3 Cities You Didn’t Know Were Like Chicago
Have you ever heard the phrase sister cities? An alternative to that would be twin towns. It is the idea that, despite the belief that all of our populated areas are unique (and, in a way, they are), there are cities in the world that match the mentality, the rhythm of life, hobbies and interests of the average citizen to your own town. Chicago is no different. How crazy is that?
Basically, there are several cities in the world that correspond to the Windy City in many ways – over two dozen of them, in fact. Today, we are going to discuss some of them. Strap yourselves in.
Birmingham, UK
One of the key similarities is the fact that both Chicago and Birmingham are often referred to as the Second City in their respective countries. The twin towns have a strong working-class mentality and they are also both located in the second largest counties. It is worth noting that the bond between these two is the strongest when compared to other sister cities Chicago boasts.
The cost of living is also a big factor when we compare the two. While there are small differences in terms of childcare and rent, having a fine meal at a restaurant is practically the same – around $65 for two. Shopping for clothes and groceries will not affect your budget drastically if you are visiting Birmingham from Chicago and vice versa.
Toronto, Canada
The Windy City is admired and respected for, among other things, its population. Regarding the number of residents, Chicago ranks third in the US alone. While the numbers alone are not enough to draw a believable comparison, we should point out that Toronto is not lagging behind in terms of population.
It’s not just the size of the population that matters. Both Chicago and Toronto are favored by immigrants and expats. Roughly half of these cities are populated by minority groups. Though, to be fair, Chicago tended to draw in people from Ireland and Southern Europe, as well as Africa, whereas Toronto provided a safe haven for Asians and Middle-Easterners. Regarding religion, both cities are populated mainly by Christians, but there are Muslims and Jews present in a relatively large number as well.
Osaka, Japan
The last, but not least, entry on this list is Osaka. While it is hard to imagine what similarities Chicago might have with Osaka at first, there are several details that make these two cities twin towns. For example, both cities adore skyscrapers. In fact, both of them have several skyscraper hotels.
Though there is a difference in population density, Chicago and Osaka boast about the same number of citizens – roughly 2.7 million. They also have the same number of airports, which is two.
Another thing to point out is that the Japanese are really proud of the fact that they have four distinct seasons. They are not the only ones, though the winters in Chicago are slightly harsher than the mild ones in Osaka. Bear in mind, though, that neither city experiences scorching heat nor freezing weather – the climate is moderate in both cases.
