Even if there was an ocean or other bodies of water near Chicago, I doubt most people would pass up the convenience of being able to just walk or ride a bike to a nearby beach.

But I agree the relationship to Lake Michigan is nothing like ours to the harbor, I just think that’s mostly because it’s a cleaner body of fresh water and much larger portion of the city has easier access to it compared to here.

I guess I just don’t see lake shore drive as a giant barrier, it’s got tons of points to go over and under it for pedestrians and cars. Especially outside the loop. But I can see your point if you’re just referring to millennium park and the loop.

I disagree, the lake and waterfront are probably one of Chicago’s best features. And that’s coming from someone who used to live right next to lake shore drive. Sure lake shore drive is annoyingly close to the lake, but there’s so much between it and the lake that makes up for it. I love Baltimore and came here because I like it so much more than Chicago - but it’s hard to compare Baltimore’s waterfront to one that’s almost 20 miles long, has multiple beaches where you can swim, several parks, bird sanctuaries, and a great biking path that connects it all together.