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First I wanted to say that this website and everyone who takes the time to comment are greatly appreciated! I have spent hours reading the forums and narrowing down the choices of where I want to move.
I currently live in Knoxville, Tennessee and am majoring in hospitality at the University of Tennessee. For my major, I will have to enroll in an internship program in my desired field, and two different corporations look very promising. I would have the option of working for Marriott International in Bethesda, Maryland or Hyatt Regency in downtown Chicago. Both programs last for 12 months, and once I am finished I have the option to begin entry level management with either company.
Since I am looking for a permanent place to call home, I would like to know what everyone's opinions on these two cities are. First, a little info on me though.
I'm 22 years old, gay, and love the big city. I've been stuck in this area my whole life and am sick of the people, the politics, and the surrounding towns. I'm extremely liberal and don't have many friends because my ideology clashes with most people here. Basically I'm tired of Tennessee and the south in general. I would like to live somewhere that is excepting of LGBT people while also giving me an opportunity to advance my career. I also love the outdoors and am extremely active. Probably the only thing I will miss is the Great Smoky Mountains being at my backdoor.
Things that are important to me are the ability to live without a car, walk-ability, cost of living, and the environmental/conservation efforts of the city. Around here that is non-existent and the career opportunities are terrible.
I'm completely divided on my opinion. I've visited both cities and absolutely love them! Chicago seems more like an actual big city (I love how dense it is and the incredible skyline!), while I love the architecture, neighborhoods, and outdoor recreational opportunities available near DC (the beach, Shenandoah National Park, etc.) Both have plenty of parks within the city it seems, but I want to be able to do things outside the city as well. Are there some hidden gems in the Illinois and Wisconsin area that I have not heard about?
First I wanted to say that this website and everyone who takes the time to comment are greatly appreciated! I have spent hours reading the forums and narrowing down the choices of where I want to move.
I currently live in Knoxville, Tennessee and am majoring in hospitality at the University of Tennessee. For my major, I will have to enroll in an internship program in my desired field, and two different corporations look very promising. I would have the option of working for Marriott International in Bethesda, Maryland or Hyatt Regency in downtown Chicago. Both programs last for 12 months, and once I am finished I have the option to begin entry level management with either company.
Since I am looking for a permanent place to call home, I would like to know what everyone's opinions on these two cities are. First, a little info on me though.
I'm 22 years old, gay, and love the big city. I've been stuck in this area my whole life and am sick of the people, the politics, and the surrounding towns. I'm extremely liberal and don't have many friends because my ideology clashes with most people here. Basically I'm tired of Tennessee and the south in general. I would like to live somewhere that is excepting of LGBT people while also giving me an opportunity to advance my career. I also love the outdoors and am extremely active. Probably the only thing I will miss is the Great Smoky Mountains being at my backdoor.
Things that are important to me are the ability to live without a car, walk-ability, cost of living, and the environmental/conservation efforts of the city. Around here that is non-existent and the career opportunities are terrible.
I'm completely divided on my opinion. I've visited both cities and absolutely love them! Chicago seems more like an actual big city (I love how dense it is and the incredible skyline!), while I love the architecture, neighborhoods, and outdoor recreational opportunities available near DC (the beach, Shenandoah National Park, etc.) Both have plenty of parks within the city it seems, but I want to be able to do things outside the city as well. Are there some hidden gems in the Illinois and Wisconsin area that I have not heard about?
Thanks for any advice!
This thread will inevitably turn into a Chicago vs DC, voiding contest. So, smokymountainboys, prepare for many responses that don't answer your question. So, C-D, let him have it. He wants to be able to do things outside of the city. He seems to be leaning towards Chicago. However, he seems to know more about the DC area.
No low blows, no neck punching, biting, or eye gouging.
This thread will inevitably turn into a Chicago vs DC, voiding contest. So, smokymountainboys, prepare for many responses that don't answer your question. So, C-D, let him have it. He wants to be able to do things outside of the city. He seems to be leaning towards Chicago. However, he seems to know more about the DC area.
No low blows, no neck punching, biting, or eye gouging.
Ding, ding!
Thank you! The one thing I have grown weary of when reading the other vs. threads is when everyone craps on the other city. I know the cons of each city because I've been researching them for a while. Please also don't bring up the "Chicago is too cold and DC is too hot" arguments, because a city is more then its weather! What is it about your city that makes it stand out from the other? No negativity!
I will say go with Chicago. Here is why. DC is an amazing city, but I feel unless you work for the government you are going to feel left out. For obvious reasons, most of its workforce works for the government so the city's culture and overall vibe is very government oriented.
Chicago's economy is very diverse, so you will meet people who come for all sorts of backgrounds, which I think leads to making friends a lot easier. Also, Chicago is the LGBT capital for the Midwest IMO. Big LGBT and two neighborhoods that revolve around LGBT (Boystown and Andersonville), But outside of those neighborhoods you will find plenty of LGBT people and places. DC does have it's LGBT community as well but nowhere as big or diverse as Chicago's.
I would say both are tied when it comes to outdoor activities. Also, you will find the COL in Chicago to be much more doable than DC"s. That doesn't mean Chicago is cheap, but it's cheaper than DC for sure. I think Chicago will be a better fit for you as it is just a more well rounded city with more going on.
Location: That star on your map in the middle of the East Coast, DMV
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You could not go wrong with either choice firstly. You are choosing from two top tier cities to begin with so that's a great start. I guess one of the primary things will come down to COL as mentioned and also how/where you plan to live in each respective city/metro.
My case for DC:
Your background is in hospitality, you have Marriott International and Hilton Worldwide headquarters located here, as well as Host Hotels already local in the area. The hotel building boom is real in the DC metro area as this year alone another 4000 hotel rooms under construction. Both cities are like 4th and 5th respectively in terms of hotel space, so you can't go wrong with either. However, I can see DC being more on the upswing with hotels in the coming years with rising tourism and travel numbers every year. With the upcoming MGM in the region, Trump International downtown, and recently opened convention center hotel Marriot Marquis the hospitality industry is expected to be first rate.
In terms of nature/ outdoor activities I can only speak for the DC area. But you have white water rafting, kayaking, ski resorts are not toooo far away, Luray Caverns to the southwest, the beaches are much further but a plethora in the mid Atlantic region of course.
DC is smaller and more compact in the city, but this can be considered a good thing in terms of urban living. Many neighborhoods connect pretty seamlessly and you have transit options in most places. This city is very walkable and full of parkland and bike trails. DC is one of the "greenest" cities in the US in terms of building usage also.
Both cities are world class, both have pros and cons, it really does just depend on where you think you would "fit" in best.
I will say go with Chicago. Here is why. DC is an amazing city, but I feel unless you work for the government you are going to feel left out. For obvious reasons, most of its workforce works for the government so the city's culture and overall vibe is very government oriented.
Chicago's economy is very diverse, so you will meet people who come for all sorts of backgrounds, which I think leads to making friends a lot easier. Also, Chicago is the LGBT capital for the Midwest IMO. Big LGBT and two neighborhoods that revolve around LGBT (Boystown and Andersonville), But outside of those neighborhoods you will find plenty of LGBT people and places. DC does have it's LGBT community as well but nowhere as big or diverse as Chicago's.
I would say both are tied when it comes to outdoor activities. Also, you will find the COL in Chicago to be much more doable than DC"s. That doesn't mean Chicago is cheap, but it's cheaper than DC for sure. I think Chicago will be a better fit for you as it is just a more well rounded city with more going on.
Not everyone works in the government sector. I would say half of my friends do and the other half are within the private sector. If you want to get out of DC for a few days just get on the train and you could be in Baltimore/Philly/NYC within 3.5 hours! Plus if you make friends in DC you'll most likely end up making friends and creating a social network all throughout the NE corridor.
I believe DC has a higher % of Gay people where areas Chicago has a higher raw number. DC's Gay scene is as big and as diverse as Chicago if not better. In Chicago you have the typical "gay ghettos" but in DC Gay bar's/clubs/business that cater to the community are spread out all over the city i.e. Columbia Heights, Dupont, SE, SW, Crystal City etc.. I find this to be more appealing as the community is more integrated into the overall city vs. select areas. Both are great cities of course for the Gay community and I'm just nit picking.
You are in luck! I happen to be a fellow Hospitality professional! Both cities are great cities, however, just out of curiosity, what made you narrow down your options to these two specific cities?
With that said, to answer your question, it really depends on what your ultimate goal is within the hospitality industry, I say this because the biggest edge that DC has over Chicago (hospitality wise) is the fact that BOTH Hilton Worldwide AND Marriott International have their global headquarters in the area so if you envision working in a corporate office for a major hospitality company then DC area would make most sense.. Just keep in mind that jobs at both of the HQs are VERY competitive so unless you land an internship, for full time positions they normally look for candidates with lengthy resumes and lots of experience..
Now on the other hand, if you envision yourself managing hotel operations at an actual hotel property then that would be an entirely different story as both cities offer an abundance of hotel properties to work for, as do most major cities and resort destinations around the country, this is why I asked earlier why you limited yourself to these two specific cities?
I currently work at a hotel in DC and will actually be relocating to Florida for a career advancement within my company. Have you considered Florida? There is a HUGE hospitality presence in Florida, specifically Central Florida/Orlando and South Florida/Miami/Fort Lauderdale areas.
I would say that working in downtown Chicago seems more exciting than working in Bethesda, but that might not be much of a factor for the OP.
DC definitely has more interesting natural locations nearby, though the options narrow down in either city when you don't have a car. Chicago's Metra commuter rail service does let you get to some areas with the most notable being the Indiana Dunes. I'm sure there are similarly accessible natural areas accessible from DC that the DC posters can point out. There are several other natural areas somewhat close to Chicago involving forests, prairies, bays, beaches, rivers, lakes (both the Great Lake and smaller lakes), but no real mountains close by.
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