If you live in Chicago... ?

I'm moving to Chicago end of 2007. Just curious, I grew up in Florida and am used to the warmth. What is Chicago like? How long are the winters? How harsh are the winters? Is it a good place to live in your opinion...? Just tell me anything about the city, if you live or have lived in or around Chicago...thx

If you live in Chicago... ?

Chicago is probably one of the cheapest cities to live in because it's clean and accessable with good public transportations to many of the neighborhoods in and outside the city and you'll find that Chicago is very diverse with at least more than 100 different ethnic groups ranging from African American to Greek and more than 120 different languages and dialects spoken from Spanish to Lithuanian. The winters vary by year and over the last maybe 5 years the winters have been pretty good with the exception of a couple cold snaps, but all you have to do is be prepared and here's a tip stock up on your basics such as laundry soap and food because just in case you can't get out to buy anything you got it all right there and it saves the trouble of lugging bags into the house. Rent varies by where you live in the city such as if you lived on the Gold Coast where most of the city's elite and wealthy live you could pay upwards of $2500 or more. Most neighborhoods like Wrigleyville(named for the venue where the Chicago Cubs play) and Lakeview rent can go from $450-1200, but that's charged by individual landlords and management companies, and you're strongly advised to get a couple roommates to share the rent with so it's inexpensive and there are services that you can pay a small fee for or for free to help you with the screening of appropriate roommates. Most of the neighborhoods are nice from north to south, but we do have a few that are not the best and are strongly suggested to steer clear of because of the high levels of crime and violence. There's a lot of great places to eat at in and around the city whatever your taste is there's a place with your name on it. I would suggest these places for good Chicago style pizza Giordano's, Edwardo's, and Leona's (one of the only original authentic italian restaurants that's a chain and is family owned). Home Run Inn is another good place for pizza as well and is also family owned. Johnny Barleycorn's in Wrigleyville is a good place and the food is really good.You won't see a lot of mom and pop places too much anymore since many have closed down over the years since the city is changing and many families are also moving out of Chicago so many have choosen to close their buisnesses rather than to be driven out by conglomerate stores like Wal-Mart and Target.

There's also a very diverse and culturally nightlife with many clubs to suit one's taste, but I would suggest incorporating other activities such as movies and plays since the club scene gets old very quick and can get boring when you see the same line of people going to the bars every week which is a routine thing here since some people find it fun to drink to excess and waste money bar hopping, but you can find a lot of great things to do around the city and if you get a group of friends together it's even more fun. Always try something new because it's what makes Chicago fun when you do new and interesting things. There's boat rides you can take and there are tour companies that do them up and down the Chicago River during the spring, summer and early parts of the fall. There's also carriages you can rent for an hour at a cost of $60 to go riding around downtown and it's even more fun at night when you can share the ride with a special someone which is considered really romantic by natives here.

The shopping is wonderful here and if you got your own personal style or knack for that specific designer many well known designers from Ralph Lauren to Versace have shops downtown along Michigan Ave. which is dubbed the Magnificent Mile and take a trip to Navy Pier it's also a happening place there too in the summer and this is also one of the spots to see after you go to Millenium Park. If you have a car you can take an hour trip to the north into Gurnee where Gurnee Mills outlet mall and if you want to go another 20 mins north into Kenosha WI there's also another outlet mall, west to Joliet(it's pronounced JO-LEE-ETTE-it's been known that natives of this western suburb of Chicago get annoyed when people mispronounce the name) there's also an outlet mall. Chicagoans also go to Michigan City, Indiana to the outlet mall. We have 7 major malls around the metropolitan Chicago and suburban areas from Evergreen Plaza to Woodfield.

If you want to I would suggest you come for a week visit to experience Chicago I would do that and use that time to check out apartments and talk to people and get different opinions and you will come across a select few who's way of thinking is still in

the days of the Civil Rights movement, but you will find that a lot of Chicagoans are quite friendly and very open. Dating in Chicago is kind of hard because of the segregated mindsets of some people so you have to work the dating scene to your advantage by meeting like minded people who are open minded and who have no problem with associating with people of all ethnic backgrounds. Job market is probably the best for those who are in the health care or business market, but you have to really nail the good jobs early on because at certain times of the year college students are applying for them.

Overall I have to say living in Chicago is the best and I wouldnt trade any other place for it.

If you live in Chicago... ?

I've lived here all my life.....the winters are cold.....be ready for drastic temperatures, for example today it is 65 degrees and tomorrow it's supposed to be 25 degrees.....I like living here because I've never lived anywhere else so this is all I know.....good luck!!

If you live in Chicago... ?

It is a great place to live!!

The winters can get real cold and the summers can get real hot. Right now it is unseasonably warm though. I haven't had to break out my winter coat besides for like 3 days so far.

There is plenty to do during both the winter and summer. We are pretty close to Michagen where you can go sking and in the summer there is everything from volleyball to baseball!!

Just make sure you are a White Sox and Not Cubs fan!!

If you live in Chicago... ?

I don't live in Chicago, but I also moved from a warm climate to a cold one, and it can be quite an adjustment. One of the most important things is to learn how to dress properly, which doesn't necessarily mean wearing a lot of sweaters. The other big adjustment is to the light (or lack thereof) during the winter months. You go to work in the dark and when you get out of work it is already dark again. Sometimes you need to find ways not to get depressed. Just try to enjoy the whole four-seasons thing. Go somewhere pretty in the fall to see the color changes in the leaves, stay in and watch a movie having a cup of hot chocolate in the winter and try to force yourself to do some outdoor activities like snowshoeing, skiing, sleding, etc. I don't think I've answered your questions, but I hope it helps. Good luck!

If you live in Chicago... ?

i've lived in chicago all my life, and i visited florida this past march. so let's see about the weather difference. well, chicago has like 9 months of winter and 3 months of construction season. the winters aren't too bad...just cause we haven't gotten snow. but weather is very unpredictable here, just because one week it might be around the 30's and the next it can go up to the 70's. it's strange, but i guess it's fun. summers are hot and humid but not as bad as florida, that's for sure. we got great spring and fall seasons though. a lot of the people who moved from another state to chicago says this place is the best. there are a lot of things to do also a lot of diversity so that you can experience other cultures (china-town, greek town, indian town, korea town, etc.) a lot of museums, theater, comedy shows, bars, clubs, restaurants, and sporting events. transportation is easy cause of the trains and cabs..but parking is sure expensive~! and i wouldn't suggest to live in the city, maybe just right outside of it like north suburbs such as evanston. overall, it's a great city, personally i'm just bored with it. best thing to do, come and visit and check out the place and do non-touristy things so you can the whole picture. good luck~!!

If you live in Chicago... ?

Chicago is a fantastic city , the winters are not that bad , its an experience I think you will enjoy , lots of things to do , the roads are easy to travel on and regardless what you have heard the people are very friendly ( Honest ) I have lived in Chicago all my life.

If you live in Chicago... ?

I think it depends on where you live in a city. If you are more of a suburbanite, you might want to stick to the north side, where there is less traffic/congestion, but still lots of shops, good transportation, and a close walk to the lake. I personally like Andersonville, or Evanston. Lakeview is a popular area with younger people and has lots of nice shops, gyms, restaurants, but is a little crowded. It's probably easiest to find an apartment there. It might be a good place for starting off in the city, and then from there you can explore other neighborhoods you like. Living near the lake is a plus, especially in the summer. You'll have a balance of both urban/city life with the more quiet/serene/natural...Everything is in walking distance, so you can ditch your car without missing it. I'm glad I did

If you live in Chicago... ?

The weather is very random and weird with very cold winters. For example, today there were thunderstorms and it was about 60 degrees. Tomorrow and the next day were supposed to get a foot of snow and have highs in the low 30's.

If you live in Chicago... ?

Chicago is a beautiful city and the weather is only lousy in the winter. Fur coats are big and a means of survival, despite the PETA movement. It was ranked by Forbes Magazine as 6, for Alcoholism as they love their bars, cigarettes and booze!!! Generally speaking it is a working mans town. The shopping is great, but the mid western is conservative and not a fashion forward person. Being connected is important in Chicago either by family or heritage. For example Mayor Daley appointed a Lawyer as his Fashion Council head and a Realtor as his Film Commission Head, GO FIGURE? Unions are strong, so expect to wait for politics to dictate any move you make and keep a lot of cash handy for payola. Marriage laws are some of the worst in the Country and Indited is a common in Politics and a everyday topic in the Newspapers. Gov. George Ryan, 72, was convicted in April of public corruption charges stemming from the 12 years in which he was governor and secretary of state

The architecture is beautiful, they bus tourist in who are graze Michigan avenue on the weekends. The typical Chicagoans leave on the weekend to vacation in Wisconsin and Michigan. It is America's 3rd largest city, so downtown is cultural and exciting.

If you live in Chicago... ?

Yesterday was 65 degrees, now it is 26 degrees with 6-12" of snow expected in the next 24 hours. This is Chicago.