Why are SO many Illinois folk attracted to Arizona? (Chicago: credit, smog)

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by desert student

I just graduated last year from the area, and all of my teachers strongly suggested not staying in the area if you are looking for jobs

Cool! You have no clue what youre talking about (nor do your "teachers")! See my post above and check out the links I provided. Maybe then youll realize how incredibly wrong you are. G'night sir.

[CHICAGOLAND92]

The only reason I could see people from IL moving to AZ is because our winters are far from great. It's been snowing like crazy today

[via chicago]

Originally Posted by desert student

I hate to tell people, but it isn't the 80s anymore, and Chicago is not what experts would call 'booming'.

you lose. (not to mention your argument is void of any real thought or fact, considering Chicago was struggling during the 80s).
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/htm...yndication=rss

there are over 50 highrises currently under construction in Chicago, with another 120 possible completed by 2010. please, tell me, if thats not considered a boom, i would love to hear what your definition is. in fact, whats going on in this city right now is damn near unprecedented. on my train ride through the South Loop into Union Station every day, i cant even keep count of the number of cranes i pass...easily a couple dozen. thats not even taking into effect the small scale rejuvenation which is happening all across the city.

[Havasu]

Originally Posted by Steve-o

Well, at least you established the fact that you know NOTHING about IL. Not only are your statements false, but youre not even spelling the name of the state correctly (its IllinOIs). Can I please ask how old you are?

We have the most corporate relocations in the country, Chicago was voted (once again) the "City of the Future", we have several suburbs (and counties) that are amongst the fastest growing in the nation, etc, etc. If you dont believe me, I can post some links to the info. Maybe that will hush you up.

You are so right Steve i cant spell your state correctly and i will tell you why
BECAUSE I WENT TO A ILLINIOS (spelling again) SCHOOL. To end my part of this i say you stay in Illinios and i will stay in Arizona. I might even venture over to California

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by Havasu

You are so right Steve i cant spell your state correctly and i will tell you why
BECAUSE I WENT TO A ILLINIOS (spelling again) SCHOOL. To end my part of this i say you stay in Illinios and i will stay in Arizona. I might even venture over to California

Illinois' schools are far and above Arizona's. But dont feel bad, everytime I visit Arizona, the locals call Illinois "Ill-i-noise". So down in AZ not only can they not spell Illinois correctly, but they cant pronounce it either.

Oh, and you always capitalize "I" (not "i"). And yes, please enjoy Ari(d)zona, there is one less car on the crowded roads here then.

[ITChick]

Originally Posted by Steve-o

What, like the worst summer weather possible? Or was it the endless tract homes that all look like Taco Bell ripoffs? Maybe it was the lack of a downtown core to hang out in? Horrible sports venues? Maybe it was the fact that Arizona has the worst rated schools in the nation? The snakes? Scorpions? Black widows? Giant centipedes? Mountain lions? Valley Fever? Was it the brown cloud? Horrible public transporation (or lack thereof)? Or was it the....

LOL! Valley Fever was one of them, but I didn't know I had caught it until coming back to Chicago and suffering for months. A Doctor mentioned it in passing that the lingering infection in all my sinuses might be just that. I spent a lot of time on construction sites, so that may have had something to do with it. I did have to take antibiotics and some kind of antifungal for it and wasn't pleased

Actually, the real reason for my disgust was several business dealings I had with more than a few companies in Arizona and the lack of business acumen, shall we say, that made me suspicious of people living in the area. That and the large number of unscrupulous and pushy Real Estate folks who would tell me anything just to get me to part with my hard earned money.

I am sure there are some very honest businesses and Real Estate offices residing in Arizona, but unfortunately, I never got to meet any of them. The six months of blazing heat and very aggressive homeless people everywhere didn't help. The feeling as if I couldn't trust anyone to do business with in Arizona made it impossible for me to want to live there permanently.

[desert student]

Originally Posted by Steve-o

Cool! You have no clue what youre talking about (nor do your "teachers")! See my post above and check out the links I provided. Maybe then youll realize how incredibly wrong you are. G'night sir.

Wow! I just went to several and LA, New York, Houston, and DC sites that say the complete opposite. I also found more than nine to back up my argument! LOL! That is kinda weird! I also researched some of those dumb "rating" magazines that you obviously covet, and none of them mention Chicago being a worthwhile city. Maybe the suburbs, but not the city.

LOL! So you put youself above the staff at Elmhurst now. Ill be sure to email my old professors and tell him that someone that doesn't even live in Chicago, is now making more accurate statements then they are. I think the faculty there is far more qualified to make an assumption on the status of Chicago, than someone with minimal educational standards. If you don't believe me, after the break is over walk on campus go and ask them. I'm sure they will be more than happy to accomodate you. Just don't to be suprised if they laugh in your face. Even more to the point, my high school counselor even told me that he wouldn't even stay in Chicago to find a job. Funny how a place that is on the "up-and-up", is loosing population while places in Arizona, Texas, and California are booming. A city can't boom on an economic front, without a population that is also. But who am I and my professors to say you are wrong.

[desert student]

Originally Posted by via chicago

you lose. (not to mention your argument is void of any real thought or fact, considering Chicago was struggling during the 80s).
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/htm...yndication=rss

there are over 50 highrises currently under construction in Chicago, with another 120 possible completed by 2010. please, tell me, if thats not considered a boom, i would love to hear what your definition is. in fact, whats going on in this city right now is damn near unprecedented. on my train ride through the South Loop into Union Station every day, i cant even keep count of the number of cranes i pass...easily a couple dozen. thats not even taking into effect the small scale rejuvenation which is happening all across the city.

I don't know how to really respond to this considering the 80s where when the western suburbs of Chicago grew by leaps and bounds and have never quit since. Maybe you missed that!! The city may have been struggling, but jobs were abundant enough to create a population explosion in the entire area. A bad economy doesn't turn two simple 'burbs' into the two largest cities in Ilinois outside of Chicago!

Well my definition of boom is far from yours. But let's just have some fun and use yours anyway. Take a walk though the Phoenix area and new development is happening everywhere, including "CRANES!" Besides, when has cranes and buildings being built been considered big time progress. I don't see anything like Chicago's skyline in California, but somehow they are capable of having the sixth largest economy in the world!! I don't see much of skyline in Silicon Valley either that compares to Chicago's! Many of those proposed new constructions are more than likely heavy residential. Why? Well it comes down to the fact that the suburbs can no longer fit people in, so new residents are being forced back into the city. But then again the west burbs never boomed, so their goes my lame theory! Phoenix is a city that builds out instead of up. If something new comes into landlocked Chicago then it has no choice but to build up. SUPRISE!! Maybe these 'crane' sightings are unprecedented for Chicago, but take a stroll through New York, Houston, or almost any city in Flordia and you won't be to amazed by Chicago's. While all this "unprecedented" growth is good, meanwhile there are huge areas with buildings that have been condemned for years and look like they are going to fall apart anyday. Too bad the builders there can't see this and renovate these areas again. But the poor builders must have breathed in that filthy Chicago air for too long, because every other builder in the nation would look at this as an opportunity. There are parts of Chicago that look like a third world country!! Heaven forbid the city bring something that would help reguvinate these neighborhoods, bring money into those areas, and cut down on waste. But Chicago doesn't need to worry about waste. They will just ship it out to the suburbs were they will bury it and thousands of cheap plastic houses that all look like the next will be built right on top. Home sweet home to me!

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8411119/

http://www.gdi-solutions.com/fdi/200...SA/phoenix.htm

[via chicago]

Whatever. I'm done with this thread. Enjoy your life in Arizona, I'll enjoy mine in Chicago.

[shadow91]

I too moved from IL to AZ. I came here in 2006. I came for a better paying job and an opportunity for my son to have a better life than our small midwestern town. He loves it here, I on the other hand hate it. I was not prepared for what I drove into. The crime rate is ridiculous. The bad pockets outweigh the good pockets. Taxes, license plates, housing is way more expensive. Summer is like an IL winter, you don't dare go outside. I have toiled with selling my home back in IL but have decided not to do it. When my son gets out of high school (2 more years), I am out of here. The people are rude and snotty, they think they are better than everyone else. People are crazy drivers, it takes forever to get anywhere on the highways (and you have to drive the highways to get anywhere). Yes, winter is beautiful here, but that is about it. Crime has skyrocketed here. Everyday dead bodies being found, shootings of innocent people. I stay because my teenager loves it here other than that, I would be home. I did alot of research on AZ before I MOVED HERE and let me tell you, nothing on the internet prepared me for what we are living here. There is not one area to go where there are not illegals. Trust me, they outnumber the americans here.