Why would people choose Chicago over other major cities? (Lincoln: rent, mortgage)

[WesleyPrescott]

My question is: Why would you choose Chicago over other major cities in the United States? Specifically NYC. I am not trying to make this a turf war of any sort. Just curious to see some other viewpoints. I personally want to move to Chicago.

Why would you?

[oakparkdude]

Cost of housing.

[hindukid]

Chicago is more laid back than NYC.

Chicago has better use of waterfront and park space than NYC.

Chicago has 80% of the cultural activity of NYC at 50% of the cost.

Chicago is far easier to own a car in.

Personally I just think life here is so much easier. Paying 1/3 the amount on rent/mortgage just makes life so much easier and less stressful. I go to NYC all the time but just don't really feel like I am missing out on much at all.

[FAReastcoast]

Originally Posted by hindukid

Chicago is more laid back than NYC.

Chicago has better use of waterfront and park space than NYC.

Chicago has 80% of the cultural activity of NYC at 50% of the cost.

Chicago is far easier to own a car in.

Personally I just think life here is so much easier. Paying 1/3 the amount on rent/mortgage just makes life so much easier and less stressful. I go to NYC all the time but just don't really feel like I am missing out on much at all.

I would agree on the waterfront, but parks? I would have to completely disagree with you on that one.

[hindukid]

Originally Posted by FAReastcoast

I would agree on the waterfront, but parks? I would have to completely disagree with you on that one.

I used to live in NYC on the upper east side. Sure Central park is nice. But its one park and its not that close to much of manhattan. because Lincoln park is so long its pretty close to a large portion of the city.

But I find the real difference to be the small 1 square block parks we have all over the place here. You will always have a reasonable park within walking distance in Chicago. Just didn't seem that way in Manhattan.

When I lived in NYC getting a tennis court on a weekend was not a possibility. Here its not a problem. When you have 10 guys for a soccer game in NYC, you each have to pony up $20 and rent a field at Chelsea Piers. Here you just meet a local park and throw some orange cones down.

I have not seen the numbers but I would be willing to bet that athletic fields, tennis courts and basket ball courts per capita is way lower in Manhattan than Chicago.

[ToriaT]

Cost of housing. I am always amazed at the small tiny spaces average New Yorkers live in. True they have fabulous digs there but you have to make a lot of money to affort them. The pace is too fast, the traffic is even worse than Chicago and I think NY have a different sensibility than people from here. Not that I do not like them but its always push, push, push. Its a bit more laid back here.

[andrew61]

Originally Posted by WesleyPrescott

My question is: Why would you choose Chicago over other major cities in the United States? Specifically NYC.

Well, NYC is monstrously expensive, for one thing. Unless you're willing to live far from all the action, or else in a part of town you're afraid to walk through. In Chicago you can live in a nice place in a very popular part of town, yet have enough money left over to get out and do things on a regular basis, without having a huge income.

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by WesleyPrescott

My question is: Why would you choose Chicago over other major cities in the United States? Specifically NYC. I am not trying to make this a turf war of any sort. Just curious to see some other viewpoints. I personally want to move to Chicago.

Why would you?

Less expensive is a big one. My apt in the Gold Coast would cost probably $4000/month in Manhattan for example and I pay less than $1400/month for mine. HUGE difference. While a few of the arts "scenes" in Chicago aren't as good as NYC, Chicago still offers pretty much everything NYC does.

While Chicago is expensive compared to say Des Moines, Chicago is one of two actual CITIES in the United States and more people who want to move to a real city can live here because of the housing costs, and have a harder time in NYC in the same case.


Los Angeles is a sprawl, still expensive, and their public transit sucks (very small and "regional"). San Francisco/San Jose is expensive as is Washington DC.

[It'sAutomatic]

With the huge crowds of people everywhere and ridiculous rents, New York just seems like too much of a rat race. It's ridiculous what people pay to live in Manhattan, and I'm not very inclined to join in the competition. The outer boroughs are better-priced, but still considerably more expensive than Chicago, and I think I'd really just want to live in Manhattan if I moved there, for Chicago is already like an outer borough of its own.

[nana053]

Chicago is:

less expensive than NYC
is easier to get around in (because of its grid and because of its size)
has great architecture
has great beaches close in
has lovely neighborhoods (NYC does have some, but I like Chicago's better)
is not as insane in terms of competitiveness (especially in terms of getting kids into the *best* schools. NYC has an absolutely nutty mentality even for preschoolers).
has great Museums though NYC has great ones too.
has some really great and affordable theater. I love the Neofuturians and lots of the gay theater here. NYC is again too expensive for theater although some off-off Broadway is not bad.