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Chicago is my favorite city of the three by a pretty good margin, however at this point in my life Id have to go with Miami. I just cant deal with anything other than heat and humidity anymore. Even though, as a city, its my least favorite of the three.
I like NOVA quite well but not DC as much anymore. I find Chicago to be a lot more laid back and friendly than DC personally and that would sway it for me.
A bit of a first world dilemma, however a buddy of mine who is part owner of a few self storage companies has the choice to relocate after a divorce. He currently lives in the NYC Metro, and will be perfectly fine flying back to see his son (ex gets custody) one time a month.
He's in his mid 40s and gross income is roughly 350k. No real debt to speak of aside from his car, and doesn't plan on buying a home in his new city.
He loves traveling (being in a city with an international airport is key)
He wants to be somewhere with similar diversity as NYC
He wants to be somewhere with a decent dating scene for guys his age
Thoughts on his options?
Chicago checks the most boxes.
For starters, Chicago is NYC light, a move from NYC to Chicago is not a major shock to the system compared to a Miami move (totally different vibe) or DC which is a lot smaller.
As mentioned, Chicago offers all the big city amenities at a fraction of NYC price, especially for someone making $350k, he can live a very nice life in any part of the city.
All 3 have huge airports, Chicago has the largest airport and is United's main hub.
Chicago and Miami offer a lot of diversity, Miami wins here though.
I have been out of the dating scene for a bit, but I would peg Chicago similar to NYC, a lot of people/options. DC dating scene is small and not sure about Miami.
Downside to Chicago is the colder climate (if that matters to him). But summers in Chicago are the best.
My rank would be Chicago by a lot, unless your friend wants the Miami vibe, then go with Miami.
For me, it would definitely be Chicago by a longshot, given your friend is looking for "New York- light." I have lots of family in the Chicagoland area, and downtown Chicago is tons of fun. Traditional big city living, tons of nightlife, shopping, great restaurants, and social people. I think dating in Chicago would be tons of fun.
My main drawback would be the brutal winters, although the summers would make up for it.
If your friend is a warm weather, beach person, obviously Miami would win out. And I'm sure dating and nightlife would be fun there too.
My only additional plug for consideration would be Philly. I have lived in Philly, and to me it's kinda a hybrid between New York and Chicago. It is also "New York-light," affordable, traditional big city living, good food scene, and relatively mild weather.
But out of the 3, it seems Chicago meets most of the criteria (with the caveat about weather).
Chicago and Miami offer a lot of diversity, Miami wins here though.
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This is technically true, but Miami's diversity is very specific to the Caribbean, Central and South America. Chicago's diversity is more all encompassing. That said, DC is the most diverse of the three by a significant margin.
Quote:
Originally Posted by the resident09
Miami, then DC.
Not sure why one would leave NYC for Chi honestly.
Cost of living and just an all around different vibe perhaps? NYC is a strictly global city where as Chicago is an international city but its also quintessential Middle America. Its a lot friendlier and has a more relaxed and American feel to it.
Location: Miami (prev. NY, Atlanta, SF, OC and San Diego)
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I am less familiar with the other 2 cities, but can speak for Miami:
Extremely attractive female population with variety (Latina, European—including Russian—and American).
$350K/year will go quite far in Miami / Miami Beach and allow one to rent a nice condo, go to nice restaurants, join nice social clubs (SoHo House, pool memberships at Standard or 1 Hotel, etc), attend annual cultural events, and more.
Nightlife options not just restricted to high end nightclubs. Many nicer and popular restaurants have lounges with people in the age group that the OP asked for. Miami has been holding up quite well during Covid with fewer closings/restaurants out of business than other cities. I expect it to bounce back faster and/or be as strong post Covid.
Diversified populace with a decent share of fellow ex NY’ers and top NYC restaurant outposts—more so on Miami Beach, but increasingly so in Brickell and Coconut Grove. The further north you get (Broward and Palm Beach County) the more American and suburban (v urban) you get.
Brickell and SoBe are walkable; even still car recommended, particularly when new to the area to allow one to discover various neighborhoods to their liking.
International airports (MIA and FLL) not only puts you in contact with NYC in 2.5 - 3 hours but nearly all Caribbean countries and US islands, Cancun, Medellin, Costa Rica, Panama, etc (some as close as an hour, or less). American Airlines hub with nonstops to Europe, Deep South America and Middle East. Cruise port will reopen sometime in 1H 2021 which is in our backyard and provide even more options for as short as a weekend or longer.
No state income tax.
Year round warm weather city. Whereas NY’ers take vacations to FL or Caribbean between Dec - end of March to escape winter cold, reverse commute here....some will take a vacation or two between June - mid October (Brazil great that time of year weather wise with off season pricing). Summers not as bad here as some think if you live on Miami Beach or coastal Miami where one usually gets nice breezes off the water.
Miami does run the risk of a potential hurricane, though one is not guaranteed and is not an annual occurrence nor close to that. None this year, had a tropical storm with heavy rain at times for 2-3 days.
If OP were starting completely over and looking for a new job I would say choose between the other 2 cities; however, if he is bringing his business and/or stated income with him he will be able to enjoy and take good advantage of what Miami has to offer.
Last edited by elchevere; 12-08-2020 at 08:15 AM..
Not sure why one would leave NYC for Chi honestly.
I would say for cost of living mainly. If someone wanted a city similar to NYC, but didn't want all the costs or didn't like all of the crowds, Chicago would offer a more similar experience than DC. Although, I would also advocate for Philly as an alternative. Chicago has the traditional neighborhoods like NYC that DC doesn't- little Italy, large Chinatown, lots of ethnic neighborhoods, etc.
DC is much smaller and more unique. You don't have tall buildings downtown, less ethnic neighborhoods, and it's overall so much smaller. In my view, it's not a traditional "big city" in the sense of NYC or Chicago or Philly.
Miami would be the clear choice if weather is an issue though.
Wow this one is tough as all three cities are great, but they are so different from each other.
On thing that works against DC and Miami is they are a very specific type of city. Either you are going to LOVE it or going to hate it. While Chicago is a much more well rounded city so one can adapt more easily.
My take on each:
Miami: My favorite city after Chicago, and I am actually moving from Chicago to Miami in early 2021. Miami is amazing if you want something pretty different from the rest of the US. If you love Latin American culture and prefer a place with a more international vibe, Miami is amazing for that. Where it suffers is in the job market where it's nowhere near as good as DC or Chicago. Both in job opportunities or salary. It's not terrible but not as good as the other two cities. Now with that being said, Miami is dramatically changing. It's starting to attract a lot more companies, specifically in tech, so I can see in 10 years it being a different case. Also the city is growing on a scale Chicago and DC cannot compare at all. The city is building like crazy, getting denser, and again in 10 years, it will be awesome to see what neighborhoods like Wynwood, Midtown, Brickell, Downtown, among others look like. It will truly be a tropical urban paradise. Now if you aren't a fan of Latin American culture and want more of an American vibe Miami is not for you. Look elsewhere. I would say on a lot of levels, Miami is one of the most un-American cities in the US. But if you move there now you will be moving at a time when the city is experiencing a huge boom and changing. Wouldn't it be cool to be a part of that and witness it?
Chicago: It's the city I grew up in and love dearly. Chicago is an extremely well-rounded city in that it offers a lot for everyone, but the scales are starting to tip towards the wealthy. You have strong diversity and neither Miami or DC can offer what Chicago offers in regards to restaurants, culture, neighborhoods, etc. I also think Chicago is one of the best cities when it comes to jobs, COL, and salaries. You can really live a comfortable life here as a professional with opportunities abound. There are a couple of big knocks on Chicago though, partially why I am leaving. One being the winters here are horrendous. They really are long and tough. Been here 30+ years and still don't like them. Another issue is that while Chicago is an international city it's not as cosmopolitan as you would think. Chicago is the capital of the Midwest, and it really feels like it. You have people flooding the city from Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Iowa, etc, and they along bring with them that Midwest culture and live in bubbles. I am not hating on it, but in my 30+ years I just have never been able to connect with Midwest folks, and in Chicago it really dominates, especially in the neighborhoods dominated by professionals. Every company I have worked for here, all the major ones, are predominantly white, Midwest folks with minorities being a very small minority. And these were big companies. Where in DC and Miami minorities are a lot more present in the professional world, in some cases they are the majority. From the outside Chicago seems very diverse and cosmopolitan, but once you start working there, experience the nightlife and more of the city, you realize it's more the capital of the Midwest in how it feels on a local level. Not hating on Midwest culture, it's just if you are looking for a more international vibe, Chicago might disappoint you. While it it diverse it also feels very American, especially once you get into the upper income and professional world of it.
DC: DC is a great city, but I feel unless you are working with the government or major entities founded there you might not like it. The built environment of DC is awesome. Just like being in Europe. The people though, are not my favorite. It definitely is more international than Chicago, and more diverse than Miami, but Miami still feels more international. DC also has the hot humid summers similar to Miami without the beach, and cool to cold winters, but nowhere near what Chicago has. To me DC is one of our greatest cities, but I feel like it takes a specific person to live there. It's also the most expensive one.
I would pick Miami, but I am biased because I am moving there in the next few months.
I would say for cost of living mainly. If someone wanted a city similar to NYC, but didn't want all the costs or didn't like all of the crowds, Chicago would offer a more similar experience than DC. Although, I would also advocate for Philly as an alternative. Chicago has the traditional neighborhoods like NYC that DC doesn't- little Italy, large Chinatown, lots of ethnic neighborhoods, etc.
DC is much smaller and more unique. You don't have tall buildings downtown, less ethnic neighborhoods, and it's overall so much smaller. In my view, it's not a traditional "big city" in the sense of NYC or Chicago or Philly.
Miami would be the clear choice if weather is an issue though.
Yup, this is obvious and is what the majority of posters have mentioned. Chicago offers a similar experience to NYC, but on a smaller scale and less expensive. As you have mentioned, Philly does as well.
It strikes a nerve with this poster when Chicago is paired with NYC and other NE cities, and DC is left out (since it's an outlier and doesn't offer the traditional "big-city" experience that the NE cities do- NYC, Philly, Boston). The fact that everyone on this thread is mentioning that Chicago will provide a better NYC-light experience than DC hurts.....
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