Chicago, America's best city for the price? (Peoria, Elgin: vs, shop)

[glass_of_merlot]

Originally Posted by fightforlove

It's simple: less desireable region. Look at the amenities surrounding these cities. If you live in SF, you have LA, SD, Portland, Seattle and Las Vegas all a car ride away. You also have an ocean, mountains, wine country, yosemite nat'l park and Lake tahoe. Chicago has much fewer exciting attractions surrounding it, it's a less desireable region. NY and SF are big houses in a ritzy neighborhood close to the city center. Chicago is the big, ritzy house in the ho-hum working class neighborhood across the railroad tracks on the other side of town.

When i lived in Seattle i felt the same way. Very isolated. Sure, WA state is breathtakingly beautiful but so isolated.

[MikeNigh]

Moderator cut: Deleted comment

Well philly has comparable costs however if you are living in rittenhouse square you are FAR from slumming. From what I can see Chicago has even more to offer for the same price... On trulia you can get a condo in the loop for less then you get a condo 30 minutes from lower manhattan. I wonder if in 5 or 10 years people are going to see the void and philly and chicago prices are going to sky rocket. Actually now that I put the two city names together I think I see the connection... Perception of that crime was out of control. Better get your ritzy Loop and Rittenhouse square condos before they go up to san fran and boston prices.

[Tiger Beer]

Originally Posted by marothisu

Most of my NY friends think NYC is the end all be all of cities and no other cities in the entire world even offer the same things as it. Don't get me wrong, NYC is obviously an amazing city, but the people sometimes seem kind of brainwashed in that there's no other cities offering what NYC does or even close.

I've lived in NYC and agree with those friends. I've also lived in San Francisco, San Diego, Portland Oregon, Sao Paulo, Seoul, Osaka, Minneapolis and a few others.

NYC really is an incredible city.

However, I find it interesting that people from Chicago also hold their city in such high regard, and it does seem to be a strongly entranced and secure #2 position after NYC. The fact you get so much more 'house' for your money, is equally amazing.

I've never lived in Chicago though, so I don't know if I'd be disappointed or not. But I know that when I lived in NYC, I loved it, and I still hold it in very high esteem. When I moved to other US cities from NYC, I was very disappointed in them, especially San Francisco, comparitively. (Inter'l cities are so different, that the experience of living them is just great in general, but they still aren't NYC).

I do find it odd that Chicago people seem to diss on NYC so often and so frequently, when the basic bones and structure of 'loveability' of Chicago, seems to be that it's basically a smaller more affordable version of New York. That seems to be a plus, a smaller, more affordable version of NYC, implies that the basic model of NYC is a great model. It also implies that Chicago is also a great because it has such similar bones to it. I don't think any other city except Chicago has as close of bones to NYC as Chicago does.

[marothisu]

Nobody's saying NYC isn't amazing. Most of my family is from there and I have a good idea of what it's like. Of course it's amazing. The point is that I have friends there who don't think any city in the *world* is even close to it in anything. I disagree with that statement. It's obviously one of the greatest cities on earth, but there are other cities in the world that are amazing as well.

That's the point. This has nothing to do with Chicago, Tiger Beer. Chicago is like NYC lite, but no it's not as great. I agree anyone who thinks that is kind of clouded. It might do some things better, but NYC overall is obviously the better city.

[Tiger Beer]

Originally Posted by andrew61

I truly find it hard to swallow that Chicago is more affordable than Pittsburgh. Unless they're saying that Pittsburgh salaries are so low that they offset the lower cost of living.

Yep, that's hard to believe. Pittsburgh is one of the very cool underrated cities, and last I checked, it was a very, very, very affordable one as well.

[Tiger Beer]

Originally Posted by Drover

Ehm... when I moved from Pittsburgh to Chicago, my rent nearly tripled for an apartment half the size. You can still buy a perfectly habitable 3-bedroom house in a reasonably safe neighborhood in Pittsburgh for under $100K. That won't even buy you an empty lot in my neighborhood, which isn't even a particularly sought-after neighborhood.

Heck, I'd argue Pittsburgh has a similar bang-for-the-buck as Chicago, maybe even better. It offers a solid urban environment for dirt-cheap. But you won't mistake Pittsburgh for anything approximating an Alpha+ city if that's the type of environment you need.

My inquiry questioned. Interesting side discussion on Pittsburgh and Chicago.

[PA Born]

Originally Posted by Tiger Beer

I do find it odd that Chicago people seem to diss on NYC so often and so frequently, when the basic bones and structure of 'loveability' of Chicago, seems to be that it's basically a smaller more affordable version of New York.

It isn't, though. Chicago is VERY different from NYC. I have lived in both cities, and they are nothing alike. Really the only similarities are that they're big American cities with lots of big buildings. The local culture, architecture, streetscape, urban feel, etc. is totally different.

I think the closest possible city to NYC within the U.S. would be Philly. Boston sorta has some similarities. But Chicago, no way.

That's why I find the "but I can get a condo in Lincoln Park for half the cost of the Upper West Side; what a deal" comments to be silly. Lincoln Park isn't the Upper West Side.

Someone from St. Louis could say the same thing; "gee I bought a condo in the Central West End for much less than Lakeview in Chicago; Chicago was such a ripoff". No, actually, they're different cities, and have different price points for a reason.

[glass_of_merlot]

Originally Posted by PA Born

It isn't, though. Chicago is VERY different from NYC. I have lived in both cities, and they are nothing alike. Really the only similarities are that they're big American cities with lots of big buildings. The local culture, architecture, streetscape, urban feel, etc. is totally different.

I think the closest possible city to NYC within the U.S. would be Philly. Boston sorta has some similarities. But Chicago, no way.

That's why I find the "but I can get a condo in Lincoln Park for half the cost of the Upper West Side; what a deal" comments to be silly. Lincoln Park isn't the Upper West Side.

Someone from St. Louis could say the same thing; "gee I bought a condo in the Central West End for much less than Lakeview in Chicago; Chicago was such a ripoff". No, actually, they're different cities, and have different price points for a reason.

How is the urban culture different and architecture?. Just curious.

[Bluefox]

Originally Posted by glass_of_merlot

How is the urban culture different and architecture?. Just curious.

Was wondering that too... I didn't know that NYC and Chicago had their very own brands of architecture. I guess I was under the impression that both cities showcased an eclectic mixture of cultures and architectural styles.

So what does Chicago architecture look like?

[marothisu]

Chicago has areas that are similar to NYC and then there's areas that are nothing like it. I remember when my Uncle from Queens visited me and said how my area reminded him of a smaller version of Manhattan. Same thing my mom said who grew up right outside of Manhattan. I have actually heard, while walking on the street, random tourists say "I feel like I'm home in Brooklyn right now." My uncle actually remarked how he wouldn't mind living in Chicago because it reminded him, in some areas, of a smaller NYC and the only reason he wouldn't is because it's colder than NYC in the winter.

Other areas though, yeah not like NYC but there are areas that have a similar feel to NYC on a smaller scale for sure.