NYC or Chicago: Which city is better for a species list hunter?

(Adsa) said:
First if you want to visit a lot of zoos outside the main city there are way more close to New York than Chicago. Such as Philadelphia Zoo, Smithsonian National Zoo and Maryland Zoo, plus many other small zoos.
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Not really. @pachyderm pro already mentioned the 3 small zoos just outside the Chicago city center, but other facilities like the Milwaukee County Zoo, Indianapolis Zoo, Fort Wayne's Children's Zoo, Detroit Zoo, Cincinnati Zoo, Columbus Zoo and maybe even Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo can be done from a base in Chicago.

(Adsa) said:
As for Aquariums although the Shedd is great. The aquariums within traveling distance of New York have a lot to offer these aquariums include Adventure Aquarium, Mystic Aquarium, National Aquarium. Though none of those institutions individually could compare to Shedd combined surely they beat it out.
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I'd probably disagree with this as well. I've been to two of the three aquariums you cite (missing Mystic), and I'd take the Shedd over both of them. National Aquarium is nice and has a great Australian zone but doesn't compete with Shedd, while I found Adventure to be a little overrated although it's worth a visit. It's also unrealistic to go to all three of these facilities in a 1-week trip, at max you could get to two.

(Adsa) said:
If you are staying just in New York zoologically it is inferior but it’s New York there are a million things that you can do whereas Chicago won’t last you a week plus zoos.
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While Chicago isn't comparable to New York in terms of things to do, it is still America's third largest city and there's enough to do to spend a week there, especially if you're spending 2-3 days in the zoos and 1 day in a natural history museum.
 
(Adsa) said:
In the end it comes down to if you prefer deep dish or New York style pizza
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That's it! Pizza! The way to break the tie!:)

There is a little dive with barely any seating in Brooklyn at Avenue J and 15th St in Midwood where I lived for 10 years. Its called DiFara, although I'm not even sure he had much of a sign. I loved this pizza, and for some time after we moved, I would brave the traffic and parking challenges and take the time to go up into the heart of the borough to pick up like five pies. Then one day I saw a picture of the place in a trending story analyzing the 10 best pizzas in the country. Wouldn't you know, DiFara was #1! And over the last 20 years, I've seen it mentioned again and again in similar articles. By this time, however, I was busy with a child and just didn't have time for all the hassle of going the five snail's pace miles from my school near Coney Island. Until cards became obsolete, I got yearly Christmas updates on the old place:. Even 10 years ago, slices were going for $5 and whole pies $25. Dominick was getting to be quite old, the place still had rat violations, but I kept seeing DiFara online. It was amazing pizza, like nothing you've had; the secret was olive oil, LOTS of olive oil that he poured from a giant cruet from the old country. Before I could walk the three blocks to my home, the box was soaked clear through the cardboard and finally released an orange trail of oil plops by the time I reached my destination. I have craved that pizza SO many times over the years, but the truth is that getting around in a densely-packed city takes a lot of time. I would never still be teaching at my college all these years if it weren't by the sea with a 40-mile route comprised almost entirely of interstate highways. This is what I was saying about the small zoos. As much as I still crave that pizza, I haven't tasted any in 15 years.

America's 15 best pizzas

Di Fara Pizza
 
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AmbikaFan said:
In the best of all possible worlds, we could all go to see all zoos and aquaria for what each has to offer individually. Why not do them all, plus Staten Island and even the new Sea Life aquarium in the Meadowlands? @Hipporex reached out because he has limited time and wants to learn ways of seeing the most species on a trip limited by time and money. I acknowledged that individual species like sea otters or ducks might warrant a trip to the small zoos, but offered him the costs to visiting these. It's all relative. It's not "Are the small zoos worth seeing? but "Could he get more bang for his buck seeing something else?" or what you haven't considered, frankly, "What would be have to GIVE UP if he were to spend time on the small zoos?". That's the issue he sought our opinions for, not just dogged defense of our home-town teams. 6, 12, 18 acres is MINISCULE compared to all of the 100+ and 200+ açre zoos we've been discussing, and I stand by my assessment that the return on investment of time and money can't compare to what he could get by using those resources to visit larger zoos and aquaria with more rare species as proposed by others in either the NY/Philadelphia/DC corridor or the Chicago area.
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And those are all completely fair and valid points, although far off from the initial "the four other WCS zoos are just too small to really bother with" comment considering they all have fantastic species line-ups for their size which by your own argument above would support a visit to them all. Additionally, the suggestion of "Bronx-AMNH" doesn't promote additional species... As it were, I do agree that a visit to NYC should include the museum and that, when one has limited time and wishes to get the most bang for their buck as it were, Chicago is probably the safer bet--especially with the presence of pangolins.

~Thylo
 
Ebirah766 said:
In New York there's like 4 different science centers and one in Jersey City, which is like the only reason to voluntarily visit Jersey City.
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ROFL. Don't take it so hard. It's clearly at the top of his list. He'll make it! Perhaps you could host him and take him directly to the Turtleback Zoo for a very in-depth visit! In the meantime, console yourself by doing that Lehigh Valley vs. Turtleback thread challenge with @(Adsa).;)
 
I'd just like to make three points:
  1. Bringing pizza into the debate was a smart move. I'm a big pizza person.
  2. As for the small zoo debate. I'm no stranger to small zoos. In fact, my local zoo, which I volunteer at, is a measly 14.2 acres. In other words, I have nothing against small zoos. That being said, if I'm traveling across the country, I'd rather be visiting zoos with a large species count, which usually requires a large space. But maybe someday, if I have time to go on a multi-week trip I'd be happy to visit smaller facilities, like Turtle Back, Leigh Valley, Queens, etc.
  3. What @AmbikaFan just said made me think of this: I'd love to meet some Zoochatters wherever I end up going. It'd be great to have a local who knows the ins and outs of the zoos I'd be visiting. I already plan on meeting a friend from Kentucky if I end up going to Cincinnati.
 
Hipporex said:
  1. What @AmbikaFan just said made me think of this: I'd love to meet some Zoochatters wherever I end up going. It'd be great to have a local who knows the ins and outs of the zoos I'd be visiting. I already plan on meeting a friend from Kentucky if I end up going to Cincinnati.
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I agree! And the only reason I haven't offered to meet/host you in 2021 is because I may have left NJ by then for a life of living in an RV crossing America. I'll likely be going on permanent disability, and it costs so much to self-insure for 29 months in the process AND not have income for two years, that living on the road and staying free in Walmart and Cracker Barrel parking lots will be the cheapest way to live. AND the way for me to see so much great architecture and so many zoos I've longed to see! Someday in the not-so-distant future there could be an AmbikaVan coming your way, and I'd love to meet fellow Chatters!
 
AmbikaFan said:
I agree! And the only reason I haven't offered to meet/host you in 2021 is because I may have left NJ by then for a life of living in an RV crossing America. I'll likely be going on permanent disability, and it costs so much to self-insure for 29 months in the process AND not have income for two years, that living on the road and staying free in Walmart and Cracker Barrel parking lots will be the cheapest way to live. AND the way for me to see so much great architecture and so many zoos I've longed to see! Someday in the not-so-distant future there could be an AmbikaVan coming your way, and I'd love to meet fellow Chatters!
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You should definitely emblazon AmbikaVan on the side of the vehicle.

But what the heck is a Cracker Barrel?
 
Chlidonias said:
You should definitely emblazon AmbikaVan on the side of the vehicle.

But what the heck is a Cracker Barrel?
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Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. is an American chain of combined restaurant and gift stores with a Southern country theme. I've been to one once, the food is good.
AmbikaFan said:
I agree! And the only reason I haven't offered to meet/host you in 2021 is because I may have left NJ by then for a life of living in an RV crossing America. I'll likely be going on permanent disability, and it costs so much to self-insure for 29 months in the process AND not have income for two years, that living on the road and staying free in Walmart and Cracker Barrel parking lots will be the cheapest way to live. AND the way for me to see so much great architecture and so many zoos I've longed to see! Someday in the not-so-distant future there could be an AmbikaVan coming your way, and I'd love to meet fellow Chatters!
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The trip will actually be in the summer of this year (likely June). And if you head out this way I'd enjoy meeting up. (Depending on when though cause I go off to college in August.)
 
It just so happens that I just obtained tickets to Brookfield today! If you do happen to pick Chicago @Hipporex, perhaps we might come across each other. I hope I do meet you in person one day, along with many of the other amazing people here on Zoochat.
 
Hipporex said:
Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. is an American chain of combined restaurant and gift stores with a Southern country theme. I've been to one once, the food is good.
The trip will actually be in the summer of this year (likely June). And if you head out this way I'd enjoy meeting up. (Depending on when though cause I go off to college in August.)
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My mistake. I thought you were doing the graduation trip "next year" and going to Atlanta this year. We'll be in touch.:)
 
Chlidonias said:
You should definitely emblazon AmbikaVan on the side of the vehicle.


But what the heck is a Cracker Barrel?
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Your bio doesn't say where you're from, but the big companies that allow free night stops are big supporters of hunters--Walmart, Cabela's, Bass Pro Shops, Cracker Barrel. Research must show a strong crossover between hunters and truckers, and the companies are known to be very friendly to both. I'll be neither of these things, mind you, so in the absence of pistol-packing, perhaps that AmbikaVan logo will make me an honorary oddball. Just as she labored with her own horse-power in logging camps for 14 years, perhaps she can be the spirit that carries me off into many great sunsets in many great places with many great people! And she will be watching, making mischief, causing mechanical problems!.
 
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