Chicago 2021 and Beyond (El Paso: apartment, to rent, to buy)

[ToriaT]

Things will be different but Chicago and surrounding areas will come back. It will never be completely the same there will be many changes. It will take about five years for all the issues to be resolved and for things to be a new normal. Even though there are people moving, there are many people who like the Chicago area. Some of us don't mind the weather at all and hate hot weather and would never think of moving to the south or a red state. And Chicago has some of the most beautiful suburbs in all of the country.

[personone]

Originally Posted by ToriaT

Things will be different but Chicago and surrounding areas will come back. It will never be completely the same there will be many changes. It will take about five years for all the issues to be resolved and for things to be a new normal. Even though there are people moving, there are many people who like the Chicago area. Some of us don't mind the weather at all and hate hot weather and would never think of moving to the south or a red state. And Chicago has some of the most beautiful suburbs in all of the country.

Agree. The sheer number of interesting suburbs in Chicagoland us unmatched. Not only that, but the diversity of suburbs is amazing. From ultra wealthy and quaint North Shore suburbs, to modern suburbs with nice downtowns, to inner-ring urban suburbs, to more blue collar suburbs, and everything else in between.

I also agree with your 5 year timeline. I think there will be a more permanent "new normal" then. There will be some permanent changes, but whatever the "new normal" is should be stabilized by then.

[dtcbnd03]

The 5 year timeline will be too late. We need a 2021 marketing campaign on TV, social media, etc. about the pros of living in Chicago metro and we should be targeting those ads in other high COL areas. The people leaving NYC and San Fran and other high cost areas will have already moved and established roots by the time year 5 hits. Look at the high profile moves from San Fran...they've chosen Austin...not Chicago. As we can see from the pre-covid population shifts people were not choosing Chicago...so a fingers crossed mentality post-covid will not work. We need to be PROACTIVE.

[Bitey]

I think the "work from home" model won't remain nearly as prominent as some speculate. I can't speak for everyone's industry or workplace, but mine often requires impromptu collaboration, and the pace of such collaboration is much slower in a networked WFH environment than if we were all in the office together. And it's clearly affecting productivity; sometimes it takes half an hour to resolve an issue that could have been resolved in 3 to 5 minutes if were all there to just talk to each other without having to schedule a Zoom meeting to do it.

Some businesses may find the productivity losses if any are offset by reduced commercial leasing costs, but I bet others will find it's worth paying for it to have people working face to face again. I think this is particularly true for client-facing settings where it's much more genial and thus conducive to business to be face to face with the client instead of talking through a computer screen.

[ocoilslick]

Peeps leaving Chicago because of the terrible weather. Could it be that simple? Curious how Covid has effected the Chicago area murder rate?

[wase4711]

Originally Posted by ocoilslick

Peeps leaving Chicago because of the terrible weather. Could it be that simple? Curious how Covid has effected the Chicago area murder rate?

if you can believe it, its actually gone up since the covy hit..big increase over last year..

[NoHyping]

Originally Posted by wase4711

if you can believe it, its actually gone up since the covy hit..big increase over last year..

This is with many cities.... maybe not in the Southwest.... cause they ain't going to a warmer sunny region. I think you would say the same thing if Covid never happened.... how about it. It works for you.

Still welcome back sort of.... . Did not see you in the Chicago forum for a while. Must be out enjoying that Nevada/Arizona weather.

[Bitey]

Originally Posted by NoHyping

Two recent videos one at night on Mag Mile and one Day.

The Mag Mile is still decked out, clean and shoppers still come.... just in lower numbers sadly in this damnable year. Let us ALL home next Christmas will be much more back to normal and [so on and so forth...]

On a recent walk down the Mag Mile, we counted 34 of 108 storefronts closed, most permanently and many boarded up. People we spoke to said it’s “dangerous” to stay after dark, and almost all of the shops now close by 6 p.m.

- Chicago Tribune, "Make Michigan Avenue Magnificent Again"

It seems there are dueling perspectives on the Mag Mile. Having a third of the storefronts vacant or boarded up doesn't sound too uplifting to me.

[Curly Q. Bobalink]

Originally Posted by Bitey

- Chicago Tribune, "Make Michigan Avenue Magnificent Again"

It seems there are dueling perspectives on the Mag Mile. Having a third of the storefronts vacant or boarded up doesn't sound too uplifting to me.

Bingo. Until Chicago / Cook County loses its current leadership (and the mindset that got them elected to begin with), which puts looters ahead of businesses, shooters ahead of targets, muggers ahead of mugs, and taxes ahead of payers, Good Luck with those rosy expectations. Did anyone ever expect to be nostalgic for the "Good ol' Days" of Rahm Emanuel? Or Slick Richie Daley, for that matter? Downtown is the engine of Chicago. Neglect it at the city's peril. The really scary thing is, that contrary to all evidence that she needed to "go", Cook County voters re-elected Kim Foxx. Un-be-friggin'-lievable. And that fuels the majority of my current pessimism on the city's recovery; voters just chose 2020 over 2015 going forward.

Good Luck with That.

[lepoisson]

I'm hoping to move back to Texas in the next few months because the strict lockdowns and idiotic politics in Chicago have killed any joy I used to have living here.