Feeling Ownership of the Center

As a Chicago resident transplanted from elsewhere, I've always been happily amazed how in downtown Chicago you'll find people from all over the city going out to eat, going to museums, hanging out in Grant Park, doing things OTHER than going to work, and doing so regularly and completely at ease. It's obvious that in Chicago people from north, west, and south neighborhoods feel an ownership of the center of the city--they know they belong downtown, that downtown is for everyone and no one is going to stop them from taking advantage of it. This astounded me coming from New York, because there's always that little undercurrent when you're from outside of Manhattan and go into Manhattan for some cultural, or shopping, or whatever reason, that you don't exactly belong there. That only those of the means or luck to afford to live in Manhattan south of 96th Street legitimately belong there. I don't know what other cities may have the same feeling. I'd say Philly residents feel a real ownership of downtown, whereas Boston's Hub can feel pretty off-putting if you're not from a downtown neighborhood. I'd love to hear other people's thoughts on this. The feeling of downtown ownership I think is one of Chicago's (and Chicagoans') greatest assets.>