Living in Chicago?

Travel Info
I might be living in Chicago next year and would like to know how the life is there.

the weather, people, shops, restaurants, cities, food, anything about there.

Travel Tips

Let me give you the bad first because there is so much good.

If you are dependent on your car and don't think you'll be able to give it up, don't move here. Traffic is terrible and getting worse all the time.

If you want warm weather we have some of that in the summer, but Lake Michigan keeps things cool. There can be as much as a 20 degree difference in the suburbs at times. As for winter: "...let's leave Chicago to the eskimos...that town's a little bit cold for you and me, babe." - from the song "I Love LA" by Randy Newman.

You'll laugh at the news and the political bs that goes on here in the People's Republic of Stroeger. Don't get me started on the foie gras ban.

People are a little cold but that is true with many big cities with a lot of people and crowds. There are also very friendly people, they're just a little harder to find at times. Be open to then and often times they'll warm up to you, or at least not tell you to go to hell like pre-Giuliani New Yorkers would.

But, all of the things you mention above are wonderful. Yes it can be an expensive city but you truly do get what you pay for. If you like theater I'm willing to bet we're second to New York for that. The city has many wonderful festivals and concerts right in the city.

I'm an architect with kids. I want to live in the city because it is so beautiful and historic. The schools are improving but still not great. I live in Glen Ellyn because of the more affordable housing, proximity to the Metra commuter train, and GOOD SCHOOLS. So I can't recommend the city if you have school-aged kids unless you can afford a provate school or REALLY do your research to see if they qualify for a charter school. Many of my neighbors are ex city dwellers that married and had kids - a good school became the priority.

And if you ever need to get to the countryside it's not that far away -- Wisconsin to the north, Indiana Dunes a 1.5 hour train ride away.

A very diverse city with a lot of culture and opportunity. Name an ethnic group and they have a presence here, Chinatown, Polish, Ukranian, Italian, Irish and so on. Crime yes, but not enough to not live here. Many bad places in the city have seen a renaissance. We hope you make the move here -- we think you'll be glad you did. Source(s): Three years of living in the 'burbs and eleven years of admiring the place from Chesterton, Indiana (an hour outside of da loop)

Other Travel Tips
Chicago is great city to live in. Weather is a little crazy here though. Just three days ago it was 77 degrees, now its 30 and it could snow.

The people are like anyother big city, some are rude, some are very outgoing. The Shopping and Restaurants are second to none because there is so much diversity here. Did you know Chicago has the second largest polish population in the world besides Warsaw?

The music is also great....jazz, blues, indy rock, its all here.

You should come and visit before you decide to move.
The weather sucks but Chicago has world class museums and world class restaurants. The people are friendly for a big city and most neighborhoods are OK except for west of Kedzie all the way to Oak Park.
Chicago is a good town, I like downtown, but the weather sucks ( i hate snow), we have good museums, Lincoln Park Zoo (which is the ONLY zoo that is always FREE) and Lake Michigan is great and so is Navy Pier, I love chicago!!It depends on what part of it u live. If u live in the ghetto, then it's not that good, but it has a lot of nice parts, and u'll love downtown. The sears Tower, the John Hancock, and more!!Ohh yeah there's Soldier Field(the Bears football stadium) and The Field Museum, and yeah, it's great, and so are a lot of kool restaurants (but u need $$$ for that, if u want 2 eat in the fancy ones), so ya. good luck, i'm sure u'll love it!
Well, I lived here all my life, 22yrs, and cant wait to move to florida next year. Truthfully, Chicago is very exspenisive. A good one bedroom in the lake view area is about 1,100$ sometimes more. The ghetto is exspenive too, I had a small one bedrom for 700$ plus utilities.
The weather is good in the summer. The long winters are horrible. Think grey, wet, and freezing. My mustach frooze this winter.lol,
Shops- we have lots of malls, the better malls, are in the suburbs, old Orcherd in skokie, Woodfield, in Schanumberg, and of course we have the trendy shops downtown on the "magnificant mile"
Restaurants= Well, we are known for our food. Fantastic. The pizza, the hot dogs, Italian, greek, mexican, puerto rican, u name it.
The best time in chicago. Is summer time. The lake front is nice, and our downtown is happening, with the taste of chicago, fireworks, navy pier, lincoln park zoo, milineum park, the air and water show. U will luv the summer. The winter is the most depressing time of our lives. Be prepared for costly living and cold long winters. And crime, Chicago has a crime problem.
Chicago is the place to be, weather is a little flippy but other than that it's cool. I think people are fairly the same, you know speak when spoken to. Which can sometimes make them jerks. The streets are easy to learn I was 6 when I ran away and did that, 'n' to this day I can walk the city blindfolded and remain safe. Dining is the best new shops opening almost every month and making front page news. If you are coming alone choose the near south side while it''s still cheap that's my area. I'll tell you what use to be 75k is now worth 300k and I'm still not selling. That's basically it