Working from home in Chicago - mid 30s single young professional (metro area, cities)

[thirtysomethingtransplant]

Originally Posted by Lorielicious

Yo! I'm from LA, been here in Chicago for a year and some change now.

Shout out to you, Lorielicious. I've told a handful of my friends about the move. I know that whenever I tell my Facebook peeps about the move, some people are gonna be all WHA??? But I love Chi-town, and I miss midWestern values. Although in about 3 months, I'll be missing 70-degree weather in December, admittedly. Then again, there's something just WRONG about wearing shorts and flip-flops on Christmas Day. As Irving Berlin wrote:

The sun is shining, the grass is green.
The orange and palm trees sway.
There's never been such a day
in Beverly Hills, L.A..

But it's December the twenty-fourth
And I am longing to go up North...

I'm ... dreaming of a white .... CHRIST-MAS... la la la (Good thing you can't hear me sing.)

[deliz]

Well southport corridor is lovely it's very "family" so perhaps not if your husband hunting. Unless your hunting someone elses. Lincoln park Would be perfect for you. Check out River North too.

[thirtysomethingtransplant]

Originally Posted by deliz

Well southport corridor is lovely it's very "family" so perhaps not if your husband hunting. Unless your hunting someone elses.

Definitely not into breaking others' committed relationships before God. So would be looking for my own

[ChiNaan]

Originally Posted by IAmEverywhere

I'm not familiar with Silver Lake. However, some people compare it to Williamsburg, a neighborhood in Brooklyn which is dominated by hipsters. I just moved back to Chicagoland after having lived in Williamsburg. And there really is nothing in Chicago comparable to the Williamsburg hipster. Unlike the Williamsburg hipster, the Chicago variety is not so obnoxious that you need to completely avoid their neighborhoods and venues.

Yes, Silverlake is similiar to Williamsburg in terms of hipster culture, though obviously it's much more of a West Coast version of that. In other words, struggling actors instead of struggling writers.

I agree that there's no Chicago neighborhood that compares to those. Perhaps Wicker Park did in its prime.

[Lorielicious]

My friends and family all think I'm insane too for living here. I'm starting to think I'm insane.

But hey, if you're looking forward to Midwestern values, Chicago has 'em. Also, I'll point out that IAmEverywhere is very correct when he says this is a town that tends to get married and start the baby making a lot earlier than large coastal cities like, say, Los Angeles or New York. Midwest and all of that, remember? There are single people in their 30s here, of course, but if you're hoping to find some who are sane easily and in abundance, good luck, and if you manage, be sure to tell me the secret.

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by thirtysomethingtransplant

Uh-oh. Still, better chance of that in Chicago than L.A.. I haven't given up. I refuse to settle, and I'm lucky in that I've had a pretty great life, so, in general, I'm not all Bridget-Jones'-diary-wallowing-and-in-the-doldrums. I actually consider it to be a compliment when people meet me and say, "Now how is it that no one has snatched you up yet?" One day someone will. The right person hopefully. (Although your comment scares me a great deal!)

It's funny hearing this from people about Chicago "Oh, mid 30s? Good Luck!" because I know and work with a number of people in their 30s and early 40s (even mid 40s) who live in many of the areas mentioned and aren't settled down. They go out every weekend, and they date people their age quite a bit. Just weird to me to hear even though I know the opposite is true.

[ToriaT]

I really like the southport corridor neighborhood and think you could be happy there. Do not let others persuade you away from it if you really like it. One downside is the parking is bad in most parts so you have to make sure you have someplace for your car. If you are renting for a year you can try it out and you can always move to another area.

[prelude91]

Originally Posted by ToriaT

I One downside is the parking is bad in most parts so you have to make sure you have someplace for your car. If you are renting for a year you can try it out and you can always move to another area.

While I agree Southport is a great area, I would actually say a positive about the area is street parking is fairly easy in the area. I guess everyone has their own perspective.

[ChiNaan]

Originally Posted by marothisu

It's funny hearing this from people about Chicago "Oh, mid 30s? Good Luck!" because I know and work with a number of people in their 30s and early 40s (even mid 40s) who live in many of the areas mentioned and aren't settled down. They go out every weekend, and they date people their age quite a bit. Just weird to me to hear even though I know the opposite is true.

Agreed. I find Chicago to be full of single 30-something professionals who like to go out and have fun. The dating scene is one of the reasons I moved here. It does kinda seem to top out in the early 40's, though, unless you want to be a creepy Viagra Triangle guy (and can afford to be). Perhaps I'll move to one of the coasts when I reach that age.

[Lorielicious]

Now y'all are just talking crazy. Maybe the Chicago 30s dating scene is a breath of fresh air from people from Dubuque, Iowa, but it's complete insanity for an Angeleno. Nobody in LA is married at 25; people here seem to think that's standard marrying age. When I go on a date, which is always with a man in his 30s, I can see the Giant Marriage Clock on his face. This is, compared to the coasts, the picket fence, 3.5 kids crowd.