love L.A. more, that's home.
=)
In response to moryfromchicago's comment. LA doesn't think it is a city nor does it ever want to be. In fact LA is the anti-city. None of that city center, centrifugal plan that Buffalo, Detroit, New York and Chicago all followed when constructing their cities. I'm sure Chicago is cool though.
lol, so funny to see all these chicagoans get all worked up over someone saying that no one walks in their city...truth is, who cares? chicago doesn't matter anyway. what does it have besides oprah?
and as for LA not being a "city," that just shows an ignorant narrow scope of what a city is. times are changing, so keep up or get left behind.
it's so nice to be enjoying foie gras in sunny LA...
LA is an over-grown sunny urban-suburban paradise near the sea. Its fu**ed up, full of culture and style and always feels like its on the verge of anarchy. Often billed as the capital of the third world I love it here and its mad chaos.
Duh LA is not Chicago. Different parts of the country, different pasts, different people looking for different things. Can't we all just get along?