Feedback from people who moved from CA to Chicago (Aurora: crime, theater)

[hgclyde]

I visited Chicago last year; where my childhood friend lives. He moved to Chicago 2 years ago from the bay area, And he loves it! He lives in the northwest suburbs. He has found a great gal from Crystal Lake. He loves the vibe that Chicago has: Sense of community, The night life, The people. Weather the first year wasnt too bad. This year well... All and all he loves it. From I what I saw I thinking of moving there to Chicago myself.

[pallygirl81]

I grew up in the Bay and went to school out in Chicago (1999) then stayed there until very recently (I just moved back to the Bay in May). Chicago was good times.

Get yourself a good winter coat (not just a peacoat or wool jacket but a nice warm coat like a puffy jacket or a shearling coat, a nice pair of gloves, a good hat, a scarf (learn to wear it properly), snow/waterproof shoes and wear lots of layers. You will be just fine.

It is kinda nice packing up your winter clothes when spring and summer come around.

Also, another "cute" thing about Chicago is that when it finally warms up people are out and about everywhere (eating outside, hanging out by the Lake and enjoying the beer gardens).

[j33]

.... yes, we feel it is our duty to be outside on the days that it is nice. I honestly feel guilty whenever I spend a nice day indoors, like I've done something wrong.

[Fishtacos]

Everyone will have a different opinion. If you do not like bitter cold temps with a lot of wind.....Chicago can be tough.

Spring is non-existent....which makes winter seem forever. Otherwise Chicago has short but warm summers(cooler by the lake). Fall is early, and winters are cold and miserable.

Chicago is a great Midwestern City, but weather isn't a big selling point. Sure here and there the weather is fine, but not a selling point on the whole.

Warm weather people would have trouble adjusting.

There is a cut off point...to the upper-Midwest for places like Chicago, Clevland, Indy, Minny, Milwaukee, Detroit etc....that Upper Midwest cluster of similar weather. Minny being even a little bit colder.

There is only one truly warm season thatis not considered coat and or layered weather. For some that isn't enough. Others don't mind it as much.

[j33]

It really does depend on the person. Because with my job I deal with so many transplants I see that all the time. You can take two people from a small town in Texas and plop them up here, a year later, one is packing up and going home disgusted with the weather and stressed out because of the difference in culture/pace/etc and the next person doesn't have problem at all and just bought a warmer coat with a laugh and a shrug and learned to walk a bit faster and takes it all in stride. This is not a judgment call on either person, people who like a place will adapt to the differences (although it is admittedly harder for some. I think it would be much easier for someone from say, Minneapolis to move to and adapt to Chicago than someone from Miami, but I've seen both happen and the person from Miami, despite her initial misgivings, did not become freezedried and blow away ...

...I don't think anyone LIKES bitter cold temps and whipping wind, I know that I sure don't, and grumble bitterly every February when I am stuck on an 'el' platform in it (and have been doing so since I started riding the 'el' almost 20 years ago, from that first time I took the train up to the city when I was a teenager for a concert up north to just a few month back). But I don't hate it enough where it affects my life all that much , however for others it may.

[gabry76]

Originally Posted by j33

It really does depend on the person. Because with my job I deal with so many transplants I see that all the time. You can take two people from a small town in Texas and plop them up here, a year later, one is packing up and going home disgusted with the weather and stressed out because of the difference in culture/pace/etc and the next person doesn't have problem at all and just bought a warmer coat with a laugh and a shrug and learned to walk a bit faster and takes it all in stride. This is not a judgment call on either person, people who like a place will adapt to the differences (although it is admittedly harder for some. I think it would be much easier for someone from say, Minneapolis to move to and adapt to Chicago than someone from Miami, but I've seen both happen and the person from Miami, despite her initial misgivings, did not become freezedried and blow away ...

...I don't think anyone LIKES bitter cold temps and whipping wind, I know that I sure don't, and grumble bitterly every February when I am stuck on an 'el' platform in it (and have been doing so since I started riding the 'el' almost 20 years ago, from that first time I took the train up to the city when I was a teenager for a concert up north to just a few month back). But I don't hate it enough where it affects my life all that much , however for others it may.

I agree 100%! Weather is such a personal conception, some people can't stand the cold, others really don't mind at all. But sometimes weather can be a critical point in a decision whether to move or not to another city. I bring my example: I lived in Miami for some time, and I absolutely loved the weather especially in the winter...although summers are really humid and nerve breaking because of the hurricane season, but overall weather-wise it is a real paradise. Unfortunately the weather is one of the very few good things in Miami, and it was not enough to keep down there and it didn't balance the one too many problems that Miami has.
On the other side, I litteraly hate Chicago's weather, springs are too short and cold and winters are too damn brutal and long, virtually winters are from mid-november to late April early May (despite what people in denial might say)...too long for my taste. But, unlike Miami, the weather is one of the very few things that I don't like about Chicago! I find it a great city, great in many aspects...I really love it here. But yet again, probably the weather will be a key factor if I will ever decide to leave Chicago. Let's say if I will find a city with the vibe that Chicago has but with a much milder weather (and not too much more expensive), I will definetely move from here...I'm absolutely a warm weather person. But that's my personal thought.

[Chi2NYC?]

Originally Posted by j33

It really does depend on the person. Because with my job I deal with so many transplants I see that all the time. You can take two people from a small town in Texas and plop them up here, a year later, one is packing up and going home disgusted with the weather and stressed out because of the difference in culture/pace/etc and the next person doesn't have problem at all and just bought a warmer coat with a laugh and a shrug and learned to walk a bit faster and takes it all in stride. This is not a judgment call on either person, people who like a place will adapt to the differences (although it is admittedly harder for some. I think it would be much easier for someone from say, Minneapolis to move to and adapt to Chicago than someone from Miami, but I've seen both happen and the person from Miami, despite her initial misgivings, did not become freezedried and blow away ...

...I don't think anyone LIKES bitter cold temps and whipping wind, I know that I sure don't, and grumble bitterly every February when I am stuck on an 'el' platform in it (and have been doing so since I started riding the 'el' almost 20 years ago, from that first time I took the train up to the city when I was a teenager for a concert up north to just a few month back). But I don't hate it enough where it affects my life all that much , however for others it may.

right on. it's easy on internet forums to express what's right for the person typing as if it's what's right for everyone. weather turns out to be a bigger deal for me than i had expected (although i didn't really understand "cold" until i came to chicago, so i had to find this out the hard way).

[Steve-o]

Winter ends in mid-March. Youll absolutely get some cold days no doubt and even some snow, into April, but its rare. Late March, most of April, most of May are mixed, its hardly what I call "winter" though. Winter is consistent freezing temps, etc. My birthday is in April and the last 4 years its been in the mid-70's even one year in the 80s. Please dont try to convince people that winter ends in May.

Here are some back-to-back March samples, taken this year. I dont call 50's and 60's, 70's (even some 80s) "winter".... No doubt March/April and some May weather is like a rollercoaster, but cmon. This shall open some eyes (these were recorded in Aurora this spring).


History : Weather Underground

History : Weather Underground

History : Weather Underground

History : Weather Underground

History : Weather Underground

And, GASP, oh my gosh, a 80 degree in March!
History : Weather Underground

Make that 2:
History : Weather Underground

History : Weather Underground

[Chicago60614]

Yeah, I had posted in another thread there were multiple days in November and December where it was in the upper 50's and even 60's.

January and February saw days in the 50's and by March 70's creep around once every few weeks for a spell.

I normally put the coat away by the beginning of May and don't bring it out until mid October.

That's a good 5.5 months where you won't need a coat for anything. Then you have 2.5 months of a light coat and 4-5 months of wearing a coat on many days.

Then again if it gets up to near 60 in January or February (not a lot) - you'll see people in shorts and t-shirts, haha.

[Steve-o]

Well said. The problem with people is that they only tend to remember the bad things these days. I cant tell you how many beautiful days weve had so far this year, I mean, LOTS of them. But its funny when I show up to work on a cloudy day and people are like "this sucks" and crap like that, drives me nuts! Ill then say "really, when was the last crappy day?" I watch em scratch their heads and look stupid when they say "yeah, its been really nice all week actually", etc, etc.