Second thoughts about whether Chicago is a good fit for me (building, drugs)

[sfcambridge]

Originally Posted by IAmEverywhere

It's easy enough to avoid these neighborhoods. What's not so easy is avoiding those people in these neighborhoods who I don't mix well with.

For one thing, my coworkers are likely to include many of these people. While working in Chicago in the past, I found that coworkers like to pry into your lifestyle and then talk down to you when they don't like what they hear.

Also, the people who attend activities I enjoy are going to include quite a few of these people. I've already found this to sometimes be an issue.

That said, I actually like the physical layout of the city. The architecture is top-notch. And I don't even mind the winters. Trust me, having lived through one, Montreal winters are even worse.

Economic opportunities are also indeed very important. It's too early to tell whether Chicago is a good option, or even a viable option, on that front for me.

We are surrounded by people who are different then us all the time. Even more so when you live in a large city. That is life.

I am not a North-sider, but your hostility and contempt for "these people".... is really quite annoying.

You are complaining about your coworkers, and you haven't even started working yet. You are predicting problems with your co-workers because of things you say to them, when you have never spoken to one yet.

So I think you should move to Philadelphia. Things will be better for you there. Stay around people you know, in a very small homogeneous environment.

[Vlajos]

Originally Posted by sfcambridge

We are surrounded by people who are different then us all the time. Even more so when you live in a large city. That is life.

I am not a North-sider, but your hostility and contempt for "these people".... is really quite annoying.

You are complaining about your coworkers, and you haven't even started working yet. You are predicting problems with your co-workers because of things you say to them, when you have never spoken to one yet.

So I think you should move to Philadelphia. Things will be better for you there. Stay around people you know, in a very small homogeneous environment.

Good points

[mjtinmemphis]

Originally Posted by IAmEverywhere

It's easy enough to avoid these neighborhoods. What's not so easy is avoiding those people in these neighborhoods who I don't mix well with.

For one thing, my coworkers are likely to include many of these people. While working in Chicago in the past, I found that coworkers like to pry into your lifestyle and then talk down to you when they don't like what they hear.

Also, the people who attend activities I enjoy are going to include quite a few of these people. I've already found this to sometimes be an issue.

That said, I actually like the physical layout of the city. The architecture is top-notch. And I don't even mind the winters. Trust me, having lived through one, Montreal winters are even worse.

Economic opportunities are also indeed very important. It's too early to tell whether Chicago is a good option, or even a viable option, on that front for me.

I've really enjoyed reading your post. I would recommend that you don't say what people are going to be like. As much as I complain about the same neighborhoods you do, that doesn't affect me now I don't live there.

If you do find yourself working with "them", you don't have to let them into your personal circle. Be nice and friendly and most importantly keep it professional. When you establish that relationship with them, they have to respect you.

[tompope]

Originally Posted by sfcambridge

...
I am not a North-sider, but your hostility and contempt for "these people".... is really quite annoying.
...

I agree that the OP's attitude about this stuff seems a little odd, but just out of curiosity, what about it annoys you? How does it affect you one way or another?

[sfcambridge]

Originally Posted by tompope

I agree that the OP's attitude about this stuff seems a little odd, but just out of curiosity, what about it annoys you? How does it affect you one way or another?

Do you really have to ask Tom? I suspect not...

[jwaiter]

Originally Posted by IAmEverywhere

The rest of the metro area is at best unappealing to me, and at worst downright uncomfortable. I'm especially uncomfortable in most of the popular neighborhoods, such as Lincoln Park, Lakeview, Wicker Park and Bucktown.

Many people here attended state schools, especially Big Ten schools. I cannot relate to this mentality at all. In fact, I attended a Big Ten school and was very uncomfortable there socially. A few other random, but possibly relevant, facts about me:

I'm individualistic and non-conformist. (But I also don't mesh with hipster culture, which isn't actually individualistic or non-conformist in my opinion.)

Opinions?

How are you "individualistic and non-conformist?"

[tompope]

Originally Posted by sfcambridge

Do you really have to ask Tom? I suspect not...

No, I wasn't meaning to be difficult, I genuinely didn't understand why you were annoyed by the OP's attitude, and I was genuinely (a little bit) curious about it. I can certainly understand disagreeing with what IAmEverywhere wrote, and I can understand being a bit puzzled by it, but I can't understand getting annoyed at all by something that some stranger wrote on some website that doesn't really have anything to do with you. So I was just wondering, but not meaning to be an ass.

[Vlajos]

Originally Posted by jwaiter

How are you "individualistic and non-conformist?"

Seems like an appropriate question.

[IAmEverywhere]

Originally Posted by sfcambridge

So I think you should move to Philadelphia. Things will be better for you there. Stay around people you know, in a very small homogeneous environment.

Philadelphia is actually the 5th largest city in the country. Center City and most of the neighborhoods surrounding it are anything but homogeneous.

Somebody posted a map of which Chicago neighborhoods are the most diverse. The neighborhoods I'm considering here mostly overlap with the most diverse ones.

Originally Posted by mjtinmemphis

I've really enjoyed reading your post. I would recommend that you don't say what people are going to be like. As much as I complain about the same neighborhoods you do, that doesn't affect me now I don't live there.

If you do find yourself working with "them", you don't have to let them into your personal circle. Be nice and friendly and most importantly keep it professional. When you establish that relationship with them, they have to respect you.

Thanks. I've had to work with people who were very different from me many times. This is in fact how I try to deal with them. With most people, it works. But some people want to pry into their coworkers' personal business. This has actually been a problem, specifically when working in Chicago in the past.

Originally Posted by jwaiter

How are you "individualistic and non-conformist?"

It's hard to explain. Overall, I'm more focused on building relationships with individuals than fitting into large groups. I think for myself rather than just parroting whatever opinion seems to be shared by the group.

That said, I'm really not that far out of the norm at the end of the day. I have a relatively normal career. I don't do drugs. Oddly, it would probably be easier here if I were a complete misfit. In my experience, such people often find acceptance here. But for me, the more mainstream people often write me off for not being mainstream enough, while the people who live very unconventional lives write me off as being one of the mainstream people.

[Tex?Il?]

Originally Posted by sfcambridge

We are surrounded by people who are different then us all the time. Even more so when you live in a large city. That is life.

I am not a North-sider, but your hostility and contempt for "these people".... is really quite annoying.

You are complaining about your coworkers, and you haven't even started working yet. You are predicting problems with your co-workers because of things you say to them, when you have never spoken to one yet.

So I think you should move to Philadelphia. Things will be better for you there. Stay around people you know, in a very small homogeneous environment.

Is the OP from Philadelphia with friends and family there? If so, I guess that makes sense. I don't remember much mention of Philly.

I would think anyone who likes Chicago would like Philly and vice versa.