Do you love Chicago? (Hamilton, Kansas: rental, crime rates, transfer to)

[TheTimidBlueBars]

Originally Posted by HelterSkelter

Except none of this is true, you know nothing about Detroit. The auto industry is doing better than ever currently and there is plenty diversification in southeast Michigan.

Suburban sprawl, racism and bad urban planning made inner city Detroit look the way it does (happened to every other city in America as well), NOT economy. Metro Detroit is extremely wealthy.

Metro Detroit sees steady gains in population and outpaces the country in GDP growth, Chicagoland is slowly losing population as a whole.

Okay, I'm sorry, but what? Wikipedia says Metro Detroit's population shrank from 5.36 million to 5.22 million between 2000 and 2010, while metro Chicago's populatiom grew from 9.10 million to 9.46 million during the same period. Can you provide a source for your claim that Metro Detroit is seeing steady gains in population? To me it looks like the "collar counties" might be, but Wayne County itself (where most of the population is concentrated) is continuing to hemorrhage people.

[Nafster]

Love the city. Love the culture. Love the vibe.

Hate the government.

[oping00]

I like it only in summer time.

[prhill]

I love it during fall and winter only.

[Oramasfella]

I adore the city.
Yeah, taxes are high, but I am a minimalist and a simple-life kind of guy. I don't need a 700-hundred-dollar phone or a hundred-dollar-haircut, I don't own a car, I walk to work, and I don't need to eat out every night. I have learned to live a simple life with simple values, not worship brands, and only buy what's absolutely necessary. I am lucky enough to have a scary good health (yes, scary because I never ever get sick...weird) and I do everything in my power to keep it that way. Also, I am one of that rarest of species who does not own a home (and doesn't feel he needs to own one), and I am perfectly fine with that. As far as crime, I know what areas to avoid and what times to keep my ass indoors (and yes, I know that this is still no guarantee of never encountering crime. However, why tempt fate?).
My life is not perfect, but it is perfect for me, and I will always love everything that this city offers if one doesn't demand too much of it.
I have lived in other allegedly better places and I would not change Chicago for the world, literally.

[Atlanta_BD]

Originally Posted by Oramasfella

I adore the city.
Yeah, taxes are high, but I am a minimalist and a simple-life kind of guy. I don't need a 700-hundred-dollar phone or a hundred-dollar-haircut, I don't own a car, I walk to work, and I don't need to eat out every night. I have learned to live a simple life with simple values, not worship brands, and only buy what's absolutely necessary. I am lucky enough to have a scary good health (yes, scary because I never ever get sick...weird) and I do everything in my power to keep it that way. Also, I am one of that rarest of species who does not own a home (and doesn't feel he needs to own one), and I am perfectly fine with that. As far as crime, I know what areas to avoid and what times to keep my ass indoors (and yes, I know that this is still no guarantee of never encountering crime. However, why tempt fate?).
My life is not perfect, but it is perfect for me, and I will always love everything that this city offers if one doesn't demand too much of it.
I have lived in other allegedly better places and I would not change Chicago for the world, literally.

I couldn't agree more!

[Oramasfella]

Originally Posted by Atlanta_BD

Lower wages and higher rents is the reality for ALL American cities. As I have said before I have lived in cities in the South that were supposed to offer a cheaper cost of living and I found it to just not be true. The wages in southern states is even lower than here and the cost of housing is just as high and even higher than Chicago's.

I make more money in Chicago since moving back here than any other job that I ever worked when I lived in the South. And I worked in government and for major organizations when I live in the south. And for all intents and purposes, my current job in Chicago would be considered blue collar. With that being the case, I still make more money in Chicago than I ever made in the south.

I love Chicago and I plan to stay here, unless I move out of the country altogether. I have been there and done that. I have lived in other cities besides Chicago that are supposed to be cheaper that people also automatically assume are safer and they really are no better than here. They also have lots of violent crime. To me Chicago is a bargain compared to these places and what you get there versus what I get here. Other cities pale in comparison to Chicago outside of maybe New York, LA and San Francisco.

There is no magical place. You have to make the best of wherever you are.

If you hate Chicago so much, just leave already! I absolutely hated living in the South and I finally decided to stop complaining about it and leave. So I did. I am much happier here in Chicago. Hopefully you will find happiness when you move back to Florida.

Great post!
I think it helps if one does two things: One, stop following the sociocultural narrative that dictates what one should eat, buy, act like, have, own etc. Capitalism and social conditioning suck, and those two can certainly make one's life miserable, because going after what society tells us one should have will certainly impact our finances and our quality of life. Instead of buying stuff that is beyond our means just to appease cultural trends and keep up with the Joneses, get what you need...what you can afford, and be happy with it. That will help with the taxes situation and with the "I never have enough money...it must be this city!!" thing. And two, like you say: instead of complaining about a city, start working towards creating a reality that fits you better, i.e. moving to a city that will make you happier.
Obviously, not everyone has the means to do that, but option one could help.

[cfbs2691]

Originally Posted by Vinny Lugo

There basically is no middle class here

This describes the whole country.
Have you been asleep the last 8 years or so?
You are very mistaken if you think it's going to be any different in Florida.

I love Chicago. Great food, great people, Great Lake, clean, so much to do...

[MassVt]

Some solid posts from Atlanta BD and Oramesfella---no need to keep up with the Jones', no magical place to live. No need to rush down to your local Chrysler dealer to take advantage of that special Labor Day deal, either.I hope that your lives have more meaning than that...

[City Guy997S]

Chicago is great to visit. For the money, Toronto is a better option with the currency differences right now. I find the two very similar in some ways (clean, cultured city on a beautiful lake with pro-sports thrown in) and fortunately one isn't the murder capital of the midwest!