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The thread is nearly a year old, but since it's been revived, and on the off chance the OP hasn't made a decision yet, I'll answer anyway.
From everything that you've stated it seems that Chicago is the way to go. It's not as big or as diverse as NYC, but it will succeed in the areas that are important to you.
Chicago is the third largest city in America, but it is also one of the cheapest major cities in the country at the same time. Your money would go a lot further here, and you'll still have plenty to do. Chicago is going to look like another world compared to Florida due to its size, but, at the same time, it's only about a 1/3 of the size as NYC, which means it should hopefully be more manageable for you. Also, it should be noted that Chicago is the second most important financial center in the country after New York, and, since you said your job is related to finance, that can only stand to benefit you if you're looking to save money.
As for the friendliness of Chicagoans, I've always found this to be relative. Many Midwesterners think Chicago is full of nothing but rude people, but people from other parts of the country don't usually agree. For example, my brother and his wife, who both live in LA and have only ever visited Chicago, always comment on how friendly Chicagoans are by comparison to people from LA. It's all going to depend on who you ask. I will say though that Chicago is friendly to transplants, and that you shouldn't have a problem meeting new people. I certainly didn't when I moved here from the St. Louis area, and I came from a part of the country that thinks Chicagoans are rude.
People in St. Louis think Chicagoans are rude? Hmmm...I completely disagree. I would venture to say that I think Chicagoans tend to be friendlier than St. Louisans in many ways, on average. I like both Chicago and New York, and they both offer a completely different experience. New York is much bigger, more intense, more extreme and more diverse. Chicago is a great town, but pound for pound the daily experience is not that much different from many other major cities after a while. New York is in a league of its own, at least in the USA.
People in St. Louis think Chicagoans are rude? Hmmm...I completely disagree. I would venture to say that I think Chicagoans tend to be friendlier than St. Louisans in many ways, on average. I like both Chicago and New York, and they both offer a completely different experience. New York is much bigger, more intense, more extreme and more diverse. Chicago is a great town, but pound for pound the daily experience is not that much different from many other major cities after a while. New York is in a league of its own, at least in the USA.
My hometown is an STL suburb in Illinois, so that may be influencing the way people around me thought. It wasn't that people disliked Chicago, but many people who I knew thought St. Louisans were friendlier and that Chicagoans were more rude.
People always say this, but it actually isn't true. Because pay is lower in Chicago, the relative housing burden in the two cities is basically the same.
In short, rent is higher in NYC, but salaries are higher, and the overall housing burden (% of income paid to rent) is almost the same.
I see what you're saying, but the OP is going to be making $55k in either city. $55k would go a lot farther in Chicago than it would in NYC, so that's why I brought it up.
You mistook politeness for friendliness. Chicagoans are polite but reserved, New Yorkers pay less attention to customary pleasantries but are friendlier and warmer. Friendliness is not a the opposite of rudeness. Politeness is. Friendliness is something totally different and from my experience New Yorkers with category with every big city in the US.
I personally don't find Chicagoans to be terribly reserved. Sure, if you try to strike up a conversation with a random person on the street they may not want to engage you, but in social settings Chicagoans are hardly reserved. I've met quite a few of my good friends while being out and about.
I personally don't find Chicagoans to be terribly reserved. Sure, if you try to strike up a conversation with a random person on the street they may not want to engage you, but in social settings Chicagoans are hardly reserved. I've met quite a few of my good friends while being out and about.
I guess we'll have to agree to disagree.
Again. I think you are confusing things here. Yes, Chicagoans are generally polite, "generally" as Chicagoans can also be very crass, its dependendent on education, status etc etc and let's not forget that Chicago is much more blue collar city than New York which is reflected in social norms and traditions.
But, Like I said Chicagoans are generally polite and would engage in a polite conversation but that's all. New Yorkers on the other hand are very wam and friendly but not as polite. If there is no interest people will not engage in a conversation about baseball just because it is a polite thing to do but if you have something interesting to say you can make new friends within minutes in a place you have never been before.
I think these nuances would be hard to catch for someone who hasn't experienced both cities or just spend lifetime on one of them. I grew up in New York and then spent few years in Chicago and can only tell you that it is a big adjustment. New York is older, bigger and more cosmopolitan and as it attracts more people from around the world, the social norms and convenances here are less all-American and more wordly than in Chicago which pretty much has the typical American small town attitude to this day. New York in my opinion is much friendlier than Chicago, more open minded, less racially segregated and more wordly. Those things always come together.
I see what you're saying, but the OP is going to be making $55k in either city. $55k would go a lot farther in Chicago than it would in NYC, so that's why I brought it up.
If you are on fixed income pegged at 55k then go to Chicago, i55k in Chicago will get you much further there. If you are however looking to advance your career or find new opportunities then come to New York. What are you looking for? What's your game plan?
I think these nuances would be hard to catch for someone who hasn't experienced both cities or just spend lifetime on one of them. I grew up in New York and then spent few years in Chicago and can only tell you that it is a big adjustment. New York is older, bigger and more cosmopolitan and as it attracts more people from around the world, the social norms and convenances here are less all-American and more wordly than in Chicago which pretty much has the typical American small town attitude to this day. New York in my opinion is much friendlier than Chicago, more open minded, less racially segregated and more wordly. Those things always come together.
I call b/s on this, I've lived abroad for nearly 20 years in 6 countries. I have encountered more Chicagoans than New Yorkers everywhere from coffeeshops in Amsterdam, beaches in Thailand, karaoke bars in Tokyo etc. For such worldly types, it's astounding how few New Yorkers one encounters outside the States. But with your attitude that you are so damn cosmo and sit in the center of everything, why bother?
My guess is your attitude while in Chicago successfully repulsed the locals. And your social failure there left a permanent bitter scar on your NYC ego.
I call b/s on this, I've lived abroad for nearly 20 years in 6 countries. I have encountered more Chicagoans than New Yorkers everywhere from coffeeshops in Amsterdam, beaches in Thailand, karaoke bars in Tokyo etc. For such worldly types, it's astounding how few New Yorkers one encounters outside the States. But with your attitude that you are so damn cosmo and sit in the center of everything, why bother?
My guess is your attitude while in Chicago successfully repulsed the locals. And your social failure there left a permanent bitter scar on your NYC ego.
Consedering it's you I call this just made up crap. You always make statements like this. "I see more people say Chicago is most beautiful city in the world, I see more people say Chicago is the best city in the world" etc. Not to even mention all the other hilarious stuff you have claimed over the months.
Then again knowing you I won't be surprised if you went around asking random strangers if Chicago is the best place in the world or not and makes notes of every yes. You are just the perfect definition of a fanboy.
Again. I think you are confusing things here. Yes, Chicagoans are generally polite, "generally" as Chicagoans can also be very crass, its dependendent on education, status etc etc and let's not forget that Chicago is much more blue collar city than New York which is reflected in social norms and traditions.
But, Like I said Chicagoans are generally polite and would engage in a polite conversation but that's all. New Yorkers on the other hand are very wam and friendly but not as polite. If there is no interest people will not engage in a conversation about baseball just because it is a polite thing to do but if you have something interesting to say you can make new friends within minutes in a place you have never been before.
I think these nuances would be hard to catch for someone who hasn't experienced both cities or just spend lifetime on one of them. I grew up in New York and then spent few years in Chicago and can only tell you that it is a big adjustment. New York is older, bigger and more cosmopolitan and as it attracts more people from around the world, the social norms and convenances here are less all-American and more wordly than in Chicago which pretty much has the typical American small town attitude to this day. New York in my opinion is much friendlier than Chicago, more open minded, less racially segregated and more wordly. Those things always come together.
I'm not going argue about what New Yorkers are and are not, as I have not lived there, but, again, I will disagree with you about Chicagoans, as I do live here.
I personally find Chicagoans to be polite and out going. I understand the difference between the two, and, as I said before, I never would have made friends here if I didn't find Chicagoans to be outgoing in social situations.
You honestly make Chicago sound far more like some of the other smaller cities in the Midwest than it actually is, because you're honestly describing a city like St. Louis to the letter, but not Chicago, in my experience.
If you are on fixed income pegged at 55k then go to Chicago, i55k in Chicago will get you much further there. If you are however looking to advance your career or find new opportunities then come to New York. What are you looking for? What's your game plan?
The OP mentioned a job in the financial sector. New York clearly has the larger and more important financial sector, but Chicago is America's number 2 in that regard. The OP's income was going to be the same in either city, and he stated that he simply needed to live in a major financial hub for his job and career advancement. Those reasons, in conjunction with him being interested in a cheaper and (arguably) more friendly city is why I suggested Chicago. He was/is also from a suburb in Florida, so I thought Chicago would leave him less shellshocked than New york, which is 3x Chicago's size.
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