Why would people choose Chicago over other major cities? (Hampton: to live in, costs)

[knitgirl]

I spent yesterday at the beach in Rogers Park. It was great! Not crowded, a nice breeze and 1/2 a block from my sister's place. You can't beat that!

[MassVt]

Originally Posted by knitgirl

I spent yesterday at the beach in Rogers Park. It was great! Not crowded, a nice breeze and 1/2 a block from my sister's place. You can't beat that!

I saw that it was going to be 96 in Chicago today; we topped out at around 68 yesterday, but we do have a couple days scheduled to be in the 90s in the middle of the week, but then cooler temps again for next weekend..

I'm planning on returning to Chicago very soon, but I'll check with any hotels to make sure that the AC is working ( not that they'd tell me otherwise, of course)...

[Davis Street]

Originally Posted by mikedoyleblogger

In New York, because of its layout, most of the beaches are very far from most of the local residents. From many parts of NYC, an hour or longer to get to the beach is not uncommon, especially if you're headed for Coney Island in Brooklyn or the Rockaways in Queens.

It would only take an hour to get to Coney Island or the Rockaways if you lived in the North Bronx, and only if taking the subway.

I used to live in NYC, and those beaches are very close to millions of people. There are as many people in Brooklyn as in all of Chicago, and everywhere in Brooklyn is a short subway ride to the Coney Island terminal.

And there's really no comparison between ocean beaches and lake beaches. Not even worth discussing.

[raleightransplant]

Disagree with this. I used to frequent the Outer Banks all the time in North Carolina. Those are easily some of the finest beaches on the eastern seaboard. Just spent time in Saugatuck, MI this weekend. They're different but fairly comparable in many ways--open water dunes, trails, etc.

I'd obviously give the ocean the edge with waves, surfing, etc., but you're not finding great surf/waves on the east coast anyway.

[ForYourLungsOnly]

I cannot stand this argument. The Great Lakes are NOT THE OCEAN but they ARE NOT TRYING TO BE. Lake Michigan is it's own special asset to Chicago that MANY cities do not have and should be envious of. Chicago sits on and utilizes one of the largest, most impressive and most beautiful natural bodies of fresh water in the world. The thread title is not "Why would people choose to live in Chicago with Lake Michigan beaches over New York City and the beaches near there?" People must not have much else to gravitate to because in just about every thread some ridiculous argument/insult on Chicago arises because "well uhh the lake is not the ocean not even close!"...get a grip.

[ChiNaan]

Originally Posted by Watterswaiting

Everything everyone else has already said, and...

Chicago is more friendly. Chicagoans make eye-contact, we chat, we connect.

I always hear people say this, and it blows my mind, because moving to the Chicago area from Texas I found that people make significantly less eye contact and chit-chat with strangers here than there. Maybe people who say this about Chicago are comparing it to the East Coast?

Originally Posted by Watterswaiting

Another thing not yet mentioned,

The largest free blues festival in the world among many other phenomenal music and culture festivals.

I agree with you on this one. Love this about Chicago.

[knitgirl]

Originally Posted by ForYourLungsOnly

I cannot stand this argument. The Great Lakes are NOT THE OCEAN but they ARE NOT TRYING TO BE. Lake Michigan is it's own special asset to Chicago that MANY cities do not have and should be envious of. Chicago sits on and utilizes one of the largest, most impressive and most beautiful natural bodies of fresh water in the world. The thread title is not "Why would people choose to live in Chicago with Lake Michigan beaches over New York City and the beaches near there?" People must not have much else to gravitate to because in just about every thread some ridiculous argument/insult on Chicago arises because "well uhh the lake is not the ocean not even close!"...get a grip.

You don't have to deal with salt getting into your eyes in the Lake!

[ChiNaan]

Originally Posted by Davis Street

It would only take an hour to get to Coney Island or the Rockaways if you lived in the North Bronx, and only if taking the subway.

Actually, on the subway it takes about an hour to get to Coney Island just from the other side of Brooklyn. (I know this because I've done it, but look it up if you don't believe me.) From North Bronx it would be closer to two hours.

[BridgetLelay]

There are so many opportunities to find a great job and a great lifestyle in Chicago. The city of Big Shoulders boasts an amazing downtown, several unique and cozy neighborhoods, and it's a thriving center for many industries.

There are 121 hospitals, 22 professional sports teams and Chicago is located directly on the lake.

If you are looking for <a href="http://www.jobs.net/Article/CB-33-Talent-Network-Location-Opportunities-for-Work-and-Play-in-Chicago/">jobs in Chicago</a> you will find ample opportunity in healthcare, tech start-ups and sales and finance.

[emathias]

Originally Posted by Plzeň

...
I have no idea why wikipedia still uses the 2000 census for everything. You'd think there's been enough time to incorporate 2010 data by now.

It's crowd sourced, remember. If you want fresh numbers, add them. I do that with topics I care about.