Chicago, IL Reviews

Fun city. High crime rate and cold winter - 2/13/2017
I've lived in Chicago for about 3 years.
It wasn't bad at all. The city as pros and cons.

Pros:
Good public transportation. You basically can survive without a car.
A lot of opportunities for professional growth.
A lot of fun places to visit.
Beautiful downtown, Lake Shore, Boystown.
Gorgeous Fall.

Cons:
High crime rate and a lot of shootings.
Cold, long, gloomy winter with a lot of snow.
Parking during the winter almost doesn't exist.
The city is pretty expensive.
Lack of nature.

After living there for 3 years I can't say that it's quite my place to live. I had a lot of fun there, yes but the lack of sunshine and the nature affects you in a negative way.

The city left a negative impact on my personal life but it really no the city's fault.

You can save a lot of money on not having a car and using public transportation.
 Read More

A city bent on destroying itself - 8/22/2016
I am a 52-year-old professional. I was born and raised in Chicago, have lived and worked here my entire life, opened a business here 30 years ago, and have operated that business ever since. I also have many clients who are city business owners.

Chicago was always 'rough', a vestige of its frontier origins. But it was, traditionally, also an excellent place to do business. The one-time 'City of Big Shoulders' had a wide and diverse economic base, a multitude of cultural accouterments, and was generally well-managed.

No more. The last 30 years, and particularly the last 15, have been disastrous for Chicago. During the dot-com 1990s and the early-2000s real estate boom, the City was awash in tax revenue. The city squandered all of this revenue on sweetheart deals with well-connected political cronies, and vastly expanded public commitments. No debt was retired - much more was, in fact, taken on. And no funds were retained for a rainy day. Politicos Read More

Lakeshore East - A Gem to Consider - 2/4/2016
There's a lot to say about the general quality of life in Chicago, but after living here 11+ years, I think the secret to the best possible quality of life is to live somewhere with a south-facing exposure, with a view of the lake and Grant Park/Millennium Park—preferably a higher floor.

To those moving to Chicago or even neighborhoods within Chicago, I'd take a serious look at the Lakeshore East neighborhood just north of Millennium Park—a truly hidden gem. A bit "sterile," yes, but also beautiful and quiet, and oh-so-close to the Loop. I think your quality of life in Chicago is very much impacted by your access to the Loop/downtown. LSE is pricey but I think living in a smaller place is worth it in this case. Where else in the city can you walk through a gorgeous park on the way to the grocery story every day (the Mariano's in LSE is amazing!)?

I've had a terrible experience living in the middle of the Loop. The noise is incredible and nonstop, and there Read More

Chicago - Don't Move Here if You Like Nature and A - 1/9/2016
After living in Chicago for 11 years, in a variety of neighborhoods—Gold Coast, Roscoe Village, Lincoln Park, South Loop, and the Loop—I can definitely say I have a pretty good grasp on the city. I'm a thirtysomething business owner.

Speaking for myself, I find Chicago a very difficult place to be happy in, so hard, in fact, that it's had a negative impact on my health and actually triggered real depression!

This message is mainly for sensitive people who might be affected by climate and the lack of access to nature. I find that there aren't too many of "us" in Chicago, that those who are here moan about it but they're just the type who aren't "affected" by these things as much. I get that.

For the rest of us, consider the fact that there are whole months where the sun sets before 4:30 p.m. Speaking for myself personally, as soon as daylight savings time kicks in, something goes haywire in the brain and my sleep starts getting affected. Read More

My Experience - 9/8/2015
I have lived in Chicago for 14 years and Chicago has been good to me, but I am now looking to move. It is a big city so my experience is all I can offer. I am a 34 year old single female who has lived on the north side. Why do I want to move? 1) I will never be able to afford to buy a house here. I have been renting and working hard to pay my rent for years. Buying a home here is very expensive and not an option for me even though I pay $1000/month for a one bedroom apartment. 2) There is hardly any nature or outdoor activities. Yes, there is the lake which is jam packed with people and some forest preserves if you drive a bit, but on a daily basis all I see is concrete. It is the concrete city. Outdoor activities are street festivals. 3) The people are superficially friendly if you are in a setting to talk to them, they are not friendly on the street and from my experience almost everything revolves around alcohol. In 14 years I have managed to make 2 friends who are Read More

weather - 7/14/2015
Winter is too long and too cold. Not as bad as Wisconsin (Milwaukee is usually about 5 degrees colder) - by a few degrees, or Michigan (Ann Arbor or Dexter) but in the Read More

High Cost of Living - 3/5/2015
I am a 26 year old black male who was born on the south side of Chicago, and raised in the south suburbs of Chicago. I went away to school in Michigan for my undergraduate degree, but moved back to Chicago for employment. I currently am studying to obtain my Master's degree, and will be graduating in June of 2016. I have known Chicago my whole life, and it's time for me to make a change. Don't get me wrong, I love Chicago but the time to move is approaching.

Chicago has become too expensive to live in a good neighborhood, and even then there is still too much crime for my liking. I currently live in the South Loop, which many would consider a "good neighborhood." The rent for a 1 bedroom in the South Loop is $1450 or above. That is ridiculous if you ask me. That's not including all of the extra utilities, such as electricity, heat, cable/internet, and parking. Jeez parking is so expensive here. I pay $125 a month just to park my car in a secure lot behind our Read More

Chicago - 1/17/2015
I have lived in Chicago for five and a half years. Here's my opinion of Chicago.
It is not the suburbs. It is a completely different place. It is the best of cities and the worse of cities. You can have a great time and have a terrible experience all in the same day or night. Example Have a great time going to a concert @ a small neighborhood bar, take the train home and have a terrible encounter or encounters with homeless trash all in the same night. You don't just live in Chicago, you experience Chicago. Boredom is never a problem here, the problem is There may be too much to do and also being able to afford it. Chicago is not a friendly city most of the time. it is amazing how most people act like stone cold introverts for the most part. It is a lot harder to connect with people in Chicago than it is in the suburbs or other places. To sum it up You have to open minded and a lot of times have an attitude to survive and thrive in Chicago. This city is not for everybody! You Read More

Chicago - 1/10/2015
Cost of living is high, if you're in the city. The suburbs are reasonable, but mostly for families and not well suited for a young urban hipster or Read More

Chicago vs Pittsburgh vs Boston - 8/31/2014
My wife and I are trying to choose the best city to live out of Chicago vs Pittsburgh vs Boston. We like European-style cities and urban life very much. We would love to be able to go about our daily life without needing a car. What can you guys tell us about the following topics:

- Walkability
- Public Transportation
- Crime (for us it’s of upmost importance to find a safe zone free of murders, guns, school shootings and drugs)
- Family friendliness
- Friendliness of its inhabitants
- Educated and cultured people
- Gentrification of the city
- Political moderation (the less polarized the better)
- Good schools
- Diversity (the more diverse the better)
- Cost of living
- Cultural scene (art, jazz music, classical music, pop music, theater, musicals, dance performances, restaurants, stand-up comedy, zoo, children’s museums)
- Parks and green areas
- Possibility of day and/or weekend trips (to Read More