Can’t take Chicago winters any more – help us decide where to relocate! (skateboarding, home)
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This is spot on. Yes, winter gets old. Cabin fever is a thing. However - during those coldest months, kids are in school and it's dark earlier in the evening. They can't do much outside anyway. In the summer, if you live anywhere hot (and especially hot and humid, like the Southeast), your kids will spend a LOT more time inside than they will in Chicago. Everyone goes from air conditioned building to car to another air conditioned building. You can't spend all your time in the pool or at the beach, so there will be a lot of indoor activities. Video games, TV, etc. Even the evenings, after dark, bring little relief if it's a humid place like FL or the Carolinas. You will break a sweat walking the dog after 10 pm in FL in the summer time due to the high humidity. You'll keep the house shut up - no open windows - for months at a time in the summer, much like winter in the Midwest. You will have to take measures to combat mold as a homeowner (in the SE part of the country, again). If anyone suffers from allergies or asthma in your house, be very very sure they will not be affected by a different climate.
This is why I say all of the time that it's not worth it to move an entire family for reasons of climate alone. (Unless moving for health reasons as well.) Yes, we all want the experience of easy living we get on vacation in the winter. But the reality is you'll be trading in one set of issues for another. Be sure you want that other set of issues and would prefer them to the ones you have now.
But on that note, in this day in age, how important is it to have kids playing outside? Here in Chicago, I live on a block full of kids, in the summer you rarely see them outside, even on the most beautiful of days. Kids nowadays are so hooked on technology that they rarely do things outside anymore. I remember growing up in Chicago how we were out and about every day. Now you rarely see any of that. Even less so in the winter than in the summer.
At the end of the day, while the kids matter, I think if her and her husband really can't do winter anymore, they should move. I think you need to make sacrifices for your kids, but how much do you have to sacrifice. I have lived in Chicago for 30 years, raised here and love it. I will tell you, this winter has been extremely tough and depressing. I am looking to now move to California or Florida.
If the weather is affecting the parents negatively they should move. Because in places like Texas and Florida summer is terrible. BUT I feel at least if you are stuck indoors when you look outside it's still sunny and you still see life outside (plants are green, more animals out and about). At least you can still do things outside like go to the pool, the beach in the hottest part of the day. At least in the early morning and late evenings you can still go outside and do stuff. Case in point in Dallas last June I would wake up at 6AM and ran 5 miles outside without any problems. Once I visited Tucson in August and we hung out all day in the pool, then at night we went mini-golfing outside. I went to Las Vegas one June and we were able to hang out in the pool all day and at night walk around the strip.
Sorry in the winter, unless you live on a hill/mountain where you can do snow activities, winter is very limiting in regards to being outdoors.
Three weeks ago I was in Florida, and I went running every morning. I was so happy. I arrived in Chicago, and in the three weeks I have gone to the gym three times and gained weight. I slipped on ice and hurt myself. I couldn't wash one day because the pipes froze (luckily they didn't burst). And the 15 minute walk from my apartment to the train is just brutal when it's cold and windy. The wind HURTS. This coming from a seasoned Chicagoan who has dealt with winter his entire life.
If the parents are unhappy they should move. They shouldn't have to suffer because of the kids. I am sure if you tell the kids they will have a pool in their new place, and be by the ocean, they will forget about snow and winter REAL quick.
This is spot on. Yes, winter gets old. Cabin fever is a thing. However - during those coldest months, kids are in school and it's dark earlier in the evening. They can't do much outside anyway. In the summer, if you live anywhere hot (and especially hot and humid, like the Southeast), your kids will spend a LOT more time inside than they will in Chicago. Everyone goes from air conditioned building to car to another air conditioned building. You can't spend all your time in the pool or at the beach, so there will be a lot of indoor activities. Video games, TV, etc. Even the evenings, after dark, bring little relief if it's a humid place like FL or the Carolinas. You will break a sweat walking the dog after 10 pm in FL in the summer time due to the high humidity. You'll keep the house shut up - no open windows - for months at a time in the summer, much like winter in the Midwest. You will have to take measures to combat mold as a homeowner (in the SE part of the country, again). If anyone suffers from allergies or asthma in your house, be very very sure they will not be affected by a different climate.
This is why I say all of the time that it's not worth it to move an entire family for reasons of climate alone. (Unless moving for health reasons as well.) Yes, we all want the experience of easy living we get on vacation in the winter. But the reality is you'll be trading in one set of issues for another. Be sure you want that other set of issues and would prefer them to the ones you have now.
Agree, you simply switch from being stuck inside all winter to being stuck inside all summer. My kids were miserable in Atlanta, always asking me if it was ever going to snow. Complaining it was too hot to go out and play. You close up the windows in Atlanta and crank up the AC from late May until late September so what's the difference? The nights are always warm and muggy. At least in Chicago during the Summer, most nights and some days are cool enough to open the windows.
Unless your kids truly hate the cold/snow, I'd stay put. And even if they say they hate the cold/snow, I'd be willing to bet that they'll miss it dearly after a couple years in a hot climate with no snow. Especially around the holidays. The grass is always greener on the other side, right?
But I get it, I could also do with a little less winter, but if it means trading for the opposite extreme, no thanks.
Last edited by flamadiddle; 03-06-2019 at 04:39 PM..
Agree, you simply switch to being stuck inside all winter to being stuck inside all summer. My kids were miserable in Atlanta, always asking me if it was ever going to snow. You close the windows in Atlanta and crank up the AC from May until late September so what's the difference? The nights always warm and muggy. At least in Chicago during the Summer, many nights and some days are cool enough to open the windows.
Unless your kids truly hate the cold/snow, I'd stay put. And even if they say they hate the cold/snow, I'd be willing to bet that they'll miss it dearly after a couple years in a hot climate with no snow.
I think people are putting an over emphasis on the kids here. It's not like they would be moving to Death Valley. If the parents really hate winter, they should move. Kids should be happy and comfortable, but the parents should be as well. Especially in this day and age when kids rarely go outside to play anymore.
I think people are putting an over emphasis on the kids here. It's not like they would be moving to Death Valley. If the parents really hate winter, they should move. Kids should be happy and comfortable, but the parents should be as well. Especially in this day and age when kids rarely go outside to play anymore.
Agree, but all should have a say in the matter, assuming they're old enough. The kids and their technology today is a valid point. But I don't know, I'd consider Phoenix pretty close to Death Valley. No way in h3!! I'd ever live in a climate like Phoenix.
I'm fortunate to be able to live anywhere I want so if there's a utopia out there, I'm all ears.
Last edited by flamadiddle; 03-06-2019 at 05:14 PM..
If you stay inside 6 mos of the year, the weather isn’t the problem, you are the problem.
Wow, I didn't realize people would get so hang up on the "6-months inside" part... Obviously, it's an exaggeration - I was just trying to make a point of us being tired of the cold weather. Yes, I know it could be worse, but it was 12 degrees today and it’s March 6th and while winter and snow could be fun, no doubt, I haven’t seen any kids on the playground in a very long time, and I doubt there were many people hanging out by the lake either. But, again, it was not to meant to be a discussion about Chicago winters but rather about alternative options out there that are more sunny and warm and ideally check off other points on our list as well. Thank you to everyone who offered your constructive suggestions and insights so far!
Wow, I didn't realize people would get so hang up on the "6-months inside" part... Obviously, it's an exaggeration - I was just trying to make a point of us being tired of the cold weather. Yes, I know it could be worse, but it was 12 degrees today and it’s March 6th and while winter and snow could be fun, no doubt, I haven’t seen any kids on the playground in a very long time, and I doubt there were many people hanging out by the lake either. But, again, it was not to meant to be a discussion about Chicago winters but rather about alternative options out there that are more sunny and warm and ideally check off other points on our list as well. Thank you to everyone who offered your constructive suggestions and insights so far!
This year is unusual, and if you've lived there a while, you're aware of that. I've golfed in January before, and have mowed my yard numerous times in March...as I said, this year is unusual.
I think you would love the SF Bay Area. Just start looking at what you can afford real estate-wise, and post on the CA forums for specifics about certain areas or towns.
I'd start by searching Redfin real estate website or Craigslist. I find Zillow to be inaccurate.
But this area ticks off everything you want. And you should be able to find a home within your budget.
It's trickier around here to find walkable areas where you can walk to everything you want, but not impossible.
I totally get where you're coming from on how weather can really affect quality of life. I'm from this area, but moved away for around 20 years, and just could never get used to being restricted by weather. And whenever I tried to embrace the winters, like learning to cross country ski, then we'd have weather like - great snow, immediately followed by rain, followed by sleet.....so we couldn't even ski.
Right now we're tired of the rain, but amidst the rain, there are flowers blooming everywhere. So even our worst weather is laughable in comparison to most other places.
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