Reviews & Comments
Chicago, IL
re: Chicago not for the outdoor enthusiast - 4/12 -
3/9/2014OMG-you are right on the money. The cost of living will leave you living paycheck to paycheck. I'm very athletic and outdoorsy, but gained 18 lbs from being stuck inside all the time-either freezing cold, or so muggy and hot that I would be soaked through my tee-shirt within 5 minutes of being outside. Don't move here-you can do better almost anywhere else. Not a friendly city, even the suburbs over overlit at night so there is no night sky. Yuk! So glad I got out of there, so glad!!!!
Chicago, IL
re: CHICAGO - 1/9/2014 -
3/9/2014You are soooooooooooooo right-not worth moving here for all the aforementioned reasons!!! You will spend all your paycheck on cost-of-living and spend inordinate amounts of time huddled inside your apartment/home b/c the weather is sooooooooo cold or hot.Don't move here!
Chicago, IL
Never move here -
3/9/2014I wholeheartedly agree w/ Terrance's viewpoint(1/9/14). Chicago is a miserable place to live-I lived there for 3 1/2 years,met a few great people, but for the most part it is not a friendly town. The temperature extremes from winter to summer will leave you gasping for air. Chicago is rated 8th in the nation for obesity. If you love to shop and eat,and battle horrendous traffic, then this may be the place for you. If you like to lead a more interesting, and varied life, with some semblance of nature, and nice people around you-go elsewhere!!! Even my best friend turned rude and arrogant and nasty once moving here. It's not a nice city-go elsewhere...you have been warned!
Chicago, IL
High crime, really horrible winters,high obesity r -
1/28/2013Just not for me. I have met some very wonderful people, but in general not the nicest city...and I've lived in several. This is the only city where men have flipped me off or yelled, f--- you out their car window b/c I'm not driving as fast as they want me to(and I always drive at least 5 mph over the speed limit). The skyline is pretty under the setting sun, and there are some nice parks, but this is the most aggressive city I have ever lived in. And the winters are brutal. Cost of living is extremely high. Really consider your lifestyle and what you want before moving here.
Scottsdale, AZ
Arrogant/artifical people and frighteningly HOT -
3/2/2012Scottsdale is way overrated. Some of the people are egotistical, pretentious and overly concerned about appearances(eg; their BMW or SUV or their ripped waistline or their huge, ostentatious house). The neighborhoods are like ghost towns b/c it is so HOT that everyone stays inside or sit in their back yards under their awnings w/ their automatic
'misters' b/c it too hot to swim in the pool. The general population often look weathered and wizened and much older than their stated years d/t the never ending sun. Look at other states that have much more to offer in way of housing, climate and activities.
Naperville, IL
Don't move here -
3/2/2012It is not a nice place to live unless you love strip mall after strip mall and lots of traffic-especially SUV's- riding your bumper even though you're already 10 mph over the speed limit. The winters are brutal(this one and only was an exception) and when it is warm enough to venture outside everything feels damp-in all the seasons. Houses that would sell in other states for 200,000 are in the 1/2 million price range here. The Riverwalk is overrated and there is really nothing to do downtown except eat. Chicago is rated #8 in the country for obesity probably d/t the plethora of restaurants and the lesser amounts of green space and hiking trails. There is an occasional fabulous neighborhood but for the most part, Naperville is overcrowded,over-built and overrated.
Chicago, IL
re: Brrrrr! - 7/25/2011 -
10/27/2011Traffic sucks and Chicago is rated 8th in the country for obesity-thaat's because everyone drives. Horrible city,congest...I'm out of here!!
Chicago, IL
re: Chicago & surrounding suburbs - 1/25/2011 -
10/27/2011I totally agreee w/ everything you say. i wish I never moved here and am looking to et out ASAP. Oh, I'm on Prednisone and antibiotis for my asthmatic bronchitis and sinusitis that has never gone was y since I've been here
Phoenix, AZ
re: Ugly,barren , very brown w/ little greenery an -
7/25/2011 Re: DUH. Excessive heat depletes seratonin levels. It appears your seratonin levels have been depleted.
Sedona, AZ
Nice place for vacation! -
6/23/2011I was only here for a vacation but did find the hills and natural beauty very restorative and rejuvenating. My friend and I went for a 2 hour hike(the Airport Loop) in the hills and I felt like I had reconnected w/ a part of me that was lost. The air was so fresh and clear and the night sky was stunning! I was so relaxed during our hike that I took off my shorts and hiked in my undies b/c the air was so refreshing...then my friend did the same thing. We have the best memories of Sedona and hope to return next year!
Lake Placid, FL
re: Wonderful warm weather year round - 7/20/2006 -
6/23/2011Hi, can you be more specific on what you like? I'm from the north and hear stories about high humidity and heat and gigantic bugs in FL. What are the housing and the neighborhoods like? What do people do for recreation? Thanks!
Cleveland, OH
The suburbs and people overall are pleasant and fr -
5/23/2011It is true that Cleveland is one of the few cities in the world that get the " lake effect snow". But the upside to that is if you bundle up and venture outside,the streets are beautiful under the soft glow of the streetlights, the trees are draped in lacey white veils and a peacefulness descends upon the once bustling neighborhoods. The spring/summer/fall months are often beautiful in their varying colors and activies. And the Metroparks system is unlike any I have ever seen in any other city. My daughter Brynne and I would walk among deer,beaver and geese(North Chagrin Reservation) or bike/rollerskate and sit beside the waterfalls(Berea Reservation) and always have a fabulous time. The city is easy to access compared to other big cities and is quite easy to get around,traffic-wise. Berea on the west-side is an excellent place to raise a family and there are really quite nice suburbs on both sides of town. The art museum and Cleveland symphony are second -to -none and Cleveland supports all major sports teams for you rabid sports fans. The restaurants are fantastic and we are one of the few cities w/ our own Iron Chef(Michael Symon-Lola's and other restaurants) and of course Sololowski's University Inn-good Polish/American food served cafeteria style in what looks like like an old Bavarian inn from days of yore. Have you tried their homemade peirogi's dripping in melted butter or their savory mushroom soup? Even a former president of the USA stopped to eat there on his campaign trail. Also,The housing is affordable. And where else can you live that you stop at the local CVS and Matt the manager comes out from behind the counter to give you a hug(Richmond Rd and Mayfield) or you return something at Giant Eagle and they apologize to YOU(Cedar Rd and Richmond). You can find some of the best doctors here and they are quite friendly(especially at Huron Hospital). Give Cleveland a try. Just bundle up in the winter and make sure you have warm boots that keep your feet dry! Oh! and try Heinen's grocery store(Cedar and Green) w/ some of the best(organic and other) produce and, of course, that fabulous mid-western friendliness -that I'm finding many cities lack.
Phoenix, AZ
Ugly,barren , very brown w/ little greenery and HO -
5/23/2011If there is any redeeming feature to Phoenix it is not readily apparent to the naked eye. The heat is oppressive and it is quite hot from April to October...hot in the morning,hot all day and even hot when the sun sets. We walk at night hoping to escape the heat and return in sweat drenced clothing because it is so hot. And then 7AM the next morning it is still as hot as before. The heat kills just about everything except some cacti. Forbid placing any pet outside or attempting to grow a garden for the heat just kills everything(unless you can afford continual irrigation). And the depressing barren, brown mountains, where again, nothing grows? Sedona is a good 2 hours away but if you need greenery,soft cool breezes and exhiliarating hiking,then you need to make the trek. Overall,Phoenix depresses the heck out of me. I need a place where there is some rain and things can grow and your pets don't fry outside. I'm out of here.
Scottsdale, AZ
A place to visit but not to live -
5/19/2011This area is one of the ugliest I have seen in my life. Yes, there are small areas of greenery and perhaps a few flowers but for the most part the heat kills everything but the cacti. April still gets hot(up to 104 degrees) and in May you wait for the sun to set so the air will cool off,but it never does get cooler. The summer months are oppressively hot and if you're on a diet that is great because the heat can make you feel nauseous most of the day unless you stay inside. Then there's the constant sun...rain is healthy and rain is good for the earth and for people and plants and yet it almost never rains. Driving on the highways you have a constant headache as the intense sun reflects off the concrete,the cars in front of you,the cars in back of you (where I have to flip my rearview mirror to night vision to block the glare) and this is w/ sunglasses on. Oh, and the surrounding brown mountains where not one thing grows? Depressing,barren and desolate.
Scottsdale, AZ
re: Top 7 reasons to live and invest in Scottsdale -
5/19/2011Are you in Real Estate? You sure sound like it. Sedona is beautiful. Scottsdale and surrounding areas are unrelentingly hot,brown,exceedingly hot,very little greenery,ugly surrounding brown mountains and oh, did I say hot?
Chicago, IL
Very cold and sooooo much traffic and lights and s -
1/21/2011To be honest I have been here just short of a year. But there is sooo much traffic,even in the suburbs. And this is the only city I have ever had men flip me off for not moving my car fast enough out of their way or even calling out,"Are you f---ing stupid or what?" for not seeing their SUV come at me while I was walking across a parking lot to a store. I love hiking and know how to bundle up and layer but the cold and wind is truly forcing me to stay indoors for most of the winter as it blows right through everything you wear. The housing is very expensive as is the cost-of-living. I came from another city but was so surprised to find so little green space here and such an abundance of shops, strip malls and more shops. And there is more light pollution in the suburbs than I've seen in any other city. My friend says to give it time but he also says he is out of here in 2 1/2 years when is medical residency is up.