Is there any one else out there who truley hates the place they live??
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We may be relocating to the North Carolina/Charlotte area for work in the next few months. But there will always be a special place in my heart for the Chicagoland area.
Just did the Chicago to Charlotte move myself! I truly miss the city, although I must say Charlotte is so convenient as far as traffic, costs, weather!
I HATE, Crystal Lake...... not for what it offers, but for what it doesn't. It's a very nice, quaint community. Great early life education, decent high schools, lot's of parks, and decent fishing. The people are, for the most part, friendly (for up North.)
The problem is, I'm from a big city (Austin.) That city has the best of both worlds. It's got lot's to do, be it indoors, or outdoors, with a big fee attached, or no fee at all. It's a very hilly, scenic city, with lakes and a river dividing the city from the far northwest suburbs, all the way down to the east/southeast suburbs. It's such a great place to go hiking, fishing, camping, biking, etc.... and to do it with all the natural beauty that it offers.
Crystal Lake, although the parks are very nice, and for it being one of the more scenic places in Northern Illinois, is still very flat, and bland, (to me.) If my wife didn't have so much damn family up here, I'd move us in a heartbeat, back to Austin or San Antonio, and if not there, to Washington State, or Colorado..... or even to Vermont.... somewhere there are hills, and/or mountains in near reach.
Basically, for the good that Crystal Lake does provide, northern Illinois as a whole seriously lacks any opportunity to do the things I mentioned. It's hard to "just get away" for a weekend, or for a couple hours, because once you leave Chicago, practically till you pass Madison, WI, everything is the same, city after city, flat (for the most part) and it's all bustling suburbia.
I have always lived near Elgin, and my boyfriend lived there most of his life. We are both ready for a change. Houses out here and the cost of living is so much higher than other states like Kentucky or Texas, (which we plan to move to eventually.) Although Elgin has some pretty parts, there is nothing to do out here. Yeah, Woodfield mall, but who can really afford to shop there.?This is home, but I am bored of it.
I HATE, Crystal Lake...... not for what it offers, but for what it doesn't. It's a very nice, quaint community. Great early life education, decent high schools, lot's of parks, and decent fishing. The people are, for the most part, friendly (for up North.)
The problem is, I'm from a big city (Austin.) That city has the best of both worlds. It's got lot's to do, be it indoors, or outdoors, with a big fee attached, or no fee at all. It's a very hilly, scenic city, with lakes and a river dividing the city from the far northwest suburbs, all the way down to the east/southeast suburbs. It's such a great place to go hiking, fishing, camping, biking, etc.... and to do it with all the natural beauty that it offers.
Crystal Lake, although the parks are very nice, and for it being one of the more scenic places in Northern Illinois, is still very flat, and bland, (to me.) If my wife didn't have so much damn family up here, I'd move us in a heartbeat, back to Austin or San Antonio, and if not there, to Washington State, or Colorado..... or even to Vermont.... somewhere there are hills, and/or mountains in near reach.
Basically, for the good that Crystal Lake does provide, northern Illinois as a whole seriously lacks any opportunity to do the things I mentioned. It's hard to "just get away" for a weekend, or for a couple hours, because once you leave Chicago, practically till you pass Madison, WI, everything is the same, city after city, flat (for the most part) and it's all bustling suburbia.
Austin TX is very nice. Here are a few suggestions to look forward to come spring.
Kettle Moraine State park (south unit) in SE WI. Hills, woods, hiking and mountain biking within about an hour to 1 1/2 hour drive.
NW IL. Apple River Canyon, Galena, even Dubuque. Gets quite hilly and its picturesque. About 45 minutes due west of Madison is Governor Dodge State Park. Hills, trees, hiking, swimming, mountain biking.
Madison itself reminds me a little of Austin with a more liberal, younger vibe to it. Madison is even better for cycling than Austin IMO.
Sorry I can't give you anymore closer in ideas, just trying to give you more outdoorsy stuff, just as though you would head west to hill country.
Oh, now it's not as nice as town lake, but have you done the prairie path/fox river trail. Nice path for biking south out of Crystal Lake. Takes you down all the way to Elgin, with a convenient Dairy Queen stop in East Dundee.
Cheers and remeber, we ARE one more day closer to spring!
I HATE, Crystal Lake...... not for what it offers, but for what it doesn't. It's a very nice, quaint community. Great early life education, decent high schools, lot's of parks, and decent fishing. The people are, for the most part, friendly (for up North.)
The problem is, I'm from a big city (Austin.) That city has the best of both worlds. It's got lot's to do, be it indoors, or outdoors, with a big fee attached, or no fee at all. It's a very hilly, scenic city, with lakes and a river dividing the city from the far northwest suburbs, all the way down to the east/southeast suburbs. It's such a great place to go hiking, fishing, camping, biking, etc.... and to do it with all the natural beauty that it offers.
Crystal Lake, although the parks are very nice, and for it being one of the more scenic places in Northern Illinois, is still very flat, and bland, (to me.) If my wife didn't have so much damn family up here, I'd move us in a heartbeat, back to Austin or San Antonio, and if not there, to Washington State, or Colorado..... or even to Vermont.... somewhere there are hills, and/or mountains in near reach.
Basically, for the good that Crystal Lake does provide, northern Illinois as a whole seriously lacks any opportunity to do the things I mentioned. It's hard to "just get away" for a weekend, or for a couple hours, because once you leave Chicago, practically till you pass Madison, WI, everything is the same, city after city, flat (for the most part) and it's all bustling suburbia.
Youre making Austin sound like its in the damn Alps or something. Its hilly in most areas, but cmon, its not spectacular. There are places about 1-2 hours from Crystal Lake (in IL and WI) that rival scenery that Austin does. Do a little research before you knock northern IL/WI.
I spent 12 years in the Chicago area. Grew up in the Northwest. The last year and half I have spent in southern Florida. I HATE Florida. I would give anything to get back to the Midwest. It's too hot here especially in summer. They say it's like your winter . Not a chance. Our winters have a few days or weeks that get really cold while the summers here are unbearable. I love the outdoors yet I hardly ever spend any time outdoors in Florida. It's crowded. The traffic is miserable when the snowbirds are here. The turning lanes are a nightmare. You can never turn left in Martin County. I would rather drive in Chicago any day than down here. I'll take the snow and ice in the Midwest any day over the heat down here. I'm pushing for a move to Wisconsin now. It's a possibility and I can hardly wait to get out of here. I'd only be 3 hours from Chicago. Even though I was born in the northwest I consider Chicago my home. For anyone wanting to move there, it was wonderful. I lived in a rural area but was only an hour drive to the city. It was a great place to raise my kid and he loves it too. He's sixteen now and all he talks about is going home to Illinois.
Californians mess up everything then chronically complain. What do these people do? They take their money and lack of brains and create the same circumstances that made them miserable in California. They are doing it now in Costa Rica. Pretty soon, they will unnerve each other after bringing their California conformity to a once un-Americanized paradise.
I have lived in a lot of places. I see it all the time. Snowbirds leave the north. It's too crowded and cold. So they go to Florida and make it crowded where it's hot. They like to tell Florida natives whats wrong with their state and how we did it up north. They call Fish and game everytime a rattlesnake or gator crawls into their suburban yard that was once wilderness.
I love peace and quiet. I love Tennessee. The beauty is soulful but I could do without some of the backwoods mentality and the dirtdogs who kill things for the fun of it or trash their own neighborhoods then look at you like they'll kill you when you come along and pick it up.
There is something that sucks about everywhere but here is a bonafide tip - if you want to avoid lots of misery in your next choice of moves ... DON'T MOVE TO HOUSTON!
You think you are bored S*&%TLESS now! Here, you will be bored in a dirt suckhole where 600k houses back up to massive high voltage powerlines that blanket the city. It's flat, ugly, full of really horrid traffic and lots of idiots in pick up trucks but it's cheap to live here. Go figure. Probably the only way they could get people to come and work here. Oh and don't let anybody tell you the climate is "tropical"..there is nothing tropical about any place in TEXAS. It's just unbearably hot in the summer.
Be happy you are in Elgin. You got one of the best cties in the world to get wild in or soak up culture. There is no relief anywhere from the dismal condition of the country right now and there is no hiding place no more. Welcome to Earth.
I spent 12 years in the Chicago area. Grew up in the Northwest. The last year and half I have spent in southern Florida. I HATE Florida. I would give anything to get back to the Midwest. It's too hot here especially in summer. They say it's like your winter . Not a chance. Our winters have a few days or weeks that get really cold while the summers here are unbearable. I love the outdoors yet I hardly ever spend any time outdoors in Florida. It's crowded. The traffic is miserable when the snowbirds are here. The turning lanes are a nightmare. You can never turn left in Martin County. I would rather drive in Chicago any day than down here. I'll take the snow and ice in the Midwest any day over the heat down here. I'm pushing for a move to Wisconsin now. It's a possibility and I can hardly wait to get out of here. I'd only be 3 hours from Chicago. Even though I was born in the northwest I consider Chicago my home. For anyone wanting to move there, it was wonderful. I lived in a rural area but was only an hour drive to the city. It was a great place to raise my kid and he loves it too. He's sixteen now and all he talks about is going home to Illinois.
I lived in Florida for 22 years off and on..everything you say is true. It wasn't always like that.. til they started mowing down cow pastures, wooded land and the orange groves burnt out. Now look at Miami..what an overbuilt concrete hell..and they have even done the unspeakable..built out into the swampland of the glades. They call that WESTON. I call it lack of common sense and greed. Give me Chicago, a real class city, anyday.
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Its hilly in most areas, but cmon, its not spectacular. There are places about 1-2 hours from Crystal Lake (in IL and WI) that rival scenery that Austin does. Do a little research before you knock northern IL/WI. 
