SA vs Chicago? Entertainment, etc. (San Antonio, Austin: fit in, lease, lofts)

[rd2007]

ahh, so much fresher in here

now if this was me, I would definitely stay in Chicago, but I also LOVE cold weather and pizza. If I had a good job and a nice place to live there, there's absolutely no way I would move here.

[guerosincero]

Man,

I'm one of the biggest homers there is for San Antonio, but your list makes me feel like a cynic. All of the stuff you list is great, though I wonder to what extent you can take advantage of anything that is more than three or so hours away with any regularity that would justify moving to a particular place, especially with gas being as expensive as it is. At that level of time commitment to go enjoy an event (e.g., Jazz Fest in New Orleans), you might as well be living anywhere in the US.

My wife and I were recently in Chicago, and the city is simply amazing, especially now that it seems so many people are moving into the City. It creates such vibrancy and there is so much to do. I don't really think there is any comparison between Chicago and San Antonio in terms of things to do. The question is do you love variety of things to do more than you hate the cold and the cost of living? For us, neither of us could consider living in the kind of cold conditions that Chicago and other midwest cities are famous for, so that pretty much ends the discussion. And if we have to stay in warmer climes, it is hard to beat San Antonio for cost of living.

Best of luck in your decision making.

[hello13685]

I totally agree, guerosincero. If Chicago had a warm climate, I would move there in a heartbeat. But I physically CANNOT live in that climate. Oregon was even way too cold.

[gy2020]

I think that anyone who loves Chicago as much as you should stay in Chicago. San Antonio is only for people who are attracted to San Antonio. Stay put. If you move here, 6 months later your going to want 50-100 story buildings, a metro system, 50 major corporations in the top 500, Major League Baseball, Major League Football, Major League Hockey, Oprah Winfrey, Hugh Hefner, a major airport with a hub tenant, snow, winter sports, Great Lakes, the mob, fantastic ghost stories, the Sears Bldg, and the Field Museum to name a few.

[benandgrace]

Originally Posted by guerosincero

Man,

I'm one of the biggest homers there is for San Antonio, but your list makes me feel like a cynic. All of the stuff you list is great, though I wonder to what extent you can take advantage of anything that is more than three or so hours away with any regularity that would justify moving to a particular place, especially with gas being as expensive as it is. At that level of time commitment to go enjoy an event (e.g., Jazz Fest in New Orleans), you might as well be living anywhere in the US.

My wife and I were recently in Chicago, and the city is simply amazing, especially now that it seems so many people are moving into the City. It creates such vibrancy and there is so much to do. I don't really think there is any comparison between Chicago and San Antonio in terms of things to do. The question is do you love variety of things to do more than you hate the cold and the cost of living? For us, neither of us could consider living in the kind of cold conditions that Chicago and other midwest cities are famous for, so that pretty much ends the discussion. And if we have to stay in warmer climes, it is hard to beat San Antonio for cost of living.

Best of luck in your decision making.

Thanks. Your post is the obvious that I sometimes deny, since I know my wife and I really hate the cold weather here in central IL, not to mention the worse winter conditions around Chicago. I have a sister and a baby niece near Chicago. My wife has family in Houston and family in a couple of locations around Chicagoland 3-3 1/2 hours from where we live in central IL. I'm torn between leaving my family and friends in IL (and baby daughter leaving her grandma/my mom) and staying, so I probably added a few once a year destinations to broaden the list of incentives a bit for myself. My choices are staying in central IL where it's cheap and non-eventful (except for when we take mini vacations to St. Louis or chicagoland), moving to Chicago where winters are brutal, and moving to SA (Houston doesn't seem like a place I would like, due to the humidity, rain, and SA having more entertainment attractions that I'm interested in).


I went to Chicago for the 4th with my wife and a bunch of our friends (some live in the area and some were just visiting from other parts of the midwest). We checked out the fireworks at Navy Pier and had some samples at the Taste of Chicago Festival, went to millenium park, had lunch at China town, and took a trolly and boat tour of Chicago's fantastic skyline. Chicago can be a lot of fun. I usually try to hit the beach (Indiana Dunes State Park or downtown Chicago beaches) for sports and swimming since we have no good beaches or lakes around central IL.

Chicago 'might' have a few more attractions that I like but in San Antonio the attractions I like (except for the beach) are within about a 30 mile radius in and around SA. The southern burbs of Chicago (I could never afford the northern burbs) require significant driving to get to a good water park (Merryville IN, probably an hour to 1 1/2 away), six flags (at least an hour away), downtown Chicago (45 min to an hour away and 25 dollar parking each visit). SA also has Sea World and a better water park both close, which is worth a lot, IMO. On the other hand, Chicago also has great festivals and concerts. I haven't been to SA yet but from net research at least, I still think the two cities have comparable entertainment attractions that would interest me.

[BenjaminNicholas]

Okay, this is a reply from someone who was born, raised and lived most of his life in Chicago before coming to San Antonio (for University).

There are almost NO similarities between both cities that I've found, but that doesn't make either a bad place to live. They're both friendly, can be inexpensive, offer a diverse number of things to do & see, all while feeling less like an anonymous city and more like a real community.

Chicago's 'bad' areas aren't so bad anymore, thanks to gentrification. Cabrini Green is gone, replaced with $500,000 condos. It's happening all across the city. Every city has a bad area. It's nice to see Chicago actually doing something about it.

What SA has to offer is a more laid-back approach with a lifestyle that can go much higher on a lot less. I like this city... A lot. As someone in my mid-20's, I can live very well here on roughly $100k/yr. In some Chicago hoods, that income may qualify you for food stamps.

This is such an apples-and-oranges discussion: I'd simply say to visit SA, scope it out fully and then make a decision. Talking about it here is a mainly one-sided arguement. Of course we're going to love San Antonio... WE LIVE HERE




BN

[FreetailBrewing]

Chicago is a world-class city, up there with New York, LA, London, Tokyo, Berlin, Rome, etc.

San Antonio, obviously, is not like those cities.

So, if you want to live in that type of city, San Antonio is not the place for you.

However, sometimes "less is more". As a former resident of New York City and places like Dallas, there is no where I'd rather live than San Antonio. Sure, I can't hop on the train and be in a different hip neighborhood in a matter of minutes - but that isn't the end of the world.

San Antonio has plenty of ways to be entertained, they are just different. If you like being out in nature, San Antonio has a lot of great, diverse options just a few hours away. Canyons, lakes, hill country, beach - all within driving distance.

You'll likely never be able to catch an NFL game here, and a lot of big music acts skip San Antonio - but again, that isn't the end of the world.

In the end, you just have to remove your Chicago lenses when viewing San Antonio. If you have an open mind and go out and discover what San Antonio is all about with no expectations, you'll be pleasantly surprised. What I love most about the city and the surrounding area is the friendliness of its citizens, the richness of its diverse culture, and the excitement of seeing it "grow up".

PS: We do have non-stop flights to Chicago to make it back in January to catch a month long of Buddy Guy at Legend's though

[LittleTPot]

We are relocating from Chicago for my husband's job and just arrived in San Antonio last night. I have family here, which made the decision to move pretty easy. Beyond that the cost of living in San Antonio will dramatically change the quality of life we can afford. I loved our life in Chicago, but it got pretty grueling after we had a child. The commute alone was enough to drive me out of my mind (even on the "L" with it's non-existent schedule), but I had to work like a dog to afford our mortgage. While we'll miss some of the great ammenities in Chicago, San Antonio is going to be a better place for us to raise our child. Having lived in Washington, DC and Chicago for most of my adult life, I'm excited for the change of pace and new opportunities that San Antonio will afford us.

Best of luck!

[rgb123]

Originally Posted by Chaka

SA and Chicago are two totally different places. I like both.

Is one better than the other? Depends on what you want. There's no reason to try to convince anyone that one is preferable. It all comes down to personal preference and why you'd move to either in the first place. Jobs? Family?

i just moved to San Antonio from Chicago. I am still learning San Antonio. Totally different places!!! I really like San Antonio. But what bothers me the most about it so far is that the people here consider downtown a place to work, or a place for tourists. You can't compare the Riverwalk to downtown Chicago because Chicagoans live, work and love downtown -- they take pride in it.

What has bothered me and suprised me the most if the disdain so many people here have for downtown San Antonio and the Riverwalk. They want nothing to do with it and many prefer to spend time in their little suburban looking nook of town. I have been really suprised by this and ended up moving to New Bruanfels, which is close to my job on the NE side of SA while I figure this place out more...and NB at least has a "town" feel and not such a suburban feel as San Antonio.

The food is good, the grocery stores WEIRD. I miss the variety of stores we have in Chicagoland. I spotted a Whole Foods near Alamo Heights I think...but really its all HEB. I kinda hate that part.

I'm still learning but finding it hard to get anyone here to take me to do the touristy stuff locals seem to want nothing to do with!!! Notice, most of downtown SA is hotels.

I needed to get away from Chicago but I figured I was trading a city for a city, I feel more like I traded my Chicago suburb for another one, only here no one likes to go downtown at all!

Oh...and there is no public transportation.

San Antonioans...don't get mad at me... I like it here and see a lot of potential...in fact I just wish you all liked it as much as I do!! If I could get some locals to hang out with me at Riverwalk I'd consider it a success!

[rgb123]

ps. I actually pay more for rent in Texas than I did in Chicagoland....I did upgrade but I was suprised rents are here are nearly the same.