Thinking of moving to Illinois (Chicago, Rockford: low income, renting, crime rate)

[NYEddy]

Originally Posted by dcisive

Which is exactly why Illinois will continue to be on the course it's been for years now and continue to strangle it's constituents bank accounts. Oh well. Enjoy

I know it's hard for you to believe, but some people actually enjoy living here. This summer has been amazing. I love winters. We have a house in Berrien County MI. We fly non-stop to Europe every other summer.

Last weekend, I took some friends from NYC who were in town for Lolla to dinner/drinks on Roscoe and they were stunned at the streetscape. I think I planted a seed for some new transplants coming soon

If you're primarily concerned with how far you live from a Costco and Chilli's, there are cheaper places to live. I love the fruits of Chicagoland and the broader tri-state area. I'm willing to pay for it. Judging by the number of resumes my company receives from some of the Big 10's brightest, there's a lot of young folks still filling the pipeline. Rent prices indicate as much.

[jasperhobbs]

Originally Posted by NYEddy

I know it's hard for you to believe, but some people actually enjoy living here. This summer has been amazing. I love winters. We have a house in Berrien County MI. We fly non-stop to Europe every other summer.

Last weekend, I took some friends from NYC who were in town for Lolla to dinner/drinks on Roscoe and they were stunned at the streetscape. I think I planted a seed for some new transplants coming soon

If you're primarily concerned with how far you live from a Costco and Chilli's, there are cheaper places to live. I love the fruits of Chicagoland and the broader tri-state area. I'm willing to pay for it. Judging by the number of resumes my company receives from some of the Big 10's brightest, there's a lot of young folks still filling the pipeline. Rent prices indicate as much.

There has been an influx of people moving to Galena area where I live.

[Kmanshouse]

Originally Posted by dcisive

I know I get beaten up on a regular basis for some of the posts in the past I've submitted that while they were reality, they simply were looked upon as "Illinois Bashing". Listen, I lived there for the first 25 years of my life. And back then it was a pretty decent place to live. To say it is so much as a glimmer of what it was back then (we're talking about the mid to late 70's) would be not only a lie it would be a misrepresentation.

I'm not even saying that it's not possible for anyone alive to enjoy let alone tolerate the State at this point in time. The level of corruption in the State is legendary at this point, and not something anyone would have any sensibility to argue. Can you live or exist with it? It is indeed an individual matter of choice. I simply don't see how nor why a human being with good intelligence would choose to do so ignoring all that faces the place at this time and trying to live with it. Absurdly high taxes, crazy traffic issues, crime at levels nobody would feel terribly comfortable with. How does one ignore all of this and more? It is to me one of the great mysteries I'll never grasp. I was always brought up to understand that if something wasn't right, change it. If you can't change it, then find a way to live with it. I'm thinking those that choose to live there are the latter. But I have to say, with limited time for a person to be alive in this world, it sure makes a lot more sense to ME to do the former. And I did. Glad I did that's for sure.

The bigger mystery is why you keep reading a forum about a state you used to live in, and feel compelled to post.

I lived in AZ and Iowa at various points. I have never posted on the Iowa forum and haven't even looked at the AZ forum in months/years.

But I will indulge you...if you are still here.

The Chicago area is HOME for millions and millions of people. HOME is a draw, always, even if it has problems. And there is something more intimate about Chicago than most big metro areas. There's a pride to it, an inclusivity. It's hard to explain. And for certain income levels, the stuff you mention isn't really a huge intrusion. Many of us live in very safe areas, and the tax bills are not preventing us from enjoying the amenities and being HOME.

Also, people who enjoy urban splendors can't do a lot better. If you want to live in a place where you can be left alone, they by all means, the Chicago area isn't for you. Neither would New York, Boston, LA, or many other places.

The Real People thing is so inaccurate, dude. For a big city, Chicago's people are extremely real, more friendly, more salt of the earth than what you'd find on either coast.

[jasperhobbs]

Originally Posted by dcisive

I know I get beaten up on a regular basis for some of the posts in the past I've submitted that while they were reality, they simply were looked upon as "Illinois Bashing". Listen, I lived there for the first 25 years of my life. And back then it was a pretty decent place to live. To say it is so much as a glimmer of what it was back then (we're talking about the mid to late 70's) would be not only a lie it would be a misrepresentation.

I'm not even saying that it's not possible for anyone alive to enjoy let alone tolerate the State at this point in time. The level of corruption in the State is legendary at this point, and not something anyone would have any sensibility to argue. Can you live or exist with it? It is indeed an individual matter of choice. I simply don't see how nor why a human being with good intelligence would choose to do so ignoring all that faces the place at this time and trying to live with it. Absurdly high taxes, crazy traffic issues, crime at levels nobody would feel terribly comfortable with. How does one ignore all of this and more? It is to me one of the great mysteries I'll never grasp. I was always brought up to understand that if something wasn't right, change it. If you can't change it, then find a way to live with it. I'm thinking those that choose to live there are the latter. But I have to say, with limited time for a person to be alive in this world, it sure makes a lot more sense to ME to do the former. And I did. Glad I did that's for sure.

Originally Posted by Kmanshouse

The bigger mystery is why you keep reading a forum about a state you used to live in, and feel compelled to post.

I lived in AZ and Iowa at various points. I have never posted on the Iowa forum and haven't even looked at the AZ forum in months/years.

But I will indulge you...if you are still here.

The Chicago area is HOME for millions and millions of people. HOME is a draw, always, even if it has problems. And there is something more intimate about Chicago than most big metro areas. There's a pride to it, an inclusivity. It's hard to explain. And for certain income levels, the stuff you mention isn't really a huge intrusion. Many of us live in very safe areas, and the tax bills are not preventing us from enjoying the amenities and being HOME.

Also, people who enjoy urban splendors can't do a lot better. If you want to live in a place where you can be left alone, they by all means, the Chicago area isn't for you. Neither would New York, Boston, LA, or many other places.

The Real People thing is so inaccurate, dude. For a big city, Chicago's people are extremely real, more friendly, more salt of the earth than what you'd find on either coast.

Kmanshouse, fantastic post. You hit on many good points.

[jasperhobbs]

Originally Posted by Kmanshouse

The bigger mystery is why you keep reading a forum about a state you used to live in, and feel compelled to post.

I lived in AZ and Iowa at various points. I have never posted on the Iowa forum and haven't even looked at the AZ forum in months/years.

But I will indulge you...if you are still here.

The Chicago area is HOME for millions and millions of people. HOME is a draw, always, even if it has problems. And there is something more intimate about Chicago than most big metro areas. There's a pride to it, an inclusivity. It's hard to explain. And for certain income levels, the stuff you mention isn't really a huge intrusion. Many of us live in very safe areas, and the tax bills are not preventing us from enjoying the amenities and being HOME.

Also, people who enjoy urban splendors can't do a lot better. If you want to live in a place where you can be left alone, they by all means, the Chicago area isn't for you. Neither would New York, Boston, LA, or many other places.

The Real People thing is so inaccurate, dude. For a big city, Chicago's people are extremely real, more friendly, more salt of the earth than what you'd find on either coast.

I guarantee they are still here.

[OyCrumbler]

Springfield seems nice as a pretty stable city with the public sector presence of the state capital and higher education, so I'd think that's a pretty good bet. It's also along a rail line that's getting pretty decent improvements and frequency which makes for fairly easy trips to Chicago and St. Louis whenever there's the hankering.

[ToriaT]

Maybe look at the chain of Lakes area. Its a far out suburban area, really like an exurb to Chicago, far enough away. There are lakes and natural areas. Its just south of Wisconsin. Fox Lake are, Pistakee lake, etc.

[Mathguy]

Originally Posted by Kmanshouse

The bigger mystery is why you keep reading a forum about a state you used to live in, and feel compelled to post.

State forums vary wildly here.

There are some where the slightest negative will get you deleted and infracted.

There are others where the moderator hates the state and not only encourages it but also piles on.

A broad range of opinions is useful imo, even if not always favorable.

[dcisive]

There is a forum I won't mention, where the moderator has a hammer hand for ANYTHING that isn't delightful. Talk about lack of freedom of speech. They remind me of our current government

[Hiruko]

Something changed very dramatically in 2021. At least, that's been my experience here.

As far as Galena, I know someone who moved to Galena but has rented a place in Glencoe.