Has anyone moved from SoCal or a place with a similar/warm climate? (Chicago: home, school)

[jessemh431]

So I have never visited Chicago but I think I will like it. I wanna apply to Northwestern and if I like Chicago and get accepted, that's where I wanna go. However, I am scared about winter. I am quite tolerant of extreme temperatures, but I hope I can handle it there. Has anyone moved from a place like SoCal, Arizona, etc. to Chicago? How have you handled the winter?

[Drover]

I don't quite fit your criteria in that I've never lived any further south than central Illinois. But the feedback I get from people who have moved here from warm climates is this: they either love it or they hate it. Some love the four full seasons and the variations in weather from season to season. Some are perfectly willing to trade off cold winters for never having to face another scorching hot and/or sticky summer (probably not applicable for SoCal residents who live near the coast). Others can't stand the cold, can't stand shoveling sidewalks and driveways, dread driving in snow, can't stand the sense that everyone hibernates 4 to 5 months out of the year, and can't wait to get back to a warmer climate. If you like the climate where you live now, Chicago could be a tough adjustment. If you can't stand the climate where you are now, then you're probably more likely to adapt to Chicago's climate.

If you get accepted to Northwestern, I'd say go for it. That way you get to try on something different for a little while, but at the same time it's only a temporary situation if you want it to be. If you find you like the change of climate, you can always stick around after you're done with school. If not, you can head back home once you graduate. I think you'll find a degree from Northwestern is highly portable.

[coldwine]

Mmm, I've lived in both Chicago and Los Angeles for good periods of time. Chicago much longer than LA.

I'll be honest, I loved Los Angeles' climate. It was perfect every single day. I loved the way it looked, smelled, everything. It was just beautiful

On the other hand, I think that people completely do not understand that winter offers something in Chicago that it can't in LA. I don't know quite how to put it into words-- I'm a lawyer, not a poet-- but I feel that it has everything to do with the intimacy and energy of winter. All the warm lights go on in the restaurants and the streets, people are out and about more, there's just more energy, clubbing in winter was the best time to do it... I dunno I mean sure, you don't have the perfect 65F days in February, but the environment is just so much better in Chicago for the things you can do and the way the city feels

[4eversearching]

Well, I grew up in the Midwest, lived in SoCal for a few years and I can't even handle the winters here. This winter was horrible and I was even gone for a couple of months. I'm thinking of moving for grad school to warmer places. If you get into Northwestern, that's different. It's worth suffering through the horrible weather. But otherwise, I wouldn't move here. Chicago and MN are, by far, the coldest places in the Midwest. But the weather here has been really bad since November and, though finally warming a little, still is in the 50s, even this time of year.

[CarolinaBredChicagoan]

I moved to Chicago from North Carolina. The winters are a problem, to be sure. They're long. It gets dark really early. And then there's the cold.

HOWEVER, the pluses of the city have always outweighed this issue. Chicago's good at winter. Things still happen here. The city doesn't shut down, it just moves inside. And you know? I know people, including people from SoCal, who've grown to really like winter...

Evanston is beautiful, and there's plenty to do. NW is a good school. I'd say go.

[UnsunnedSnow]

I grew up in Southern CA and am moving to Chicago in a month, so I've got this on my mind too! Definitely planning to invest in a very, very nice winter jacket!

[corriellen]

Yeah the winter was bad this year. That's what everybody has been telling me. But I understand that planet earth is at a low point on an 11 year temp cycle. There are virtually no sunspots. I just moved here from georgia and I've got to say that it's harsh. But when the temps rise then the numerous activities, festivals and gardens make up for it. Especially if you live in the right area.

The thing that gets me is that it was overcast about 5 out of 7 days this winter. talk about depressing. I felt like I was in England. I can handle the cold but, the lack of sun was a winter depression nightmare. People have told me that it was an unusually overcast winter too. Is this true?

I bought a parka lined with the warmest material per weight available. Problem, my body would sweat and my face would freeze. It only felt
comfortable at about 5 degrees and below temps. I'm gonna have to invest in a new jacket.

[Drover]

In the grand scheme of things, winter this year was only "bad" in that we got bargeloads of snow, and it seemed to come every other day. This past winter wasn't even particularly cold, albeit the warm-up seems to be taking a little longer this year than it has in years past. There have been some recent winters where the ice trials season up in Wisconsin (that is, racing cars on frozen lakes) has lasted well into March. This year it ended in the third week of February.

[long101]

I think it really depends on your daily commute. If you need to walk quite a bit daily and be outside for long periods of time it will suck. Winter does offer something and I would enjoy it if it was much shorter. However I already am dreading it again just thinking about walking to work when its 3 degrees outside. But like Drover said you might as well give it a shot, you might love it. If I had a good reason to move to Cali or Hawaii Id do it

[knitgirl]

Originally Posted by corriellen

Yeah the winter was bad this year. That's what everybody has been telling me. But I understand that planet earth is at a low point on an 11 year temp cycle. There are virtually no sunspots. I just moved here from georgia and I've got to say that it's harsh. But when the temps rise then the numerous activities, festivals and gardens make up for it. Especially if you live in the right area.

The thing that gets me is that it was overcast about 5 out of 7 days this winter. talk about depressing. I felt like I was in England. I can handle the cold but, the lack of sun was a winter depression nightmare. People have told me that it was an unusually overcast winter too. Is this true?

I bought a parka lined with the warmest material per weight available. Problem, my body would sweat and my face would freeze. It only felt
comfortable at about 5 degrees and below temps. I'm gonna have to invest in a new jacket.

You really need a range of coats and jackets to deal with Chicago weather. There are threads on that. A lot of people say you have to have down, I've never had a down coat and I manage just fine. I do have a faux shearling that weighs a ton that I save for days below zero.