Thinking of moving to chicago? (ski resort, home, buy)

[adiddasdude19]

Hello I need everyone's help I am thinking of taking a job in Chicago working with a financial services company. I have only been to Chicago once and loved it!
But it was during Aug. and I heard that was the best time to visit.But I know visiting and living in a place is way different.

What should I know about chicago before moving there? also how is it to live in the core(downtown)?

[belushi]

Hmm, that's a pretty broad question. I'll do my best and talk about the weather.

Chicagoans like to boast about how fickle our weather is. But compared to places like Denver or Miami, freak weather is pretty rare. Rather, the weather in Chicago is sustained and implacable. In other places, rain storms or snow storms will usually last at most a day. In Chicago, and the Midwest in general, such weather patterns can persist for several days.

Expect these stats to hold:
-Over the course of the year, the temperature will range from 0 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
-One third of the year will be sunny, while two thirds will be overcast.
-One third of the year will be hot, one third cool, and one third below freezing.
-Fall ends after Halloween. There will be trees without leaves until late April.
-Expect snowcover throughout January and February.
-Fall is only slightly wet. Spring is very wet.
-Fall is considerate and will merge from summer and into winter without much fuss. Spring is rude and will tease you many times with warm weather before relapsing into sub-freezing temperatures. Rule of thumb: there will be three thaw-freeze cycles during spring.
-Summer is breezy by the lake and muggy everywhere else. Fall is the most pleasant season for all.
-You will get used to the low temperatures during winter. You will never get used to the high winds during winter.
-Do not buy a gigantic ski jacket at the first whiff of cold weather. This will betray you as an outsider, or even worse, someone from Minnesota. Buy many layerable coats and shirts. The worst thing that can happen during cold weather is for you to start sweating inside your coat. Think of your cold-weather apparel as a spectrum.
-Spring arrives for good in late April, when all of a sudden neon-green flora will bust out from every crevice. The Illinois prairie is a ridiculously fertile place, and plants grow everywhere, including gutters and El tracks. BTW, try not to water your lawn (if you have one). It's probably unnecessary and your neighbors may consider it antisocial.

Take home message is that while Chicago weather may be unpredictable on a day-by-day basis, it's pretty regular over the course of a year. If you move here, you will experience four quintessential seasons.

[adiddasdude19]

Thanks Belushi I appreciate it!....

[prairiestate]

The weather here is interesting. I've had both my heat and air conditioning on this week.

[adiddasdude19]

wow that is pretty crazy about the weather I did not realize it that it could change so quickly.

What about living in downtown? is that smart? or living away from the central business district?

[Steve-o]

Belushi nailed it pretty good as far as the weather, but some things Id have to dispute. Its not sunny only a 1/3rd of the year, Chicago averages 54-60% sunshine based on a few sites Ive seen, which is roughly one out of every 2 days. Sure well have a cloudy spell that lasts for a few days, but then its backed up by several cloudless days. Summers are sunny, with frequent thunderstorms that are short-lived. Humidity can be a bear at times, but that is also only in short spells. Winters are a good mix of gloom and bright sun. Snowfalls are mild, but we usually have one good snowstorm a year that dumps around a foot of snow or more. Usually we get a mix of several smaller snowstorms. Get some skis, do some cross-country skiing, or head to a ski resort in Wisconsin, do some sledding with the kids, ice skate, etc. take advantage of the winter, unlike most folks who sit on thier fat butts and complain about it. Spring is a strange mix of warm sunny days, and cold gloomy days. Think of spring as a rollercoaster, that should give you an idea. Fall is also a rollercoaster. Some days can be real warm and beautiful, other days rainy and gloomy. One thing can be said about the area's weather: Its never boring. Itll never be set in stone and predictable. Trust me, it makes life that much more interesting. Oh, and winter can bring several days of sub-zero temps, and at other times it can be warm enough to be in just a hoodie. I was downtown in late December and I was sweating while wearing a light jacket. Other times I was frozen to the bone at that time of year. Here is a small comparison to the cities you frequent:

Avg precipitation: Chicago: 35.8", Seattle: 37.1", San Antonio: 30.9", Houston: 46".

Avg % of sunshine: CHicago: 54%, Seattle: 47%, San Antonio: 60%, Houston: 59%.

Here is an interesting site, regarding weather stats: http://www.worldfactsandfigures.com/weatherfacts.htm

[Steve-o]

While looking up weather facts I made an interesting discovery: Illinois is dry and sunny enough for prickly pear cactus can survive. I have included a link as proof:

http://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/...ckly_pearx.htm

They have been sighted in almost all Illinois counties, some counties have a significant prickly pear population. Just thought Id share...