Well, I've lived near Chicago almost my entire life,including five years in the city itself. IMO it doesn't compare at all to the vibrance of Shanghai at least. Yes, maybe part of it is the fact that there are so many people everywhere. But Shanghai just has a kind of pulse that you feel everywhere you go, 24/7. The same can't be said of Chi-town, IMHO. Does that mean that Chicago is boring? Not hardly. But if your looking for pure non-stop excitement, I'd pick Shanghai over it anytime.