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I'm a single gay male who has lived in DC for several years now - I like it but I'm not sure I *love* it. Early next year I'll have the option of moving to Chicago for work, and I want to get the perspective of others who've lived there or in both places. I'm more familiar with DC, but I've been to Chicago several times as a visitor. If you were me, which one would you choose? Note: not looking for ridiculously biased opinions such as "DC sucks because it's so douchey" or "Chicago sucks because it's so cold and in the midwest". I have a good understanding of what both places are like at a basic level - I'm looking for a more informed opinion...
My perspective on DC-
Pros: Physically attractive city, lots of highly motivated and very smart people, lots of gays, easy to get around (I live in the city), close to other fun places in the NE US, lots of development... on the up-and-up, personal: I have several very close friends here
Cons: Overpriced, smallish (I feel like I run into the same people all the time), elitist attitude, I feel like people are always moving away , hard to really get to know people
My perspective on Chicago-
Pros: Big city with great architecture, cheaper than DC, a good mix of all types of people (aka not elitist), more laid back, the beaches in the summer are awesome, potentially more diverse (not sure?)
Cons: Bad crime and maybe on a downswing overall?, bad location in the US, cold and depressing in the winter.
Wild card #1: Although I could move to Chicago for work, I would *probably* be better off at my company if I stayed in DC. Your life is more important than your career though, right? Worth noting though.
Wild card #2: I have very close friends in DC, and really no friends to speak of in Chicago.
It's obviously DC. They have gay marriage legalized there while Chicago does not. That's a huge advantage for a gay person deciding upon which city to move to. DC is also a more liberal city and less racist city compared to Chicago.
I say move to Chicago for the change of scenery and life experience. You seem mature and resourceful enough to settle in relatively easy and make friends without difficulty.
In my experience(gay male in my 30s), DC and Chicago both have very attractive and eligible men, but I found myself way more attracted to the men in Chicago. I cant quite explain it, maybe it's because they didnt seem as pretentious and self absorbed as men on the coast, perhaps it's a midwest thing? I dunno.
Anyway, whatever you choose I'm sure you'll do well.
Location: Cleveland, OH USA / formerly Chicago for 20 years
4,069 posts, read 7,317,864 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by readyfornew1
My perspective on Chicago-
Pros: Big city with great architecture, cheaper than DC, a good mix of all types of people (aka not elitist), more laid back, the beaches in the summer are awesome, potentially more diverse (not sure?) Cons: Bad crime and maybe on a downswing overall?, bad location in the US, cold and depressing in the winter.
Let's get one thing straight here: DC's violent crime rate is way worse than Chicago's. You can look up the stats on this very site. Take all the media hype about Chicago crime with a grain of salt.
And, the vast, vast majority of the violent crime in Chicago occurs in a few bad parts of town that will be very easy for you to avoid should you decide to move here.
Location: Cleveland, OH USA / formerly Chicago for 20 years
4,069 posts, read 7,317,864 times
Reputation: 3062
Quote:
Originally Posted by gwillyfromphilly
It's obviously DC. They have gay marriage legalized there while Chicago does not. That's a huge advantage for a gay person deciding upon which city to move to. DC is also a more liberal city and less racist city compared to Chicago.
Illinois is very close to legalizing gay marriage. I predict it will happen before the end of the year.
Both Chicago and DC are among the top places for gays to live in this country.
The poster is pretty accurate. It had passed the IL senate last legislative session and had full support of the governor. It was stalled in the house at its last point.
Illinois has also had civil unions for same-sex couples for years.
I like both places, but I think I would personally pick DC. I'm from Chicago (family still there) and I get still get a strange vibe from places like Chicago, Detroit, and Cleveland when it comes to gay acceptance.
He is actually right, its probably will happen in the next couple of months...
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, hard to really get to know people
