What you love about Chicago (Auburn: apartment, to live in, restaurant)

[It'sAutomatic]

Originally Posted by Misha101

I moved here 4 years ago.. and i don't like anything in this city.. rent way inflated and overpriced.. hard to make friends.. lifestyle is sucks.. there is much better place to live then here...do not waste your time or money over here..

Sorry, but any city is what you make of it. There are overpriced apartments everywhere (and plenty in Chicago), and if you choose to live in one for four years and waste your money, that's your fault. It's hard to make friends in any big city where people are busy minding their own business, but once again, it's what you make of it. If money isn't a problem, one can live any desired lifestyle here except rural.

The main unavoidable lifestyle problems here are winter and getting around (driving sucks, public transit takes time). Personally, I ride my bike everywhere and make the most of every day of nice weather, which takes care of that. The trouble with driving comes because of the density of the city, which most people regard as a positive asset.

My favorite thing about Chicago is the endless sea of historic neighborhoods. This is something you cannot find in most American cities.

[ToriaT]

I love what others have said. But there is a certain something about Chicago...maybe its all my past memories rolled up into one...that makes it such a magnet for me..not that I have lived anywhere else except the Chicago area. I have been well traveled and there are few places that really have captured my heart like Chicago and it would be too difficult or expensive to live there. As far as San Fran. been there quite a few times...nice and like to visit but I would not want to live there.

[oddstray]

Public transportation.
The lakefront and all it's parks.
Old Town School of Folk Music.
The architecture/skyline.
The Skyway bridge on LSD heading into Indianapolis.
The rest of LSD (except during rush hour).
The O'Hare runway that runs over the top of the freeway.
The color of the sky at dusk, during the summer.
The thunder and lightning storms for two hours every summer afternoon.

[cali3448893]

I love the diversity throughout the city!

[tallahasseehero1]

I visited Chicago for the first time back in November and very much would like to go back, and maybe even live there. The architecture is phenomenal , my friend had an apartment with a great view of the city and it was awesome. The city has a good big city feel and the residents seem to have a good deal of midwest hospitality, without the very conservative ideologies you see in smaller towns. The neighborhoods right outside of downtown are awesome and have really good vibes. Lots of cool bars and the city is open late enough (later than Tallahassee where I go to school, but not later than Miami which I live near when not at school).

I would like to live there but I think the cold might get to me. Also I think I might miss the beaches in Florida.

The music scene is also awesome!!

Also the public transportation is very efficient.

[Tex?Il?]

Originally Posted by It'sAutomatic

Sorry, but any city is what you make of it. There are overpriced apartments everywhere (and plenty in Chicago), and if you choose to live in one for four years and waste your money, that's your fault. It's hard to make friends in any big city where people are busy minding their own business, but once again, it's what you make of it. If money isn't a problem, one can live any desired lifestyle here except rural.

The main unavoidable lifestyle problems here are winter and getting around (driving sucks, public transit takes time). Personally, I ride my bike everywhere and make the most of every day of nice weather, which takes care of that. The trouble with driving comes because of the density of the city, which most people regard as a positive asset.

My favorite thing about Chicago is the endless sea of historic neighborhoods. This is something you cannot find in most American cities.

I absolutely agree that Chicago has many, many, great historic neighborhoods, but with the exception of sunbelt cities that were a little cowtown before world war II, don't pretty much all cities over 300,000 people, that were at least that size 60 years ago have a lot of historic neighborhoods?

[raleightransplant]

@Tex..no. No way. Even if you have an axe to grind with Chicago, I don't think you can make that argument with a straight face.

I've visited too many cities to mention, and Chicago in terms of quality and quantity of vibrant urban neighborhoods is easily one of the very best in this regard. Probably only supassed by NYC. I've been to Boston and San Fran...both are really enjoyable cities. These feel like towns compared to Chicago. And I deem those cities to be urban heavy-weights, so that's no slight at all. Chicago's just that good.

My favorite things here:
-Lake Michigan (lake is a misnomer, this is an inland ocean)
-Architecture (perfect blend of old and new/daring, best skyline in the US to me)
-GREAT urban neighborhoods....not just commercial throughfares, but residential sidestreets too.
-Great transportation/walking/biking city
-Food...again only surpassed by NYC in my opinion. And in some areas, Chicago might win this battle. Every kind of food, low-end, middle and high.
-People. Chicago has many urban-minded, yet cool people.
-Seasons and how the city takes on different feel based on this. Summer has this care-free vibe, winter gives the city more of an edgy sharp elbows cold demeanor kind of vibe.

Basically if I had no map or bearings and could construct a beautiful city of my preferences...it'd basically look like Chicago.

[andrew61]

Originally Posted by Tex?Il?

I absolutely agree that Chicago has many, many, great historic neighborhoods, but with the exception of sunbelt cities that were a little cowtown before world war II, don't pretty much all cities over 300,000 people, that were at least that size 60 years ago have a lot of historic neighborhoods?

Yes. Certainly just about any Northeastern or Midwestern city of that size that came of age in the 19th or early 20th centuries.

[Tex?Il?]

Originally Posted by raleightransplant

@Tex..no. No way. Even if you have an axe to grind with Chicago, I don't think you can make that argument with a straight face.

I've visited too many cities to mention, and Chicago in terms of quality and quantity of vibrant urban neighborhoods is easily one of the very best in this regard. Probably only supassed by NYC. I've been to Boston and San Fran...both are really enjoyable cities. These feel like towns compared to Chicago. And I deem those cities to be urban heavy-weights, so that's no slight at all. Chicago's just that good.

My favorite things here:
-Lake Michigan (lake is a misnomer, this is an inland ocean)
-Architecture (perfect blend of old and new/daring, best skyline in the US to me)
-GREAT urban neighborhoods....not just commercial throughfares, but residential sidestreets too.
-Great transportation/walking/biking city
-Food...again only surpassed by NYC in my opinion. And in some areas, Chicago might win this battle. Every kind of food, low-end, middle and high.
-People. Chicago has many urban-minded, yet cool people.
-Seasons and how the city takes on different feel based on this. Summer has this care-free vibe, winter gives the city more of an edgy sharp elbows cold demeanor kind of vibe.

Basically if I had no map or bearings and could construct a beautiful city of my preferences...it'd basically look like Chicago.

I'm happy to hear that you found your emerald city in Chicago. I truly mean that.

[andrew61]

Originally Posted by Tex?Il?

I'm happy to hear that you found your emerald city in Chicago. I truly mean that.

Once upon a time I thought I had found my emerald city in Chicago, but somewhere along the way I misplaced my emerald-colored glasses.