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Plus in the bitter cold Midwest, you have to add in the costs of the winter or spring break vacation to a warm place like El Paso as part of the cost of living.
Thanks, I will keep Chicago and with a huge smile on my face. If you noticed, I did not say that everyone in El Paso makes minimum wage although from driving around the city it looks like it. I've lived in Chicago for ten years now and I am not sure where you get your figures about heating costs because when I lived here, I spent more on electric to stay cool during all those hot days in El Paso. As far as cold, bitter January days..it's actually colder in February and I will remember El Paso and how in my entire life I never saw seasons change. The beauty and changing of seasons in Chicago is something that has to be experienced..if you have never traveled and stayed for a significant amount of time..you will never understand. The biggest myth is cost of living. I will admit that housing is considerably cheaper in El Paso but that is about it. Most other items are either the same or cheaper in Chicago..how? Competition! El Paso is so small that your choices are limited..believe it or not but we have multiple grocery stores to shop at..instead of multiple Wal Marts. If you get offended well..that's too bad..not my intention, I just call it like I see it. I have lived in both cities for a significant amount of time and IMO El Paso is insignificant compared to Chicago. My problem with El Paso, other than insulting wages (almost everyone is underpaid) is the serious lack of activities or entertainment. You could fit all of El Paso's parks into Millenium Park. You could view all of El Paso's museums in a day..you could go every day for a week at one Chicago museum and still find a reason to go back. Yes, El Paso weather is nice, but unless you are a rock climber or desert hiker..what's the point? Like I said before, El Paso could be a great city but it's the mentality of people like yourself that will always keep it a miserale town..no matter how much growth there is.
Quote:
Originally Posted by malamute
Well -- you can keep Chicago. Remember to stay happy when the bitter cold blows in come January and your heating bills are sky high. Just think of El Paso where the sun will be shining and we won't be shoveling snow or wearing thick jackets and boots.
Not everyone in El Paso is making minimum wage. Plenty of people here live just as well as people in Chicago. Better sometimes because the heating bills can be quite low.
I was in Chicago one day when it was just 95 degrees and it was completely miserable. I could not believe when I learned it was only 95 because it was hotter than hell and so muggy you couldn't stand yourself. Here in El Paso, 95 degrees is about perfect.
Thanks, I will keep Chicago and with a huge smile on my face. If you noticed, I did not say that everyone in El Paso makes minimum wage although from driving around the city it looks like it. I've lived in Chicago for ten years now and I am not sure where you get your figures about heating costs because when I lived here, I spent more on electric to stay cool during all those hot days in El Paso. As far as cold, bitter January days..it's actually colder in February and I will remember El Paso and how in my entire life I never saw seasons change. The beauty and changing of seasons in Chicago is something that has to be experienced..if you have never traveled and stayed for a significant amount of time..you will never understand. The biggest myth is cost of living. I will admit that housing is considerably cheaper in El Paso but that is about it. Most other items are either the same or cheaper in Chicago..how? Competition! El Paso is so small that your choices are limited..believe it or not but we have multiple grocery stores to shop at..instead of multiple Wal Marts. If you get offended well..that's too bad..not my intention, I just call it like I see it. I have lived in both cities for a significant amount of time and IMO El Paso is insignificant compared to Chicago. My problem with El Paso, other than insulting wages (almost everyone is underpaid) is the serious lack of activities or entertainment. You could fit all of El Paso's parks into Millenium Park. You could view all of El Paso's museums in a day..you could go every day for a week at one Chicago museum and still find a reason to go back. Yes, El Paso weather is nice, but unless you are a rock climber or desert hiker..what's the point? Like I said before, El Paso could be a great city but it's the mentality of people like yourself that will always keep it a miserale town..no matter how much growth there is.
Chicagofan, what does the mentality of Malamute have to do with the city? He was not even being harsh on you, just defending the city, but he did not berrate, or belittle you, as you do him. All he did was offer a different perspective. Saying that people 'with his mentality' will keep El Paso "miserale" town just makes no sense.
BTW, 'Sorry beautiful Chicago lost the Olyimpics, that was a tough, and embarrassing fiasco for the entire country.
You know what I don't miss? Dust storms that cover my house, car, and office every March. I don't miss the 50 MPH wind whipping off the mountains in November and February. I don't miss trying to regulate the swamp cooler versus the open windows versus the heat from May to September.
And I definitely don't miss having to lather up in lotion EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. Just to keep my skin from cracking and bleeding from the lack of moisture in the air.
I used to think the weather in El Paso was a positive selling point too (as a child growing up there). Then I moved back as an adult for 3 years after living in other places and realized the weather is great April, May, and October and just as craptacular as any other city in America the rest of the year. Just because the sun's out doesn't mean the weather is nice.
I'm not saying the weather in Chicago or NYC is either, just to be clear.
Regarding this contest over whether Chicago or El Paso is a better place to live; the El Pasoan will never convince the Chicagoan that El Paso is better and vice versa. People convince themselves that they either love or hate where they live and pick the few things that validate that.
Let the people who love El Paso be happy in El Paso. If all they want is a dusty outpost in the middle of absolute nowhere, then let them have it. My parents are in that group and I'm done trying to convince them to move. If they're happy, then that's all that matters.
The El Pasoans don't have to love Chicago and NYC just because you and I do.
37 people shot in one weekend.....sounds like another city we know (but not El Paso) -- More grocery stores - if you survive to get to one.
I'm not sure someone living in the Juarez/El Paso metro area should be using murder stats to point out what dumps other cities are.
Chicago has almost exactly as many people (Chicago proper for crime stats purposes) as Juarez/El Paso (combined for crime stats purposes). Chicago had about 500 murders last year. Juarez/El Paso had over 1600.
Last edited by zdg; 10-03-2009 at 03:26 PM..
Reason: Added stats
I'm not sure someone living in the Juarez/El Paso metro area should be using murder stats to point out what dumps other cities are.
Chicago has almost exactly as many people (Chicago proper for crime stats purposes) as Juarez/El Paso (combined for crime stats purposes). Chicago had about 500 murders last year. Juarez/El Paso had over 1600.
I mean come on. You're comparing a Mexican City to a US city. And that Mexican city is the most dangerous city in North America. If it was spilling over into El Paso then ok. But EP is highly ranked (low crime) in crime per capita. With that said Chicago is a pretty dangerous city. But so is Houston, Nashville and alot of other cities.
Please enough with the Chicago and EP comparisons. The 2 are so opposite it's not funny.
I agree with you that I will never convince an El Pasoan that their city lacks many things that make a city great and an El Pasoan will never convince me that Chicago is bad because of weather. I simply voiced my opinion about why I moved and if I had any regrets about it. I found it amusing that this person found it necessary to accuse those outside of El Paso as money motivated, materialistic a holes. It is extremely unfair to compare Chicago to El Paso..some people want more out of life..some are content with mediocrity. I expressed my view as someone that spent over 20 years in El Paso and over 10 in Chicago. I have seen both sides and all things considered, well there really is no comparison. I try not to talk about El Paso because I know how offended El Pasoans get but when you make a foolish statement like your post about El Pasoans not caring about status..I have to respond and correct you. Truth is that El Paso is a small city in a big country and has little man syndrome (not in population but in advancement) and its residents get very offended when people like me point out the obvious. Is Chicago perfect? Of course not, but it is better than most. As far as Olympics, if you kept yourself informed outside of local news you would know that the majority of Chicagoans did not want them..thank God for that. Chalk up another failure for Obama! Love the pictures of Chicago..can't wait to get back. You should also post the pictures of the pier, lake, downtown..you get the point. The beauty of the city. Take those shots and compare them to El Paso's..maybe one day you will realize why I feel the way I do, if not then enjoy your town because I sure do enjoy my city. Your defense is only as good as the facts that can back it up..sorry to offend you but in El Paso that's a short list. Have a nice sunny day..oh wait nevermind..its raining..keep your head up..the sun will come up tomorrow.
Quote:
Originally Posted by zdg
You know what I don't miss? Dust storms that cover my house, car, and office every March. I don't miss the 50 MPH wind whipping off the mountains in November and February. I don't miss trying to regulate the swamp cooler versus the open windows versus the heat from May to September.
And I definitely don't miss having to lather up in lotion EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. Just to keep my skin from cracking and bleeding from the lack of moisture in the air.
I used to think the weather in El Paso was a positive selling point too (as a child growing up there). Then I moved back as an adult for 3 years after living in other places and realized the weather is great April, May, and October and just as craptacular as any other city in America the rest of the year. Just because the sun's out doesn't mean the weather is nice.
I'm not saying the weather in Chicago or NYC is either, just to be clear.
Regarding this contest over whether Chicago or El Paso is a better place to live; the El Pasoan will never convince the Chicagoan that El Paso is better and vice versa. People convince themselves that they either love or hate where they live and pick the few things that validate that.
Let the people who love El Paso be happy in El Paso. If all they want is a dusty outpost in the middle of absolute nowhere, then let them have it. My parents are in that group and I'm done trying to convince them to move. If they're happy, then that's all that matters.
The El Pasoans don't have to love Chicago and NYC just because you and I do.
I agree with you that I will never convince an El Pasoan that their city lacks many things that make a city great and an El Pasoan will never convince me that Chicago is bad because of weather. I simply voiced my opinion about why I moved and if I had any regrets about it. I found it amusing that this person found it necessary to accuse those outside of El Paso as money motivated, materialistic a holes. It is extremely unfair to compare Chicago to El Paso..some people want more out of life..some are content with mediocrity. I expressed my view as someone that spent over 20 years in El Paso and over 10 in Chicago. I have seen both sides and all things considered, well there really is no comparison. I try not to talk about El Paso because I know how offended El Pasoans get but when you make a foolish statement like your post about El Pasoans not caring about status..I have to respond and correct you. Truth is that El Paso is a small city in a big country and has little man syndrome (not in population but in advancement) and its residents get very offended when people like me point out the obvious. Is Chicago perfect? Of course not, but it is better than most. As far as Olympics, if you kept yourself informed outside of local news you would know that the majority of Chicagoans did not want them..thank God for that. Chalk up another failure for Obama! Love the pictures of Chicago..can't wait to get back. You should also post the pictures of the pier, lake, downtown..you get the point. The beauty of the city. Take those shots and compare them to El Paso's..maybe one day you will realize why I feel the way I do, if not then enjoy your town because I sure do enjoy my city. Your defense is only as good as the facts that can back it up..sorry to offend you but in El Paso that's a short list. Have a nice sunny day..oh wait nevermind..its raining..keep your head up..the sun will come up tomorrow.
Yes, I know Chicago has a bigger downtown, it's here in this picture....can't see the lake or pier from this view but they're there somewhere.
El Paso's is really no comparison.... I know.... something about mediocricy and a little man syndrome in preferring this to the above.
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Don't take it personal..
