# If you live in the suburbs of a major city, how often do you go to The City (except for work) **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 14, 2026, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-live-in-the-suburbs-of-a-major-city-how-often-do-you-go-to-the-city-except-for-work/1030078 "2026-05-14T20:17:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2026, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-live-in-the-suburbs-of-a-major-city-how-often-do-you-go-to-the-city-except-for-work/1030078/41 "2026-05-15T15:48:26Z")
> [@Jasmine](#): > > The OP describes the mindset accurately, and that’s why there are great restaurants and great shopping in the burbs This raises a question I’ve had: let’s say I’m going to the Chicago region, but the rules of this thought experiment dictate that I must not cross the city limits into Chicago; I may only enjoy the burbs. What’s there to do? I’ve driven past the Arlington Racetrack (which I hear is a dump, but I do love betting on the ponies) and I’ve driven past the Leaning Tower of Niles (can one even go inside?). What else is there to do in the Chicago suburbs? ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2026, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-live-in-the-suburbs-of-a-major-city-how-often-do-you-go-to-the-city-except-for-work/1030078/42 "2026-05-15T15:49:51Z")
Just outside of Chicago. A couple of times a month. We have two adult children in the city who we occasionally eat out with, friends in the city we will see, businesses we frequent. More often than not we find street parking and it isn’t too expensive. For Mother’s Day brunch we just used the valet. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2026, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-live-in-the-suburbs-of-a-major-city-how-often-do-you-go-to-the-city-except-for-work/1030078/43 "2026-05-15T15:51:55Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > What else is there to do in the Chicago suburbs? Pretty much nothing, which is why you don’t see tourists in the burbs. The city is definitely our tourist center with all the museums and lake front and the theaters. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2026, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-live-in-the-suburbs-of-a-major-city-how-often-do-you-go-to-the-city-except-for-work/1030078/44 "2026-05-15T15:55:30Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > What else is there to do in the Chicago suburbs? I’ll suggest the B’hai temple in Wilmette, the Botanical Garden in Glencoe, and the Frank Lloyd Wright walking architecture tour in Oak Park, as a start. Plenty of good restaurants. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2026, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-live-in-the-suburbs-of-a-major-city-how-often-do-you-go-to-the-city-except-for-work/1030078/45 "2026-05-15T16:01:02Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > This was 1981ish, and oh my god was Times Square a dump! BUT, it was also a beautiful dump (kind of like the French Quarter was before Katrina). I hear that a lot of New Yorkers are kind of sad at what Times Square has become. I went to NYC back before Times Square was “cleaned up”. I remember going down there one time with a some friends from work, who were a bunch of guys in their early twenties making their first trip to NYC. Time Square was still a shady area back then but they wanted to see it. I agreed to take them through Times Square but I told them we weren’t going to stop anywhere, not to talk to anybody, and keep walking. Regardless, as soon as the locals saw this group of young male obvious out-of-town tourists, they all flocked around us with various offers. But they kept walking and following me as directed and we got through without incident. But the next day we were talking about the trip and one of the guys told me that somebody had offered to sell him some crack. And he had thought about buying some. Not to use. He just wanted to buy some crack as a souvenir of Times Square. I said “This is the reason I didn’t want to take you guys into Times Square.” ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2026, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-live-in-the-suburbs-of-a-major-city-how-often-do-you-go-to-the-city-except-for-work/1030078/46 "2026-05-15T16:02:49Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > This raises a question I’ve had: let’s say I’m going to the Chicago region, but the rules of this thought experiment dictate that I must not cross the city limits into Chicago; I may only enjoy the burbs. What’s there to do? I’ve driven past the Arlington Racetrack (which I hear is a dump, but I do love betting on the ponies) and I’ve driven past the Leaning Tower of Niles (can one even go inside?). What else is there to do in the Chicago suburbs? First, the Arlington Park racetrack is gone. The Chicago Bears bought the property several years ago, and tore down the grandstand, paddocks, etc.; the team is planning to build a new stadium and entertainment complex on the property, though it’s been hung up in legislative issues for several years. The Bears have also looked at staying in Chicago, and maybe moving to northwest Indiana, but the consensus is that the most likely scenario is moving to Arlington Heights. As far as tourist attractions in the suburbs, a few include: - Frank Lloyd Wright Museum (Oak Park), and Wright-designed buildings in Oak Park and Riverside - Brookfield Zoo (Brookfield, just east of my house 😉 ) - Morton Aboretum (Lisle) - Chicago Botanic Gardens (Glenview) - Ravinia Park Music Festival (Highland Park) - Cantigny Park (military museum; Wheaton) - Baha’i House of Worship (Wilmette) - LEGOLAND Discovery Center (Schaumburg) Edit: and, a more traditional tourist attraction: Six Flags Great America (Gurnee) ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2026, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-live-in-the-suburbs-of-a-major-city-how-often-do-you-go-to-the-city-except-for-work/1030078/47 "2026-05-15T16:03:57Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > First, the Arlington Park racetrack is gone. See, I move out of Springfield for 12 years and I miss everything big that’s happening in Illinois. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2026, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-live-in-the-suburbs-of-a-major-city-how-often-do-you-go-to-the-city-except-for-work/1030078/48 "2026-05-15T16:04:40Z")
True. You can also throw in the Morton Arboretum in Lisle. If you go when the leaves are changing at a peak time, it’s gorgeous. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2026, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-live-in-the-suburbs-of-a-major-city-how-often-do-you-go-to-the-city-except-for-work/1030078/49 "2026-05-15T16:07:13Z")
I agree- I live in NYC in a mostly residential (but not exactly suburban, depending on the definition of suburban) neighborhood. I rarely go to Manhattan or even downtown-ish areas of the other boroughs since I retired. I wouldn’t consider my everyday existence to be “going to the city” but what about if I go to a Met game or a concert in downtown Brooklyn or a museum or any of the other things people from the surrounding area might travel into the city to do? In high school and college, I was in Manhattan just about every weekend. Hopefully, that will start again soon, if I can ever convince my husband to take the subway there. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2026, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-live-in-the-suburbs-of-a-major-city-how-often-do-you-go-to-the-city-except-for-work/1030078/50 "2026-05-15T16:07:14Z")
> [@Zakalwe](#): > > Strand? That place is amazing. Chamblin’s Book Mine in Jacksonville, FL is comparable, but the location itself is nowhere near as cool. No. This place was down the street from McSorley’s Ale House, one block from Cooper Union, and was run by a little old man and his little old wife. I loved them. Right by the entrance they had a circular rack of 25 cent science fiction magazines from the '50s and '60s - this was the late '60s. They are long gone. The Strand was almost West Village to my East Village centric perception. Not the kind of good bargains. Closer to my place was Stephen’s Book Service, which specialized in sf, and was featured in a Barry Malzberg novel. Better selection but that wasn’t important when you had almost nothing. More expensive - that was important. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2026, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-live-in-the-suburbs-of-a-major-city-how-often-do-you-go-to-the-city-except-for-work/1030078/51 "2026-05-15T16:17:03Z")
For us, the City (with a population of about 330,000) is a place we go to frequently (our town’s population is under one-tenth of that). We go mostly to eat out and for shopping and ancillary services, health included. Downtown is an infrequent destination. It was pretty much the same when we lived near Columbus, Ohio, with downtown not featuring much to attract us other than a few NHL hockey games. Traffic, parking and to a lesser extent crime, were turn-offs. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2026, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-live-in-the-suburbs-of-a-major-city-how-often-do-you-go-to-the-city-except-for-work/1030078/52 "2026-05-15T16:59:31Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > I’m over an hour from Seattle, (60 minute ferry plus loading and unloading, or 70 mile drive) I’d say we average once per week. Tomorrow I’m going over for a haircut. Sounds like you’re near me. Despite being 14 miles as the crow flies from downtown Seattle, it’s a world away to actually visit. I’d estimate we only go once a month on average. Probably more this coming summer - we have Wild Waves season passes, and my parents are visiting and want to go a Mariners game. ---
**Author:** ![Thing.Fish](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thing.fish/32/9168_2.png) [@Thing.Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing.Fish)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2026, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-live-in-the-suburbs-of-a-major-city-how-often-do-you-go-to-the-city-except-for-work/1030078/53 "2026-05-15T17:08:04Z")
Great summary. If you want to see live music, there’s Space in Evanston, or FitzGerald’s in Berwyn. There are too many great restaurants in the burbs to even try to list them, to say nothing of the breweries and distilleries. If you like sports (or gorgeous campuses), there’s Northwestern University. Having said that, there is obviously a lot of great stuff for tourists in the city and especially downtown. I’ve seen it all many times, so I don’t feel a strong pull to go see it again on any given day, but if you’ve never been to Chicago and you only have a few days, that’s the area to base yourself in. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2026, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-live-in-the-suburbs-of-a-major-city-how-often-do-you-go-to-the-city-except-for-work/1030078/54 "2026-05-15T17:23:14Z")
I live in North York which was amalgamated with Toronto in 1998; I’m within walking distance of the city limits on the north side of the city (whereas the central business district is on the south side). On weekends, we often drive to various parks within the city limits but we rarely (every month or two, say) go downtown because of the inconvenience of parking. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2026, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-live-in-the-suburbs-of-a-major-city-how-often-do-you-go-to-the-city-except-for-work/1030078/55 "2026-05-15T18:32:27Z")
Yeah, I asked essentially the same question in a different post. I live within the Dallas city limits, but only by a bit more than a mile. I work downtown two days a week. So it’s kind of a weird thing, in that a lot of the stuff we might actually go “into the City” for, meaning anything within a couple of miles of downtown (uptown, downtown, Old East Dallas, Design District, etc…) I can go during my lunch hour or on the way home from work. Back when I worked in Addison, we made it into central Dallas maybe once every couple of months, usually for restaurants or specialty shopping. Now we go somewhat less often than that, but only because I can go during lunch for a lot of the specialty shopping. However, we now tend to go the opposite direction and visit Plano, Addison, Richardson, and Garland more than we used to. Not sure how that came about, but it’s become a definite thing in the past 3-4 years. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2026, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-live-in-the-suburbs-of-a-major-city-how-often-do-you-go-to-the-city-except-for-work/1030078/56 "2026-05-16T01:11:29Z")
I live in a near suburb of Montreal. For most of my career at McGill, I walked the four miles to downtown and took the commuter train home. But we went to concerts regularly, maybe once a week and mostly drove. But there are some fine restaurants in or near our 'burb and we don’t go downtown for food. For museums we did go downtown occasionally but took a bus. ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2026, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-live-in-the-suburbs-of-a-major-city-how-often-do-you-go-to-the-city-except-for-work/1030078/57 "2026-05-16T07:49:47Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > You adult Dopers who live in the 'burbs: not counting work, how often do you go into The City? Do you regard it as a huge pain in the ass I have lived in the inner 'burbs of Sydney for 40 years. I have never worked in the CBD itself. For a couple of years was working on the southern edge. But for most of the period worked in the Inner West region. I go into the city for services, entertainment etc probably every month or so. Would drive through, under or around the CBD more frequently. Parking can be an expensive pain so usually I would take a bus. The 'burg I reside is on a major arterial road (not a freeway) and it’s reliably 15-20 mins into the city at any time of the day. It’s not a pain to do the commute. Just most of the services I regularly consume are closer or more convenient. -------------------------------------------------- … and just while you are there, a heads up that it’s the last week to join in an expression of international goodwill, both fun and harmless. > [@The 2026 edition of the SDMB Postcard exchange - new management, old rules](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2026-edition-of-the-sdmb-postcard-exchange-new-management-old-rules/1029779): > > G’day! The venerable SDMB tradition of periodically exchanging postcards seems to have been in hiatus for a while. Methinks that amongst the prevailing angst and brouhaha we could with some expression of goodwill. And if better candidates were not available, I guess a non-merkin doper can co-ordinate the venture. Here’s how it works, by the numbers, and extensively plagiarised from past editions: Disclaimer: This exchange is a private thing among Dopers and is not an official function of the… ---
**Author:** ![chela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chela/32/21582_2.png) [@chela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chela)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2026, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-live-in-the-suburbs-of-a-major-city-how-often-do-you-go-to-the-city-except-for-work/1030078/58 "2026-05-16T14:33:35Z")
> [@Jasmine](#): > > You can take public transportation, but the CTA has a poor record in regards to crime and safety. I can’t refute that based on personal anecdotes but my single daughter living in the city does use CTA on a daily basis and it’s been her experience that busses are safe and the drivers don’t put up with any BS. She also takes the Brown line to the Loop for work. Overall public transportation in the city is quite convenient. Though pedestrians and bicyclists need grit and armor against the horrible drivers. ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2026, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-live-in-the-suburbs-of-a-major-city-how-often-do-you-go-to-the-city-except-for-work/1030078/59 "2026-05-16T15:29:08Z")
> [@Jasmine](#): > > Driving downtown for crowded events like “Taste of Chicago”, “Lollapalooza”, summer concerts, etc. is a total nightmare I like going to the city (DC for me) I’d actually like to go more often. But big events like that have no attraction for me (DC the height of the cherry blossoms is the obvious one) I’d much rather go when everything is at its regular level of busy not full to the point of bursting and needing to queue. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2026, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-live-in-the-suburbs-of-a-major-city-how-often-do-you-go-to-the-city-except-for-work/1030078/60 "2026-05-16T21:51:11Z")
> [@chela](#): > > bicyclists need grit and armor against the horrible drivers. FWIW the 'burbs aren’t any better. Chicago proper actually has a fair number of streets with bike lanes. No not separated by barrier and not always respected by cars let alone trucks, but honestly a marginally safer ride than some of the streets that are my best choices outside of city limits. I’ve had more experiences with drivers upset that I am on the road in the suburbs than in the city, and just as many who simply do not perceive me, even with my fluorescent green windbreaker and helmet. Stop sign? What stop sign? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-live-in-the-suburbs-of-a-major-city-how-often-do-you-go-to-the-city-except-for-work/1030078.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-live-in-the-suburbs-of-a-major-city-how-often-do-you-go-to-the-city-except-for-work/1030078.md?page=4)