Chicago or New York City (where to live) (Manhattan: best city, apartments)

[ksdimarco]

To be honest I am biased to say Chicago because I lived there most of my life. Compared to New York its a much cleaner city with a more quaint feel, yet offers everything you can imagine. As mentioned earlier the people there are much more friendly. As far as buying a place, you can get yourself a nice place for exactly what you would spend in Florida with the way real estate sky rocketed down here. Most of downtown is up and coming and the condos are all being restored. Renting is another story..its atrocious but depends on location. My friends pay about $2k per month for a two bedroom apartment thats about the size of my living room.

I have been living in south Florida now for about 3 years and the only thing I can positive about it is that the weather is warm year round. On the other hand the only thing I dislike about Chicago is the winter. So for me I was able to compromise, I am relocating to Tampa (where most of the people are from Chicago). A nice perk of my occupation is that I am able to take a week long visit to Chicago every month. So live and work in the warmth, and go home to Chi often to play hard.

[Attrill]

I agree with everything written above. I have a car but don't use it at all during the week, last year I put about 3-4,000 miles on my car (mostly on trips out of town). Chicago has plenty of culture and things to do, and with the lower cost of living you can actually do them instead of just knowing about them. There are no street vendors (other than the tamale and elotes vendors in some neighborhoods), but there are loads of great cheap storefront places. The lakefront is one huge park, and there are plenty of small neighborhood parks away from the lake - there has been a big increase in dog parks recently as well. The weather is pretty much the same, whatever the weather is in Chicago is what the weather will be in NY two days later.

My sister in law is in her late 30's and has lived by herself for 14 years in a lot of different neighborhoods without any incidents or problems at all.

[BRU67]

Well, that's a no-brainer -- Chicago, obviously Of course we are all biased. I think both have advantages. Chicago is definitely cheaper but keep in mind that most people here seem to be comparing Chicago to Midtown Manhatten. There are four other boroughs too and some really neat neighborhoods in them. Forest Hills in Queens, Riverdale in the Bronx, and Brooklyn Heights come to mind. Live in one of these and the cost difference shrinks considerably. Most neighborhoods in the boroughs are very accessable to Manhatten because of a good subway system. Chicago, not as much.

I also think Chicago is a lot more segregated than NYC -- perhaps shockingly so if you're used to other big cities. NYC is more integrated and has a more "hip" vibe to it. Chicago is more laid back and friendly. Of course, NYC is much larger, so on one hand, there's more to explore and do. On the other, that can be intimidating.

In the end, I'd definitely take Chicago. But both are excellent cities. I wouldn't complain about being "stuck" in either one.

[j33]

Oh, if you move to new york, unless you are doing very well financially, or want to live in a closet with 2 other people, more than likely you'll end up in one of the outer boroughs, which is not a bad thing, they don't get the 'love' that they ought to.

The salary you reported making, you'll be able to do fine in Chicago, but unless you do move out to the boroughs, you might find new york (manhattan) a bit of a struggle. What others have posted about the differences between new york and chicago (based on my experiences visiting new york several times) seems to be about right. Both cities have their advantages and disadvantages. Personally, I think new york is a great place, and I'd move there in a second ... if my salary tripled.

[BRU67]

People's impressions of NYC are seriously skewed by films like "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days" and "The Devil Wears Prada," where everyone is beautiful and lives in a stylish loft with exposed brick and 20 foot high timber ceilings smack in Midtown Manhatten. You can do that, but that's when you start paying $3,000 month for a studio. The "other" boroughs offer a lot. Brooklyn alone is very close to the size of Chicago population wise, and I'd easily compare Brooklyn Heights to Lincoln Park. And it's like a 10 minute train ride to MM, which is a lot closer than Lincoln Park.

[j33]

bru67- Oh, I agree. I've been to Brooklyn on more than one occasion and if I were to move to nyc, that is probably where I'd end up as it is more in my price-range. However, many parts of Brooklyn are still quite a bit more than Chicago as far as costs are concerned, I several friends from Chicago who have moved there for various reasons who can all attest to that.

[copcar]

New York City!!! Quite a bit safer than chicago, and much more numerous friendly people in new york!

[Alice831]

Originally Posted by wildeforoscar

Hey Alice831: In your opinion are Chicago and New York similar for snowfall around Christmas? I'm considering a move from San Francisco specifically to experience the four seasons....

It's funny you mention the snow fall because I was just talking about this to my friend Natalia who is from DC area. Snowfall in Chicago is not even comparable to the ones in the east coast. They are fluffy big snowfalls that you can stick your tongue out and eat! New York gets good amount of snow as well. Atleast one or two snowstorms a year. Weather wise, I think Chicago and New York is pretty much the same except that Chicago is windier so it feels colder when walking outside. Regardless, you won't be spending alot of time outside in either cities during the winter so I don't really compare New York to Chicago during the winter. However, the summer time, Chicageons love to be outside riding their bikes, rollerblading, walking, sailing, swimming, tanning, playing volleyball, checking out festivals. In NYC, not so much, New Yorkers usually like to fleed to the Hamptons or Maine or whatever during the hot summer days to get away from garbage smell, tourists, or annoying factors.

[Check123]

While New Yorkers have the option of going to the Hamptons, you can still find plenty of New Yorkers in Central Park, running, biking, etc. And of course there is also the ton of other activities in NYC.

Originally Posted by Alice831

It's funny you mention the snow fall because I was just talking about this to my friend Natalia who is from DC area. Snowfall in Chicago is not even comparable to the ones in the east coast. They are fluffy big snowfalls that you can stick your tongue out and eat! New York gets good amount of snow as well. Atleast one or two snowstorms a year. Weather wise, I think Chicago and New York is pretty much the same except that Chicago is windier so it feels colder when walking outside. Regardless, you won't be spending alot of time outside in either cities during the winter so I don't really compare New York to Chicago during the winter. However, the summer time, Chicageons love to be outside riding their bikes, rollerblading, walking, sailing, swimming, tanning, playing volleyball, checking out festivals. In NYC, not so much, New Yorkers usually like to fleed to the Hamptons or Maine or whatever during the hot summer days to get away from garbage smell, tourists, or annoying factors.

[Check123]

Don't live beyond your means. If you can't afford NYC then Chicago would be a good second choice.

Originally Posted by golden0721

I am thinking about relocating out of south Florida. I love New York but I don't think I can make a living there. I heard Chicago is a lot like New York I have never been to Chicago. I was offer a job making $45,000 a year in New York but you can't make a living there on that. Is Chicago the same? Does Chicago have these ameneties like New York.

I don't want to own a car. (taxi & subway systems)
outdoor street venders
culture
parks
Is the weather the same?

I am a single 37 year old female with a dog is it safe? I always felt safe in New York. How much would a 1 bedroom cost in the city? What are some areas I should maybe look into.
Thanks for your help.