Favorite midwestern US city

[urbanvb]

Originally I wanted to poll large cities all across the US to see how they all ranked compared to one another but since I can only list 15 per poll I will try to break it up into sections. In a few weeks or maybe longer, I will take the ending results and form one MEGA poll.

I am really looking for your picks of best cities based on first hand knowledge - you live/have lived there or traveled there quite a bit. Please give examples of why you picked your favorite city and anything else you wish to add.

[krazeeboi]

Of the cities on the list, I've visted Cincinatti, Columbus, Louisville (which is debatable as far as being a Midwestern city is concerned), Detroit, and Chicago, and Chicago wins it by far for me. I really wasn't too impressed with Detroit, although Greektown is cool. Cincy, Columbus, and Louisville have their strong points as well (Columbus being very underrated, IMO), but c'mon, Chicago is...well...Chicago!

[Michi]

My favorite is Detroit, yet the best is the obvious.

[ironchapman]

Chicago is my favorite. It has so much to offer as a city.

My second favorite is Detroit. I just wish it could straighten out some of its problems.

[hood]

I had to go with Chicago, it's actually my favorite city anywhere. However Detroit, despite it's problems comes in a close second.

[ShowMeKC]

KC, Chicago, STL in that order...

STL would closely follow Chicago.

[Minneapolitan]

^ It's nice to know people in KC have so much hometown pride. Anyway, IMO Chicago wins this by far and then it's Minneapolis, Detroit, and Cincy.

[ShowMeKC]

I just think, if KC wasn't my favorite, I wouldn't want to live here... I loved Chicago and St. Louis is nice. If I didn't live in KC, i'd want to live in Chicago. IMO it's a lot better than NYC

[Minneapolitan]

^ That's cool. I feel the same way about Minneapolis.

[urbanvb]

I just think, if KC wasn't my favorite, I wouldn't want to live here... I loved Chicago and St. Louis is nice. If I didn't live in KC, i'd want to live in Chicago. IMO it's a lot better than NYC

I hope to go to KC for the first time this summer to visit a friend. Can't wait to check it out.

[JivecitySTL]

Louisville is not a Midwestern city.

[monsoon]

This poll would be more interesting if Chicago wasn't in it.

If that were the case my favorites would be:

1. St. Louis - History and the architecture there is uniquely American

2. Minneapolis - One of the most modern cities in the USA

3. Cleveland - My favorite city in Ohio due to its transit system

[ppassafi]

Louisville is not a Midwestern city.

Oh geese, not again. Louisville is both Southern and Miswestern. 25% of its metro is in Indiana, and it is as far north as Saint Louis. Coming from STL, you should know.

[UrbaniDesDev]

I have only been to Cleveland, Detroit, Chicago, Indy & Cincy. I chose to not place Chicago because it makes an unfair comparison. Tho folks in Pittsburgh aren't supposed to say anything good of Cleveland, I choose Cleveland because it seems to have the most activity as far downtown residential development. Second is Detroit, tho has so many problems also has the most potential.

Pittsburgh often gets grouped as a midwestern city. It is a great transition of North East, Mid West and Southern cities. Being just 1/2 hour from West Virginia, the southern burbs have heavy southern accents. Mid West, because it is at the edge of the plains and being west of the Alleghenys, separates it from the North east corridor. It gets most of it's influence from the North east. The downtown is very concentrated and congested, like a mini manhattan. I like to think of it as not a part of any category but gets it's flavor from 3 distinct regions.

[Minneapolitan]

Tho folks in Pittsburgh aren't supposed to say anything good of Cleveland, I choose Cleveland because it seems to have the most activity as far downtown residential development.

It's safe to say that outside of Chicago, Minneapolis has the most residential activity.

Pittsburgh often gets grouped as a midwestern city. It is a great transition of North East, Mid West and Southern cities.

Pittsburgh is a tough one. I've met plenty of people here who are from Pittsburgh and the majority don't consider themselves Midwestern.

[teshadoh]

Only been to Chicago, Indianapolis & Cincinnati (have been to Louisville but I included that in my favorite southern city list) but will be in Columbus next month. As I've rarely ever been to a city that I didn't get something positive out of my visit, I would say all 3 are nice places. Obviously Chicago would be the top of the list, the people just need to cheer up some

[JivecitySTL]

Even still, Kentucky is a southern state, and Louisvillians have southern accents. There are certain midwestern qualities about the place, but that doesn't make it midwestern. There are eastern qualities about St. Louis. Is St. Louis a city of the East? Nope. Louisville is more southern than it is midwestern. leave it where it belongs, it only confuses things.

[monsoon]

Fine, you guys have offered your "opinion" on Louisville. Stop the arguing. Geez. why is it always the same people who want to cause the problems on this site? You have said what you don't like about this thread, why don't you try to actually participate in it?

[JivecitySTL]

It's no big deal, I was just pointing something out.

[UrbaniDesDev]

It's safe to say that outside of Chicago, Minneapolis has the most residential activity.

I've not been to minneapolis, but would like to go. Maybe this summer.

[ppassafi]

It's no big deal, I was just pointing something out.

No its not a big deal. I wish Louisville was more a part of the "southern boom" actually. The fact is, it has way more in common with Saint Louis than with Charlotte (excluding size). Louisville is best defined as industrial, Ohio Valley, and NOT southern. Sure, some Louisvillians have southern accents; so do some in Saint Louis, Missoura or Cincinnat-uh, Ohiyuh. Most of these people are transplants from out in the state or in Cincy's case, from the eatern parts of KY and WV.

So its not a big deal. Classify it as southern bc it is in KY if you want. But know that its is not really the south. For someone from Minneapolis, it may be all the "south" they can take. But I always tell people, if you want a true southern city, try Nashville or Birmingham.

[JivecitySTL]

You're absolutely right. I do think Louisville straddles the line of demarcation between Midwest/South, especially given its proximity to Cincinnati. Sorry to sound like a dick before, I like Louisville a lot. It is a great old city.

[Snowguy716]

You really want to know if Louisville is southern or midwest?

Well.. what is it? Pop, coke, or soda?

You midwesterners on the forum will know the right answer to that.

As far as the poll goes: I chose Minneapolis, because it's a very forward thinking, clean, modern city. Of course it has its problems, but it's my favorite because I have a lot of fond memories from there and its future looks very bright.

[JivecitySTL]

We in St. Louis are an anomaly. We say soda.

[soulbrotha]

its funny....you ask people down south where Louisville is and they will tell you midwest...you ask people in the midwest where Louisville is and they say down south...bwwwhahaha....just leave us alone...we are nowhere ok...we're just in the middle of nowhere.........................