which is a better city: Chicago or New York? - Page 7

Globe - did you use to live in NYC?

no, and I don't live in chicago now, but I lived in a very close suburb to nyc and now I live in a very close suburb to chicago. and for about 20 years I'd get to nyc a few times a year for business.

my personal feeling is that the "culinary diversity" of nyc is vastly over-rated - nyc does some things very well, but they are new york things - pastrami and corned beef, bagels, ny style pizza, ny style chinese, etc. ny city gets some trends before the rest of the country - like soup dumplings, for instance. but in general I think that nyc is vastly overrated in terms of culinary diversity.

on top of that, even in greater ny - if you want really good chinese or indian or mexican, you end up leaving the city - nj has better chinese and indian than nyc, for instance.

Cool - I certainly don't have the palate you have for ethnic foods. I tend to stick to a handful of places I like and am pretty happy with in NYC (most of them are probably not very authentic either). I never really traveled to other neighborhoods or boroughs to seek authentic ethnic food, but I know that there are large communities coming from pretty much everywhere in the 5 boroughs and I hear people praise such and such restaurant in Flushing or in Spanish Harlem. I couldn't be bothered to go to such lengths.

It's funny how you think owning an apartment qualifies you as a local?? Your neighborhood is full of people with a little $$ from other cities, and is the most gentrified/fake place in Chicago. You're that dense? Do you really like hanging out like a creep at the hotel bars that much? Or just love all the tourists and great chain restaurants in your neighborhood??

I think that that is one of the huge strengths of NYC - its one of only a handful of cities in the world with so much available pretty much where ever you are in the city. in most of the world, you just assume that you aren't going to find ethiopian or vietnamese or senegalese food, when you are in NYC it is assumed that you will have it, and you get into discussions of the quality or authenticity of it.

that said, there are cities in the US with better food, in my opinion, or at least better ethnic food. it seems to me that NYC thinks it does ethinc food better than it really does.

finding good indian in nyc is tough. Hell, one has to hunt even in NJ to find good tasting Indian.

yeah, I used to go to Edison, and that was so so

I grew up in Edison, and there is a total of 1 place I would go to get Indian food. Its a punjabi place right in the middle of Indiatown, but they don't serve punjabi food. Only parathas (aloo and mooli), samosa chats, chole bature, etc. Everything else in Edison/Iselin is crap. Damn I miss that place. What are the place you like in Chicago? I actually haven't had the chance to eat much Indian in Chicago, but I have heard that Tiffin on Devon is good. Any ideas?

Name me places in the US with GREAT indian food (I'm genuinely curious, I'm ok with Brick Lane level anyway).

Of all the places in the US where I have had eaten Indian food, only about 3-4 places come to mind that serve delicious food. Jassi's Sweets: Iselin, NJ (in the heart of India town). Very authentic, they serve the food exactly how it should be served. Parathas with raita, onions, chili, and pickle on the side. And to top it off, butter. Their aloo parathas are heavenly, and the portions are excellent. Laziz Biryani corner: Mom and pop shop here in Raleigh, NC. They have a small restaurant (not sure you can even call it that), literally inside another convenient store. The biryani served here is the best biryani I have ever had (and I grew up in India). At $6 and huge portions, this place might as well have the best deal in all of the US. I eat here about 4 times a week on average. There is a place that serves excellent and authentic South Indian food somewhere near San Fran. I think its in Fremont, but I don't exactly remember. The dosas are delicious, and served the way they are meant to be: with 3 different chutneys (tomato, coconut, some other concoction) + sambhar. I can find out the name of this place later. That's about it. Globe probably has more recommendations.

Hhhmmm. Its one of those very rare times when I agree with a gdl203 post. Questioning Brians intelligence or calling gdl203 a "whiny bitch" are both completely unnecessary.

Hopefully sfield will reflect on this during his timeout and no longer feel the need to say such things.

The system works, people!!!!!

I'm sure there are other cities that do a type of ethnic food better than in nyc. In nyc, though, one can find truly any type of ethnic food-good or bad-which other cities would be hard pressed to match.

for the indian people folks, i've dined in jackson heights with a bengali friend of mine. I personally dislike indian food, but from what he tells me, it is very authentic.

The guys next to us were eating with their hands, which i am told is the traditional way. I thought was kinda interesting and tried not to stare.

The one thing that confuses me is that there are so many Indians living in NYC (5 boroughs). Where do they all go when they want to eat out good authentic Indian food? There's nothing here at all for this segment of the population? I'd think that with the dozens of thousands of restaurants in NYC, basic supply/demand principles would result in adequate supply for that demand.

The thing is, gdl, most Indians living in NJ/NYC area are consigned to eating at these places because there is nothing else available. I can't speak for NYC much, but in NJ, most Indians know the food is shit, but they still end up going because thats all there is available. Its not even that one Indian restaurant does it better, its that all of them have shitty service and terrible food.

The demand isn't there from the people, hence there is no supply. A lot of them like eating mediocre food.

This sums up my opinion perfectly.


There's *nothing* to do outside of Chicago, which is a huge bummer. The three hour circle around NY really extends much further when you consider all the interesting places there are to go.


I actually prefer the Art Institute to the Met, as have many of the folks I've taken there. Nobody involved was an art snob, though.


It is OBVIOUSLY more affordable to eat well in Chicago.


And to think I once considered ordering a bag from you.


A few of my friends have moved from Chicago to NY and have expressed this opinion. They claim to have lived more comfortably on a grad student budget in Chicago than on substantially higher salaries now. I think they're exaggerating, but there's something to this.


Uh, I've lived in Chicago for five years, and Gold Coast is on the short list of places I'll move to if I stay in the city after graduation.




The range of things U of C is good at is very narrow. While the education you get (as an undergrad--grad programs are too variable to include in this discussion) in those fields is as rigorous as can be, you really ought to know what you want to study before coming to the U of C.


It's all the promiscuity. Sex ratio is much more favorable to men in NYC. If you are a single dude, NY > Chicago.