Is the Midwest that Dumb?
Smartest city in the U.S.? It's Seattle
The only city from the Midwest that made the top ten for smartest cities in the US was Minneapolis.
The Bizjournals.com study found that America's brainpower isThis all makes sense to me, except for the part where it seems that absolutelyy no innovation comes from the Midwestt! Chicago, which has the 3 biggest financial district in the nation, does not even make the top ten. That is until you look at the top 10 small cities, where Naperville IL comes in at number 6! For those of you that do not know, Naperville is the seat of hell in the Chicago area! I would go as far as calling it the O.C. of the Midwest. Not only that, the smartest small city in IL more than likely is the least diverse. I am sure the property value went up 400% after this article was published.
concentrated in technology centers, national and state capitals, college towns
and affluent suburbs.
I also take issue with how this study because having a degree does not mean that you are smart. Working in higher education has shown me more than ever that having a degree does not make you smart at all! In fact some of the dumbest people I know have a degree. These are people who walk around in an haze of ignorance, and are unaware of what real hardship actually is. I would really like to see cities ranked on IQ, because I am sure there are tons ofMidwestern farmers, who have a higher IQ than most people in Naperville Il.
Studies like this really piss me off. Because Bizjournals.com knows that this study means absolutelyy nothing, they name it TOP TEN SMARTEST CITIES! It is obvious to me that everyone at bizjournals.com has a higher education degree, because only then can you come up with something as stupid as this.
posted by Jonathan @ 2:18 PM
11 comments
11 Comments:
I don't know if I would knock Naperville on either of the counts you mention. I don't know your definition of diversity, but if it's "not all white" then Naperville definitely qualifies. No shortage of Asian people!
As for their IQs, did you ever enter an academic competition with Naperville North kids? They were smarter than the IMSA kids, and that's saying something.
But I don't expect that either of these counts are the root of your real problem with Naperville and places like it.
In any case, the list would look different if they had based it on entire metro areas. (The cities on the list are mostly small, professional, and haven't experienced white flight or brain drain.) The population of the city of Chicago itself consists of a lot of people who don't even have high school diplomas, much less the bachelor's degrees, the unit of analysis for this article. But if you looked at the entire metro I'd bet that Chicago does quite well. It's just that all the people who work in the third-largest financial district in the nation take the train to work from places like...Naperville.
If you're really concerned with Naperville's diversity, by the way, go here: http://www.visitnaperville.com/Discover/demographics.html
You'll learn that the population is 85% white, but also 9.6% Asian (more than twice the national average).
Richard I am really hard on Naperville because I cannot even stand going out there. It is not always about being white, it is more of a culture thing. But the more I get pissed about it, the more it does become a white thing. Your point is very valid.
The more I think about it, I guess we can say that getting a degree = a smart choice since it gets u farther in life, and gives your children more education, which in turn makes them even smarter.
But I do not think that study was going there.
I heard or read somewhere that a child's success in life can be determined by the level of education that his/her mother received. This makes sense to me; and would also support your points. As Richard mentioned, there are few people in Chicago who have a high school diploma. My question is--I wonder if those who do have their diploma or higher (BA, MA, etc.) are men or women? Just curious . . .
I'm just happy to say that my future children should be pretty successful. Yay!
Just to clarify, I wasn't saying that most people in Chicago don't have a high school diploma, though there are certainly neighborhoods where it isn't the norm, and they drag down the rest of the city. (There are also neighborhoods in Chicago that rival Naperville in this stat, and plenty of young professionals with advanced degrees who choose to live in the city for the nightlife.)
As a three year resident of the heart of Naperville, all i can say is I concur 100%. A few weeks ago, Amanda and I went to Mongolian BBQ and naturally waited half an hour for seating. We sat outside and watched as the people went by. It is like a fucking circus. In NO way is it anywhere NEAR an accurate representation of the rest of society. Everybody is wearing at least, at LEAST, $200 on their persons in clothes, jewelry, etc. Everyone looked beautiful, or if not beautiful then well-fed. The cars that drove down Washington all made it a point to rev the RPMs on their engine, making it one of the most annoyingest streets to walk near. Naperville is like a microcosm of perfection that creates a quandary for aspiring rich white folk like myself. Do I bite the bullet and jump aboard the USS Naperville knowing I am within close proximity to trendy shops, coffee parlors and am protected by the only police force in the state of Illinois that requires all offices to hold a Bachelor's Degree, or, do I take my family to a place more representative of America where shit does tend to happen once in a while and black people do actually walk by more than 2x in a 40minute time period while sitting outside, and the average car on a road isnt a polished luxury car but a minimum 5 year old vehicle.
Naperville is about money and image. In fact, if you really want to argue against me...take a job at North Central College and ask to read the the President's Strategic Plan for the next 8 years. NCC is catering, CATERING to a select student they want. Christian, Athletic, Intelligent, WHITE students. They cut their theatre department budget 20% the second year I was there...the same year the Athletic Department got the new stadium, which incidentally is so sophisticated enough that a professional Chicago Sports team could use it for an entire season!! If that doesnt convince you, well, let me tell you stories of how the Dean of Students used to let the all-star football athletes FLY and WALK after numerous alcohol violations. Yup...make no mistake, Naperville has an image and to demonstrate their good will they throw a lot of money on token diversity days...MLK, Summer Festivals...but they dont really give a rip. Its a private yacht of a suburb and the entrance fee is high and mighty.
Also, evaluating Naperville's diversity based on a high asian population is pretty cheap way of approaching diversity. Let's be honest and say what Asians really are..."interesting little fellas aren't they? we sure love their little techno-trinkets."
Sweet we got a little china man running around smart as a motherfucker in math solving our economic woes (right Lucent?) AND making us look diverse. American corporate and higher education culture already fucks up the definition of diversity by saying its about Black and White, lets not redefine it again. There is no Asian Student Union on UMSL campus, nor an Associated Asian Collegians here either. You probably only find that at Yale...if Asians are even a minority there anymore.
I dont think Naperville people are smart, and I dont think their dumb, especially if they recently moved into the community, I think they're pampered, spoiled, sheltered, and clueless. They're the epitome of the Millenial Generation and the prime example of why I have to call parents today to resolve roommate conflicts instead of relying on roommates to talk about it amongst themselves.
I love to visit Naperville.
I love to go on walks there with my girl.
I love their bars.
I love their over-priced restaurants.
But I fucking hate the people.
AMEN ROB.
By the way, if I happened to come into millions of dollars sometime soon. First place I'm moving to...Naperville.
You're damn right I want to be within walking distance to fine restaurants, protected by smart cops, and nearby other "good white folk".
But then, thats the problem with America isnt it? All we give a fuck about is food, security, and people only like us.
Rob,
Your rant scares me.
Having lived in a bona fide city for two years (gunshots and all!) and now living in a suburb that isn't quite Naperville, I was glad to see you admit that, despite hating the people, you would want to live there. The city may produce spoiled brat kids, but they get high test scores, get into good schools, and they'll go on to get good jobs, produce their 2.3 children, and mow their lawns regularly (or have them mowed).
I used to look down on people who tried to buy their way into these perfect little worlds. But now I figure, if it's worth it to you to work like a dog to get there, why not? Yes, it would be better if everyone tried to stretch themselves to get to know people who were different. But other than creating political and social myopia, occupying giant tracts of former nature with massive, over-fertilized lawns, and encouraging the belief that the only success that matters is financial and that you can buy happiness, what harm are these people doing?
Seriously, I loathe the Napervilles of the world for many of the same reasons you do. But given the alternatives, who wouldn't rather live in the comforts that overwhelming affluence provides?
Agreed Richard.
It is true then...Ignorance is bliss. But I cannot say I wouldn't want to do the same thing at times.
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