Feedback from people who moved from CA to Chicago (state, great)
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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.
This is a good post. I believe in pointing out everything to people looking for info. Whether it is weather or something else. Good, bad, indifferent and people make up their own minds what they like or don't like....and prioritize what is more or most important to them.
But I'll be honest about weather, good or bad or indifferent. I'll also point out to people that Chicago is a Midwestern city with a Midwestern feel. It isn't a coastal city or European city etc....It is an American Midwestern city and that isn't a bad thing at all. But I believe in explaining accurately what a city is like.
Many first timers have no idea how big Chicago is,(city-wise only NYC is bigger, though L.A. has more people in the metro, but that is it) and how spread out it is...or the big difference in weather from Chicago and say cities in the lower Midwest. People are usually pleasantly surprised with the offerings, amentities, things to do and see....etc...which are generally many times fold more plentiful than where they are coming from.
Traffic is terrible. Honest is honest. Someone mentioned Crystal Lake in this thread, a nice small town. Living there will allow you very infrequent access to the city. That is very isolated small town subruban life. And that is great if that is what you want, but don't expect to drive into the city all that often from there. And don't expect that city vibe from there...Crystal Lake's assets are very different from Chicago's etc....This would be a good example of something to point out to someone. Cabs are plentiful and easy access, if not a little pricey in Chicago, in the city, but not a good choice outside of city. The el was functional and solid is not as comfortable of a system as NYC Subway, D.C. Metro etc...you can ride the train downtown in rush hour from O'Hare for cheap and less stress in 30 min time....as opposed to sitting in a car on freeway for 1.5 hrs($40 cab ride).......those are things people would probably like to know. And, the subrubs will feel and look very different depending on what part of town you are in...etc...
Once you are in the city, don't drive if you don't have to...side streets, short distances where you know ahead of time where you are going and parking, is fine. ....if someone is a city person and moves to Chicago and gets job in suburbs, or an outside sales type of job where they drive a lot etc....it can be stressful driving a lot each day. Having a city job and taking public transportation or having short drive on side streets with parking at work is great. Much better quality of life. Much easier to live and work in city or live and work in suburbs and not one or the other.
And so on....tons of restaurants, tons of great city neighborhoods, etc...suburbs do not have the same feel as the city. But if you are seeking suburban life, less densely populated etc...there are options. Tons of things to do and see, all kinds of people. It isn't the most integrated place in the world but compared to the rest of the Midwest is a poster child for diversity. ....things like that.
Chicago will feel nothing like NYC....and that is great to some people and not to others etc...depending on what you are looking for.
Beaches, Lakefront, great in summer, tons of people all around, everywhere..etc...and great fun, boating etc...and to many it's great. To those coming from a warm weather coastal or International city it won't impress them as a Waterfront. It's all relative.
It's a big skyline downtown, with big tall buildings, 2nd in U.S. to NYC in size and depth....with a bunch of neighborhoods all around it North, West, South...etc...
The city is not a driving town, though easier than NYC....the suburbs are a driving town, and traffic is bad.
I don't need to defend it at all costs nor bash it. Give an objective view and overall opinion. My opinion is only my opinion. And the next person gives theirs. Imo....the best part of Chicago is the city, that big skyline, the Lake, the city neighborhoods....etc....that makes it stand out over so many other cities....it's big....I believe people who work in the city or spend a lot of time in the city but live in further out suburbs in Chicagoland area have a lower quality of life sitting in an hour or two hours of snarling traffic one way each day. I think it's a miserable non-suggested experience, and you'd be better of in Milwaukee or St. Louis if that is your lifestyle. But there are plenty of people who do that each and every day.
All depends on your lifestyle and what you are seeking. It has most things people would look for in thigs to do, and the type of area they want to do it in...etc..
Imo traffic and weather are the weakest sell points(summers are great) and the "El" though serviceable, and used by me very much, isn't one of my favorite mass transit systems nationally. But I'd tell a Bostonian, it isn't by any means worse than the Prehistoric "T"
I'd tell a first-timer, come in summer, June-Sept....when people are out and about all over the place, especially downtown etc...very vibrant. Come back in February and see the similarities and differences and what you think.
Last edited by Fishtacos; 06-09-2007 at 10:46 AM..
I moved from LA to Chicago in '97 and had a blast. I left for years, and I am back in Chicago this summer. I may live here when I finish school and I may just move to SF and be broke.
But the neighbors in my high rise say hi and hold the elevator for me. I get more smiles on the bus here than I did in D.C. But yes, these folks can "keep it real".
In any case, you may enjoy the thunderstorms forever or get sick of them in a year. I still enjoy winters. I just don't enjoy the 4 layers of clothing that I wear. LOL.
I am from San Francisco (so yes, all of the things that you hear about the cost of houses and rent are true) and am also in the market for a house in Chicagoland. From what I hear, Oak Park is to Chicago like Berkeley is to San Francisco.
I have lived in the Kansas City area for the past four years and my wife and I have grown very accustomed to the midwest weather (Gnarly thunderstorms and warm August nights). While extreme winters and humid summers seem like they never end sometime, it sure beats a constant 60 year round. The type of 60 that seems like midwestern 40's.
What I'm tired of reading is "Well, it's in the midwest..." or "It's full of midwesterners..."
Why is this a downfall?
We're really not hicks in the sticks who drive SUV tractors through our suburbs to watch them gosh durn purty people from NYC or Los Angeles in movie theatres.
We can color coordinate and dress with the best of them. Fashion here really isn't the entirety of one's perception of another human as it can be on the coasts... Nor should it be, and I'm unsure why this makes us somehow "less" than others. We buy Manolos and, let me just add, Chicago has an amazing access to local designers that are not stressed into producing the outrageous **** you'll see sold in Manhattan as an effort to differentiate one from another.
We also have this bizarre connection to South American shoe designers, don't ask me why.
Nor are we farmers who are somehow dumb or uneducated because we don't live in NYC or because we have strong family values (again... what's wrong with that?) or because conversation among complete strangers occurs here more often than it does on the coasts.
I don't get it. We're less diverse than NYC but their diversity makes them "cosmopolitan", whereas the increased frequency of communication between our diverse population here makes us simple
In either case, do come to Chicago and check it out. I've lived in LA and was not terribly impressed. After life in the Bay Area, you'll find it a treat to drive to work (OR take public transportation! and be on time!) and not get out of your car sick from stress and fury at your long commute.
Yes, weather sucks, but so does winter in general. You deal with it like people in San Francisco deal with road rage, insane housing costs, crushing poverty and mass illegal immigration. Which is to say, you just get through it.
From what I hear, Oak Park is to Chicago like Berkeley is to San Francisco.
not so much.
Quote:
Originally Posted by coldwine
What I'm tired of reading is "Well, it's in the midwest..." or "It's full of midwesterners..."
Why is this a downfall?
We're really not hicks in the sticks who drive SUV tractors through our suburbs to watch them gosh durn purty people from NYC or Los Angeles in movie theatres.
We can color coordinate and dress with the best of them. Fashion here really isn't the entirety of one's perception of another human as it can be on the coasts... Nor should it be, and I'm unsure why this makes us somehow "less" than others. We buy Manolos and, let me just add, Chicago has an amazing access to local designers that are not stressed into producing the outrageous **** you'll see sold in Manhattan as an effort to differentiate one from another.
We also have this bizarre connection to South American shoe designers, don't ask me why.
Nor are we farmers who are somehow dumb or uneducated because we don't live in NYC or because we have strong family values (again... what's wrong with that?) or because conversation among complete strangers occurs here more often than it does on the coasts.
I don't get it. We're less diverse than NYC but their diversity makes them "cosmopolitan", whereas the increased frequency of communication between our diverse population here makes us simple
In either case, do come to Chicago and check it out. I've lived in LA and was not terribly impressed. After life in the Bay Area, you'll find it a treat to drive to work (OR take public transportation! and be on time!) and not get out of your car sick from stress and fury at your long commute.
Yes, weather sucks, but so does winter in general. You deal with it like people in San Francisco deal with road rage, insane housing costs, crushing poverty and mass illegal immigration. Which is to say, you just get through it.
i think family-value orientation is a big part of it. no, it's not a bad thing, but it's *far* from what many educated people in their 20s are looking for at that stage in life. chicago has a place for those people, but some of the big coastal cities cater to them more.
also, i think chicago has fewer non-regional transients than some big coastal cities. this means plenty of people who grew up with a strong network of local friends/family who aren't as interested in making friends with strangers who recently moved in. makes for a different social dynamic.
i'm not so sure we have increased communication among our diverse population relative to the big coastal cities.
and not all sucky things are created equal. winter weather tops my personal list, compared to the hassles of other cities.
I am a former Chicagoan who has lived in Los Angeles since 1992. I still miss Chicago. While the weather is nice it is still extreme out here in its own right. The summer temps -- 90's & 100's continue well into October. There is no rain for literally 9-months out of the year which is why everything - streets, roofs, sidewalks look dirty most of the time - no rain to clean things up. Many areas of LA look like third world nations. There is a much larger immigrant population Hispanic, Asian and Middle Eastern than Chicago. And a large illegal immigrant population. The middle class has virtually disappeared due to the high cost of living. California is a pretty state but it is also overpopulated and politically it is becoming more of a welfare state with a heavy tax burden.. Many businesses are fleeing to Arizona and Nevada. Sometimes, I believe California is more of a state of mind than reality. Many of us grew up with CA images planted from Movies and TV shows and the whole weather thing. Sometimes, it looks ugly to me even though many talk about it's beauty. I am reminded of a journalist who wrote, "I see people in Southern California walk out of their clay-tiled roof homes with nice weather and ask, what is their purpose? It has to be more than the weather." The city gets dirtier, crime increases, the class schism widens and I constantly hear it's the weather. There are many vibrant cities in the US with a better quality of life. But keep drinking the kool-aid and the weather will take care of everything!
I work for a software company in Redmond that makes an OS you all have come to hate and I must second your comment about the professional vibe not floating well with west coasters. I wear pin stripes/button-ups/black/grey/white and they all think I am wierd. I also wear my heart on my sleeve and I don't know about Cali, but it upsets Seattle people when you get direct with them. They seem pretty flaky to me out on the west coast...maybe because they are so isolated from the rest of the US and drink SBUX all day. Stay in CHI...I'm moving there in a couple of weeks and can't wait to leave the left coast.
Quote:
Originally Posted by rgb123
the midwesterners are nice thing....is pretty much a myth. not to dissapoint but this is a huge city with lots of good and not so nice people in it.
anyway I lived in california but I am from the chicago area. It will be a lot of getting used to, in chicago. I miss California all the time....there is just so much there that I value....in terms of quality of life. I love the west anyway but I really love california because its also urban and the ocean is there....and truly I think the people there are bit more laid back and NICE
when I first moved to california (northern) I got made fun of lot for my black and gray clothes....my professional demeanor...and people seemed surprised by my frank attitude, honesty and willingness to state my true opinion at work. I missed chicago people for that reason....not because they are so nice....more because they are not afraid of being less nice!
anyway.....the weather will be difficult....but fun and excititng. I told a californian before that our weather is more exciting because it is more changable....and they said something like, ha, that happens here in california too...
no.....this is totally different!!!!!!!!!!!!!
and when I was in california I missed midwestern thunderstorms.
otherwise, california weather is on the whole preferable. but I think we all miss what we grew up with.
Many areas of LA look like third world nations. There is a much larger immigrant population Hispanic, Asian and Middle Eastern than Chicago. And a large illegal immigrant population. The middle class has virtually disappeared due to the high cost of living. California is a pretty state but it is also overpopulated and politically it is becoming more of a welfare state with a heavy tax burden.. Many businesses are fleeing to Arizona and Nevada. Sometimes, I believe California is more of a state of mind than reality. Many of us grew up with CA images planted from Movies and TV shows and the whole weather thing. Sometimes, it looks ugly to me even though many talk about it's beauty. I am reminded of a journalist who wrote, "I see people in Southern California walk out of their clay-tiled roof homes with nice weather and ask, what is their purpose? It has to be more than the weather." The city gets dirtier, crime increases, the class schism widens and I constantly hear it's the weather. There are many vibrant cities in the US with a better quality of life. But keep drinking the kool-aid and the weather will take care of everything!
Well stated!!! The San Fernando Valley sure has changed since the big problem was that Greg Brady got busted smoking cigarettes and went to a legit public school with nice looking girls.
The "ocean" has to be the most overrated excuse to be in CA, and many times, like lake michigan it's closed to swimming for pollution. CA peaked in the 1980's.
The Bay Area? weather? I lived there and it was always too cool, too cold. How could anyone spend their lives living in alameda, or san francisco freezing their butts off with the wind and cold?
The Bay? Even in summer, when you go sailing you have to wear jeans and a jacket. What kind of sailing is that????
It's the Bay Area that's cold, it literally never gets warm there. Drive to marin to experience summer? I'm sorry but you don't drive to summer, at least in chicago you can live it. In the winter in SF after work, it still gets dark at the same 5:30 p.m. and a windy, foggy 50 degrees isn't that much more preferable to a Chicago winter night, nor is it that different. Same stuff, dark , winter, and not warm.
It's the Bay Area that's cold, it literally never gets warm there. Drive to marin to experience summer? I'm sorry but you don't drive to summer, at least in chicago you can live it. In the winter in SF after work, it still gets dark at the same 5:30 p.m. and a windy, foggy 50 degrees isn't that much more preferable to a Chicago winter night, nor is it that different. Same stuff, dark , winter, and not warm.
Well, winters here don't cut like a knife like in the Midwest, but yeah, the moisture of the cold rain with the wind goes to the bones anyway.
In fairness, it does get warm in SF; in October the Summer fog goes away and lets in Indian Summer for about a week before it settles back into the cold of Fall/Winter. So with some exceptions you can count on a few days of total sunny days of 80's to 90's... not much though, to be honest.
But that's OK. To recap what someone posted earlier in this thread (a year ago), it's all relative to the individual in regards to weather being "good" or "bad". Personally, I love the perennial air conditioning of SF. I'm most comfortable with a couple layers and the feeling of cool, crisp air on my skin. I generally feel uncomfortable and oppressed by high temps and swampy humidity, with the added treat of gnats and mosquitoes that usually accompany that kind of climate.
As for Midwest Winters, I grew up in Illinois so it's my native climate and I can comment from experience. I feel pain from sub-zero winter temps like anyone else, but I like winter for the most part. I love the feeling of entering a warm room after being outside. Or, cupping your hands around a mug of coffee and feeling your fingers coming back to life.
There's a good side to weather extremes in that when the weather's really uncomfortable everyone collectively copes with it, perhaps forgives each other for petty things easier because of it, and just gets on with living. The opportunity for that kind of collective resilience is largely missing out here in CA. The weather can just be so monotonously "nice" you can forget to notice it after awhile. Some would say that's great, and I even have to admit there are many days when the air in SF is just like honey and I'm thankful to experience it. But I also miss the extremes for all the reasons I mentioned above.
Really depends upon specific part of Chic vs specific parts of SF/LA...
Many who arrive at office at <6AM in fin dt have equally easy, civilized garage-to-garage commutes of ?10mins, either GoldCst to Loop or PacHts to FinDt....climate-controlled garages and cars make weather diffces less relevant....
Biggest reason I couldn't live in Chic (a city I truly enjoy visiting otherwise) is that, as a car nut, find SF Peninsula's fast fwys and twisty, nearby mtn rds as paradise for driving, esp on wkend early AMs....and SF/SV's nr-perfect weather means one can enjoy driving performance cars yr-around w/no need for silly winter tires, etc...
But, if not a car nut, would argue Chic and LkForest offer a superior overall quality of life vs SF and Woodside
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West Coast Thoughts
