effex: Dream a little bigger (Dream a little bigger)
[personal profile] effex
I'm seriously considering moving to Chicago at the end of the year (with the understanding that winter is a terrible time to move anywhere) - my lease will be up, I've sworn to quit my job come November, and I need to get the hell out of Texas. Chicago seems a good fit for needs both practical (a large city, not too expensive, with a good public transit system) and sentimental (I was born in Aurora, IL).

So, anyone here from Chicago? And willing to let me pick your brain? I have questions and a lack of contacts in the area.

Date: 2011-05-31 05:58 pm (UTC)
talitha78: crappy icon (Default)
From: [personal profile] talitha78
I live in Chicago. There're a lot of fangirls in this city. :)

Date: 2011-06-02 12:49 am (UTC)
talitha78: (like_cheap_wine metropolis)
From: [personal profile] talitha78
1.) Public transportation is pretty great all over the city. I don't know anything about the suburbs, though. Also, it takes a while to get from point A to point B because if the sheer size of the city, so depending on where you get a job, you want to factor in a commute time. For example, I live in the Ravenswood area and I work downtown, so my commute is about an hour each way. I recommend the North side of the city over the South side, but only because that's what I know.

2.) It depends on what you're looking for and how much experience you have. I've known people who've been looking for over a year, but they're recent grads and are looking for entry-level. If you have specialized experience, it could go much quicker. I was only unemployed about two months when I got laid off last November.

3.) It's freakin' cold in the winter. If you don't like cold weather, do not come here. Ummmm. What else? Cost of living might be a little high, depending on what part of the country you're coming from. If you have a car, parking can be a bit of a hassle, and gas prices are the highest in the nation. Other than that, it's awesome. I love it here.

Date: 2011-06-02 12:52 am (UTC)
talitha78: crappy icon (Default)
From: [personal profile] talitha78
Oh, duh. You said you don't drive, so ignore the stuff about cars. *facepalms*

I don't drive, either, and I have absolutely no problem getting anywhere I want to go.

Date: 2011-05-31 09:39 pm (UTC)
thedorkygirl: (Default)
From: [personal profile] thedorkygirl
Try [personal profile] copperbadge. He, at least, writes a fabulous blog. But he's also just...literate about his home. I think if you contacted him, read him, whatever, you'd get a good idea of Chicago :)

Date: 2011-06-01 01:48 pm (UTC)
thedorkygirl: (Default)
From: [personal profile] thedorkygirl
I've been lurking him for years - he's such an interesting person! I remember first finding him when I was in high school, so wow! Must have been six, six and a half years ago!

Date: 2011-06-01 01:48 pm (UTC)
thedorkygirl: (Default)
From: [personal profile] thedorkygirl
Wait...make that seven! I'm older than I thought!

Date: 2011-06-01 06:47 am (UTC)
shrift: high heels (Default)
From: [personal profile] shrift
I also live in Chicago! And I will try to answer questions.

Date: 2011-06-02 03:52 am (UTC)
shrift: delirium (delirium)
From: [personal profile] shrift
1) Like [Bad username or unknown identity: talitha78"] said, public transportation here is pretty extensive, and although I hear the Metra is good for getting back and forth from the suburbs, you're beholden to their schedule. I don't own a car, and I get around the city easily.

The Red and Blue L lines run 24/7 (and thus are often more crowded), so neighborhoods along them can be convenient. Lincoln Park, Lakeview, Andersonville, Wicker Park, Bucktown, Logan Square. I don't spend much time on the south side, so all I really know is that most cab drivers won't go all the way out to Hyde Park.

2) Man, I don't know. I think if you've got experience, you should do okay. Lately I've had recruiters calling me, and I haven't been in the job market since 2008.

3) Chicago has all the seasons, sometimes in one day. Sometimes the winters are mild, and sometimes you get the snowpocalypse. Although its Windy City nickname came from politics, it is, actually, pretty fucking windy. It's a big city with a small town feel, and I run into people I know frequently. Um. Tourists. There are many of them. We have a great music scene and tons of great food. The recycling system is pretty terrible.

Date: 2011-06-03 11:42 pm (UTC)
colorblue: (Default)
From: [personal profile] colorblue
Am in the suburbs currently, where public transport sucks, and you definitely need a car to get around. In the city, for the most part it is awesome, though if you live in certain places such as the Southside, you will probably be dependent on buses that are iffy at best. Also, no one I know has had a difficult time finding a job, but the people I know who've been looking recently are in finance & computers, and I don't know whether that would carry over to other fields.

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