Thinking of moving from L.A. to Chicago...Sick of California (Evanston: apartment, to rent)

[Edbinla]

I am thinking of moving From L.A .. I'm so tired of hot weather, smog and rude people...My partner and I want to live somewhere with 4 seasons and still have a big city feel...The only thing that worries us are the brutal winters, since we are both native southern Californians. Although,we both think people are ridiculous out here when they say they are cold and it's 50 degrees...Also, we both hate the dry year round heat... Chicago seems diverse and not as spread out as L.A.... Another thing I wonder about is the cost of living, does anyone know if there is a big difference between the two cities? We would be renting an apartment....

[Surfindude]

Gosh, don't know where to start. Go for it. You'll love it. But, you'll miss the sunny days year around, but then, on the other had, we don't generally have ozone days, or huge forest fires. Winters aren't THAT bad. You'll find it a lot easier to get around, and better eats. And, we do have a (G)reat (L)ake front. Plus generally cheaper cost of living, though nice areas to live can be expensive to rent in. Another plus, you don't need a car to get anywhere.
owever, if you haven't been here, take a trip for a week and see what you'll think. Bet you'll move here.

[Nea1]

I just got home from a week long visit to Chicago, never seen anything like it. Amazing city! Just cemented our desire to move there!!!

[Edbinla]

We just want a one bedroom in a safe area...Does anyone have any ideas about how much a one bedroom runs?

[chitown85]

Chicagoland is pretty sprawled. Choose where you live carefully because the traffic is a nightmare, although probably not as bad as LA. Even if you live in the city you could be looking at an untimely commute downtown or to the Near North Side.

Chicago is known for having affordable housing, though as you get closer to downtown, it becomes progressively more expensive. The close suburbs generally have reasonable apartment rents. The more trendy inner suburbs are Evanston and Oak Park.

The trendy north side neighborhoods for out of towners are Wicker Park and Bucktown.

[Edbinla]

L.A freeways are a nightmare!!!! The 101 and 405 especially... Does anyone know if the gay section of the city is expensive?

[registerfbn]

Northwest Suburb is the best place to live in Chicago(land). Commuting to downtown is better in Chicago than here in LA. One bedroom costs roughly about $700-$900.

[Edbinla]

It's better than 1300 to 1500 on avg in LA

[Avengerfire]

You can get a 1 bedroom in gay areas in Chicago for under $1000 easy.

I have no idea why someone suggested you live in a Northwest suburb and pay $700-900.

You can get a place for that much in the city.

[cordeliachase1974]

I moved to Chicago from L.A. (Brentwood area) in 2001 and I love it here. I moved to Old Town and paid $1250/month for a one bedroom, most utilities included. In Brentwood I paid about $1000 a month for a smaller one bedroom. It really depends a lot on what you are paying now and where you want to live in Chicago. You also have to factor in parking -- if you don't want to do street parking, set aside around $150 a month to pay for a parking spot. The best thing about Chicago, though, is very little driving is necessary. You can walk and train it everywhere.