Moving advice Chicago vs Houston? (Forest Park: for sale, lease, how much)
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Born and raised in Houston, living in Chicago for the past 5 years, and my father lives in Florida so I visit FL a lot. Now listen to me and listen to me good: make. sure. you. can. handle. WINTER. Winter ain't no joke in Chicago.
Now I imagine you're a lot like I was and find snow to be exotic. And, on those first few snow falls, it is. But the blustering winds off the lake, and the sub-zero temperatures, and the constant grey skies, and the extremely short days can get to you after a while. Coming from Florida, I'd say you're going to feel chilly starting in October, downright freezing from November until about mid-May, and then feeling pretty good from Memorial Day to the end of September. Summers in Chicago are amazing, but it's sadly not a very long season.
Things I like about Chicago, as a Houstonian:
-Walkability. It really is so much fun to walk out your door and just explore. There's always a new shop or restaurant that I did not notice before, I feel like I'm constantly exploring.
-The lake front path. Miles of parks along gorgeous Lake Michigan. I ride my bike to work every day in the summer and it feels more like I'm on vacation than commuting.
-Bikeability...you can bike everywhere here, very safely compared to most cities.
-Youthfulness. Chicago is a very youthful city in general. I am the same age as you and it seems like nearly everyone I see on the streets is in their 20s and 30s.
-Liberal/progressive...coming from Texas, it's refreshing to live in a place where people are open-minded. Houston has this too (the current mayor is a lesbian, how cool is that...and Montrose/Westheimer is a really cool gay part of town in Houston). But there's also a big emphasis on being green, organic food and farmer's markets, many vegan restaurants, recycling, atheism is okay, etc.
-It's a great place to launch a career. I've had friends here work everywhere from Playboy to Oprah. Looks great on a resume.
What I like about Houston, as a "Chicagoan:"
-the warm weather, sort of. You'll never be cold in Houston, ever. Coming from Florida, I'd say the climate is nearly identical.
-Friendly people. Texans are by far the friendliest people in the country. This is a fact. No, I can't prove it, but just trust me, it's true.
-Cheap, cheap, cheap cost of living, while still getting world class amenities, like great museums and festivals. You can get a huge house for your money in Houston, or rent on the cheap.
-The food. Especially the Mexican/Tex-Mex food. Houston one of the place food cities in the country. Endless supply of amazing food, all price ranges.
-Being in Texas. Ignoring some of the obvious annoying backwards things about Texas (Rick Perry), I still think it's an amazing state and I'm proud to be a Texan. Houston is only 2.5 hours away from Austin, which is a total blast. San Antonio, Galveston, Corpus Christi, Dallas, the hill country, the gulf coast...the desert if you want to drive far enough. It's fun to drive around and explore Texas. Oh, New Orleans is close by too.
What I dislike about Chicago:
-The weather. The long, ridiculously cold winters are a complete drag. So bad that I know I could never live here forever, it's just too hard to deal with year after year and I'm leaving soon because it. But, I have friends from North Dakota and they plan to never leave. Just depends on what you're used to.
-The people are kinda rude. There's a thing here where people just don't look up when they're walking by and say hi. I guess it's because you walk by so many people you just can't say hi to them all. But I find it annoying. Also, make one wrong move while driving and prepared to have a dozen people/taxis honk like mad at you. No patience here.
-the cost of living is okay, but it's on the rise. I'd say compared to NYC or Boston or San Fran, Chicago is a g.d. steal. But that is slowly changing...the property taxes are sky rocketing and rents are going up. I especially dislike the fact that even if I wanted to buy a house (with a yard and whatnot) in the city proper, it ain't going to happen. You need *at least* half a million bucks for that, more like three quarters of a million. So off to the suburbs you go.
-the public transit. Okay, I have a love-hate relationship with it. I respect it...it does get you almost anywhere you need to go, but I hate riding it. It's crowded, smelly, and you typically run into strange people on it...but that's the big city for you. I have a car and I only use it about once a week, but I would never get rid of it. Sometimes you just want to go somewhere on your own schedule and not have to deal with people and waiting for trains/buses (especially when it's cold).
What I dislike about Houston:
-it's toooo hot. it's tooo humid. Oh my god is it humid.
-flying cockroaches
-mosquitos
-long stretches of highway and strip malls
-I'm from there, so I'm all wanderlusty and need to be far away from something so familiar
Honestly, I would still recommend Chicago for someone like you...you're young and you want a change of scenery (the energy/vibe in Houston isn't that different from Florida, in my opinion). Houston is a place that makes more sense when you want to settle down with your hot Latina wife (which you could certainly find in Chicago) and buy a huge house and get fat on all the amazing food.
No, there's really nothing going on in downtown proper where the buildings are at night time. But if you stay inside the loop in places like Uptown, Midtown, Rice Village, Washington Ave... there are several night spots to keep you busy. I take it when you lived in Houston you didn't get out much?
I lived in the middle of midtown for 2 months in a very nice corporate apartment. Yes, I went out a little, not too much sense I have a family to care for. But to compare it with Chicago? I just can't. Sure, people are real nice and the weather is always nice. But it is just too slow, to religious for me. This is just me though. I have lived in the south for longer than I can take. Tennessee and Mississippi ( 6 years )
I love Chicago, absolutely love it and Houston don't even come remotely close.
Born and raised in Houston, living in Chicago for the past 5 years, and my father lives in Florida so I visit FL a lot. Now listen to me and listen to me good: make. sure. you. can. handle. WINTER. Winter ain't no joke in Chicago.
Now I imagine you're a lot like I was and find snow to be exotic. And, on those first few snow falls, it is. But the blustering winds off the lake, and the sub-zero temperatures, and the constant grey skies, and the extremely short days can get to you after a while. Coming from Florida, I'd say you're going to feel chilly starting in October, downright freezing from November until about mid-May, and then feeling pretty good from Memorial Day to the end of September. Summers in Chicago are amazing, but it's sadly not a very long season.
Things I like about Chicago, as a Houstonian:
-Walkability. It really is so much fun to walk out your door and just explore. There's always a new shop or restaurant that I did not notice before, I feel like I'm constantly exploring.
-The lake front path. Miles of parks along gorgeous Lake Michigan. I ride my bike to work every day in the summer and it feels more like I'm on vacation than commuting.
-Bikeability...you can bike everywhere here, very safely compared to most cities.
-Youthfulness. Chicago is a very youthful city in general. I am the same age as you and it seems like nearly everyone I see on the streets is in their 20s and 30s.
-Liberal/progressive...coming from Texas, it's refreshing to live in a place where people are open-minded. Houston has this too (the current mayor is a lesbian, how cool is that...and Montrose/Westheimer is a really cool gay part of town in Houston). But there's also a big emphasis on being green, organic food and farmer's markets, many vegan restaurants, recycling, atheism is okay, etc.
-It's a great place to launch a career. I've had friends here work everywhere from Playboy to Oprah. Looks great on a resume.
What I like about Houston, as a "Chicagoan:"
-the warm weather, sort of. You'll never be cold in Houston, ever. Coming from Florida, I'd say the climate is nearly identical.
-Friendly people. Texans are by far the friendliest people in the country. This is a fact. No, I can't prove it, but just trust me, it's true.
-Cheap, cheap, cheap cost of living, while still getting world class amenities, like great museums and festivals. You can get a huge house for your money in Houston, or rent on the cheap.
-The food. Especially the Mexican/Tex-Mex food. Houston one of the place food cities in the country. Endless supply of amazing food, all price ranges.
-Being in Texas. Ignoring some of the obvious annoying backwards things about Texas (Rick Perry), I still think it's an amazing state and I'm proud to be a Texan. Houston is only 2.5 hours away from Austin, which is a total blast. San Antonio, Galveston, Corpus Christi, Dallas, the hill country, the gulf coast...the desert if you want to drive far enough. It's fun to drive around and explore Texas. Oh, New Orleans is close by too.
What I dislike about Chicago:
-The weather. The long, ridiculously cold winters are a complete drag. So bad that I know I could never live here forever, it's just too hard to deal with year after year and I'm leaving soon because it. But, I have friends from North Dakota and they plan to never leave. Just depends on what you're used to.
-The people are kinda rude. There's a thing here where people just don't look up when they're walking by and say hi. I guess it's because you walk by so many people you just can't say hi to them all. But I find it annoying. Also, make one wrong move while driving and prepared to have a dozen people/taxis honk like mad at you. No patience here.
-the cost of living is okay, but it's on the rise. I'd say compared to NYC or Boston or San Fran, Chicago is a g.d. steal. But that is slowly changing...the property taxes are sky rocketing and rents are going up. I especially dislike the fact that even if I wanted to buy a house (with a yard and whatnot) in the city proper, it ain't going to happen. You need *at least* half a million bucks for that, more like three quarters of a million. So off to the suburbs you go.
-the public transit. Okay, I have a love-hate relationship with it. I respect it...it does get you almost anywhere you need to go, but I hate riding it. It's crowded, smelly, and you typically run into strange people on it...but that's the big city for you. I have a car and I only use it about once a week, but I would never get rid of it. Sometimes you just want to go somewhere on your own schedule and not have to deal with people and waiting for trains/buses (especially when it's cold).
What I dislike about Houston:
-it's toooo hot. it's tooo humid. Oh my god is it humid.
-flying cockroaches
-mosquitos
-long stretches of highway and strip malls
-I'm from there, so I'm all wanderlusty and need to be far away from something so familiar
Honestly, I would still recommend Chicago for someone like you...you're young and you want a change of scenery (the energy/vibe in Houston isn't that different from Florida, in my opinion). Houston is a place that makes more sense when you want to settle down with your hot Latina wife (which you could certainly find in Chicago) and buy a huge house and get fat on all the amazing food.
Very nice breakdown, dbgunn. I do agree with Chicago being a better choice for now, I can move to Houston when I want to settle down. I will visit both cities in the following month. Any places I should check out while in Chicago?
Interesting break down. I do disagree about a few things here. People here CAN be rude sometimes. Usually it's either at certain bars/clubs downtown where people either have power trips or they're legitimately dbags (or some places in Lincoln Park) or where some supposed rich people meet and think they're better than everyone else at an ultra swanky place. Other than that, most people I've met here are pretty down to earth and nice people. Even when people are being rude here, it's not usually (although sometimes is) on the level of Boston/New England or NYC. My opinion though.
Other thing I disagree about is the food. Houston has great food, but ask anybody who's eaten in both cities extensively and Chicago wins easily IF you are not a picky eater and like more than just one or two cuisines. Houston has a slight edge in Mexican (there is great Mexican in Chicago too...remember how many Mexican immigrants live here. Over 500,000 live in Chicago vs. 600,000 in Houston.) and of course beats Chicago in BBQ. Both places have good South American cuisine too. Also let's not forget that Chicago is only one of three total US cities to have Michelin Ratings (NYC and Vegas are the other two). Michelin does not come and do ratings unless you have a lot of GOOD restaurants..if you don't, it's a waste of money for them.
I'm not sure if it was your intent, but giving options to people, even though Houston has some good food, Chicago is even more above it. Chicago really is considered one of the top 3 food cities in this country. Some food "experts" will even place it as #1 (i.e. Andrew Zimmern). It really depends on what you want. If you just enjoy mexican food, then both cities are fine. If you are crazy about BBQ, then go to Houston (even though there's a few good BBQ places in Chicago, but nothing like Texas for sure).
As far as the "hot mexican wife thing goes." Not sure if that's a way of saying the women in Houston are nicer, but if it's speaking about hotness then I suggest you hit up a nice club downtown. Everytime I go to one, I see many beautiful/hot latina women. There are a number here. Hell, I've even dated a beautiful latina girl before here and know numerous others. Not sure what you meant by it, but there's a lot of very nice latina women in Chicago just like in Houston.
Anyway, you are completely correct about the winter thing though. If you're coming from the south, winters can be almost brutal up here. You'll need a warm coat/jacket and if it's a wool coat, then get a scarf, gloves, and some 180s for your ears. Could take awhile to get used to, but if you have the attire, it'll make life a lot easier.
Last edited by marothisu; 05-23-2012 at 11:51 PM..
Very nice breakdown, dbgunn. I do agree with Chicago being a better choice for now, I can move to Houston when I want to settle down. I will visit both cities in the following month. Any places I should check out while in Chicago?
By places do you mean food, bars, attractions, or..?
wow, interesting statement. Details? how long have you been in Chicago?
Visited the city many many times. Lived here just a short while.
Please, im not going to defend my opinion. Im born and raised in a city and thats what I like. Chicago, other than NYC is the only cities that comes pretty damn close to what I grew up with. Houston just doesn't. But that's just my opinion.
I especially dislike the fact that even if I wanted to buy a house (with a yard and whatnot) in the city proper, it ain't going to happen. You need *at least* half a million bucks for that, more like three quarters of a million. So off to the suburbs you go.
Not true at all! If you insist on only looking at houses in the popular north side neighborhoods then yes but there are many middle class neighborhoods within city limits where you can get a single family detached house with a yard for well under $500K. I live in such a house on the SW side near Midway Airport, it is a bungalow built in 1963 and it's currently market value is only $155K and even before the crash the market value was barely $200K. On the NW side near O'Hare it is a little more expensive but nowhere near $500K for just an average house. I guess it all depends on how big of a house/yard you want and how picky you are about it being new and the exact location, if you are too picky about a few of the above then yes it can be as expensive as you say. Still, the vast majority of detached houses in Chicago cost less than $500K and I am not just talking about houses in the ghetto or something. It is just that such neighborhoods like mine are only largely known by multi-generational Chicagoans and some Hispanic immigrants, transplants don't even look at neighborhoods like mine so they often move to the suburbs out of ignorance, it is such a shame because there are many good (if not hip) neighborhoods out there that are quite cheap to live in. Heck even closer to downtown in Bridgeport you can find plenty of livable older homes for well under $500K. The whole city is not the Loop to Lakeview you know.
$500-700K for a single family home in the City? Only if you limit yourself to the so called "Green Zone". There are wonderful neighborhoods where you can a nice bungalow/4 square, etc for well under those amounts. RE taxes will not be bad either. If you only want to live in LP, Lake View, Wicker Park and Bucktown than yes, it's expensive for a single family home.
$500-700K for a single family home in the City? Only if you limit yourself to the so called "Green Zone". There are wonderful neighborhoods where you can a nice bungalow/4 square, etc for well under those amounts. RE taxes will not be bad either. If you only want to live in LP, Lake View, Wicker Park and Bucktown than yes, it's expensive for a single family home.
Yeah, can definitely get a home for less than $500k here. Areas like LP and Lakeview, yeah stretching there, but go west of downtown and you might find it. Wicker Park is getting more expensive, but you can find some single family homes in some areas of Bucktown or Uk Village-ish area for under $500k I believe. If you go north of Ravenswood too, then you might be able to. Ravenswood has a lot of houses at or around $500k..because they're usually over 2700 square feet, which is a pretty decently sized house, especially within the city. I'm sure you could get a 2000 sq footer for less than $500k in that area though.
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