Destination: Chicago, Aug. 2008

[artsfartsyjanet]

Hello, I'm planning to move to Chicago (not sure where in or around the area), but that's where I'm going to be for the next year and a half or so. Does anyone here live in Chicago? Just curious. :smile:

[lethal]

eos and TB are in the area.

[eos]

yes. i do live here. i would be happy to answer any questions you have.

[TB4000]

Hello, I'm planning to move to Chicago (not sure where in or around the area), but that's where I'm going to be for the next year and a half or so. Does anyone here live in Chicago? Just curious. :smile:

Yeah, eos can hook it up. I'm mostly downtown just for work lately since I'm in the midst of moving into a new place, but if I can be of assistance, you know the deal.

[cloudzero]

move here for what? just so you know, its blizzards and heatwaves ONLY. theres nothing in between

[yoMAMA]

move here for what? just so you know, its blizzards and heatwaves ONLY. theres nothing in between

dude, i would move to chicago just for the pizza.

Yeah, eos can hook it up. I'm mostly downtown just for work lately since I'm in the midst of moving into a new place, but if I can be of assistance, you know the deal.

wii party at TB's house!
:wink:

[eos]

chicago-style pizza isn't all it's cracked up to be.

unless lots of dough and sauce is your thing.

[SunWuKong]

Chicago is a pretty cool city. but i don't know if Midwestern culture is really for me.

[DragonKnight]

Hello, I'm planning to move to Chicago (not sure where in or around the area), but that's where I'm going to be for the next year and a half or so. Does anyone here live in Chicago? Just curious. :smile:
...good grief, you move a lot. :tongue:

[cloudzero]

so exactly what are you looking for in chicago?

[TB4000]

Chicago is a pretty cool city. but i don't know if Midwestern culture is really for me.

It's mostly suburban lifestyles. You got the haute couture on the east coast, the too trendy for the room a-holes on the west coast, and you got us in the middle...trying to do both, but failing miserably.

[cloudzero]

^ havent i seen you some where before?

[deez nuts]

Chicago is a pretty cool city. but i don't know if Midwestern culture is really for me.

I agree. I've visited Chicago extensively in the last year or so because I was entertaining job offers there. Nice city to visit but I wouldn't want to live there. However, I would choose Chicago over any major city in the west coast.

[raacluse]

I was just in Chicago this past weekend.

I was going to a conference around McCormick Place.

Didn't know there was an earthquake until others mentioned it, at the conference.

I think there's a big art fair starting tomorrow.

Before I left, I checked out a small exhibit of Asian street fashion (Jpnz & Korean) at Columbia College and took in a film at the Siskel ctr. (part of the Asian American film festival).

Also checked out the chinese american museum in Chinatown.

Chicagoland is the best place for hot dogs!

[TB4000]

I was just in Chicago this past weekend.

I was going to a conference around McCormick Place.

Didn't know there was an earthquake until others mentioned it, at the conference.

I think there's a big art fair starting tomorrow.

Before I left, I checked out a small exhibit of Asian street fashion (Jpnz & Korean) at Columbia College and took in a film at the Siskel ctr. (part of the Asian American film festival).

Also checked out the chinese american museum in Chinatown.

Chicagoland is the best place for hot dogs!

So you met eos then.

[Napoleon Chynamite]

Can someone tell me the difference between Midwest culture and East Coast culture (and in comparison to West Coast culture)? I've never been to the Midwest and I was still in middle school when I went out to DC and NY so from that standpoint it's still a mystery. All I hear about it is that it's more uptight, conservative, life is faster-paced, etc. All I remember about NY is that it was crazy and I don't understand how or why anyone would decide to get used to life there. All in all, big metropolises (metropoli?) like NYC or Tokyo are intimidating and I'm pretty much a country boy when it comes down to it.

[TB4000]

Depends on where you go in the midwest. If it's a big city, it can be pretty overwhelming and fast-paced, the suburbs are more relaxed. They claim we're nicer here than the people on either coast though..not as fake either.

[Craig]

Depends on where you go in the midwest. If it's a big city, it can be pretty overwhelming and fast-paced, the suburbs are more relaxed. They claim we're nicer here than the people on either coast though..not as fake either.Not hanging out with Chad & Trixie in Lincoln Park ?

As far as Midwest generalizations for Napoleon, people over here get up earlier in the day, go to sleep earlier, have more of their activities focused around their family (are more likely to actually have families), they watch TV less than their coastal peers, people are more conservative, pro-America, more likely to live in houses, are less concerned about work, less greedy, don't care as much about impressing strangers, don't care as much about what's going on outside the USA, wages are lower, education levels are lower, less crime & violence, less concern about social causes, more "traditional", more likely to do more little things concerned with their life (auto/car upkeep, yardwork, personal accounting, etc.) than those on the coasts who are going to pay for other people to serve them, etc.

[eos]

chicago is the biggest city in the midwest.

if you think nyc is too fast paced, or the west coast is too laid back and don't want to live in the boonies, we are the place.

also, if you like fatties, we got lots to choose from.

[raacluse]

So you met eos then.

Nope. When I asked about someone fitting her general description, I got, "oh we have some part-timers working on weekends"

Yeah, I happened to swing by on a Friday. Guess it's normally closed during the week.

[Napoleon Chynamite]

Not hanging out with Chad & Trixie in Lincoln Park ?

As far as Midwest generalizations for Napoleon, people over here get up earlier in the day, go to sleep earlier, have more of their activities focused around their family (are more likely to actually have families), they watch TV less than their coastal peers, people are more conservative, pro-America, more likely to live in houses, are less concerned about work, less greedy, don't care as much about impressing strangers, don't care as much about what's going on outside the USA, wages are lower, education levels are lower, less crime & violence, less concern about social causes, more "traditional", more likely to do more little things concerned with their life (auto/car upkeep, yardwork, personal accounting, etc.) than those on the coasts who are going to pay for other people to serve them, etc.

Lower crime rates really? So all the things I hear about Chicago and Detroit are just misplaced stereotypes?

[eos]

too late. i left last month. now my sister works there on saturday.

pretty sure we're the murder capital of the universe. it's printed in our brochures and part of the city motto.

[SunWuKong]

Chicago's got a pretty nice Chinatown. it's no Manhattan or Flushing. but it's not too inundated with tourists and tourist shops (but matter of opinion, i guess), and it hasn't been gentrified yet.

[eos]

it's getting there. a crap house in chinatown costs more now than it did a couple of years ago. this is why 10 families will squish themselves into a house made for 1 family.

[artsfartsyjanet]

**Inhale**

Wow, what a difference a few days makes. I've been busy finishing up projects for the semester. I personally don't think I move a lot, but that's relative, isn't it? =) I lived in St. Louis since I was born, moved to Miami for about 2 years for grad school and work, and now, it's time to say good bye. There's a lot I will miss about this city, but I grew up in the Midwest, and I don't mind it. I don't care too much for having a fast-paced city life, but I do love hanging out in the city since most of my friends live in the city and work at RUSH, PWC, and some smaller cap companies in the IT industry. A lot of my friends in Chicago now were people I knew when I was an undergraduate in St. Louis. They're all over the place. I will most likely live in Schaumburg or Hoffman Estates, which swings between suburban and urban, but not nearly as urban as downtown Chicago. Correct me if I'm wrong my Windy City'ers! lol.

I'm sure I'll have more questions in the future as June approaches. I'm still deciding whether I should ship all of my stuff there or just sell everything? I prefer to sell everything and start new again in Chi town.

When I lived in St. Louis, I used to go to Chicago a few times each year to visit some friends of mine. Last time, we dined at Joy Yee's in Chinatown. I heard there are a couple more Joy Yee establishments.

I don't know how to define Midwest life. I can only compare my experiences growing up in St. Louis with the limited time I've had here in Miami. The most recent visits in the West or East Coast would be in NYC and San Diego, which was probably over 3 years ago. I suppose I can attempt to compare my visits to Chicago too but again, it is only a perception.

My frame of reference is from living in St. Louis most of my life. To me, the major difference is the diversity. If you want diversity, this place is pervasively diverse. It doesn't matter where I am in a public place, or on an elevator with someone, predominantly, someone is speaking either Spanish, French, Russian, Creole, or German. Asian people are highly spread out and tend to be in either the very north part of Miami or in Fort Lauderdale. Miami is known as Miami-Dade County. Fort Lauderdale, which is the immediate neigbhor, is in Broward County. I got carried away with the geography. Oh yes,... differences. Driving styles are definitely different. According to some statistic, Miami is #1 in road rage, but from hearsay of people from L.A., I am a believer that L.A. is #1. What do I know... I've never seen car chases nor seen someone flick me off on the highway in either city. But compared to St. Louis, Miami definitely has no trouble honking people at all. It is normal... very normal. I've unfortunately succumbed to such behavior as well so maybe I won't have a problem transitioning to Chicago, but I might have a slight problem when I visit my parents back in St. Louis. I may probably leave an impression to be more polychronic with respect to time versus my parents who are monochromic—irrespective of time. Overall, St. Louis is definitely slower-paced than Miami. From my experiences in Chicago, New York City, and San Diego, St. Louis’ pace is slower compared to these cities. Personally, I like to have both worlds at my reach, and I think given my personal needs—proximity to friends and family and access to the city and the suburbs—Chicago fits my lifestyle.
Of course, what I will most about Miami is swimming in ocean water that’s usually between 75 to 82 degrees fahrenheit, kayaking on the bay, biking in a state park that’s only 5 minutes away, driving to the beach that’s only 5-10 minutes away, and pleasant temperatures all year around. I won’t miss the threat of hurricanes. That’s for sure, but luckily, **knock on wood** I haven’t encountered a major catastrophe. Ask me again later. Hurricane season begins June 1st. I will be in Miami during this window of risk for 2 remaining months.

I’m not looking forward to the wind and snow in Chicago especially after a 2-year “sabbatical” in Miami. LOL. But I don’t plan on living farther than 3 miles from work either. Ideally, I’d like to walk or ride my bike to work during the early fall, spring, and summer months.

**Exhale**

move here for what? just so you know, its blizzards and heatwaves ONLY. theres nothing in between

I've lived in St. Louis most of my life. I'm used to it. The wind will be my biggest enemy.

The "Save" button doesn't work right now. I just wanted to edit this sentence but I think all of you will get my point anyway. "I suppose I can attempt to compare my visits to Chicago too but again, it is only through limited experience."

"What I will miss most about living Miami is the warm ocean, bla bla bla...." I like to omit words subconsciously when I type.

[cloudzero]

Wow its good that you been here before. You know what you are getting into. Maybe if you get here some of us YWer Chicagoans can grab some msg glazed foods from Joy Yees.

[artsfartsyjanet]

Can someone tell me the difference between Midwest culture and East Coast culture (and in comparison to West Coast culture)?

Well, it depends where you are in the Midwest, but St. Louis overall tends to be more conservative than Chicago, and definitely a lot more conservative than Miami. =) Chicago is larger in scale, but I think there's a nice mix between conservative and liberal views there. In St. Louis, a lot of people tend to be more concerned with what high school you go to which is sad to me, and I find it annoying when someone asks me that question, especially someone in St. Louis--not that anyone outside of St. Louis would ever ask that anyway. Whereas in Miami, people are more concerned about what college you attend-- FIU, University of Miami, Nova South Eastern, Barry, etc. I think the same is for Chicago. I definitely agree that St. Louis lags behind in education, but in terms of scale, Miami is definitely not quite up to par either. In Florida, in addition to taking the ACT and SATs, every student has to take the FCAT, which is Florida's way of measuring students' achievement according to the state's standards. It's administered from 3rd grade to the 11th grade. Students can't graduate with a high school diploma without passing this test or they don't get a certain score. In St. Louis, we don't have such a test. If I did, I'd be hecka pissed because it's just one more thing in my way.

[SunWuKong]

In St. Louis, a lot of people tend to be more concerned with what high school you go to which is sad to me, and I find it annoying when someone asks me that question, especially someone in St. Louis--not that anyone outside of St. Louis would ever ask that anyway. Whereas in Miami, people are more concerned about what college you attend-- FIU, University of Miami, Nova South Eastern, Barry, etc. I think the same is for Chicago.

people ask you what college you're at probably because you are in grad school there.

these days usually people ask what i do for a living.

[artsfartsyjanet]

people ask you what college you're at probably because you are in grad school there.

these days usually people ask what i do for a living.

In St. Louis, after undergrad, I worked here for another 5 years or so, and a lot of people still tend to ask what high school I went to especially if the professional speaking to me also grew up in St. Louis as well. It seems that high school affiliation stands out more in St. Louis culture than it is in Miami.

The locals here hardly (from my experience) ever ask each other what high school they went to in a professional setting because as far as they're concerned, high school doesn't mean much. It's where you went to college, what you do, and what position you are.

This is merely a general perception. Not everyone asks me where I go to high school in St. Louis, but a lot of the people who have grown up in St. Louis, graduated from a high school in St. Louis, and/or encounter anyone from St. Louis after college or in the workforce, will tell you that this question comes up a lot.

[eos]

please don't compare schaumburg/hoffman estates to the city. they are nothing alike. there is nothing urban about them, just street after street of strip malls and chain restaurants. the only reason i go out there is for woodfield and ikea.

[artsfartsyjanet]

I know they are nothing alike. If I said that, then that was an honest mistake, and I rescind that statement. I know Schaumburg and Hoffman Estates is nothing like the city. Where did I say that?

[eos]

I will most likely live in Schaumburg or Hoffman Estates, which swings between suburban and urban, but not nearly as urban as downtown Chicago. Correct me if I'm wrong my Windy City'ers! lol.

this part just stood out. that's all.

i think the only place where it would be safe to walk or bike to work would be in the city or city-burbs, like evanston or oak park.

[artsfartsyjanet]

I plan on living less than 5 miles from work. If I take my friend's place, it'll only be a block. =)

[j&j2]

chicago-style pizza isn't all it's cracked up to be.

unless lots of dough and sauce is your thing.

That's blasphemy!!

[Craig]

Lower crime rates really? So all the things I hear about Chicago and Detroit are just misplaced stereotypes?I've never been to Detroit. However, if I were to judge Chicago against Los Angeles, or San Jose / San Francisco on the west coast, or New York / New Jersey, or Washington D.C. on the east coast ... Then yes, I would think that Chicago has less crime. At the very least, I would feel that I would be less likely a victim of crime in Chicago. Perhaps this is partly due to the high costs of living in the other areas, and my perception that I could afford to live in a safer area for my buck in Chicago. I know crime occurs in all cities, but in flyover land you can price yourself out into a much safer area without too much difficulty.

[cloudzero]

Lower crime rates really? So all the things I hear about Chicago and Detroit are just misplaced stereotypes?

i think its JUST detroit. they made fun of the city in "scary movie 4", where it looks better after it is attack by the tripods from war of the worlds. and don't forget the ron artest brawl, that really showed the true nature of the ppl of detroit. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puqC-Zu9D5w

[deez nuts]

I read the issue of Men's Health Living and Chicago is #68/100 on the best places to live for men and Detroit is #99/100. You can apply the above research finding along with the long standing fact that the worse place to live for men is usually the best place for women to live. So you should consider relocating to Detroit.

http://www.menshealthliving.com/upgrade/LOCATION_LOCATION_LATS2.shtml

[cloudzero]

maybe cuz more men = more chances more women
and less chances for men?

but then you end up with this garbage: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m75g_A731q0

[eos]

i know lots of blasphemous folks then.

also, it's COMISKEY park, not "the cell" or "cellular park". how ridiculous does that sound? and if your address does not include "chicago", you do NOT live in chicago, stupid suburbanites.

sorry. just can't stand weekenders who invade the city and dirty up the image of city folk.

[raacluse]

...Not everyone asks me where I go to high school in St. Louis, but a lot of the people who have grown up in St. Louis, graduated from a high school in St. Louis, and/or encounter anyone from St. Louis after college or in the workforce, will tell you that this question comes up a lot.

Hmm. Is that because St. Louis tends to have less transients or out-of-town students and relocated workers than other cities?

i think the only place where it would be safe to walk or bike to work would be in the city or city-burbs, like evanston or oak park.

It's only when I read a newspaper article after I returned from Chicago, that I found out that 26 people had been shot the weekend I was there.

[artsfartsyjanet]

Interesting. In St. Louis, we have various counties within the St. Louis metropolitan area, but the suburban locals always refer to where they live as St. Louis whether they're from North, South, or West County, but some might specify what county. To people not from St. Louis, they'll just say they're from St. Louis as well. There are distinct cities and cultures within each county, but there's always been a connection to the city of St. Louis from a cultural, social, and economic point of view.

It doesn't matter to me whether I say I'm from Bridgeton, North County, or St. Louis. It doesn't really make a big diff because the differences are understood. However, I can understand if locals don't specify what county they live in because the culture is different between the city and the suburbs, but within that, there is also that identification/connection with the metropolitan area that strengthens the community.

If I lived in Schaumburg or Hoffman Estates, I'd probably tell someone who is not from Illinois that I live in Chicago. If I know they are familiar with the area or live anywhere in the Chicago metropolitan area, I'll tell him/her Schaumburg/Hoffman Estates or in the Northwest suburbs or whatever. lol.

In Miami, I live in the City of Aventura, which is in Miami-Dade County. The metropolitan area is even bigger because it includes Fort Lauderdale and the surrounding areas in Broward County. There is a strong connection to the whole as much as there is appreciation for the distinctness there is within each city/county/village. Aventura, Florida has its own culture from downtown Miami, but for someone not from here, I just say I'm from Miami. It doesn't really annoy me. It's more for simplicity purposes, and usually, I'm too lazy to explain where it is in Miami unless asked.