I am possibly looking to move to Chicago.

Question

can anyone that lives there tell me some of the highlights. how windy is the windy city. is it unbearable. is the winter weather severe. are the people friendly. right now i live in phoenix, az. its blazing hot out here during the summer, but the winters are awesome. how is the cost of living?

Answer 1

The cost of living in the city is actually pretty reasonable if you look in the right place.  Of course living in Lincoln Park, Wrigleyville or Old Town can get expensive, but just a bit further out in Ravenswood or Lincoln Square...those are great affordable city neighborhoods.

The breaking point for you would be the winter, so come out when we're at our worst and see if you can stand it.  Personally I love the winters here in the city...you just have to stop giving a c**p what you look like and wrap up.  I work at a hotel and people come in from Arizona and complain about how cold it is when you still see Chicagoans wearing shorts outside.

Answer 2

well.. its not called the windy city because its windy.. you shoudl do some research.

anyways.. it is really hot in the summer and really cold in the winter.. most chicagoans are used to it.. but it migth take you a year or two to get accustomed to the weather in the winter, scince you are coming from arizona

people are mostly freindly, but it is a big city, you will find all kinds of people

and the cost of living depends on where youlive,, if you are going to live in lincoln park or down town, it will cost more, for a cheaper cost of living try a suberb or somewhere that is not so close to downtown

Answer 3

I moved to Chicago from NY about a year and a half ago, and I'm really happy. I'm a city person, and love that there's so much to do, but I also love that I live in a neighborhood further North of downtown because it's a little more residential and quiet.

As far as weather, the Windy City is actually a political reference, but it IS very windy. As in, I don't wear skirts or dresses often because I've had one too many Marilyn Monroe moments. But in the spring and summer, it's beautiful here. It does get hot in July and August, but I'm sure it's nothing like AZ. The winter's are brutal. I'm not going to lie. I'm sure we have it better than the North Pole, but it does get really cold here, not to mention the wind makes it worse. It doesn't snow a lot (I'm coming from central NY where it snows a TON, so take that for what it's worth), it's just the coldness that makes it bad.

Cost of living for a city is great, I think. Definitely much better than Manhattan, that's for sure. We live in North Center (about a 40-minute commute from downtown via the El) and we pay $1500/month (no utilities included) for a two-bed, one bath, washer/dryer in unit, separate living and dining rooms. However, of course, the closer you are to downtown, the pricier it gets, and the further north you go away from downtown, the cheaper it gets. Prime areas for people who don't NEED to live super close to downtown are Lakeview/Roscoe Village. A two-bed would average you about $1200-$1300 for something decent, probably $1500-$1800 for something nice.

Another popular area further north than we are is Edgewater/Andersonville. That's probably just short of an hour commute to downtown (maybe less), but you can get a LOT for your money, there, and it's very cute.

Chicago is a great city. It really is. The people are friendly because it's the mid-west. There's a lot of culture and a pretty good theater district. We have Wrigley Field, and even if you don't like baseball, like myself, it's such a cool, fun place to catch a game. I love how the city is broken up into neighborhoods. Each one is unique and has it's own feel. I'll always be a NY girl and may even move back there someday because that's where my family is, but I'm having a blast in Chicago right now.