Chicago - Tell me the Good, Bad, Ugly

avoid it at all costs.

Runningart2004 wrote:

I once considered moving to Chicago and this is what I found out via various online resources and friends:

Live in the far western 'burbs. It's cheaper and if you work downtown you can just ride the L or Metra in.

If you're going to live anywhere remotely close to downtown (say within 10 miles) you're going to be living in a hi-rise. I've never been too fond of hi-rises.

That being said, living in the 'burbs means a lot of families. If you want something affordable near young people you're probably going to get some old apartment near a noisy L train.

Alan

Better yet, why don't you live in a tent in a cornfield near a remote Metra station. That's even cheaper and you can still ride the Metra in to work.

Alan, that advice is just plain asinine for a single 20 something.

The Good: Pizza

The Bad: Weather

The Ugly: Women

Why don't you just scrape a bunch of pigeon shit into a coffee mug, add water, microwave, and drink it. Then you'll know how living in Chicago is, it sucks. Fat slobs, cold, wind, piss poor running. Move south, anywhere, Arizona, Florida, Texas, California, Alabama, anywhere but Chicago.

listen to this man!

Pigeon Shit wrote:

Why don't you just scrape a bunch of pigeon shit into a coffee mug, add water, microwave, and drink it. Then you'll know how living in Chicago is, it sucks. Fat slobs, cold, wind, piss poor running. Move south, anywhere, Arizona, Florida, Texas, California, Alabama, anywhere but Chicago.

The truth has been spoken.

Chicago residents will try to justify their living there (even though they know it sucks) by proclaiming Chicago an "international city" or "cultural hotbed".

Chicago is not this at all. Rather it is a giant ugly sprawl in the bleakest region of the United States, the Midwest. It is flat for miles, uncomfortbly humid in the winter, bone-chilling cold in the winter. Add in that it is overpriced, the only affordable areas are crime-ridden, and it's really a no brainer. You are a fool to move to Chicago.

Go South or West my friend. Steer clear of the bleak upper Midwest.

uncomfortably humid in the winter? I mean, I live in Milwaukee, and I sure wouldn't describe the winter as humid. Maybe it's different down in Illinois.

what a minute wrote:

Runningart2004 wrote:

I once considered moving to Chicago and this is what I found out via various online resources and friends:

Live in the far western 'burbs. It's cheaper and if you work downtown you can just ride the L or Metra in.

If you're going to live anywhere remotely close to downtown (say within 10 miles) you're going to be living in a hi-rise. I've never been too fond of hi-rises.

That being said, living in the 'burbs means a lot of families. If you want something affordable near young people you're probably going to get some old apartment near a noisy L train.

Alan

Better yet, why don't you live in a tent in a cornfield near a remote Metra station. That's even cheaper and you can still ride the Metra in to work.

Alan, that advice is just plain asinine for a single 20 something.

You're probably right, I haven't been 20 for about a decade so my wants and needs are a little different. I don't see how people can live in Old Louisville and the Highlands area of Louisville either, but those are big places for the young 20 year olds to live so what do I know. It seems like the older you get the further and further you want to be away from the center of the city. Maybe that's just me. Find me a tree and call me a hobbit.

Alan

midwesta wrote:

uncomfortably humid in the winter? I mean, I live in Milwaukee, and I sure wouldn't describe the winter as humid. Maybe it's different down in Illinois.

Of course I meant in the summer smarta**. Your "wit" doesn't make up for the fact that Chicago sucks. And Milwaukee isn't much better.

Chicago is too humid in the summer, so he should move south?

You're a hell of a meteorologist.

Wow, the classic letsrun thread.

1) Someone asks a question.

2)Others ask for more details.

3)several legitimate answers are given.

4) Know it all (in this case Alan) tries to act knowledgeable but posts something dumb.

5) He get ripped for it

6) 14 year olds take over the thread by saying everyone and everything sucks based on their depth of life experiences.

I grew up in the city, Rogers Park, lived there until I was 30. Best move I ever made was leaving. Communting on the L sucked, the weather sucks (both winter and summer), the traffic sucks, the parking sucks. Good things include restaurants, museums...and that's about it. I won't tell you where I moved to because we're already getting too many people coming here, we don't need any more. Good luck.

Before I moved to Chicago I had to drive for an hour to and from work everyday. I'll take commuting on the El over that anyday.

Summers here are not that bad. I've lived just about all over the country and it's really not that hot or humid here compared to other places.

First off, don't live in the suburbs. I don't care what anyone tells you. Your young and there's nothing to do past midnight out there. There are plenty of good looking girls in the city. Lincoln Park is a great area(near the beach). Tons of bars and places to eat. Rogers park, i don't suggest. Unless your financially tight. There are some bad parts around there, but rent is darn cheap.

Wicker Park/Bucktown is a great area too, be sure to check it out. Wriggely is nice too. Lots of fun, plus your near boys town, got to love watching boys holding hands.(j/k)

I would get a 1 BDRM, or studio in lincoln park, you'll have a blast(unless you got a roommate). good luck

Chicago is a very young town that best suits people in their 20s-early 30s which is perfect since you are right out of college. After you hit 35, you feel VERY OLD in a place like Chicago. Mid 30s is generally the time when the acting like you are still in a fraternity gets stale and people start to grow up and move out of the city.

As far a places to live, Lakeview and Wrigley are your best bets to find a cheaper place to live. Right out of college, you won't be making hte money to live in Lincoln Park, Old Town, or Gold Coast areas unless you have a roomate. I would not recoomend anything north of Montrose. Rogers Park is dangerous and don't move there.

Weather does suck here in the winter and the summers are hot and humid.

Running the lakefront path is where you'll run if you don't have a car. Running it can get very boring day in and day out. Hook up with a running club and you can probably get rides to some of the burbs and trails.

No commnent on the women. You'll have to be the judge of that if you move here.

I wouldnt go live in Lincoln Park or Lakeview unless you are going to have roommates to help out with the cost. There is definately more of a frat/meathead vibe in that area but some people are into that. as far as runningart saying youll live in a highrise anywhere within 10miles of the city...yeah, hes an idiot. Roscoe village prices along with lakeview keep climbing so i would definately look into north center/st. bens/lincoln square/ravenswood areas. They all bleed into each other but its bascially 2000west(1.5miles to lake) and 3600north(addison) and goes to probably 5000north now since foster seems to be building up but then you head into andersonville which is also a cool little area.

Before moving here just know that theres much more than lincoln park and lakeview. There are so many other cool area under the radar that are being built up.

as for runninng---there are 2 pretty good tracks, the lakfront path is great in the summer(yeah yeah its packed but great scenery) and if you have a car your 30min away from some of the best trails in illinois( waterfall glen and lilttle red schoolhouse.....).

Lastly, runningart has been dispensing terrible advice since the tnfmedia.com days. At least we dont have to listen to his 3 daily runs and babble about qualifying for the trials now

I've lived in Chi my whole life...traveled all around the world and it's without a doubt the best city in the world. I grew up in Ravenswood. Now I live in Lakeview w/3 other roomates. It's not too expensive. $675/mo for a very nice place.

I hear Ukranian Village is nice. Seriously.

Now, is that $675 a month per person? Rents in Chicago, New York, etc are just mind boggling. I can show you the best apartment community in Louisville and rent a 2 bedroom $800-1000 total. Every time I've browsed the rent ads for Chicago the cheapest ($5-700) are mostly old, ugly buildings, with no central air. Find me an apartment community in Chicago less than 20 years old.

Also, I call any apartment building more than 3 stories a "hi-rise". Just my own terminology. Chicago doesn't have a lot of "apartment communities" that I'm used to seeing, they have a lot of "apartment buildings". That was the point I was trying to make.

I don't see why people like living in old ass buildings that have been cut up into "apartments".

Alan