Cecil spent an inordinate amount of time last week defending Chicago against the "charge" that Houston will soon be the larger city. He seems very insecure and defensive about Chicago's size, and poo-pooh's the idea that Houston will ever be larger than Chicago because of gas prices and trains, as if the majority of Windy City residents commute by public transit. (Hint: They don't. The vast majority of Chicagoland residents commute by car.)
I bet there were Cecil's in Chicago circa 1955 who said the same thing about LA. Can't happen. Chicago will always be the Second City.
Hey, Houston is hot and flat. Chicago is also flat. But you know what? Winter weather sucks ass, and while you're shivering in January I'm out riding my bike. And I pay a lot less for a comparable lifestyle.
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These debates are stupid and amount to little more than pointless boosterism. Ever since I can remember the media has played city against city, and while one city's fortunes are falling the other city's is rising. 5 years later the roles are reversed. See the infamous Time Magazine cover from 1986 when Boston was deemed the city of the future and Houston was declared the Detroit of the south.
I do think Houston and Dallas will be larger than Chicago within our lifetimes. Winter sucks ass for most people, and at least for Houston (can't speak for Dallas) the water issue is nonsense. 9 out of 10 people would prefer a hot summer/mild winter over a friggin' COLD winter for 5 months.
The bigger context is the "California is doomed" focus of so many articles. It is not. It is all part of the cycle that has repeated itself for 150 years. I don't know what industries will drive California over the next 20 years, but new industries will be discovered. Those who bet against California long term are destined to lose.
I imagine the pols in IL said WTF! when TX overtook them in total population in the 1970 census. "This can't be right. Who would go live in that desert?" Lou, given the current growth rates I wouldn't be surprised if, in our lifetimes, AZ exceeded IL in population.
I don't know what industries will drive California over the next 20 years
Euthanasia clinics, with any luck. :-p
Lou - weather is a huge driving factor to many people. When I retire I will live up here for the summer, but winter somewhere south like Phoenix or maybe join you in Texas Y'all.
You just can't understand how miserable zero degrees is until you experience it.
Basically for all but the hearty, December through March are a big "scratch" for outdoor activities.
Good chance I'll move to Florida for the lower taxes (& no income tax), but I'll spend the summers back in the mountains here.
Many (especially on my side of the political aisle) go overboard with the "CA is doomed" meme. There won't be wars for access to drinking water. CA is a mixed bag. On the balance, it's a nice place. Mostly because of the weather.
But hopefully we've seen the end of the era where legislators mindlessly push through laws so that we can be one of the cool states like CA. And I'm not talking about controversial civil rights stuff. More like traffic laws & food preparation rules.
Eh, Houston's too hot for me. If I had to choose between Chicago and Houston simply based on weather, I'd choose Chicago any time.
Aslak - Houston does get nuclear hot, but imho that is MUCH more preferable to bone chilling cold. Have you ever suffered through an Upper Midwest winter?
Dan, well I went to college in upstate NY and right now I live in inland Norway. I don't exactly love the cold, but yeah, I'd take the cold in winter over the heat and humidity in Texas in summer. Just personal preference, I guess. (and Nordic genes perhaps...)
It's not the cold per se. It's the gloomy winter days when it's cloudy and dusk hits at 4:00. Colorado and New Mexico are cold in the winter, but it's usually sunny. I like that.
Heh, I grew up in Northern Norway. In mid-winter we had an hour or so dusk of dusk and 22 hours of darkness. Some people can't handle it, but I never really minded much. But on the other hand, I always felt extatic when I saw the sun for the first time in 3 months in February. Just gave you a big grin on your face every time.
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