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Hi instead of posting a question in a thread I decided to make a poll. Ive never lived in a big city before and just would like to know which of these two cities would be a nice place to live based on these qualities,
1. Cultural amenities
2. Lifestyle
3. Mass transportation
4. Cost of living
Hi instead of posting a question in a thread I decided to make a poll. Ive never lived in a big city before and just would like to know which of these two cities would be a nice place to live based on these qualities,
1. Cultural amenities
2. Lifestyle
3. Mass transportation
4. Cost of living
Chicago and its suburbs are cheaper than DC and it's suburbs. The DC area is really expensive. What you'd pay to rent an apartment in some place like Alexandria, VA, you could rent a place in downtown Chicago for that. Both offer mass transit and great cultural amenities, but being from a small town, you may prefer Chicago better, as in DC everyone is all about your education, where you work or what your G-level is with the Feds when it comes to socializing. Chicago is fast-paced but more laid back than that.
Up against the major cities on either coast, Chicago is cheaper than all of them.
I voted for Chicago, but I think they would be about the same.
I would think these two cities have a higher % of its transplants being originally from small town America than NYC or LA.
Chicago because its the hub of the midwest and midwest has a higher % of people from small towns than California or the east coast, and because DC has an equal representation of people from all over the country from urban to rural working there.
I would go with Chicago. The suburbs are very nice and the city is very driveable. The DC Beltway has some of the worst traffic jams, not to mention all the diplomats who don't have to follow traffic rules.
Chicago and its suburbs are cheaper than DC and it's suburbs. The DC area is really expensive. What you'd pay to rent an apartment in some place like Alexandria, VA, you could rent a place in downtown Chicago for that. Both offer mass transit and great cultural amenities, but being from a small town, you may prefer Chicago better, as in DC everyone is all about your education, where you work or what your G-level is with the Feds when it comes to socializing. Chicago is fast-paced but more laid back than that.
Up against the major cities on either coast, Chicago is cheaper than all of them.
Doesn't that defeat the purpose of the entire thread?
I know a lot of people from rural areas, farms and small towns that went away to college and then moved to Chicago and did great. They always call it a "city of neighborhoods", but I didn't realize what they meant until I came here. It really is like 100 small towns all squished into one, it's very livable and down to earth in most of the residential areas.
I would go with Chicago. The suburbs are very nice and the city is very driveable. The DC Beltway has some of the worst traffic jams, not to mention all the diplomats who don't have to follow traffic rules.
Chicago traffic is straight-crap, as well. I don't see a traffic advantage with either one of them.
I'm not sure if being from a small town affects your preferences for cities. I have one friend who grew up in a small town and now lives in an exurb of a medium-sized metro. I have another friend who grew up in a small town and has lived in Manhattan since finishing college.
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