Fort Lauderdale to Chicago (Miami, Orlando: relocate, real estate, job)

[Weis1110]

Hello all,
I have quite the problem to ask for advise about here today. I live in NE Fort Lauderdale and I love it here. My problem isn't with Florida, it is with a job opportunity-I know weird problem to have right?

I have been offered a good career opportunity (same field as now) in downtown Chicago. This is probably the best job offer I have ever had, and I am tempted to take it. I don't have kids and my wife and I can move since we rent. Outside of the job, all I can think about is how much I will miss Florida, and all it has to offer.

Is there anyone out there who has done this, or even better, gone to CHI from FL? I am totally torn, because the career and Florida have never been at odds before.

Anyway, let me know what I might expect, etc.

Thanks all and regards:

[outsider1]

I'm in Chicago, looking in the direction opposite to yours
If you can elaborate a bit about things you like about FL, then I can try to tell you whether or not you would be able to find anything similar in Chicago. I've met folks that relocated here from warmer climes such as Orlando, San Diego, Salinas CA, Virginia Beach. Almost all of them found Chicago's atmosphere to their liking. But to a varied degree they all missed various things about the weather and landscapes they left behind. So it would help to know what matters to you the most in life as well as your interests and preferences outside of the office in order to make a proper assessment of your situation.

[LM1]

I have.
I'm a FL native who moved to Chitown.

Here are the pros of either place.

Chicago Pros:

* Opportunity everywhere. From professional careers, entry level, service- whatever you want. Like anywhere else, Chicago is economy dependent, but an upwardly mobile person who presents themselves well, has all of their frontal teeth and less than 3 felonies on their record shouldn't have any problem obtaining employment in their chosen industry.

* Real estate prices that are absolutely superb for a "top tier" global metro center. There is always an 'up and coming' neighborhood somewhere that can be had on the cheap. Chicago real estate isn't "cheap" by Kansas or Oklahoma standards, but considering what you get and what you pay, it's probably the best "value" out there.

* Extraordinary amount of culture, almost without peer save for maybe NYC, London or Paris.

* "Anything you want" syndrome. If it exists in the universe, then Chicago has it and probably to a very high degree of representation. Want Thai food at 4:30 AM? Make a call...

* The people are wonderful. Not hardened and mean like New York but not flakey and retarded like LA or San Fran. Also, there is a degree of positive sophistication in Chicagoans that doesn't exist- at all- with Floridians.

* The pay is just so much better than other places, particularly the South.

* It's Chicago. CHICAGO! What can be better than that? C H I C A G O! How friggin cool... Everyone loves f**king Chicago.

* The sheer volume of quality in the restaurants of Chicago is without peer, anywhere on the planet, including Paris or NYC. No where will you find such an amazing breadth of superb eateries.

* Cost of living- Not bad at all. Matter of fact, we pay LESS for groceries in Chicago than we were in Florida. The only exception to this was citrus during citrus season.

* Public transportation system that is amazing. Trains, buses, trams, taxis- you don't even have to own a car in Chicago, if you don't want to.

* Upper education systems that are without peer. From the University of Chicago with a law school that consistently bests the Ivy League to a community college system that has professors otherwise qualified to teach in major universities. Primary education in Chicago is also spectacular, consistently ranking in the top 5 of SAT scores by state. If you want to go private, the private schools in Chicagoland are some of the most forward, innovative, high performing schools this side of Stockholm or the other side of Tokyo.

Florida Pros:

* It sure is warm.

* The beach

* Lower taxes

* Cheap grapefruit in January.

[MrTudo]

Personally I couldn't stand a weekend in Chicago.


Well, maybe a weekend, but more than that?

Now if you were debating on NYC that would be different. I used to live there .

But live there again?

No way!

If you were going to spend a mill on a home and you created your own employment whereas it didn't matter where you were physically located . You can live quite well here in South Fla without the B/S of the north. When you really missed the north, guess what? It's a 2 1/2 hr flight.

Education for the kids? There's no such thing as a public school ANYWHERE that I would consider acceptable . That leaves private school and depending on where you live in Fla, some of the best private schools anywhere are located here.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, if you were limiited to spending 125K-150K on a house. You can buy a decent 3 bedroom house, maybe even a 4 bedroom house starting for not a lot more than that, 1/4 acre lot, 2 car garage, etc in a middle class neighborhood that doe not have the riff raff in it. Try doing that anywhere up north.

[chisoxfan]

As a former Chicagoan who also happens to live in northeast Fort Lauderdale, I think your "problem" is a nice one to have. LM1's post is right on target as far as Chicago's strong points, and there are not that many overwhelming disadvantages other than (a) the winters, and (b) politics that are considerably more goofy than even Miami's.

I've been in Fort Lauderdale for 21 years and for the most part have learned to roll with the punches of living here, but my company's headquarters is in Chicago and there have been several opportunities to transfer there. It's been tempting because I'll always consider Chicago home, but my wife is a South Florida native, so moving's pretty much a nonstarter.

[LM1]

Hahaha, yeah, Chicago politics.
Kinda like Louisiana Politics only with a Bachelors Degree.

That is one thing you have to consider. For example, it is completely illegal to own a handgun in the city limits. Some people think this is great (since those laws obviously do such a great job and honest people shouldn't be able to buy a handgun given that there isn't any gun crime in Chicago ) other people think it's dumb.

The mayor runs the city like his own little dictatorship. Guiliani was much the same in NYC... There are those who argue that cities like this require such a leader, there are others who insist that NO WHERE should ever be run like that.