Is Chicago America's most stressful city? (Moline, Rock Island: high school, salary, cost of)

[whinniethezen]

Originally Posted by MassVt

...San Diego....California's "flyover" city....

And, of, course, the spectacle of seeing SoCal residents wearing turtlenecks, coats, hats and scarves when the temperature dips below....55 degrees. It must be very STRESSFUL to have to endure a little discomfort, especially in such a milquetoast town like San Diego.

awww now you went and hurt my feelings have fun in the armpit of all metropoli

[NearWestSider]

Given the fact that drug mafia-related cross-border kidnappings, beheadings, bodies turning up in acid-filled vats, and other drug-trafficking related madness now occurs almost on a daily basis in San Diego, I would think that IT would be the most stressful city in the US.

[andrew61]

Originally Posted by ngrome

Chicago is one of the few, if not the only city I know of where people outside of it flock to it to relax over the weekends. And I'm talking about downtown and the lake shore, not the surrounding areas.

This is true, but if there's one thing I've learned it's that there's a vast difference between visiting a city and living in it. I made several trips to Chicago before I moved here, averaging about five days each, and never felt stressed at all. Now, however, after living here for 14 years, I find I feel stressed a good percentage of the time. When you're just a visitor, you focus all your time on doing fun things, visiting tourist attractions, eating in fun restaurants, etc. Your biggest stress is maybe figuring out which bus to take to get to Navy Pier or the Field Museum or wherever. You don't spend time commuting to and from a job in heavy traffic, trying to maneuver around crowded supermarkets, waiting in long lines at the post office, dealing with noisy neighbors, etc., etc. There's a big difference.

[andrew61]

Originally Posted by whinniethezen

Some people I've talked to on this Chicago forum have suggested that places like Green Bay WI are "small town" and that has a much bigger population if I remember right.

Heck, I know Chicagoans who refer to places like Cleveland and St. Louis as "small towns"... "Oh sure, I went to Cleveland once and I thought it was a nice little town."

It's all relative, I guess.

[whinniethezen]

Originally Posted by andrew61

This is true, but if there's one thing I've learned it's that there's a vast difference between visiting a city and living in it. I made several trips to Chicago before I moved here, averaging about five days each, and never felt stressed at all. Now, however, after living here for 14 years, I find I feel stressed a good percentage of the time. When you're just a visitor, you focus all your time on doing fun things, visiting tourist attractions, eating in fun restaurants, etc. Your biggest stress is maybe figuring out which bus to take to get to Navy Pier or the Field Museum or wherever. You don't spend time commuting to and from a job in heavy traffic, trying to maneuver around crowded supermarkets, waiting in long lines at the post office, dealing with noisy neighbors, etc., etc. There's a big difference.

Amen. Like I said before, big city life is inherently stressful. The stress can be dealt with many ways. Some externalize it in their driving habits. Even San Diego with all its nice weather is not immune. I don't know about all the beheadings and acid vats someone mentioned, sounds like Afganistan.

[whinniethezen]

Originally Posted by andrew61

Heck, I know Chicagoans who refer to places like Cleveland and St. Louis as "small towns"... "Oh sure, I went to Cleveland once and I thought it was a nice little town."

It's all relative, I guess.

I know! right? I always thought the town I grew up in as pretty small at about 10,000.
However I don't remember any chicken farmers stressing out about losing the farm though. I don't even remember a farm.

[MassVt]

Originally Posted by whinniethezen

awww now you went and hurt my feelings have fun in the armpit of all metropoli

..where Baltimore fit into this conversation, but anyway..

Yea, San Diego, home to aging beach bums and bleached blondes, whose only concern is when the next wave is coming in..

Chicago is known as The City of Big Shoulders, the City That Works, Boston is known as The Athens of America, or America's Birthplace, while San Diego..well..."Surf's up, dude!!"

Such a legacy...brings tears to one's eyes, really..

[whinniethezen]

Originally Posted by MassVt

..where Baltimore fit into this conversation, but anyway..

Yea, San Diego, home to aging beach bums and bleached blondes, whose only concern is when the next wave is coming in..

Chicago is known as The City of Big Shoulders, the City That Works, Boston is known as The Athens of America, or America's Birthplace, while San Diego..well..."Surf's up, dude!!"

Such a legacy...brings tears to one's eyes, really..

big shouders? big? shouldn't it be broad shoulders? hehe
city that works? Did not your city govt. shut down last month due to budget constraints and will have to again? Athens of America? lol. I will monitor the downfall of Chicago from my surfboard's radio, dude.

[Slanderous]

Originally Posted by whinniethezen

big shouders? big? shouldn't it be broad shoulders? hehe
city that works? Did not your city govt. shut down last month due to budget constraints and will have to again? Athens of America? lol. I will monitor the downfall of Chicago from my surfboard's radio, dude.

Why do you post here if you apparently don't like Chicago?

[surlycue]

Originally Posted by whinniethezen

Did not your city govt. shut down last month due to budget constraints and will have to again?

Now I see the light. Thank God California doesn't have any of those budget problems!