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Hello, my significant other and I are looking to probably move away from Austin, TX next year. We do like it here but looking to buy a home in the next couple of years and don’t see it as a forever-home type city. These three cities are our front runners and need some extra insight please.
Some things we’re looking for:
-Four seasons, this doesn’t exist in Austin and we hate the constant triple digit summers
-Decent suburbs, we know we aren’t going to buy a house right in downtown. Will be fine being 15-20 min drive from said downtown.
-Decent schools, not having kids for a while but wouldn’t hurt to research but we’re unfamiliar with all three areas.
-Career opportunity, she’s a nurse so can get a job anywhere and I’m in Marketing so also a pretty flexible industry.
-QOL and COL, am aware that Denver may be too expensive and already over the hump of affordable.
-Nightlife/things to do, Chicago will be the front runner I’m sure but any insight is great.
I’m sure I missed some obvious categories, any insight would be great. Thanks!
-Weather: Denver probably has the most tolerable weather out of the three. Chicago more unbearable winters, Charlotte more unbearable summers.
-Suburbs: Decent suburbs, both Denver and Chicago have great suburbs. Denver's will be closer to downtown to since it's a smaller city, but you probably will have to drive, where in Chicago you can take a train from a good chunk of the suburbs.
-Schools: Can't speak for the other two, but Chicago suburbs has great schools, and the city of Chicago has among some of the best in the country. Some of their college prep high schools are top tier in the country and state.
-Careers: By far Chicago. Denver is no slouch but Chicago will have more opportunities. However, if you are in Marketing Chicago BY FAR. Chicago is like the second or third best city for a marketing career after NYC and on par or just a ting behind LA.
-QOL/COL: Charlotte will be the cheapest, Chicago and Denver pretty much the same on most fronts, however, Chicago is going to give you the most bang for your buck out of the three.
-Nightlife; Chicago by far and by a lot. Chicago totally dominates in this category and is top nightlife spot in the country. Denver has average nightlife at best, and Charlotte's is lackluster.
I'd look away from Charlotte IMO; especially when it comes to weather, nightlife, and suburbs. The weather is nice, but it's more like Austin's weather than the other two cities. If you want seasons, look elsewhere for sure.
Both Denver and Chicago are expensive places to live; Denver for housing, Chicago for taxes and depending on where you live, housing too. If you can afford one, you can likely afford the other. That being said though, Denver might be marginally more affordable.
Chicago- definitely the better nightlife option, not even worth a debate. Even some Chicago suburbs like Evanston, Naperville, and Oak Park all have good nightlife and are better than Denver even here.
Schools may vary in both places. CPS does NOT have a good reputation at all, but the private schools in the city are great. Suburban Chicago schools vary, but overall if you live in one of the even halfway decent suburbs, the schools will be fine. Unfortunately I'm not very familiar with Denver's schools so I can't really speak to those.
Chicago has far more white collar jobs, though Denver probably doesn't lack decent tech jobs.
Suburbs- Chicago wins definitely. Greater variety of suburbs- large and small, older and newer, bigger houses and smaller houses, cheaper and pricier, further out or closer to the city, upscale and lower class, excellent downtown vs exburbs, you name it. Best of all, commuter rail access is way better laid out and connected in Chicago's suburbs than Denver's. Chicago definitely wins here.
I'd say Chicago wins, if you can afford it. If you have a high paying job, definitely Chicago.
Last edited by CCrest182; 05-20-2019 at 06:53 PM..
Just addressing the climate, I have lived in Austin previously, and my residence of Atlanta has virtually the same weather patterns as Charlotte. The summers in this part of the South definitely feature warmth and humidity, but are not as long or extreme as in Austin. There are also mountains within a couple hours drive that are considerably cooler any time of the year - which is something Austin lacks. The majority of days in the spring and fall are beautifully mild and pleasant, with stunning foliage in years when the temperature and rainfall patterns are just right.
I think any of these three metropolitan areas could offer what you are seeking. My preference is for the Southeast region and thus Charlotte, but Chicago and Denver are legitimately fine places with a lot of opportunities and amenities. Recent population trends have suggested Chicago is in a bit of a slump but it's still likely a good match for those attracted to one of the nation's top urban centers at a more reasonable price than its peers. Denver is unquestionably a boomtown these days and is certainly not getting any more affordable. It probably has the most resemblance to Austin in terms of being less formal and buttoned down, on the surface - partly due to a less "tech" dominated economic mix, Chicago and Charlotte tend to be a bit more traditional.
Denver is probably most like Austin. I think there lots of people who have lived in both cities. Denver is still pretty new and it sparkles and shines like Austin does, especially on a sunny day under a clear blue sky, and it's safe nearly everywhere. It's 4 seasons and the weather is not as extreme. I was staying with my cousins in 1972 and 73 in Denver when there was an overnight snow and they closed the schools, but by the aftermoon, most of the snow had melted and school re-opened the next day. For natural scenery, it's hard to beat the scenery west of Denver. It doesn't get much more breathtaking than the Colorado Rockies.
Chicago is too cold and grey for too long. It gets cold and grey and it stays cold and grey, and there will be dirty snow on the ground all winter. I find it very dark, dreary, bleak, and depressing. Another thing to consider, much of Chicago is not safe to be in, and you certainly don't want your car to break down when you happen to be in one of those unsafe neighborhoods, especially if you have your children with you.
Charlotte, I'm sure is nice, but it never appealed to me. Seems kinda bland to me, but then again, I never was a fan of East Coast states, except for Florida. But from Georgia and South Carolina to Maine, I never had any interest in moving to any of those states.
Of the 3, in my opinion, Denver is the by far the best city to live in, and it's not even close.
Denver is probably most like Austin. I think there lots of people who have lived in both cities. Denver is still pretty new and it sparkles and shines like Austin does, especially on a sunny day under a clear blue sky, and it's safe nearly everywhere. It's 4 seasons and the weather is not as extreme. I was staying with my cousins in 1972 and 73 in Denver when there was an overnight snow and they closed the schools, but by the aftermoon, most of the snow had melted and school re-opened the next day. For natural scenery, it's hard to beat the scenery west of Denver. It doesn't get much more breathtaking than the Colorado Rockies.
Chicago is too cold and grey for too long. It gets cold and grey and it stays cold and grey, and there will be dirty snow on the ground all winter. I find it very dark, dreary, bleak, and depressing. Another thing to consider, much of Chicago is not safe to be in, and you certainly don't want your car to break down when you happen to be in one of those unsafe neighborhoods, especially if you have your children with you.
Charlotte, I'm sure is nice, but it never appealed to me. Seems kinda bland to me, but then again, I never was a fan of East Coast states, except for Florida. But from Georgia and South Carolina to Maine, I never had any interest in moving to any of those states.
Of the 3, in my opinion, Denver is the by far the best city to live in, and it's not even close.
Pretty dishonest post in regards to Chicago.
Snow on the ground all winter is very untrue. Chicago does not get that much snow, and I would say most of winter we actually DON'T have snow on the ground. Yes, we do get snow but it's nothing that intense, and most time melts away after a few days or so. Sometimes longer stretches but not that common. Chicago can be pretty damn grey and cold, but it's not that bad when it comes to snowfall.
Also, MOST of Chicago is safe. Where we get the really bad crime and homicides is in a few neighborhoods in the city. Those neighborhoods are real bad but definitely make small portion of the city. Chicago's northside which is about the size of San Francisco in population and physical size is very safe. So you essentially have an area the size of SF that is very safe and livable.
Snow on the ground all winter is very untrue. Chicago does not get that much snow, and I would say most of winter we actually DON'T have snow on the ground. Yes, we do get snow but it's nothing that intense, and most time melts away after a few days or so. Sometimes longer stretches but not that common. Chicago can be pretty damn grey and cold, but it's not that bad when it comes to snowfall.
Also, MOST of Chicago is safe. Where we get the really bad crime and homicides is in a few neighborhoods in the city. Those neighborhoods are real bad but definitely make small portion of the city. Chicago's northside which is about the size of San Francisco in population and physical size is very safe. So you essentially have an area the size of SF that is very safe and livable.
It's not dishonest all. Chicago has 224 square miles of land area. Of those 224 miles, how many of those miles would you guess to be unsafe? I would guess between 20% and 33%. At 20% that's at least 44 square miles you don't want to break down in. That's more square miles than a small city. If a person doesn't know their way around Chicago, it could be easy to drive into one of those bad sections and not realize just how bad it is.
Chicago usually gets their first snow fall in December and the last snowfall in April. 45 days a year when there is at least an inch of snow on the ground. I couldn't find how many days have less than inch of snow on the ground. Grey skies is normal in the Midwest during the winter. I've lived in Central Indiana and it would average about 20 to 25 inches of snow a year. I know that snow is on the ground nearly all winter, and it's usually black/dirty after it's been there for awhile. The temperature doesn't stay above freezing long enough for all the snow to melt. The snow may not be on the street, but it will be along the curbs and against the sides of buildings and patches of snow in peoples front yards and sides of their houses.
If somebody goes to Chicago in the winter, there is a good chance they will see snow on the ground.
Here are some stats I found about Chicago winters:
Denver is probably most like Austin. I think there lots of people who have lived in both cities. Denver is still pretty new and it sparkles and shines like Austin does, especially on a sunny day under a clear blue sky, and it's safe nearly everywhere. It's 4 seasons and the weather is not as extreme. I was staying with my cousins in 1972 and 73 in Denver when there was an overnight snow and they closed the schools, but by the aftermoon, most of the snow had melted and school re-opened the next day. For natural scenery, it's hard to beat the scenery west of Denver. It doesn't get much more breathtaking than the Colorado Rockies.
Chicago is too cold and grey for too long. It gets cold and grey and it stays cold and grey, and there will be dirty snow on the ground all winter. I find it very dark, dreary, bleak, and depressing. Another thing to consider, much of Chicago is not safe to be in, and you certainly don't want your car to break down when you happen to be in one of those unsafe neighborhoods, especially if you have your children with you.
Charlotte, I'm sure is nice, but it never appealed to me. Seems kinda bland to me, but then again, I never was a fan of East Coast states, except for Florida. But from Georgia and South Carolina to Maine, I never had any interest in moving to any of those states.
Of the 3, in my opinion, Denver is the by far the best city to live in, and it's not even close.
Guess your a little bitter someone doesn't see Austin as God's gift to Texas and someone not seeing they are in the best already. But kind to Chicago in post ..... I rarely see from that one..... Generally go into negatives as usual.
Every city has them. Whether heat, humidity, real winters, traffic, crime, COL, dirt, too gritty, bugs more a issue or homeless for some. Most a combination. Some might see NYC as the best you can reach for. Some would say never to live for reasons also. Usually if someone goes into a rant to mock a city... something personal or political is likely involved .....
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Generally go into negatives as usual. 
