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We are both 40 with four kids ages 6 and under and have lived in Manhattan for 14 years. We're both from the Midwest and have deep family ties there. I have interviewed in the Midwest and Bay Area a few times over the years, receiving offers but declining them. But now it's time to move.
I am about to get a job offer in San Francisco (Redwood Shores commute), and likely another in Chicago (in the city). Both have always been on our list of possible places to move. Neither of us has ever lived in either place. I am inclined to live in SF proper if we move there, but Chicago could be either the city or a northern suburb.
We love city living here, but eventually want a house with a yard and good public schools (or a good Catholic school as a second option). Three boys and their sister need room to play outside.
I love Lake Michigan and the change of seasons--I grew up in South Haven, MI right on the Lake and its beach.
I love Northern California and the variety/diversity--both geographically and culturally--that our family could experience. We thrive on that here. How do SF/Chicago compare culturally?
I only want to buy one car.
I'm afraid that my parents (aged 72) would rarely be able to visit us on the west coast, and that we would only get home once/twice per year. Right now we are spending much of our vacation time and budget going back to the Midwest once/twice to see family. It would be nice to see them more often without making a heroic effort.
I'm concerned about all the gun violence in Chicago. I know it's everywhere, but every time I go to the Tribune webpage, a kid has been shot.
Taxes?
I know both cities have good restaurants. Right?
I know the cost of living is lower in Chicago, but SF would imbue us with a sense of adventure, I suppose, and I feel that the kids are still young enough for us to do this and perhaps move to the Midwest in a few years.
I think it would be harder to move to SF for a few reasons, but we do not shy away from a challenge if it's worthwhile, which I believe a move like this could be.
If you don't know by now I'm talking 'bout Chi-town.
I'd choose Chicago. It is America's second city. The people are much much nicer as well.
San Francisco has crime as well... and there is this place across the Bay called Oakland... if you're gonna bring up crime, then look a little bit further into the matter. All major cities have crime in one spot or another... that's a moot point. Well, except for Seattle and Portland. Hippies don't kill each other
San Francisco is great and all, but I'd go crazy living there.
"Isn't this the greatest place on earth?"-Expect to hear that everyday
Last edited by RightonWalnut; 02-19-2013 at 03:40 PM..
Peopl always complain about chicagos crime yeah we have a crime problem but we have some of the richest people in the world in some of the wealthiest suburbs in the Midwest and we have lots of suburbs. We have everything you want in a big city. We have very good schools and we are the most affordable major city then any other in the country.
I wouldn't put too much emphasis on the gun violence in Chicago. Not only is it sensationalized by the media, but it's relatively localized and contain to particular sections of the city (mostly W and SW sides). What is occurring among those kids engaged in this type of gang violence is a tragedy, but it is generally (with some notable outliers) contained among themselves. The north side of the city, including most northern suburbs don't typically represent the cases that you read about on the cover of the Trib. You have some of the safest and most affluent areas in the Midwest (and some in the US) lying north of the city.
[quote=18Montclair;28323595]The incredibly and obscenely wonderful Bay Area isnt going anywhere but time for your kids to spend with their grandparents is sadly counting down.
Go home, and spend time with your loved ones. When theyre gone you'll be glad you were there.[/quote]
Totally agree with this. In the long run your kdis will get far more from knowing and seeing their grandparents on a regular basis than living on the other side of the country. And as previous posters have said, there are plenty of low-crime areas in around the city, though schooling for the kids will prove more problematic in the city itself. While Chicago has a good many decent Catholic schools it has fewer quality public ones.
We are both 40 with four kids ages 6 and under and have lived in Manhattan for 14 years. We're both from the Midwest and have deep family ties there. I have interviewed in the Midwest and Bay Area a few times over the years, receiving offers but declining them. But now it's time to move.
I am about to get a job offer in San Francisco (Redwood Shores commute), and likely another in Chicago (in the city). Both have always been on our list of possible places to move. Neither of us has ever lived in either place. I am inclined to live in SF proper if we move there, but Chicago could be either the city or a northern suburb.
We love city living here, but eventually want a house with a yard and good public schools (or a good Catholic school as a second option). Three boys and their sister need room to play outside.
I love Lake Michigan and the change of seasons--I grew up in South Haven, MI right on the Lake and its beach.
I love Northern California and the variety/diversity--both geographically and culturally--that our family could experience. We thrive on that here. How do SF/Chicago compare culturally?
I only want to buy one car.
I'm afraid that my parents (aged 72) would rarely be able to visit us on the west coast, and that we would only get home once/twice per year. Right now we are spending much of our vacation time and budget going back to the Midwest once/twice to see family. It would be nice to see them more often without making a heroic effort.
I'm concerned about all the gun violence in Chicago. I know it's everywhere, but every time I go to the Tribune webpage, a kid has been shot.
Taxes?
I know both cities have good restaurants. Right?
I know the cost of living is lower in Chicago, but SF would imbue us with a sense of adventure, I suppose, and I feel that the kids are still young enough for us to do this and perhaps move to the Midwest in a few years.
I think it would be harder to move to SF for a few reasons, but we do not shy away from a challenge if it's worthwhile, which I believe a move like this could be.
Help--what am I not thinking of?
TIA.
Are the jobs fairly comparable (room for advancement, similar wages and in comparison to cost of living)?
Have either of you lived in Chicago before? And if you're interested in city living for SF, then why don't you do that for Chicago as well?
As mentioned before, the crime in Chicago is highly concentrated in certain areas and those areas are unlikely where you want to live anyhow. Chicago is a much larger city than SF in terms of area so even if the average crime rate in Chicago is higher and includes not so ritzy parts--SF's crime rates would also go up if it somehow annexed other parts of the metro such as the rougher parts of Oakland right across the Bay. The North Side neighborhoods plus the Loop and the neighborhoods adjacent to it are fairly safe and about the size of San Francisco in its entirety.
It's probably a good idea to stay close by the parents for a little point while the kids are growing up--and if they can make the trip to Chicago themselves without hassle then maybe you can free up some vacation time and budget to go elsewhere instead since they could come visit you during non vacation times.
I grew up in jefferson park nw side and went to a catholic k-8 private school, but still retained my street smarts. Sounds like your family would like to stay close to family here in the midwest, and thats a good thing, both for your kids and your grandparents. I personally recall many snow days as a kid playing at the end of the alley where the plow would pile up all the snow and we'd have a snow fort city that would stay for weeks. Then id run home to grandma and grandpa and make some hot chocolate. -our family occupied all first 3 levels of a 6 flat... i had plenty of neighboorhood kids to play with and loved to bike in Forest Glen. No weirdo pedophiles, no crazy cat ladies, no violent gangwarfare. Most of the residents on my block were city workers police, fire, librarians, teachers, post office - etc.
Anyhow there are really nice places in Chicago to live that are very decent, and you could even have a decent backyard for your kids to play in. Try the northwest side. Or near north suburbs like skokie or niles, around harlem irving plaza or old orchard shopping center. Very large contingent of polish communities in and around there, so there are many catholic church communities as well. Des Plaines, Mt prospect, Arlington heights and Schaumburg are very decent, with back yards and affordable with Metra train lines serving them either directly or a neighboring town minutes away.
Dont worry about the gun violence... As the Rahmfather says, if you have no buisness going around a gang neighborhood like englewood on the south side or K-town on the west side, you'll be fine. Its unfortunate what happens but like they say, location location location right?
Since you're job offering is in chicago it would be wise to take it since if youre desire is to make do with only 1 car, you could take the metra or cta to work easily. Even easier if work is located in the Loop since you could just arrive into chicago via metra at union station and navigate the pedway during the winter or rush hr to get where you need to go easily, no parking no fuss. This is pretty much how my parents did it as immigrant gov't employees for 30 yrs, now retired.
Again chicago is an extremely family oriented city with plenty of parades, festivals, and sporting events and concerts good for the entire family to go see, from disney on ice @ the allstate arena, to taste of chicago, to the air and water show, thanksgiving day parade and window shopping on michigan ave, tailgaiting cookout before the bears game, its really a no brainer. Plenty of diversity here, a true cross section of America, rich to poor, all races in between, all foods available to taste and music or culture at your desire. Your kids been to the museum of science and industry? A world of imagination awaits them there.
Being a previous Michigan resident, its easy to see the beauty of the great lakes right? I agree. My friends lakehouse close by benton harbor is an older log cabin style house that i go to for fishing getaways, i love it.
Even through the harsh winters, that cyclical event has forged in me a toughness that has carried me well throughout when times were tough, especially when the economy tanked a few years back and i had to go back to school. It underscored the "get real" sentiment to knuckle up and deal. I could have easily left for the west coast and stayed by my family there, but i decided to stick around here, knowing job market stability would return since there are extremely diverse ways to make a living. I believe your dollar will go further here, more affordable than living on either coast.
Can't go wrong with each, but the COL is lower in Chicago, and it's closer to your parents. The violence here is sensationalized. Did you know that 75% of the homicides since 2007 have taken place in only 25% of the neighborhoods (77 total "community areas")? A lot of these neighborhoods are adjacent to one another, but they don't spill over into the areas you would be living or even close. Nothing to worry about, and it's pretty hard to accidentally just stumble upon it.
If you have the money to live in San Fran, then I say go for it, but your money will go further for you in Chicago and you'll get similar things for what you want (minus the mountains and the year round mild weather).
The incredibly and obscenely wonderful Bay Area isnt going anywhere but time for your kids to spend with their grandparents is sadly counting down.
Go home, and spend time with your loved ones. When theyre gone you'll be glad you were there.
Yep. For my family and for a number of reasons, I think our window to go to SF right now is closing quickly, if it hasn't already. As you note above, with aging parents and four kids, I should strongly consider returning closer to family. And family reasons aside, it's likely a more prudent financial choice if I want to help all those kids with college down the road.
The jobs are comparable and both very good and I can continue a good career at either place. My wife and I looked at SF as a family adventure. However, we're the parents now and the potentially exciting choice is not always the best one.
Thanks again to all for your thoughts.
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-our family occupied all first 3 levels of a 6 flat... i had plenty of neighboorhood kids to play with and loved to bike in Forest Glen. No weirdo pedophiles, no crazy cat ladies, no violent gangwarfare. Most of the residents on my block were city workers police, fire, librarians, teachers, post office - etc.
