Greencard winner thinks about moving to Chicago (Naperville, Evanston: leases, crime)

[PLD102]

Hi there,

i currently living in Germany and I have won a Greencard. Now i think where to go to live in the U.S.
I have been living in the U.S. from 2004 till 2008, back than i was in the German army and was a liaison NCO in the staates.

After my military service i went to University in Germany and obtained my Bachelor of Arts in business administration (and some other qualifications/degrees).

I have not that much work experience in my field. So i would aim for entry level positions in Business.

What do you think... is Chicago the right choice for somebody like me? Can i get a job in Chicago and build up a new life?

I read all the time about the crime issues and i have no clue what to expect from the job market.

Any hints and opinions would be highly appreciated, thanks in advance!

[chicagobear]

It would be a good choice. Chicago has a dense urban core and is less car centric and more walkable than most other American cities. It is one of the largest business centers with many high paying professional jobs. The crime is not really an issue as it is restricted to poor neighborhoods that you would have no reason to go to.

[flamadiddle]

Guten Tag! Congrats on the Green Card!

Chicago would be a good choice. It's a great business city that has a modest cost of living. Germans are well represented in Chicago and you'll even find many Octoberfest celebrations here.

Take a look at www.indeed.com for some job listings and salary info.

As noted by chicagobear, don't worry about crime unless you plan to join a gang and hang out on the South Side.

[damba]

Originally Posted by PLD102

Hi there,

i currently living in Germany and I have won a Greencard. Now i think where to go to live in the U.S.
I have been living in the U.S. from 2004 till 2008, back than i was in the German army and was a liaison NCO in the staates.

After my military service i went to University in Germany and obtained my Bachelor of Arts in business administration (and some other qualifications/degrees).

I have not that much work experience in my field. So i would aim for entry level positions in Business.

What do you think... is Chicago the right choice for somebody like me? Can i get a job in Chicago and build up a new life?

I read all the time about the crime issues and i have no clue what to expect from the job market.

Any hints and opinions would be highly appreciated, thanks in advance!

I actually would disagree with some of the other posters. Someone without special skills or technical experience will have a rough time finding a good job and will be competing against recent college grads.
The quality of life in Germany is quite good, with less of some of the hassles faced by people on the lower income scale here. A smaller city with a slightly lower cost of living might be easier to start with.

What is making you want to leave Deutschland?

[glass_of_merlot]

Originally Posted by PLD102

Hi there,

i currently living in Germany and I have won a Greencard. Now i think where to go to live in the U.S.
I have been living in the U.S. from 2004 till 2008, back than i was in the German army and was a liaison NCO in the staates.

After my military service i went to University in Germany and obtained my Bachelor of Arts in business administration (and some other qualifications/degrees).

I have not that much work experience in my field. So i would aim for entry level positions in Business.

What do you think... is Chicago the right choice for somebody like me? Can i get a job in Chicago and build up a new life?

I read all the time about the crime issues and i have no clue what to expect from the job market.

Any hints and opinions would be highly appreciated, thanks in advance!

Congratulations. I'm From Sweden. I'm in the US because of my husband who served the US Army. I love love love Chicago. amazing city!

[Vinny Lugo]

Originally Posted by PLD102

Hi there,

i currently living in Germany and I have won a Greencard. Now i think where to go to live in the U.S.
I have been living in the U.S. from 2004 till 2008, back than i was in the German army and was a liaison NCO in the staates.

After my military service i went to University in Germany and obtained my Bachelor of Arts in business administration (and some other qualifications/degrees).

I have not that much work experience in my field. So i would aim for entry level positions in Business.

What do you think... is Chicago the right choice for somebody like me? Can i get a job in Chicago and build up a new life?

I read all the time about the crime issues and i have no clue what to expect from the job market.

Any hints and opinions would be highly appreciated, thanks in advance!

I would recommend another city. Chicago is a better city for well established people. The city is ungodly expensive and you get taxed left and right on just about everything. It really takes about 60k to really truly enjoy this city. I would choose another entry level city without crazy taxes like Orlando, Florida.


However, I don't care what people tell you, YOU NEED a car here in Chicago. Many people say, "Oh well you can just ride the subway train everywhere, so don't invest in a car." Don't not listen to these people! I sold my car before I came here and I regret getting rid of the car so very much. The majority of the good jobs I have come across have been located in the suburbs of Chicago. EVERYONE wants to get a job in the loop (downtown). However, jobs in the loop are very competitive and are almost impossible to get. So most of the jobs you will get will be in the suburbs and in places like Naperville, Schaumberg, Evanston, Skokie, etc. I have been robbed out of so many good jobs because I don't have a car here. GET A CAR!

[flamadiddle]

Vinny, Orlando? really? I guess if you like living in a Jungle, Orlando is okay, but I would never consider living in Orlando. To each their own though.

If you need a car just for basic transportation to/from work, I've seen leases as low as $100 per month with around $2K down.

I would agree on your ~$60K number and that OP will need to evaluate job prospects before making the jump. Chicago certainly has its share of tax issues, but it's still more affordable than many other areas of the country.

[goofy328]

Plenty of places for German heritage in America. You could just as easily try a city like Cleveland or Pittsburgh, for what it's worth.

[ToriaT]

I think Chicago would be a good place for you to come to. I think you will find some German - American connections that smaller cities don't have. The other cities with some German influences are Cincinnatti, Ohio, or Milwaukee, Wisconsin which are smaller cities.

In Chicago, you can live in the Lincoln Square area which has a few German influences left.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3zqJITKh8A It has good transportation but I agree with the previous posters you will eventually want to have a car. You should look into Dank Haus, which is a German American cultural institution located in Chicago, maybe it could provide some job connections for you. https://www.dankhaus.com/

There are a number of German Restaurants and Bars in Chicago, such as Resi's, Huettenbar, the Berghoff, Mirabelle, Lachet's Inn, etc.

After all if you try living in the USA and you don't like it, you can always go back to Germany.

[prhill]

Really depends on how wealthy you are. Chicago is getting harder too live in all the time. Taxes keep going up so now not only do we have even less take home pay than before but cost f living keeps going up and rents will go up now that property taxes were raised once again.

I have a friend in Florida who has been beyond excited about moving here since he and his family came here for a visit and his sister too wanted to move here as well. But after hearing from me not only about the increase in violence but most of all what has been going on with our corrupt politics and taxes raised again and cost of living going up the sister changed her mind and I think my friend is getting very depressed now wondering if he can live here now. It is very sad. People want too live here but they keep leaving because of what the politicians keep doing to us.