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Thread summary:

Relocating to Chicago area, listings for apartments, independent townships safer than the city, employment in area, economic status, farmer’s markets, produce grown in the towns

 
Old 07-07-2007, 04:29 PM
 
37 posts, read 186,557 times
Reputation: 22

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Hey y'all.

Sorry, but that fabulous SNL skit still sticks in my mind. Having grown up in Hawaii speaking pidgin' english, I adore regional accents and speech patterns--heck, Hawaii is where is one pronounces the #3 as "tree," and where the word "stay" is the equivalent of the verb "to be."

I've been checking Craigslist again about listings for apartments in the Chicago area in hope of relocating there. From what I can tell, there seems to be a lot of places outside of the city itself, all on bus or trainlines. How far away are these various neighborhoods, or are they considered independent townships? Are there any preferences, safer areas to be aware of?

And what's the job situation like? The economy? Are there farmers' markets in the area that serve local farmers? And what kind of produce is grown in the area? We're blessed here in Washington state with the variety of fruits and veges available.

Muchos gracias again.

Jon.
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Old 07-07-2007, 11:08 PM
 
Location: Chicago
38,707 posts, read 102,951,116 times
Reputation: 29981
Without a familiarity of the Chicago area, it can be difficult to know if a given name is a neighborhood in the city, or a suburb. As for "how far away from the city are they," we've got commuter train lines that go as far as Kenosha Wisconsin, and as far as 2 miles shy of the Michigan border on its way all the way to South Bend, though I doubt very many people actually commute from South Bend every day -- probably used most to shuffle Chicago college kids and/or their friends/family back and forth to Notre Dame than anything else.

Here's a trick to find out if it's a suburb or a city neighborhood: go to Google and enter the place name in the search window, without quotes, such as:

Evanston IL

If it's a suburb (as Evanston is), the search page will turn up a map link first and foremost and you'll get an idea how far from downtown it is. If it is a neighborhood in Chicago, it will not return a map link --- HOWEVER, you can then go back, and enter it like so:

Avondale Chicago

The search results will often provide a Google Map link at the top of the page with a pinpoint of the approximate center of the neighborhood, so again you can get an idea where the neighborhood is in relation to downtown or the rest of the city.
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Old 07-08-2007, 03:12 PM
 
37 posts, read 186,557 times
Reputation: 22
Default Good tip!

Hey, that's a good tip.

Any more info regarding weather, jobs and such?

The city is definitely multicultural, as I've heard from other posters. Are there any better areas around the city? Are there farmers' markets? How's the job market?

Once again, thanks to y'all.
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Old 07-10-2007, 11:48 AM
 
148 posts, read 764,473 times
Reputation: 62
The Chicago economy is very diverse and as such very secure. Currently, Chicago’s job market is thriving.

Jobs in Chicago also pay very well. I wouldn’t be surprised if your compensation in Chicago was greater than in Seattle. In addition, a lot more opportunity exists in Chicago in regard to raises, advancements, and jobs as whole compared to Seattle.

The produce in Chicago will not be as good as compared to the west coast.

You will experience all four seasons in Chicago. Winter tends to be very cold, windy, and snowy; summer is comfortable but can sometimes get very hot and humid; fall will be cool and crisp; and spring can vary from being short and warm to long and cold.

Chicago offers much more and a better quality than Seattle in terms of things to do such as music, restaurants, nightlife, sporting events, museums, parks, beaches etc. In fact, for many of these things, Chicago is only second in the U.S. to NYC in quality and quantity.

Chicago is also seeded with one of the deepest, richest cultures in the U.S., much more so than Seattle.

A lot of the architecture in Chicago is usually regarded by experts as some of the best in the world.

Seattle wins hands down for natural setting. While Chicago’s Lake Michigan coastline is stunning, Seattle sits about 2.5 hours away form three national parks and is surrounded by national forests. On a clear day views of Mt. Rainier and the Olympic Mountains are stunning. Seattle also has the Sound and lakes in the immediate vicinity.

Simplifying things, in terms of natural setting Seattle as the edge, in terms of man-made environment, Chicago has the edge.

Hope that helps.

Last edited by gallo; 07-10-2007 at 12:01 PM..
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