Chicago City Living for 20-30s Somethings Only

I hear Bridgeport is nice. Aren't there yards there?

Lived in Chicago and after a while you feel trapped, even if you do have a car.

Was good for about 5-7 years but then it becomes boring.

City living is no way to live your life.

city dweller wrote:

I'm in my early 30s and have a decent sized condo but can't see myself living here when I'm 45 years old. Lived in Chicago since my early 20s.

City living is no longer appealing. You can only run the lakefront so many times. You can only ride the CTA and el so many times. I've been to all the bars, clubs and restaurants.

Chicago city living is for the 20-30s crowd. At some point you want your own front yard and a living space to call your own. Having neighbors (both upstairs and downstairs) makes it seem like dorm living at times. They make noise and cook foul smelling food.

Why would anyone over the age of 45 still want to live in the city of Chicago?

Unless you're single, I've never seen much point in living in the city, even at 20-30. A train or driving to the city is easy enough when you want to visit. I like my space, being able to drive and find a parking spot, being able to afford a decent sized place, and all the other luxuries the 'burbs provide.

Why would anybody want to live in the Midwest?

Tight living quarters drove me out of the city.

Why would anyone blow $300-500K on a tiny living space? Ok if the value goes up, you make money on it when you sell. But you have to live there for a long time to make an investment.

Don't be fooled:

CONDO = fancy name for apartment with inflated rip-off price

LOFT = fancy name for partially unfinished apartment with inflated rip-off price

Urban living does not go well with running. I don't know how anyone can stand living in NYC/Manhattan. Central Park is great but that is all the "green" there is in Manhattan.

city dweller wrote:

At some point you want your own front yard and a living space to call your own.

They have single family homes in Chicago.

Amazing how people here go through life with blinders on, seeing only the things that conform to their narrow view of the world.

random a hole wrote:

They have single family homes in Chicago.

Single family homes in Chicago start at $1 million plus. But yes, you are correct there are single family homes in Chicago.

Charris wrote:

Amazing how people here go through life with blinders on, seeing only the things that conform to their narrow view of the world.

Could you elaborate on that?

asdasd wrote:

Unless you're single, I've never seen much point in living in the city, even at 20-30. A train or driving to the city is easy enough when you want to visit. I like my space, being able to drive and find a parking spot, being able to afford a decent sized place, and all the other luxuries the 'burbs provide.

I can understand not wanting to live in the big city, but I can't imagine choosing to live in the suburbs. Small cities and towns provide all of the benefits that you mention, but also provide a living situation where you don't have to get in your car and drive somewhere every time you want to blow your nose.

I enjoy urban life. I can understand how people like small town life. I can even see the allure of rural life. I just don't get the allure of suburban living, though.

Urbanite wrote:

I just don't get the allure of suburban living, though.

City living is a financial drain. If you live in a city, you have a higher cost of living with little left over to save for retirement. People move to the suburbs because it is more economical.

City living is cool only if you are ultra-rich and can afford a big home or condo in the city and can build up a long term savings for retirement.

single family homey wrote:

random a hole wrote:

They have single family homes in Chicago.

Single family homes in Chicago start at $1 million plus. But yes, you are correct there are single family homes in Chicago.

Wrong.

city vs burbs wrote:

City living is a financial drain. If you live in a city, you have a higher cost of living with little left over to save for retirement. People move to the suburbs because it is more economical.

City living is cool only if you are ultra-rich and can afford a big home or condo in the city and can build up a long term savings for retirement.

Right. Like I said, though, small town life offers the same affordability without the drawbacks. What I'm saying is that if I was not going to live in the city, there are a lot of options I'd consider before living in the suburbs. Those are just my preferences, though. To each his own.

Urbanite wrote:

Right. Like I said, though, small town life offers the same affordability without the drawbacks. What I'm saying is that if I was not going to live in the city, there are a lot of options I'd consider before living in the suburbs. Those are just my preferences, though. To each his own.

I love the 'burbs. Bike paths everywhere to run on, parking is never an issue, I can drive to the city in 30 minutes (can't do that in rural), and it costs considerably cheaper than the city. I guess the biggest difference draw to the 'burbs over a rural local is the ease of access to the city.