So, I recently have had the opportunity to relocate to Chicago from LA. I have lived in California my whole life, the LA area, and frankly, I am soooo over it. My parents recently moved to Hoffman Estates and have been begging me to move out there. So, I am stuck, because I love being near my family and I want to get out of here but I am not sure if Chicago is any better for me in terms of job outlook, meeting people, etc. Any suggestions, advice, please! I need it bad!
Move to the Wrigleyville, Lakeview, Lincoln Park area and I_m guessing you_ll love it as far as the social aspect of your live here. Plenty of people to meet, plenty of restaurants and bars right outside your front door, lots of activities (sports and recreation in the parks, street fairs every weekend in the summer, etc.)
As far as employment, it depends on what you do for a living. If you have a _career_, you_ll have to check websites like Monster.com or Careerbuilder.com to see what_s available here. If you_re just looking for any old job, you can probably find something, working in a restaurant (there_s a new one opening every other day), a coffee shop (same as the restaurants), etc.
Yes, the winters can be kind of rough, but you get used to it pretty fast. Just bundle up as if you_re moving to Alaska (kidding... sort of). You don_t really need a car since we have some pretty decent public transportation.. when it stays on the tracks. The cost of living doesn_t have to be that high if you know how to shop for a bargain. Most people trudge line robots to the big grocery stores, but if you shop around and the smaller ones you find better deals. The big stores tend to gouge you. There are cheap clothing stores like Marshalls, TJ Maxx, H_M where you can find designer stuff at cheap prices. There_s cheap entertainment like comedy shows for $5, live bands almost every night of the week playing in a bar somewhere, the free street fairs (well, almost free... most charge about $5 to get in).
It_s probably best if you visit for a week or so to see the city in the day and night. It_s a big place and there_s a lot to see.I think you will be in for a serious culture shock. Obviously the weather is a huge difference ( have you ever experienced 10 degree weather?), but it is much more than that. It is an old, cold city and not clean. I also had the same opportunity a few years ago, my company based in Irvine was bought out by a company in Chicago and they offered me a job there. After thinking about the lifestyle there, I declined and moved to Florida. Now I pay less than half as much for real estate, have no state income tax, and walk around in shorts and flip flops in the middle of winter. If I were you, i would stay where you are and just visit your family once in a while. There are plenty of non stop flights from Cali to Chicago.Do what you want, what type of field do you work in because there is a ton of opportunity in Chicago. The weather sucks compared to LA though. Be prepared to deal with cold winters. Like I said though do what you feel is right and if that_s moving to Chicago. GO FOR IT!Job market is very tight right here now. Weather sucks compared to LA and Hoffman Estates is an over grown trailer park. not the nicest suburb by any means.
that said - give it a try!I would visit first but in my opinion, northern Illinois is a craphole.We regret moving to Chicago from Florida, and are actually now contemplating moving to Southern California or back to Florida.
Chicago is a very ethnocentric area. The people/media really believe that the world revolves around Chicago. They don_t like people from California too much (or New York for that matter) so be prepared for a lot of people to just snub you.
I agree with the person who moved to Florida. Chicago is WAY too expensive to live. However, you should be use to expensive things being in California.
I hope you have a crappy diet, because all you_ll be bombarded with here is fatty deep dish pizza, italian sausages, anything polish, brats, etc. etc. etc. You will gain weight moving here. Oh, and forget about getting fresh seafood, it doesn_t exist, and the seafood around here tastes like an oil refinery.
A previous person mentioned 10 degree weather, try more like NEGATIVE 30 degree wind chills. If you want to know what that feels like, go into your sewing box and take all the needles and stick them into your cheeks. That_s what it feels like.
Overall, unless you have a job lined up that will pay 6 figures, don_t bother moving here. Perhaps you can go visit your parents for a solid month and really get the feel of what Chicago is all about. For some strange reason, a lot of people do like it here. And as I always say, you_ll never know unless you try. Just don_t make a hasty decision.Have you had the chance to visit? If not I suggest you take a couple weeks off, come to Chicago and get a feel for the place. Some people will just love it and some cant stand it, especially warm weather folks.
As someone whose lived in Chicago I personally dislike LA and all of southern california. I felt like I was on a diffrent planet and was completely out of place. I_d never want to move there. Might go the same way for you but the other way around.
The weather will be a lot diffrent than your used to but you_ll actually have a change of seasons which a lot of people enjoy. The winter can be brutal. This last winter was the coldest in over two decades so its really not a good comparison, so on average expect freezing temps with lows from 0 -10 F and occasional windchills dipping into the negatives. The teeth chattering -30 has only happen like 2-3 years in my whole life. But hey, at least you get snow!
Much of the city around lincoln park can be fun to visit and live in if you can but to be closer to your parents I_d recommend Schaumburg, Elk Grove, or Itasca for fun shopping, close to transportation and stuff to do and also close to where many large companies are located.
The job market is a little tight right now but its tight across much of the city. I was let go from a job 2 months ago and was able to secure a new and higher paying job within a month so its not that bad depending on what your career is in.
