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I have job offers in Chicago and Seattle. Both offer virtually the same salary + benefits and are with two top firms in my field. I have never been to either but like the look of both. I really can't decide between the two and was hoping for some input.
Cost is not a big issue as I make a decent living. I am looking more at the social side of the city and activities, etc.
A list of likes:
- soccer; playing and watching
- football
- friendly people; not a cliquey city
- bar scene - love dive bars
- visting historical sites
- indie rock/alternative rock music concerts
- moderate politics (I am not a member of any party but have voted for Democrat and Republican respectively in the past two elections) I would say I am a more centrist/right wing democrat (would vote for Clinton or O'Malley in next year's election)
A list of dislikes:
- night clubs/clubbing scene (HATE clubbing!!!!)
- really left-wing people (i.e. people who protest over everything and talk about things like cultural appropriation, etc. - focus on the real issues!)
- a big drug scene (I smoked pot in college and would try it every now and then if i'm at a relaxed party but I don't like cities where everyone is doing drugs - exc. pot - like molly, MDMA, ecstasy, coke, etc. not my thing really)
- bugs and insects being a big issue in an area
Chicago without a doubt. Way less PC liberal than Seattle (still has a presence though), amazing bar city, tons of people, nearby lots of historical sites.
Just out of curiosity, what do you do for a living?
Chicago without a doubt. Way less PC liberal than Seattle (still has a presence though), amazing bar city, tons of people, nearby lots of historical sites.
Just out of curiosity, what do you do for a living?
- soccer; playing and watching Seattle, hands down--very popular MLS team (40,000+ attendance per game--by far highest in US), lots and lots of local rec teams
- football Probably either for watching it. Seattle has the more successful team at the moment, but those things change.
- friendly people; not a cliquey city Probably Chicago, though I think Seattle has gotten a bit friendlier with all the transplants.
- bar scene - love dive bars You can find a good bar scene in either.
- visting historical sites
- indie rock/alternative rock music concerts Plenty of that in either.
- moderate politics (I am not a member of any party but have voted for Democrat and Republican respectively in the past two elections) I would say I am a more centrist/right wing democrat (would vote for Clinton or O'Malley in next year's election) Both cities are pretty liberal. Seattle is liberal with an environmental focus, but like Washington in general there's a strong libertarian side.
A list of dislikes:
- night clubs/clubbing scene (HATE clubbing!!!!) Both cities have a club scene, probably stronger in Chicago, but you can easily avoid it in both.
- really left-wing people (i.e. people who protest over everything and talk about things like cultural appropriation, etc. - focus on the real issues!) Both cities have this, but Seattle is more known for its protests. I've never heard anyone in real life talk about cultural appropriation, and I've spent a fair amount of time in both cities. Seattle's political process is known for process. Things take forever to happen, and even once they're decided they'll get voted on again and again.
- a big drug scene (I smoked pot in college and would try it every now and then if i'm at a relaxed party but I don't like cities where everyone is doing drugs - exc. pot - like molly, MDMA, ecstasy, coke, etc. not my thing really) Seattle has legal marijuana and has always had a lot of open marijuana use. Like anything else, you can avoid it easily or you can seek it out, but you will sometimes see it/smell it in public (how often depends on where you go).
- bugs and insects being a big issue in an area Seattle has a lot fewer flying bugs. There are some flies, but mosquitoes aren't a problem in Washington except in certain parts of the mountains. A lot of people don't have screens on their windows in Seattle.
So which city would I like more?
You really need to visit them both. How did you get job offers for a legal job without visiting the cities? Go visit them both. It's a big decision, and you absolutely need to see for yourself what you're moving to!
What kind of weather do you like? Can you stand the long, gray winters in Seattle? The problem isn't the amount of rain (it's often dry), but the lack of sun due to its northern latitude and cloud cover. Some winters are worse than others, but the grass will stay green, and there will be something blooming all year. Or can you stand the much colder winters in Chicago? Either winter could pose a challenge for someone from Miami. What kind of summers do you like? Chicago tends to be warmer and muggier, due to higher dew point. Seattle will usually feel much drier in the summer because of the lower dew point (Seattle doesn't get dew in the summer).
But VISIT!
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