Pros and Cons about living in Chicago (Evanston, Atlanta: sales, apartments)

[jason099]

What are some pros and cons about living in Chicago? I'm curious because it's one of the places I'm considering relocating to once I finish college. I'm from Atlanta, so would it be a huge culture/geographical shock if I moved there?

[GreXican]

Pros:
-We are one of the best, if not the best, places for delicious and diverse food. Deep-dish pizza, italian beef, Indian food, Greek food, Chinese food, Afghanistani food, Ethiopian food, you name it we got it.
-Great nightlife. If you like to be around people aged 21-35 then Clark Street or Division Street are full of bars and clubs and are a great place to meet people.
-Cultural diversity. There are so many different nationalities in this city and the surrounding suburbs. It opens your eyes to new cultures and lets you meet new and interesting people.
-Amazing buildings and architecture make the skyline breathtaking. Adjacent to the lake is Lake Shore Drive and a bike trail where you can see the skyline by bike. Unlike some other cities, we did not cram everything all the way to the coast. There's a little breathing space, THEN the buildings take over.
-Navy Pier, Shedd Aquarium, Museum of Science + Industry, Art Museum, etc..
-Good public transportation system that takes you to virtually all outlets of Chicago. Good for saving gas.
-Wrigley Field.

Cons:
-In some areas Chicago can be dangerous - but what city of 3 million isn't?
-Weather is pretty awful. On the plus side you get 4 seasons, but winter tends to be 5-6 months, with fall and spring being one month. Summers are usually beautiful but some, like this one in particular, can be too rainy for my tastes.

[Avengerfire]

Start here:

//www.city-data.com/forum/chica...ds-moving.html

[AaronK]

Con-Very expensive, especially when comparing to much of the south. It can be hard to appreciate paying over 1500 for an apartment. I'm out in the suburbs where they are cheaper, but the cheapest apartments near me run around $850.

Weather is terrible.

Pro-Chicago is a fantastic city. If you are looking for a permanent relocation, I would not settle for Chicago. But it is nice to come and make good money for a few years, maybe experience other cultures. However, there aren't always pros with that.

Chicago is a nice city, nicer than other cities, very big, lots of opportunity. Politics, however, are corrupt. Too many liberals who believe in income redistribution and raising taxes for everything. The mayor of this city is a dick, and should have gotten his ass kicked a couple more times as a kid. The democrat machine is ridiculous, considering how fed up everyone is with them. You'd think people would have common sense and elect people with a little bit more fiscal responsibility.

Yeah, I'd come visit for a few years if you're looking for a big change. It isn't anywhere I'd want to retire, but it can be nice if you are living in the heart of Chicago. Suburbs aren't that spectacular, I should add.

[scarletneon]

Originally Posted by AaronK

Con-Very expensive, especially when comparing to much of the south. It can be hard to appreciate paying over 1500 for an apartment. I'm out in the suburbs where they are cheaper, but the cheapest apartments near me run around $850.

Yeah, I'd come visit for a few years if you're looking for a big change. It isn't anywhere I'd want to retire, but it can be nice if you are living in the heart of Chicago. Suburbs aren't that spectacular, I should add.

Comparing directly to Atlanta, the prices aren't really that different. I was considering moving there, but once I realized if I ditched my car, it would cost a little less to move here... well you can see my choice.

Suburbs in Atlanta aren't any more spectacular than the ones here. In fact, if you compare them to places like Evanston, they're completely uninteresting.

[Steve-o]

Coming from Atlanta, you should LOVE our spring, summer and fall, and despise our winters. Expect several snowfalls a year, some of them dumping 12" of snow overnight. It rains less here than in ATL, so you might like that, and is generally less hot and less humid, which makes summers incredible. There are several hot and humid spells throughout summer, punctuated by nice cool spells, where highs only reach the 70s with low humidities.

[aragx6]

There are many many apartments available under $1500 a month here. I will be paying $1195 for a nice 2 bedroom in a trendy neighborhood, and you can easily spend less.

[LIS123]

I agree with AaronK. Chicago is going to be more expensive than ATL, in terms of rent and other basic costs. Also, the politics are horrible. It's almost as if the city does everything it can to nickel and dime the hardworking, tax-paying residents to make up for its own corruption and wasteful spending. As mentioned in the post, these people keep being re-elected, so it's almost as if they have free will.

I believe the Chi sales tax is one of the highest (if not the highest) in the nation. Plus, there are all sorts of fees for bottled water, bottled soft drinks, etc.

The city is hurting pretty bad so, besides the taxes/fees, they have a reputation for being very strict with parking and other areas that help generate revenues. It feels as if there's always another charge on the horizon (increased taxes, surcharges, higher CTA fares, etc.)


Sales taxes in the United States - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[MannheimMadman]

One of the other things I used to hate about Chicago was digging your car out of the damn street in the winter.

Oh, and figuring out which piece of crappy furniture to use to save your spot.

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by ManheimMadman

One of the other things I used to hate about Chicago was digging your car out of the damn street in the winter.

Oh, and figuring out which piece of crappy furniture to use to save your spot.

That's why you should park in a garage. Since I started doing that a few years back, half of my Chicago headaches have disappeared.

I agree that it's time to revolt against these idiotic local politicians. But in a city filled with people looking for a handout, we could have it much worse than Daley. That's why he keeps getting re-elected. People are afraid that the William Beavers south side machine will get a hold on the mayor's office, and that would spell disaster. Daley placates the poverty mongers with breadcrumbs and is pro-business behind closed doors. It's a huge balancing act.