Things that will need to be done when moving into Chicago (vehicle registration, living in)

[DoneWithDC]

My wife and I will be moving to the City of Chicago in a few weeks from the DC metro area. I grew up in Illinois, but never lived in the city. I am hoping someone (or a few of you) might be able to help me put together a list of things that we will need to take care of when we move.

For example, will we need to have special stickers for our car and will we be notified of that when we change our vehicle registration or is that just something we will need to seek out to do?

Also, I am dreading switching back to Comcast after having had Verizon FiOS for a few years now. Are there any fiber optic TV services in Illinois?

I will be signing us up for CLEAR internet, since my sister is an employee of Clearwire and I can get a huge discount; can anyone tell me how fast/reliable CLEAR is in the city? Is there any sort of interference with all the large buildings?

So, I guess I am wonder about any type of things that you Chicagoans/Illinoisans can tell me to help our transition to living in Chicago go smoothly.

Thanks!

DoneWithDC

[snoylekim]

You'll need a city sticker for your car... I don't think there will be a reminder, as Vehicle registration is with the State of Illinois, and the sticker is with the city ..You can get a city sticker at most currency exchanges ..not sure how it's pro-rated for partial year ..Yearly cost is 75.00, unless you have a larger SUV. Check the State of Illinois Secretary of State website for registration switch time limit, drivers license , etc ..

No Verizon FIOS ..AT&T has U-Verse, but not sure how present they are in the city yet . Yes, Comcast and RCN are the main coax cable companies in the city .. I personally have Comcast, and I have no issues with the picture quality ( which I do care about a lot ..) .. Some highrises still have satellite cable services, so check when you're searching . No idea re Clear

[DoneWithDC]

Thanks snoylekim!

[Attrill]

Originally Posted by snoylekim

You'll need a city sticker for your car... I don't think there will be a reminder, as Vehicle registration is with the State of Illinois, and the sticker is with the city ..You can get a city sticker at most currency exchanges ..not sure how it's pro-rated for partial year ..Yearly cost is 75.00, unless you have a larger SUV. Check the State of Illinois Secretary of State website for registration switch time limit, drivers license , etc ..

You may need to get a residential parking permit (http://www.chicityclerk.com/residential_parking/ - broken link) ($25) at the same time you get a city sticker, it varies from block to block.

[Avengerfire]

What part of the city are you moving to?

I am not aware that CLEAR internet has any service in the city.

[DoneWithDC]

Originally Posted by Avengerfire

What part of the city are you moving to?

I am not aware that CLEAR internet has any service in the city.

Most likely Logan Square. CLEAR (or Clearwire) covers the majority of the Chicago metropolitan area.

Link to their coverage map -> Clear.com High Speed Mobile / Wireless Internet Service Provider

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by DoneWithDC

...Link to their coverage map -> Clear.com High Speed Mobile / Wireless Internet Service Provider

I was not aware of this.

[DoneWithDC]

Originally Posted by Avengerfire

I was not aware of this.

Ha, I'll have to let my sister know that her company isn't advertising well enough, even though when I was back there over Christmas, it seemed like their advertisements were on every bus and billboard in the city.

[Thepreacherswife]

If you're bringing in a car, you may want to register for an I-Pass for the tollways. Not sure if you'll be using them much, but if so, the $10 deposit and $40 in prepaid tolls are worth it, especially because the I-Pass toll rates are half of what the cash rates are. Also, if you'll be relying on the CTA you may want to get a Chicago Card Plus. Though there's no real incentive for it anymore (the discount vs. cash is gone) it's handy to have for the trains, which don't take cash. It doesn't work on Metra (commuter rail) though.

And you actually have to take an Illinois driver's test. On paper. PITA, but you can generally do it at the same place you change your registration.

I'd seen the Clear internet adverts on the CTA (4G coverage or something like that) but have had no experience using it.