I'm Thinking Of Moving To Chicago

Hope you like to freeze your ass off.

I love the midwestern men of Chicago! Very open and friendly.

My bf is originally from Chicago. He thought it was too provincial so he moved to NYC.

I love Chicago and would recommend it highly.

Ever wonder why nobody outside of Chicago ever talks about Chicago?

Chicago, like is just sooo not even anything I'd every think of, I mean Chicago right? But what if it's exactly what I need. I've been looking at all those areas I mentioned and they look really nice and maybe I'll like the snow and you can wear some really nice winter fashion and lovely coats and ya know, look at the positives.

I've no idea what to do, I'm probably 65% going right now.

It's great here, although some of the highest taxes in the country. You ought to come for a visit OP and decide for yourself. It certainly is NOT everyone's cup of tea, but I find it delightful. I personally would not wish to commute from Lakeview to Greektown though. Sadly the neighbourhood around Greektown has become a bit dodgy at nightfall too. I have been in restaurants where vagrants came in and begged... most distressing and quite depressing!

I don't have that option r5, it was an opportunity that was just sprung on me at work when the original candidate dropped out and coming at a time when my personal life was going down the drain, it feels a fortuitous opportunity.

Greektown to Lakeview, easy commute? No, op, you don't get how very very big this city is. I'm guessing you won't want to work in Greektown, either, esp since you're throwing out very overcrowded yuppie type neighborhoods for living.

Meh-ok if coming from Midwest but a little backward from NY or LA. The only place I know where friends who bought condos have lost money. It’s a shrinking city in a shrinking state with major financial problems- so don’t expect it to get much better and be prepared to pay even higher taxes. With that said, if you have a decent job, it’s cheaper than NY or LA and better than a lot of smaller second tier cities like Dallas or Atlanta.

R6 I've lived in three countries, and many cities, but never before on a whim without having had a prior visit first. It doesn't seem like a wise idea personally.

🎶 Betcha bottom dollar you'll lose your blues

🎵

In Chicago, Chicago 🎶

The town that Billy Sunday could not shut down

🎶

R10, I'm a Chicagoan here. Avondale is not too expensive. Hell, you can find good places in Edgwater (which is off the lake)--I'm talking a one bedroom here--for $1300-$1500. Imagine trying to get that on the coast? Not likely. And although the city as a whole is shrinking, the metro area is not. And the north side is continuing to grow and fill up, the reason the city continues to lose population is because people are fleeing the south and west sides.

OP, also, you can find many good one bedrooms in Lakeview. Lakeview has a big range of apartment prices with some very, very expensive and some not nearly as much.

Really limited amount of businesses in Greektown, so you must be either thinking of a different neighborhood....or perhaps you're in food service (the main industry in Greektown).

Unfortunately there is nowhere really affordable near Greektown. It's a part of the West Loop/Fulton Market, which is one of the highest priced areas in the city (and in the country). A studio in the West Loop runs 3K a month. There are pockets through the north side, in Wicker Park, in Pilsen (south) where rents are affordable, but even Andersonville and Boystown have become so gentrified that rents are through the roof.

You could live north and commute, though there are no direct buses north/south. You'd probably need to take two or three buses to get to work. As for trains, West Loop/Greektown has the Blue Line running to the south of it, and that goes into Wicker Park and Avondale, so you may be able to use that to commute.

Chicago has its good and bad, like anywhere else. It's a city I find (or used to find) easy to navigate, big without being too big. There is crime, though not more or less than any other big city. (Yes, there are more shootings, but those are generally gang disputes in two specific neighborhoods).

The gays here are finicky and fickle and there is an unspoken two stop rule- if you live farther than two bus stops or train stops away, you're not dating material.

Dear Op, follow your gut, if something is telling you to move to Chicago, maybe you should listen to it. Good Luck on your travels.

R13 Sadly Wicker Park has not been "affordable" for many years now. (I've lived here for twenty years) Many $M condos, and $2,200 seems typical for a nice cheap two bedroom. Most of the affordable older apartments and modest victorian 2 & 3 flats have been torn down to make way for pricey new "yuppie condos". Many single people I've known have had to move further west over the years. You really need to be rich to live here now, unless you bought at the right time. No one has been losing money on properties in this neighbourhood.

If you want to get away from the coasts, look at Denver (especially if you are an outdoors' person).

OP Will your position have anything to do with UIC?

I hope you like red brick

R18 We have plenty of Brownstones, Greystones, Yello Brick, Faux Tudor, and Yuppie-Style Split-Face Concrete Block too.

Oooh, I think I know where OP might be working!

OP - no idea what your job is but if it has anything to do with the state or the city take a pass. Not just employed by the state or city but relying on tax dollars for you income.

Illinois and Chicago are broke. I'd be worried that you may like your job and apartment but you may not like the lack of police, teachers and trash pick-up.