Would you still live in the Chicago area? (Phoenix, Atlanta: school, prices)

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by Steve-o

IL has beaches. And frostbite conditions for 6 months? Cmon.

This thread was basically designed as a magnet for ridiculous internet complainers.

[JTW2013]

We're in the thick of winter here and I'm definitely whining and complaining about it but it's really not that bad. In a normal winter, there isn't much snow until January. February is the worst, no way around that other than a nice vacation to somewhere warm during that month. March usually gets at least one spring snow which is different than a January or February snow. December is colder but not as cold as January and February and usually has a little bit of snow.

Cold isn't pleasant but dressing appropriately makes it manageable. There are plenty of good warm coats available and you can wear wool or fleece long underwear. Get a good hat, gloves, good boots and a snow brush for your car and you'll be fine.

Spring and fall in Chicago are beautiful so you're really only talking about 2 miserable months during the year. That's not bad.

[chet everett]

I am just happy to have sunlight streaming into my office right now.

Aren't there stats that says Chicago is in the top 20% or so of sunny days...

(Must be that I am also more than a little hopeful hearing Rauner's inauguration words -- I really want to see him turn this place around !)

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by chet everett

I am just happy to have sunlight streaming into my office right now.

Aren't there stats that says Chicago is in the top 20% or so of sunny days...

Chicago averages 54% sunshine, which places it almost dead in the middle. Winter months average 35% to 50%, summer around 65% sunshine.

[helena101]

Originally Posted by JTW2013

We're in the thick of winter here and I'm definitely whining and complaining about it but it's really not that bad. In a normal winter, there isn't much snow until January. February is the worst, no way around that other than a nice vacation to somewhere warm during that month. March usually gets at least one spring snow which is different than a January or February snow. December is colder but not as cold as January and February and usually has a little bit of snow.

Cold isn't pleasant but dressing appropriately makes it manageable. There are plenty of good warm coats available and you can wear wool or fleece long underwear. Get a good hat, gloves, good boots and a snow brush for your car and you'll be fine.

Spring and fall in Chicago are beautiful so you're really only talking about 2 miserable months during the year. That's not bad.

Spring and fall are beautiful? My hope, every year, as someone with children is that at least Halloween and Easter are temperate. No luck for years. Halloween 90% of the time requires a winter coat over the costume. This past Halloween we had ICE falling from the sky. Easter is big piles of dirty snow and snow/freezing rain if you're extra lucky. I remember last year, it was the last half of April and we had freezing rain, wind, and about 37 degrees one morning- I arrived to work drenched. One of the biggest things I look forward to in a warmer location is getting to enjoy fall and spring.

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by helena101

Spring and fall are beautiful? My hope, every year, as someone with children is that at least Halloween and Easter are temperate. No luck for years. Halloween 90% of the time requires a winter coat over the costume. This past Halloween we had ICE falling from the sky. Easter is big piles of dirty snow and snow/freezing rain if you're extra lucky. I remember last year, it was the last half of April and we had freezing rain, wind, and about 37 degrees one morning- I arrived to work drenched. One of the biggest things I look forward to in a warmer location is getting to enjoy fall and spring.

Spring, in general, is nice in IL, as is fall. Sure youll have a few days of crummy weather, but who doesnt? A few years back (I think it was 2006) IL had its sunniest October on record, averaging over 80% sunshine the entire month. Even here in AZ we had crap weather in October. I had family visit me in the first week and one day we barely got over 70 degrees, with 2 days of crappy, overcast weather and driving rain at points. It wasnt something they were happy about while vacationing in the desert.

[JTW2013]

Originally Posted by helena101

Spring and fall are beautiful? My hope, every year, as someone with children is that at least Halloween and Easter are temperate. No luck for years. Halloween 90% of the time requires a winter coat over the costume. This past Halloween we had ICE falling from the sky. Easter is big piles of dirty snow and snow/freezing rain if you're extra lucky. I remember last year, it was the last half of April and we had freezing rain, wind, and about 37 degrees one morning- I arrived to work drenched. One of the biggest things I look forward to in a warmer location is getting to enjoy fall and spring.

I don't know what it is about Easter but it is almost always cold. And don't even get me started on how all of the little girl Easter dresses in the stores are sundresses and how it's impossible to find spring jackets by Easter. Of course it's only mid January and Target has already replaced the coats with swimsuits.

[Vlajos]

I always laugh at COL complaints. For me and my family, any other place we would even consider living in the US would be a higher COL than here.

[helena101]

Originally Posted by Steve-o

Spring, in general, is nice in IL, as is fall. Sure youll have a few days of crummy weather, but who doesnt? A few years back (I think it was 2006) IL had its sunniest October on record, averaging over 80% sunshine the entire month. Even here in AZ we had crap weather in October. I had family visit me in the first week and one day we barely got over 70 degrees, with 2 days of crappy, overcast weather and driving rain at points. It wasnt something they were happy about while vacationing in the desert.

2006 was a decade ago. I can't recall a spring that I would describe as beautiful. Not talking about a couple of bad days-- typically most or all of March is cold and nasty and with dirty piles of snow still melting in parks and playgrounds. Finally April arrives, but is still cold for most of the month and on a number of days cold + rainy. And don't even get me started about the ups and downs in the summers, this past summer had very few days that were swimming pool weather.

[helena101]

Originally Posted by Vlajos

I always laugh at COL complaints. For me and my family, any other place we would even consider living in the US would be a higher COL than here.

I think the big issue a lot of people see is that IL is lowering income taxes while having the worst debt situation of any state in the country. Means the future is very uncertain. Illinois is losing good taxpayers to other states. There's the huge risk that people continue to leave, causing the debt situation to get even worse, which then causes more people to leave, which causes the debt situation to get even worse, etc...