NYC Vs. Chicago

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Which city is home to the first skyscraper? Which city has the better architecture/skyline?

I’m not dissing Chicago here, but structural engineering is only one side of the coin. Mechanical engineering is equally important in the construction of a skyscraper and advances in those aspects should be taken into account. That is why I believe the first buildings with elevators, mostly located in New York City, should be included in this list.

Who thinks New York is home to the first skyscraper? Who sides with Chicago? The battle of the Big Apple vs. the Windy City.

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I think there used to be a real neck and neck competition between them, but NYC has pulled way far ahead now and is still going.

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The new Tribune tower in Chicago looks pretty cool, don’t discount that. Don’t underestimate Chicago’s ability to upstage New York at any time.

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NYC left Chicago in the dust this past decade. Super-slim uber luxury towers, multiple new office supertalls, more observatory experiences, transportation infrastructure mega-projects etc… Chicago will probably always be more affordable, but NYC is also building affordable housing units in the thousands per year.

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I love Chicago, but anyone who thinks that it’s NY’s peer is truly delusional.

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So true Robert.

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I admire the Chicago skyline but let’s be real here, there is zero chance of Chicago upstaging NYC. At least not in our lifetime.

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NY’s peers are now in Asia.

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There are no peers. Asia is still poor and likely always will be relative to the US.

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Chicago moved to Asia?

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1 New York
2 N/A
3 N/A
4 Chicago
5-12 (in no particular order). Seattle, Houston, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Dallas, Boston, Miami, San Francisco

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Chicago’s skyline is more aesthetically pleasing, but New York City is by far bigger. Chicago has fallen way behind New York and other global cities in new development. Just a decade ago, Chicago was supposed to build the Chicago Spire, but now it is struggling to build new buildings while New York City and others continue to build.

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That Chicago’s skyline is more aesthetically pleasing is an opinion, and one that I don’t agree with.

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I hear that a lot from people who prefer Chicago’s skyline, that it’s more aesthetically pleasing. That’s subjective. For me personally, nothing on the Chicago skyline can hold a candle to the ESB and Chrysler. Maybe the Tribune building, but that is too short to even be seen from a distance. Chicago like the majority of US cities have sadly fallen way behind. It’s only NYC that’s consistently producing showstoppers on the skyline.

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Does it start top-down with major projects, or does transitioning those inner-ring, single-family neighborhoods to brownstones/row houses count as a start?

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Not to mention the Woolworth building. Some of the new skyscrapers are spectacular too. 111 W 57th, Tower Verre, Via W 57th, 1 Vandy, 9 Dekalb, 56 Leonard. I even love 10 & 30 Hudson yards. I think they are unique and look like giant crystals from a distance.

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