A Tale of Three Cities

Ok so for all of my devout readers, I’m sure you are aware of my love of personification and comparison of all things in this world, particularly locales. So far I’ve written creative articles that breathe characters to countries and U.S. states, personifying them as kids in a school-setting and typecasting them into clique-y categories (Jock? Nerd? Misfit? Yep). Let’s take this one step further - why not zoom in on the locality and do a comparison of U.S. cities? So today I’m going to do just that – but the focus will be on a few high-profile cities; namely, New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago. Mind you, I have been to all three and spent a considerable amount of time (as a traveler) to pick up on each’s flare, vibes, quirks, and write about them. So let’s get to it – how does America’s #1, #2, and #3 cities compare?

Disclaimer: article is purely based on my personal experiences, opinions, and perspectives. You may have an entirely different take on these cities. I am by no means an expert in any of these cities, and these comparisons are only based on a visitor’s point-of-view.

1. New York City – The ultimate powerhouse. The guy who thinks he’s the master of the universe. I mean, he IS America’s kingpin city and the (concrete) king of the jungle. The “Heavyweight Champion” of all U.S. cities whom no one dares to challenge his title (except L.A. on a few occasions) Loves to tout for being the center of superhero stardom; after all, Superman, Batman, Captain America, Spider-Man, Iron Man, the Hulk, and countless others fictional heroes have fought and won battles there. The extroverted, loud-mouthed capitalist city with an ego large as the size of his 8 million-plus mind-boggling mix of humanity and wears his swagger on his sleeves. Thrives on being the financial capital of the world, the trading hub of all markets, the city that never sleeps, or simply, the epicenter of rat race where white-collar professionals in suits and ties with briefcases running across the streets in a frenzy while busily talking on their cell phones is a common sight. The city that hosts everyone and everything – from the obscenely rich to the downtrodden poor. From the opulent high-rises in Upper East Side to the ghettoes of the South Bronx. Where men, women, transgender, gay, straight, white, black, yellow, brown, purple, red, religious zealots, atheists, eco-freaks, hardcore vegans, leftists, rightists, white-collars, blue-collars, the sane and the crazy, the beautiful and the ugly, the happy and the miserable, and pretty much any amalgam of humanity you can think of – all coexists in a massively congested urban jungle. There is an energy in NYC that is almost impossible to describe. Despite the evident trash, air pollution, traffic, noise, graffiti, rats and crowded spaces that plagues the city, there is a strange pull that keeps bringing you back. If you’re ever looking for a place to ‘put your guard down’, look no further than New York; here you can be either completely yourself or be completely someone else. Act however you want. Be whomever you want. Wear whatever you want. Try anything you want… all awhile not giving a flying fuck. Like the good ol' saying goes, "treating others like crap is every New Yorker's god-given right!" ( followed by an emphatic AMEN!!) If NYC was a person, it would be Jay-Z. Or Donald Trump. Or JLo. Or Lady Gaga. Or the late B.I.G. a.k.a. native New Yorkers who are larger-than-life, just like the city itself. With so much superlatives to boast about, it’s no wonder that this this hustlin’ n’ bustlin mega-hotspot that is the Big Apple OWNS the moniker “number one”.

2. Los Angeles – three words - Massive. Urban. SPRAAAAAAAAAWL!!!!! If New York is the king of humanity bursting-at-the-seams, L.A. takes the cake for SPRAWLing like there’s no end. Its ginormous 503-square-miles turf is bigger than New York’s, and every year it’s stretches even further and further out. So gargantuan is their urban sprawl, that even Angelinos themselves are ambiguous over what constitutes as “L.A” (do we include San Fernando Valley? How about Long Beach?) At least NYC is simple to define – 5 boroughs exactly. It is no surprise that LA is NYC’s west-coast counterpart and arch-rival (but secret friends). In fact, if there is one American city that can challenge NYC’s superiority, it’s LA. These frenemies are always going toe-to-toe; trying to one-up each other in EVERYTHING, from who has cooler art museums to who’s the bigger “melting pot” to who’s got better Chinese food. But however close of a runner-up LA is, both are in fact, entirely different cities (personally, I think Chicago is much more comparable to NYC, which I will explain below). In a school-setting, LA would be the second most popular kid who scoffs at the most popular kid for being a haughty socialite snob… although LA isn’t far off either. In fact, both are snobs, and both think they are “the shit”. If NYC is prestige and power, then LA is glitz and glamour. If NYC is a lion, then LA is a peacock. Not to be outdone, LA’s got plenty to brag – from Hollywood to Beverly Hills, from Bel Air to Sunset Blvd, he’s got no shortage of famous landmarks set in countless movies and TV shows. Besides the red carpet, trendy clubs, and infinite rows of palm trees, LA is also known as the Silicon Valley of SoCal, where aspiring young entrepreneurs and techies flock to start their start-ups. In fact, it boasts as a start-up friendly city and home to “Silicon Beach” - its very own tech hub. So it’s not all snobbery for LA; it draws in plenty of tech-driven young people looking for a career move. Who embodies the spirit of LA? For starters, Jessica Alba or Kim Kardashian (and her entire Clan) comes to my mind. Why them, you ask? Simple; aside from LA-born-and-bred, they are business-savvy celebrities who built an empire from their own start-ups and became self-made moguls. Rich, hot, famous, and media-savvy; not a bad representation of America’s #2 city, don’t you think?

3. Chicago – the black sheep of this list. America’s #3 city is a bit of a distant third. He’s the kid that gets snubbed by the more popular kids for not being BIG enough to be “on their league”. Ok ok, so Chicago’s much smaller; it isn’t as showy and flashy and worldly as his coastal counterparts. To personify, if NYC is a doctor and LA is a lawyer, then Chicago is the blue-collar working man (though not a blue-collar city). Often dubbed as “New York Lite”, this flagship city of Midwest is the distant younger cousin of NYC, and here’s why; take NY’s crowd, public transit, hustle-and-bustle, skyscrapers, traffic, trash, graffiti, and cramped spaces – peg it down a few notches and essentially, you’ve got Chicago - a less-congested, less-hassling, more livable version of NY (which explains why TONS of New Yorkers ‘defect’ to Chicago). This constant comparison to NY drives him batty, since he’s not trying to be like his bigger cousin, nor is he trying to be the global center of anything. In fact, he’s perfectly content just being “Midwest’s #1 hotspot”, so screw all those who say “you will never be like New York!”, ‘cause Chicagoans are pretty darn proud of their city! Speaking of city pride, this topic alone warrants an entire essay – if NYC is all about the rat race, and LA is all about image, then Chicago is all about…you guessed it, chock-full of city pride. To say that Chicagoans adore their city is an understatement. Nowhere in the world have I seen such outright display of pride and love by citizens who (some say) will literally die for their city. If Chicago was its own country, it would have the most number of flag-waving patriots. From restaurants to front porches, from graffiti walls to high-rises, from T-shirts to masks, its undeniable that Chicagoans treat their ubiquitous red-stars-with-blue-and-white-striped logo like a badge of honor. Such fierce loyalty cultivates a real sense of community spirit and insularity not found anywhere else – not even in NY or LA. Why is Chicago so proud, you ask? Simple; aside from the magnificent architecture and the exquisite lake front and the Cubs, Chicago is really, really, really unique. It’s got a charm like no other. It may be the smallest city on this list, but no doubt has most personality. It is a “character city” through and through. It’s neighborhood-centric city vibe gives so much quirk and flair of its own. Walking through the streets, you can feel that wacky, offbeat aura that exudes from one neighborhood to another. So uniquely authentic is the city, that it is impossible to capture its essence in words. Lastly, if I would associate a name to Chicago, it would be none other than…the OBAMAS; yep, they are still worshipped there like demigods! 😁😁😁