moving to chicago, never been there before! (Harrisburg, Madison: for sale, apartment)

[schatziek]

Hi all,

As you may have seen I also posted a thread about how long it takes to drive from Miami to Chicago

Well yes my boyfriend landed a major job deal there, and we get an appartment for an entire year rent free, so housing is not an issue fortunately.The weather (the cold) also doesn't concern us, as we have plenty cold gear since we lived in Switzerland previously.

So here are some questions I have :

How expensive is Chicago?

How effective is public transportation? if effective are there monthly passes you suggest?

Do you need a car? How expensive is gas?

We are both in our early 20's, what is the social life like?

Any information we could receive would be greatly appreciated.

We are really looking fwd to moving to Chicago. It looks amazing, and finally we will have seasons and snow, again!!!

cheers,
K

[Sprout]

Hi, K! I can't answer most of your questions but wanted to introduce myself...my boyfriend and I are moving to Chicago from Ft. Lauderdale soon. So you're coming from Miami? I'll need to stay in touch with you to get the insiders' perspective!

We just visited over Memorial Day weekend. Loved it.

Sprout

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by schatziek

Hi all,

As you may have seen I also posted a thread about how long it takes to drive from Miami to Chicago

Well yes my boyfriend landed a major job deal there, and we get an appartment for an entire year rent free, so housing is not an issue fortunately.The weather (the cold) also doesn't concern us, as we have plenty cold gear since we lived in Switzerland previously.

So here are some questions I have :

How expensive is Chicago?

How effective is public transportation? if effective are there monthly passes you suggest?

Do you need a car? How expensive is gas?

We are both in our early 20's, what is the social life like?

Any information we could receive would be greatly appreciated.

We are really looking fwd to moving to Chicago. It looks amazing, and finally we will have seasons and snow, again!!!

cheers,
K

Welcome!!

How expensive? Quite. It'll probably be comparable to Miami, maybe a bit more.

Public transportation? Probably the 2nd best in the nation (behind NYC). Im not sure about monthly passes, I know the Metra has them, but thats mostly for those who commute into the city.

Do you need a car? Depends on where you live and where you work and your proximity to public transportation. Will you stay in the city or live in the burbs? Thats something that will need to be answered.

Social life? Youll be in heaven in Chicago. There are gajillions of clubs, bars, arts, revues, etc.

[Drover]

CTA also has a monthly pass.

[jessiegirl_98]

First, about the drive, my friends just did it. Really, it's about 20 hours. Not too bad. I'm moving from Chi to Tampa and am about to do a similar drive. For your questions:
How expensive is Chicago? depends. much cheaper than NYC, probably comparable to Miami.

How effective is public transportation? if effective are there monthly passes you suggest? you can get a month pass. check out www.transitchicago.com

Do you need a car? How expensive is gas? you don't need a car, but it is a very car friendly city. gas is about $3.70 right now

We are both in our early 20's, what is the social life like? there are a ton of things to do. where are you living? check out Chicago restaurants, clubs, bars, entertainment and nightlife for ideas.

Any information we could receive would be greatly appreciated.

We are really looking fwd to moving to Chicago. It looks amazing, and finally we will have seasons and snow, again

[Drover]

I can't let stand the suggestion that this is a "car-friendly city." This city hates your car and they will make you pay for owning one. First you pay $75 a year to the city for each car you own, unless it's a large SUV, then you'll pay $90. That's over and above the $78 a year for state plates and registration. Next, they will use your car as a supplemental revenue generator by giving you parking tickets for things that have nothing to do with the way you've actually parked and for things no reasonable person would know or believe would be a ticketable offense. Next, you'll have the distinct pleasure of paying an extra 10 cents a gallon for gasoline unless you drive to a nearby suburb to fill up. Next, you'll sooner or later get a ticket for running a red light that is photo-enforced. (And before you start on a self-righteous lecture about how you shouldn't be running red lights, understand how easy it is to inadvertantly run a red light in this city since the yellow lights are about 8 hundredths of a second long.) Next, if you live in one of several North side neighborhoods, they will charge you $25 a year for a permit to park on the street. Many neighborhoods are permit-free, but good luck finding parking anywhere near your apartment in a lot of these neighborhoods, unless you want to pay $150-200 a month for an off-street space. Finally, this city is a gridlocked hell. It took me an hour and 25 minutes today to drive 11 miles. And that wasn't during rush hour -- that was in the middle of the day. There are only a handful of cities in this country that are less car-friendly than this one. Especially if you live on the North side, you will find that many destinations within the city are more easily accessible via public transportation than driving.

[jessiegirl_98]

I've lived here for years and have never gotten a ticket (just follow the signs people, it's not that hard). Many people drive and parking is reasonable. There are many neighborhoods where you can street park. I drive downtown at least twice a week and have never had to pay for parking. I drive to and from work (from Lakeview to the South Side, or Lakeview to Rogers Park), and yes, it can take a bit of time, but so does our crappy transportation system.

[Drover]

Originally Posted by jessiegirl_98

I've lived here for years and have never gotten a ticket (just follow the signs people, it's not that hard). Many people drive and parking is reasonable. There are many neighborhoods where you can street park. I drive downtown at least twice a week and have never had to pay for parking. I drive to and from work (from Lakeview to the South Side, or Lakeview to Rogers Park), and yes, it can take a bit of time, but so does our crappy transportation system.

Sure, just follow the signs. But tell me, which signs tell you you can't have a "For Sale" sign on your car? Which sign tells you that you'll get a ticket if your front license plate is missing? Which sign tells you that you can get a ticket for parking within 20 feet of a stoplight even if the curb is not yellowed or there is no other indication that you can't park there? Which sign tells you you're going to get a parking ticket if your plate has expired? Which sign tells you that you can't park on the street if you have tinted windows? Which sign tells you you're going to get a ticket if you have a broken taillight? My favorite is when the street sweeping signs go up the afternoon before a street-sweeping day, so if you happen to be out of town for one single day, well, tough luck. See, it's not quite so easy as "follow the signs." And if you park downtown twice a week without ever paying for parking, you either do it when the meters are not in force or your client(s) and/or employer provide your parking for you. Most people have no such luxury which is why parking garages downtown can charge you $12 just to drive in the door and then keep charging you the longer you stay, and why people are willing to rent a space for $300 a month. Plus "many people drive" is a major part of the problem, combined with the sheer population density of the area. I've driven around Madison, Milwaukee, Pittsburgh, Harrisburg, Philadelphia, New York, Kansas City, St. Louis, Atlanta, Indianapolis, and Cincinnati. Only one city was more gridlocked than Chicago, and I'll let you guess which one. Atlanta came close during rush hour, but was much more free-flowing during off-peak times than during similar times here. Compared to the vast majority of urban areas in the country, Chicago is a driving Hell.

[mdz]

Have to agree 100% with drover--having a car in the city is a big pain in the kiester. It's doable, as you say jessie, but it takes away months from your life. circling around forever to find parking. Nowadays 30 bucks for parking near water tower place (good luck finding a "free" spot, at best it's a 25 cent/15 minute meter that's only useful if you're stopping for a hot dog at downtown dogs). The darned street sweeping tickets, boy those ticked the heck out of me. Anytime there was a cubs game, or a street festival, or both at the same time. urgh

Bottom line--if you're going to live near the lake and can afford it, get a place with a spot, keep the car there and bring it out only when walking/public transportation isn't a possibility.

[desibear]

Pretty valid responses. I'll throw in my $.02: you don't really need a car other than to load up on groceries and goto target/home depot/etc.. If you are single and are not cooking at home, then most likely you can just buy groceries in smaller amounts more frequently or be able to take a cab. From a family perspective, a car is a definite necessity, not for work (public transport is 10X better) but for the reasons outlined above plus be able to take the baby anywhere (need a carseat at all times). As said before, you will pay $~80 to the city for the sticker, about the same to the state for the license plate renewal, and anywhere from $200 - $300 / month for the spot. Don't even consider a car if you don't have a spot unless you want to spend all your time driving around in circles trying to find parking.