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Old Posted Sep 24, 2019, 5:27 AM
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chris08876 chris08876 is offline
NYC/NJ/Miami-Dade
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Riverview Estates Fairway (PA)
Posts: 45,694
I'll say as an avid NYC follower, Midtown is a chaotic mess. From a pure aesthetic standpoint, Lower Manhattan wins and is the most balanced skyline node that aesthetically wins IMO.

Now from a holy shit moment, Midtown does take the cake, but is overwhelming.

Chicago is unique in that it doesn't overwhelm one and like NY, it has a massive portfolio of architecture that spans the decades. In a way, Chicago is a giant urban-construct of a museum. You can see the various boom cycles embedded in its skyline and core. From pre-wars all the way to modern architecture. Not to mention that its very, very balanced.

I mentioned in another thread about luck and timing... very important in skyline development. Sometimes, its just luck in how a skyline looks and aesthetically pleases.

Chicago is more like caffeine mixed with some nice green tea. Its calm, can energize the spirit, and doesn't overwhelm. NYC is like a giant hit of methamphetamine. Just overwhelms the senses and can make one a bit on edge. Both excite the spirit, but depends if you want a nice buzz or a adrenaline rush that will cause you to crash hard at the end of the day.

I kinda felt this with Chicago when I went. A tad bit calm, somewhat sedated, but still provided a nice thrill with its skyline and even street energy.

On a side note, Miami is up and coming. Its made great strides in the last 10 years. It punches above its weight. Likewise with Seattle, which is booming like crazy.
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