Know of Any 'Suburbs in Name Only'?

No cities are entirely urban, or even similar from one neighborhood to the next. The Corner Side Yard has some fun thinking about which Chicago neighborhoods we "Chicago in Name Only" and which of its suburbs are "Suburbs in Name Only."

1 minute read

February 6, 2017, 10:00 AM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Evanston, Illinois

Radoslaw Lecyk / Shutterstock

Pete Saunders opens a discussion about how sometimes neighborhoods in cities feel and act more suburban than the suburbs located outside the city.

The discussion began with an earlier article about the neighborhood of Mount Greenwood, located in the city of Chicago. Mount Greenwood is defined by physical characteristics that create a different kind of city neighborhood, according to Saunders, which limits the investment potential of the neighborhood and leaves the neighborhood relatively unaffected by the winds of market change.

Where the discussion branches off, is in a response to the article from a reader named John Carlisle. In a message shared by Saunders, Carlisle posits the idea of "CHI-NOs" (Chicago in Name Only) and "SINOs" (Suburb in Name Only). Carlisle has ideas about which neighborhoods in Chicago fit each description, and lists them accordingly.

While Saunders admits there isn't any serious scientific analysis involved in creating the CHI-NO or SINO taxonomy, they do effectively "point out that the city-suburb chasm in terms of lifestyle is a lot more fluid than many would like to believe."

Friday, January 27, 2017 in The Corner Side Yard

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I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

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