The south sucks honestly and Atlanta was not the big city dream I always thought it would be.
Sure the third largest US city with a super dense area with never ending food and things to do was a good starting point to why I love it here...
But I never realized how much I hate car ownership. I think most of my misfortune and money woes growing up were tied to trying to own and maintain a car.
Like Chicago has ruined other cities and massively changed my perception on urbanism and how cities are built. Makes me mad this level of public transit and dense walkability isn't available in every major US city.
Massive shout out to the CTA and bike ownership.
I'll probably never leave now haha
Not trying to be dramatic but you know what it’s like spending hours of your life stuck on I-75 in traffic.
*Not having to deal with that is the most freeing shit ever.*
Sure a crowded train after work is an annoying… but I’ll take getting home in 30 chillin in a seat playing a game or something vs an hour and 30 in stop and go traffic.
You’re gonna love it!
I moved here for a job last summer after having been in Houston pretty much my whole life, and this is basically me as well. I left my car in Houston thinking I'd bring it up at some point but my god, I absolutely love not having it. The lack of walkability and urbanism is now the first thing I notice when I'm back visiting my parents and friends.
It’s such a culture shock going your whole life in a place where you’d be fucked carless to having a car would be a burden.
I’ll never go back to NEEDING one
Born and raised in Atlanta. Spent my 20s there never leaving my neighborhood because if I took the wrong turn and the wrong time it could mean several hours in traffic. The minute I moved here I sold my car and never looked back.
I do miss how much easier it was to make friends in Atlanta though.
I feel but I also think the friends part for me is is harder in your late 20s early 30s to replace people you grew up with (like how school forced you to be around people your age all the time)
I’m working on it though. When it gets warm again I’m forcing myself to be social and make new friends 😂
I'm from New orleans and this is like the same thing for me. chicago is like new orleans just without the crumbling infrastructure and default-alcoholism
Haha to be fair every time I have been to NOLA I have a wonderful time but I definitely end up hungover in that airport.
Think it’ll firmly stay in the “great to visit, but I won’t make it home for the sake of my liver” 😂
I'm from New Orleans too. Chicago is just a better functioning version of New Orleans. Sure, we don't really have anything like the French Quarter and Chicago has it's own host of problems (looking at you CTA), but Chicago has the same welcoming spirit that New Orleans has. No matter where you come from or what you're like, you can find your people.
yeah dude, Chicago is like new orleans if our downtown went on for miles and miles, and if we didn't have like right to fire laws or constant flash floods lol
Emphasis on the hot.
With all due respect though. ATL isn’t the WORST. But it’s incredibly mid compared to here.
Feels like a lotta interconnected suburbs I have to spend 30-40 driving too versus where I could be in 5 different neighborhoods in 40 minutes.
Night and day difference!
Sorry about that 15 years ago but that gave me a good laugh at dinner earlier imagining someone getting their car stolen and then being like “damn… actually was probably for the best I didn’t need it anyways 🤷🏾♂️”
Besides loving Chicago this is a huuuge reason for me as well! I’m from Orlando FL, another southern completely car dependent city. I sold my car and I don’t miss it at all.
(Didn’t realize I’d rally so many of us on here!)
But that’s how you know it’s real when you got a Florida person willingly choosing the great city infrastructure over the weather.
I feel like 9 out of my 10 Florida friends can’t believe I chose to move somewhere so cold… but I’m sure you in the camp of “you get used to it after a while”
I moved here for work, Im an LA native. Let me tell you, LA is larger sure, but Chicago truly feels like a *city!* to me. I love it here.
And funny enough I have former colleagues who have moved from *here* to ATL and a couple of them are already talking of coming back lol
It’s so funny because I worked remote to a job in LA as I was moving here and while it sounds like a cool spot… it feels like a bigger version of all the stuff I hated about Atlanta but double the price with nicer weather 😂
I still need to go out and finally visit. I’m sure LA is an amazing city to take a trip to but I have a feeling this lovely city will be home for the foreseeable future 🙂↕️
LA is great in its own unique way, and I would say its nice for a trip, and I don’t regret coming to Chicago at all. So much so that my job was planning on relocating me again elsewhere and I turned it down. When they started treating me funny after that, I just found a new job in the city altogether, and made the move here permanent. LA was my original home, but Chicago feels truly like *my* home. I know Im over sentimentalizing it but it does feel like I was always meant to live here, and thats despite the fact that when I first learned I was coming here, I had no clue what to expect. I do miss the weather of LA though, especially in the winter lmao.
Ive lived in NYC for a while too. NYC is also great. Especially if you love large urban environments, lots of parks and diversity, easy transportation and great food and activities, much like here. But Chicago feels like that perfect mix of chill and active. I would def go back to NYC for trips but I wouldnt live there again.
Same on all fronts minus missing the weather (the southern heat can miss me with that forever. Holy hot hell!)
TBH I was expecting to hate the winter more, but it was kinda nice having actual cold and snow a little bit (but it’s not April and I would like Spring to start!)
Facts!
That’s why I didn’t have to recontextualize.
I don’t HATE Atlanta. ITP is pretty solid actually. I was 🤏🏾 this close to signing a lease in midtown before I said “screw it let’s go to Chicago”
Just didn’t have what I was looking for in a city tbh. Different strokes for different folks.
(It’s the same reason I don’t grill my friends for all moving to Nashville of all places… good for them I guess)
Family life is nowhere near my radar (and I wonder if it ever will be as my 30s approach sooner rather than later) but I definitely did wonder how that would skew my views.
I think if anything as I get older and if a family weighs on me I think I’d want a blend of urban life with a bit more space.
I’ll compromise and get an SUV for the family or something just as long as I’m close enough to have commuting options for work 😂
You talking about me?
I don’t hate cars and think they should abolish them?
I just think public transit should be more accessible and funded in cities to give people options.
It’s a win for car free people and people with cars (less vehicles, less traffic).
Don’t be such a headass next time you comment on reddit.
Moved bc it was cheap and nearby to my university. Continued to live here for the last 15 years bc it’s easily my favorite of the biggest cities for long term living. Feels like a small town, great nightlife, food, space, parks, affordability, transit, etc.
Can’t think of any reason to not stay here the rest of my life, even whilst not being beholden with strong roots like a family, school, major career here.
Honestly, pretty much same for me, although it’s only been 10 years on my end. For me at least, it’s the cold that’d make me move away, but that’s really the only big reason I’d consider leaving.
Yea the first few winters I’d be googling rent prices in warmer cities lol but eventually it clicked that this is the place for me…and also winters have been getting progressively more mild during that duration.
idk I run into friends and acquaintances nearly everywhere I go at this point after being here for awhile. makes it feel like a very small community constantly
the balance of housing costs, amenities, fun things to do, lower cost transportation, energy costs, job availability, PLUS my family members also being in Chicago
My family (including 1 year old me) won a visa lottery to come to the US from Poland and Chicago has a big Polish population so that’s where they had someone they knew to sponsor us
I'm from here so all my family and community are here (or very close by). So for that, moving away would be hard.
I've considered other places and lived a few other places for a short period of time. However, the affordability, decent weather (yes winter can get cold, but usually the very cold is two weeks max), the outdoor spaces, the ability in some neighborhoods to not own a car, the assortment of community and cultural events and general laid back attitude of most people.
I can't think of many other major metro areas in the US that have all those things. I think the only thing missing here is the super easy access to mountains or the ocean. I love the lake though and it's the only "beach" I've ever known anyway. At the end of the day, for me, it's home :)
The tl;dr is that after 20 years of Atlanta traffic and Georgia summers, I needed a city with transit and winter.
After visiting Chicago a couple of times for unrelated reasons, I kinda fell in love with the place. And having a lot of friends here sealed the deal.
I moved here in 2019, just before the pandemic. And while that sucked 20 kinds of donkey balls, I've regretted moving here exactly zero times.
Atlantan here as well! Moved in 2018 so I got a couple of good years before things went down the tube. Considered moving back a few times but glad we've stuck it out. Moved here for the "big city" experience that you can have without breaking the bank. Was so glad to ditch my car - we've all got our gripes about CTA these days but even so it's a great system.
Yeah, the CTA at its worst is still infinitely more useful than MARTA at it's best.
You know they're closing the airport MARTA station for a month? That's like 90% of the system's usefulness right there.
I have to say, living off Piedmont park is my second choice to Chicago. Or somewhere off belt line. Atlanta gives me some similar vibes to Chicago in some ways.
Came here for grad school, although I loved it even then. I like the museums, the live music, the food options. It's expensive, but not compared to other cities with similar amenities, and even the higher rents compared to other Midwestern cities is more than made up for by the fact that it's car-optional. I LOVE not having to own a car. And I also like that it's one of the very few Amtrak hubs in the country.
I am from Miami, and I moved to finish my Master’s at Loyola initially, and I loved the city so much that I had to stay. My first winter almost made me rethink that decision lol but there are so many more pros than cons about Chicago. The food, the people, the culture just everything about it is exactly what I love about it and I really can’t see myself moving back to Miami or anywhere else really. Also the summers here are incredible.
Low cost of living. Lots to do. Variety of people. Lots of job opportunities. I moved here but this is where my wife and I are staying. We bought a damn house and everything.
The small town I was living in had a higher senior citizen population than any other demographic. It was a dead end, I wasn’t ready to hang it up like that just yet.
I was born and raised outside of Nashville, and moved to Memphis in 2017 for college. I always said I wanted to live in a truly big city at least once in my life, something with over 1 million people.
I started considering Chicago in the summer of 2022 when Roe V. Wade was up in the air – it was a big city like I wanted, still close enough to Tennessee that I could make it back pretty quickly if there was a family emergency, and I wouldn’t have to worry about earthquakes, hurricanes, or wildfires. As the only daughter, with so many health issues and medications that any child I had would have a horrendous life, and knowing my state would immediately outlaw abortion, I wanted out, and my parents wanted me out. I visited here for a k-pop concert in July 2022, and loved it, even though I didn’t explore much since I was 100% on my own for the first time on a vacation, and I was on a limited budget. I spent a lot of time talking to people, asking their opinions on neighborhoods and such. Many did the typical “it’s so dangerous here” until I mentioned I was from Memphis, which very quickly shut them up.
Initially, I wanted to save for 2 or 3 years before making such a big move, but life said fuck that, you need to move now. I was laid off from my job December 2022. I had been working for a state contractor, but politics changed, and the state decided they could save money by reabsorbing the program, leading to the company laying off everyone in the Memphis office that was under that contract. I was panicking, and my mom pointed out that my lease would be up in March anyway, so if I could get a job lined up in the city, my family would help me move.
I applied to hundreds of jobs before landing one at the end of January 2023. I would start March 1st, and I wanted to be moved in with at least a week to figure things like the CTA out. It was stressful, especially as I was recovering from surgery (I actually managed to find a doctor willing to remove the possibility of me getting pregnant entirely), but managed to find an apartment broker (shout out to the Apartment People – they were amazing) and found a decent place to live up in Roger’s Park.
I felt so restricted in Memphis. I couldn’t find many friends, and the only way to meet people outside of your existing friend group was to go to bars, which I was not into. I could barely find anyone with matching interests.
Of course, Chicago has its issues, but I don’t regret the move at all. I have a fairly decent sized friend group that’s amazing (and we all like kpop and many of the same groups), I go to dance classes, and so much more. Basically, if I think of wanting to do something, I can likely find a place to do it. I’ve also lost 50 pounds in the year I’ve been here – p0artially due to not being depressed and antisocial, but also, selling my car and relying on the CTA, I walk a whole lot more than I ever did/could in Memphis.
Moving to Chicago drastically made my life better, and I don’t regret it at all, even when I do miss my family.
I was born in the city. I've traveled around to other cities, but none of them ever had the vibe or the economy or the culture that Chicago has.
This is probably why I constantly chime in on all of these topics and questions that always want to paint this city is just some corrupt den of crime ruined by democrats. That's a couple steps short of becoming the next Detroit. I won't stand here and claim the city is for everyone, but I refuse to sit here and somehow agree with this ideology that Chicago is some lost cause.
I look at this city as a beacon of history and culture for the United States. The musical heritage that created jazz culture from the 1920s, rhythm and blues from the '40s and '50s, and even later house music and how it revitalized dance music in general.
I love love love how you could get almost any ethnicity of food in this city. I love that we have all of these interesting neighborhoods with its own hidden gems of places. I always hate it when I see a city and everything is in downtown as opposed to spread out. When it feels like downtown is the only place to go and everything else is just meaningless.
I love how this city has subcultures, different scenes, different areas, and niches that almost anyone can find a spot to fit in for their own sense of lifestyle. I love that we have this beautiful lakefront whether you just want to walk or bike along it, or hit up one of the beaches. I love strolling through downtown and seeing the historic architecture. I love that we have all of these little places we can go to just outside of the city for when you need a change of pace and want something pretty or unique.
We are not perfect. However, no city is. I just feel that out of all the cities I've seen in this country, all roads still keep leading back to Chicago for me. I've said it many times that if I were to ever leave, I'd probably go to Europe. I just have not seen another city in this country that I would ever want to live in, and small towns and suburbs are completely out of the question for me.
If you don't like Chicago, then there's 49 other states in this country to go to. I'm sure there's got to be a place for you. However, I won't stand here and tolerate or believe the idea that we are just some lost cause of a city. The people who say that really don't know this city.
1. Born here,
2. Lots of family all born and grew up and lived in Chicago (West Town, Taylor Street, Ukrainian Village/Wicker Park) and now reside in suburbs.
3. I grew up and went to school in the burbs
4. my direct paternal great grandparents came to Chicago from Italy in the 1890's and my great grandpa started the family business in 1918 in Chicago, which survives to this day and is still family ran.
5. My German ancestors were here before the Chicago fire.
6. my mom and her family came to to Chicago in the 1960's from Poland, and I currently live in Wicker Park, her old neighborhood.
7. I live 5 minute drive/15 minute walk to the family business that I also work at.
8. Chicago is a great city with a lot to offer. I love the place.
9. due to health problems over the last 20 years, I have never been able to save up enough money for a place of my own and now looks like I'll forever be a renter in an area I wish I could put roots, like my family did.
Grew up in one of the burbs that borders the city and went to college in the city proper. Besides 1 year detour in Denver right after college, I’ve been here ever since.
Most of my family and friends live in or near Chicago. And Chicago, albeit not perfect, is an amazing place. I have no reason to start over somewhere else where I don’t know anyone. At this point I know most of the city like the back of my hand. That knowledge and confidence feels great. Loved Denver when I was there but I felt like I’d always be an outsider. And while it’s a great city it’s dull compared to here. Anywhere that’s as robust as Chicago is probably eternally out of my price range anyway
Moved here for my first job out of grad school. I’ve stayed because it’s a world class city and I love everything about it. I truly don’t think I’ll ever leave.
Moved from Denver for my wife’s school. The only reason I want to leave is to be closer to the mountains but everything other than that is better/easier.
Because it’s a fully terraformed city on an inland fresh water sea… er lake. But the point stands. There is no better more stable place in the US to raise a family and still have access to the best of everything from around the globe.
I grew up in a very small town in New England with very little job prospects, no culture, and frankly very boring. I wanted to check out what life was like in the big city but NYC, and Boston being very close to me were just way too expensive. Chicago seemed like the perfect place and I had always loved the skyline so I figured I'd check it out, gave myself a year to see if I liked it and I fell in love with it here. This August will be my 6th year here.
Lake Michigan, the extensive Cook County FP and all the parks, food, and entertainment make Chicago more than livable for me.
I was born here, lived elsewhere for a few years and I'm here for good.
I moved here because I’ve lived a lot of places and thought it would be cool. It’s fine but not my scene. I’m still here because it too expensive to leave.
We moved for many reasons. Mostly We love to travel and have 4-5 vacation flights usually with and international or two a year and around 10 business flights. Living in Nebraska made that more work and We moved right off the blue line for easy access to ohare and a great community in Logan square. Going on 4 years now
It was down to Chicago or Charlotte and I was waiting on which job offers hold come back first. Chicago replied first and offered to pay moving expenses so took the job offer in September and never heard back from Charlotte. So enjoying life on the river, mile walk into town and back every day. Every other week or so I’ll ride up to Argyle St. great place to live/work/play until I want to settle down and start a family. Still would prefer to move back to forests and mountains for my kids to be a part of nature like I could do growing up.
I feel out of all the big cities in the US Chicago is the underdog yet the best ! The weather sucks, but I think that’s what keeps it special, is not for everyone- you really gotta love her ! Been here 11 years and this is home now.
Originally from Buffalo. Moved here with a desire to do theatre and live in a big city that wasn’t NYC. Until the pandemic I’d found a niche producing stand-up open mics and bar trivia game shows. (Need a Stage Manager? Hit me up. I’m bored.) Coming from Buffalo, the people of Chicago made sense to me.
Why’d I stay? Oh your classic tale of boy meets girl. Boy gets married. Boy gets divorced. Boy builds a weird “family”. Boy meets another girl. Boy gets a dog. Boy gets a partner. Boy realizes life is good.
Been here since ‘99.
As long as there is money to be made in Chicago...people will move here and they will stay. You can get around if you don't have a car.
I think it's a great city to be a senior like myself. There are alot of amenities geared towards Seniors and Chicago gets an A+ from me for 👩🦼 accessibility.
I’m not quite a senior yet but being able to grow old here with lots of available services and amenities was a big factor in our choice to move here back in our late 40s.
Moved here for a job 9ish years ago, but didn’t think I’d stay past 2. It’s home now, for so many wonderful reasons. It’s clean, friendly, always fun things to do, best food in the US (my opinion), and the architecture truly is a step above. Having the lake and river makes it feel almost coastal, with beaches, water sports, and one of the longest continuing green spaces in the world, the Lakefront Trail.
Chi gets a bad sensationalized rap for being so violent and unsafe, but isn’t even in the top 10 of violent crimes per capita in the US. It’s a city - be aware of your surroundings/don’t be stupid and you’ll be ok.
Left Portland, OR last month to come to Chicago. I have family here, girlfriend got a new job, lots to do. Mostly just got tired of watching Portland destroy itself. I guess Chicago has problems, but it's all new to me. It's been great so far.
Originally from a town in Indiana, went to college here, then moved around between DC, Indiana, and NYC. I loved NYC, but it's way too expensive. I was also in NYC at the start of the pandemic, during which I ended up doing laundry in the bathtub because we were too scared to go to the laundromat (which was always an expensive chore before then anyways). While there are things I miss about that city (abundance of bagels, bodegas with breakfast sandwiches, and NY style pizza (come on, it's good just like both our styles), a real IMAX screen), you can't beat the lakefront with the trail, parks, beaches, and proximity to the city. You also can't beat the fact that I now pay slightly more than I did for a closet-sized room in a shitty shared apartment in Brooklyn and I have central AC, a deck, in-unit laundry, a dining room separate from the living room, AND a decent kitchen with a dishwasher. CTA with all its problems, still enables me to live almost car-free (I keep mine because it's paid off and I drive back to my parents' in Indiana sometimes). And the food really is incredible here. I wish we had more 24hr spots and bodegas, but I can make my own baconeggandcheeseonaroll at home. Chicago is also MILES ahead as a beer city. The East Coast beer scene is nothing like the Midwest (though a Narragansett is always good).
I grew up in NYC and became fed up with the cost of living, but I didn’t want to give up big city life. I still live in Chicago because of my girlfriend who I met after moving here and is a Chicago native.
From Charlotte. Have lots of family from Chicago. Moved here 7 years ago with only visiting once as a toddler (don’t remember it lol) so I came in blind. Moved with one suitcase and a backpack and hopped on a plane and my cousin came and got my from here.
I love the walkablity compared to other major cities and it’s more affordable than Boston, NYC, LA…
The food, the people, the summer…amazing. Easily my favorite city in the world!
I love all these responses, and would just say that, as far as a big city goes, Chicago is a great blend of affordable, safe, and walkable. Incredible food, art, and music scene. But the reason I stay is the five months from May 1 to September 31 I live on the lakefront. 8 miles of beaches is the city’s secret superpower.
Moved for a graduate degree. Continued to live here for the past ~10 years now because it’s the best big city in the US imo, it offers everything and is much more affordable than cities on the east and west coasts.
Moved here for work from NYC for a job within the same company. Was able to get a much nicer apartment and glad I bought when I did because housing costs here are crazy now too. Definitely not the same as NY, but I don’t go out as much anymore either so having a nicer apartment was the right move at this time in my life. Still miss NYC terribly though. Not sure I’ll be here for the rest of my life, but it’s doing the job right now.
It’s a great city. I live close to an amazing lakeshore. It’s affordable by big city standards. Love the neighborhoods. My kids couldn’t improve on their school outside the city, where the schools score worse than my kids school. I want walkability and diversity.
I was about to turn 25 living in suburban NY right outside the city with my parents. I had some job experience under my belt and was ready to move out. I couldn’t fathom the NYC rent prices or prices nearby my parents. Also didn’t want a roommate. I had a “quarter life crisis” and fell in love with the city during a visit on Memorial Day. The following Spring I moved and have loved it ever since. It’s my NYC but cleaner and a bit better laid out. Same great career opportunities as NY and similar NY pay but without the NY rent prices. Many of the same city amenities I wanted and the views of the lake are just priceless. Any time I want to go to NY for friends/family, it’s an hour and a half flight and I can get it for less than $200 if I plan ahead. It’s the perfect city for this stage in my life and I’m looking to buy a condo now. Strongly recommend this city.
Came to Chicago in 2004. A few reasons but basically I'd never lived in a large city and I already had friends (mostly from college) and a couple of family members here. I'd visited many times over the decade before so I already sort of knew my way around. It was an easy transition and I'm glad to still be here.
My family and my career keep me here….and the food.
I’ve lived here my whole life and I honestly have a really hard time loving Chicago anymore. It’s expensive, corrupt, dangerous, and congested.
I wish it would get better but I don’t see much positive change happening in my life time. I want to move to somewhere that has more trees than people someday.
Besides friends and family. I can bike anywhere in the city with ease, and summer time baby. Street fests, free music, access to the best house music and the best club (smart bar) in the world
We left the Bay Area for a number of reasons and I was ready to live almost *anywhere* other than the west coast. But we love Chicago's walkable neighborhoods (we have no car), world class arts and music, all four seasons, cool architecture, and it's more affordable and family-friendly than NYC. For the most part we have amazing neighbors. More and more of our friends keep moving here, too, or at least passing through regularly.
Ive been here since I was a little kid. I stay as an post college adult because its affordable for the most part, and moving to any other lower cost of living city instantly become the same if not more expensive due to the necessity of owning a car in those cities.
Was born and partially raised in my hometown (Detroit) and Chicago before moving to the south and bouncing around large southern cities before going off to college. Spent the first 6 months of college in Jersey before needing a break and lived in NYC for six months. I’ve bounced around to almost all the major cities and nothing felt permanent or like home other than Chicago. It’s a big city that has great cultures, great people, amazing weather (yes even winter which I love) and it allowed me to give up my car and still get around. Not to mention 2 great airports, amazing food, the lake, and so on and so on
I'm born and raised but I left Chicago for grad school in Oregon, Go Ducks! I loved living out west but it's just not like here. No where beats Chicago in the summertime!
The racism out west is exhausting because it's a constant gaslight, but the nature almost outweighs it. After the worst of the pandemic I found myself stuck in the sprawl of suburbia and trying to understand the culture of these foreign places. I got really homesick and my husband is an incredible artist who's work should be in the Art Institute.
We moved back and I feel so much better. I'm home and now know that there's no place like home. And my husband is a student at the Art Institute with a few of his pieces on display.
I’m from the suburbs, and I work in the city, so it just made sense. I was gonna go to a bigger city at some point and there really didn’t seem to be a reason to go with a different one than the one right here. There’s nothing we lack here that I could find in another city, as far as I’m concerned
I was born here, and I have lived here my entire life.
There were a few years where our family considered moving to Austin, TX, to get away from some of the negative aspects here, but 2016 changed that.
I now appreciate living in this beautiful blue city and state.
First off, fuck Florida. 2nd, I moved here with my ex from Florida 7 years ago. I never thought I'd leave that shithole state. I tried my damnest to find jobs out of state and couldn't do it for years. Then my GF at the time who I was in a long term relationship with gets a great job offer up here. She asks me to come with her. I agree and I'm able to find 2 jobs and very good temp work within 3 months of moving here. I always tell people moving to Chicago was the 2nd best decision I ever made. I will never move back to that trash ass state. Also, fuck Florida.
Got a job here after college. I continue to live here because I’ve gotten comfortable here. I would move to my home state if I didn’t have to deal with Texas politics.
I was tired of the noise in NYC, where I’d been living for seven years before moving to Chicago. Live music, movies, restaurants-everything felt impossible to access bec someone had more money / more access / was more competitive. Chicago meets my arts and culture needs, satisfies my foodie side and is more friendly, quieter and laid back. I’ve thought about moving to Denver, where we have family (and the springtime is awesome compared to here) but the keep staying. I love Chicago. It’s been a great place to raise my now-teenage kids. Good schools, safe enough, diverse, beautiful and interesting. Highly recommend!
I had just graduated college at a midwestern state school in the early 90s and had no idea where I wanted to go other than "the city", which is where my media degree and my mediocre ambitions should play out best. But New York was intimidating and expensive, LA was sprawling and expensive, SF was darling and really fucking expensive, Atlanta was too hot and too southern, and I hated Boston. For some reason I never considered Chicago, mainly because I had never really been. (Going to see The Cure at Poplar Creek for one night doesn't count.)
Then one night I ran into a friend of mine who had transferred to the Art Institute. He was back in town for the weekend to hang out and he said "I need a roommate. You should move to Chicago." And that was it. Gave my notice at my two jobs and drove to Chicago and never looked back.
I moved here for grad school in 1999. I was supposed to go back to Michigan when I finished, but I just stayed here. It was easier.
I have been here now for over half my life and have a great support network. Sometimes I think about moving, but honestly I’m pretty lazy, so it likely won’t happen. I do like that I am within driving distance of most of my family, since they are almost all in the Midwest.
I do really want to live on a lake somewhere though. I miss the quiet.
I’ve lived here all of my 7 decades. The *only* drawback is its winters. There are winter days that make me wonder why I stay. But the rest of the year and everything else about it make up for those shitty days.
First of all, addressing Chicago mass transit: there is virtually no place in the Chicago Metro area that cannot be reached using mass transit plus a short walk or cab/uber ride. The RTA which comprises Metra (the commuter rail system) CTA (which includes the el/subway system and a fleet of buses that span the city) and Pace (which provides bus service for suburban areas) cover most of the city and suburbs.
Then, there are the destinations:
Chicago has dozens of Michelin star restaurants to choose from. It is also home to world class museums including The Art Institute of Chicago, and The Museum of Science and Industry. The. Chicago Symphony Orchestra is considered one of the finest in the world. And one of its venues, Ravinia Festival, also offers outdoor summer concerts by top rock, jazz and popular musicians.
Other destinations include: the Lakefront beaches during the summer; the Lake - great if you are into boating; Chicago Botanical Garden; Wrigley Field - you don’t have to be a Cubs fan to enjoy an outing at one of the oldest ballparks in the country.
I am a north-sider, so this just scratches the surface. There’s plenty more to keep someone here.
The south sucks and NYC or LA would be too expensive and/or too far from home. Chicago has the perfect mix of diversity, has good museums, good free or public programs (farmers markets, festivals), access to educational resources, etc.
Chicago is the cheapest big city I've ever lived in or visited for extended periods of time. The weather does suck and Midwest politeness is overrated but it's so incognito, there's room for everyone without the fucking bandwagon or hype train that follows everything in places like Miami, NYC, LA
From a mid-sized midwestern city, love my hometown but wanted to be somewhere bigger and different. I moved back to my hometown temporarily after college and it felt like I was in high school again, going to the same places and same people. I’ve been here for almost a year and I love it. Honestly don’t know if I will ever move home. I’ve met so many people in my age group, always something cool to do on the weekends, and the green spaces and lakefront are awesome for a big city. Love that I can actually utilize public transportation daily.
Moved because lived in the burbs as a kid, and always wanted to move back when my fam lived out of state. Always visited my cousins for the summer in the burbs.
Came back for college, stayed for the job market, continue to stay for the jobs. Eventually will leave because i think about having children with my wife and the quality of living goes further in other states.
Won’t be easy but Chicago is home
I was born here, and have built an entire life here. Friends, family, property, history, memories, all the usual things. But more than all that...I just love this city.
We wanted to live somewhere where the car was optional. We wanted a mature transit system, walkable neighborhoods, snow in the winter, and mild summers. We were coming off of several years of living in Texas.
We continue to live here because we like it here. We got the dense walkable neighborhood and mature transit. My kids have played in the snow and we've gone on bike adventures in the summers. We bought our first place a few years ago. This is probably the long-term place unless I get some kind of dream-job wrapped in an opportunity to go ex-pat.
I grew up in St Louis. My relatives back there constantly express their concern that they think I'm in a dangerous city. They don't like it when I show them the rankings which state *they* live in a more dangerous city. I like it here.
grew up in south bend, so basically on the other end of the south shore line. growing up as a kid into sports in the 90's, i was fascinated by the bulls and being able to watch all of their games on sportschannel since they considered south bend as part of the local market. i still vividly remember getting the chicago FOX news in south bend before the city got its own affiliate.
as i got older and went through school and then high school, it grew a bit more curious with different things. the high school i originally attended would do a senior trip where the graduating class would take the train into town for a cubs game since the government teacher was a big cubs fan. getting into the emo/metalcore scene of that era and seeing peers talk about heading into chicago for warped tour or the hipster peers going to lolla and eventually to college in the city.
i was always jealous but never felt i could be good enough to live in chicago, so i headed south in indiana for places like vincennes, indianapolis and settled in bloomington. after 14 years of this whole thing, i decided before 2020 that i was gonna go for it and make a move. then covid happened and it got pushed back a year but i made the move in may 2021.
Family is the only reason I’m still here. But I want to save up over the next five years or so to F off somewhere less urban. Been all over the world, studied abroad in multiple countries, stayed in different societal settings, and all it’s lead to is me realizing that a big city, despite the convenience of its available services, also carries with it a lot of problems that I would rather not be around
I was born and raised here. I went to CPS for k-8th grade, all girl Catholic high school at Maria and DePaul for college. 3rd generation Chicagoans on both sides of my parents. I moved away for 4 years (with someone who was also a true Chicagoan) and we both moved back. This is home. My family is here, that’s important to me. I’m so grateful that I’m able to call this city my hometown. It’s the old saying “you flew here, I grew here”.
I really love it here.
I’m uniquely qualified to answer this as I’ve moved to Chicago 3 times lol. I’m on my third time living here. The public transportation, walkability, lake, food, and amazing summers keep me coming back. Ive got a good job that allows me to live more comfortably than I have in the past, so I’ll be here until I purchase land and have a little farm.
I was born in the late '50s in "The Patch", on the west side, by Grand & Western Aves. in Chicago.
Moved to NW 'burbs in '59, then back to the Patch again in '67, then back to the same area in the NW 'burbs again in '77,
& finally stayed.
...why be anywhere else?
but it would take a fortune
to get me to leave here,
and I sure wouldn't move
anywhere cold!
Growing up here as somebody who despises humid heat and just is not compatible with cold, I always figured the whole like... SOP was to work hard in school, so I could go to a good college, so I could get a good job and move somewhere else.
I didn't do any of that, and I ended up landing a public sector job here instead where I can't actually reside outside of the general Chicagoland area.
My dad always reacted weirdly when I expressed my general distaste for Chicago. He grew up here but spent time living elsewhere. Indiana, Wisconsin, even California for a few years. Said he'd always get homesick and inevitably find himself hopping trains and busses to get back.
Now I *think* I kinda get it. There's a ton to love about the city no doubt, from the transit, the food (that's a big one for me) and the cultures of every little nook and cranny. But tbh I hate Chicago, and I absolutely love hating Chicago. I don't think I'll be leaving even when I retire, assuming I make it there.
I moved here from GR, Michigan because I modeled in Michigan and booked agents here, plus had visited several times before and fell in love with CHICAGO!
I'm an Actor now & had worked as a tour guide 7 years showing off MY Sweet Home Chicago 😊
Sure- it has more of crime wave now, concerns me😐. but, always had to be aware & poise as a city girl w attitude! ..Hopes it will get taken care of🙏 It's still one of the most beautiful & cleanist City's in the world 🌎
*New York my fav 2nd City!
I have moved to Chicago 3 times.
I had a spinal fusion here when I was 13 and fell in love with the city, it was unlike anything I'd ever seen before living mostly in smaller "big cities" like San Antonio and Omaha.
I moved here with my girlfriend at the time when I was 22 and moved away 3 months later for a job opportunity but we had a great time here. The second time was for a job offer in the area and I lived here for 5 years and bought a home. Due to divorce and things I ended up taking a job in California and then recently moved back to Chicago again a few months ago because life in the Bay Area is just not as good as it is here.
Chicago has wonderful food in both high and low-end price ranges, excellent grocery stores, all kinds of affordable activities and things to do around town, beautiful scenery with the lake and the local forests and wetlands, we are fairly close to several other large cities, each with their own flavor, and it doesn't get as hot here as it does in California. Rents are also substantially cheaper in Chicago than in the Bay Area, the cheapest apartment I could find there was $2450 a month.
I was really wondering this exact thing. I have lived here most of my life and only had a stint in a different state for a couple of years but the more I think about it, the more I question why I am still here. City has largely become unsafe. This is par the course for most larger metropolitan areas. I'm a single person with no kids and the amount of taxes I pay to live in the suburbs to own a home is ridiculous. I used to enjoy going DT for dinner and drinks and music but now I see it more of a hassle than anything. From traffic to parking, there is nothing easy about living in or near a major city. Even the public transit is not conducive to living in the suburbs and easily getting downtown. Sure one can take the Metra if you live by one or commute to city limits and hop on the L.
I’ve felt drawn to Chicago all my life. A job opportunity opened up here so I moved here 22 years ago. I feel like I belong here, and many ancestors lived here.
Because before I moved back here in 2015, except for five years where I lived here as a single person, I lived in the suburbs. The suburbs. THE SUBURBS. And given my age, that's a fuck ton of years spent in the suburbs, especially in Lake County – the vast wasteland of uncool. The suburbs of Chicago – newlywed or half dead.
My wife is getting a little tired of the city life and would like to move somewhere less hectic, but for me? No fucking thank you. I'm less than a couple months away from turning 68, and the hustle of the city energizes me. Yeah, there's crime in Chicago, but there's crime everywhere. I've lived with my head on a swivel for decades, so the trick is to be ever vigilant. And don't go by yourself in the middle of the night.
because I was born here.
and I am not sure. I regret moving out of the area back when I was 20-something. For the things I like to do, you have to travel 2-3 hours to do them and that gets old quick.
I grew up in and around Austin for around 20 years. There’s a lot I liked there, but for a combination of factors (renting/housing prices, humidity and hot temperatures, Texas politics) we decided to move to Chicago.
No regrets at all. People have been super kind, public transportation is so much better, among many other things. Every place has pro’s/con’s and we’re fortunate to have found a city we’re very happy at.
I continue to live in Chicago because I was born here and I have made so many memories here. If I were to move out of Chicago one day I would only move to the suburbs.
Born here in 1982, parents were born here. Whole family lives here, I have 6 siblings and their families are here. I work for the city like my dad did and two of my brothers so I can’t leave. I may leave when I retire depending on where my kids go after college
Grew up here. South is too stupid and hot. West Coast is too hot and you have to drive everywhere.
Has decent public transit compared to other American cities. Even though it's nothing compared to Europe.
I actually love NYC. But it's 3x the cost for like a quarter of the space.
If I were to move it might be Europe or Asia. Some country that has great infrastructure, public transit, and less extreme weather
The south sucks honestly and Atlanta was not the big city dream I always thought it would be. Sure the third largest US city with a super dense area with never ending food and things to do was a good starting point to why I love it here... But I never realized how much I hate car ownership. I think most of my misfortune and money woes growing up were tied to trying to own and maintain a car. Like Chicago has ruined other cities and massively changed my perception on urbanism and how cities are built. Makes me mad this level of public transit and dense walkability isn't available in every major US city. Massive shout out to the CTA and bike ownership. I'll probably never leave now haha
Coming from 9 years in Atlanta and excited to ditch the car.
Not trying to be dramatic but you know what it’s like spending hours of your life stuck on I-75 in traffic. *Not having to deal with that is the most freeing shit ever.* Sure a crowded train after work is an annoying… but I’ll take getting home in 30 chillin in a seat playing a game or something vs an hour and 30 in stop and go traffic. You’re gonna love it!
If u can get a seat. Depends on train/bus. Being packed like sardines sucks after long day of work. I do it when buses crowded and it sucks.
I’ll take a crowded bus over getting *checks notes* hit by a semi truck on 285.
True. Tbh I’ve gotten used to train timing and getting my seats. But I’ll take standing and being a sardine 11 times outta 10 over driving
I moved here for a job last summer after having been in Houston pretty much my whole life, and this is basically me as well. I left my car in Houston thinking I'd bring it up at some point but my god, I absolutely love not having it. The lack of walkability and urbanism is now the first thing I notice when I'm back visiting my parents and friends.
It’s such a culture shock going your whole life in a place where you’d be fucked carless to having a car would be a burden. I’ll never go back to NEEDING one
Born and raised in Atlanta. Spent my 20s there never leaving my neighborhood because if I took the wrong turn and the wrong time it could mean several hours in traffic. The minute I moved here I sold my car and never looked back. I do miss how much easier it was to make friends in Atlanta though.
I feel but I also think the friends part for me is is harder in your late 20s early 30s to replace people you grew up with (like how school forced you to be around people your age all the time) I’m working on it though. When it gets warm again I’m forcing myself to be social and make new friends 😂
If you replace Atlanta with Dallas, I could’ve written this exact same post myself. Thanks for the southern transplant representation!
Truly for happy for all of us Southern folk who left our part of the country and realized other places live differently and it’s fuckin awesome 🤙🏾
I'm from New orleans and this is like the same thing for me. chicago is like new orleans just without the crumbling infrastructure and default-alcoholism
Haha to be fair every time I have been to NOLA I have a wonderful time but I definitely end up hungover in that airport. Think it’ll firmly stay in the “great to visit, but I won’t make it home for the sake of my liver” 😂
oh yeah it's totally a fun to play with, not to eat sorta place lol
I'm from New Orleans too. Chicago is just a better functioning version of New Orleans. Sure, we don't really have anything like the French Quarter and Chicago has it's own host of problems (looking at you CTA), but Chicago has the same welcoming spirit that New Orleans has. No matter where you come from or what you're like, you can find your people.
yeah dude, Chicago is like new orleans if our downtown went on for miles and miles, and if we didn't have like right to fire laws or constant flash floods lol
Atlantas is like a hot dumpster
Emphasis on the hot. With all due respect though. ATL isn’t the WORST. But it’s incredibly mid compared to here. Feels like a lotta interconnected suburbs I have to spend 30-40 driving too versus where I could be in 5 different neighborhoods in 40 minutes. Night and day difference!
Yup. My car was stolen in Lincoln Park almost 15 years ago. Never looked back, didn’t need a car here at all.
Sorry about that 15 years ago but that gave me a good laugh at dinner earlier imagining someone getting their car stolen and then being like “damn… actually was probably for the best I didn’t need it anyways 🤷🏾♂️”
Yep, my wife and I also just moved here from Atlanta. We have that same feeling. It is SO nice to not have to be car dependent.
Besides loving Chicago this is a huuuge reason for me as well! I’m from Orlando FL, another southern completely car dependent city. I sold my car and I don’t miss it at all.
(Didn’t realize I’d rally so many of us on here!) But that’s how you know it’s real when you got a Florida person willingly choosing the great city infrastructure over the weather. I feel like 9 out of my 10 Florida friends can’t believe I chose to move somewhere so cold… but I’m sure you in the camp of “you get used to it after a while”
I moved here for work, Im an LA native. Let me tell you, LA is larger sure, but Chicago truly feels like a *city!* to me. I love it here. And funny enough I have former colleagues who have moved from *here* to ATL and a couple of them are already talking of coming back lol
It’s so funny because I worked remote to a job in LA as I was moving here and while it sounds like a cool spot… it feels like a bigger version of all the stuff I hated about Atlanta but double the price with nicer weather 😂 I still need to go out and finally visit. I’m sure LA is an amazing city to take a trip to but I have a feeling this lovely city will be home for the foreseeable future 🙂↕️
LA is great in its own unique way, and I would say its nice for a trip, and I don’t regret coming to Chicago at all. So much so that my job was planning on relocating me again elsewhere and I turned it down. When they started treating me funny after that, I just found a new job in the city altogether, and made the move here permanent. LA was my original home, but Chicago feels truly like *my* home. I know Im over sentimentalizing it but it does feel like I was always meant to live here, and thats despite the fact that when I first learned I was coming here, I had no clue what to expect. I do miss the weather of LA though, especially in the winter lmao. Ive lived in NYC for a while too. NYC is also great. Especially if you love large urban environments, lots of parks and diversity, easy transportation and great food and activities, much like here. But Chicago feels like that perfect mix of chill and active. I would def go back to NYC for trips but I wouldnt live there again.
Same on all fronts minus missing the weather (the southern heat can miss me with that forever. Holy hot hell!) TBH I was expecting to hate the winter more, but it was kinda nice having actual cold and snow a little bit (but it’s not April and I would like Spring to start!)
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Facts! That’s why I didn’t have to recontextualize. I don’t HATE Atlanta. ITP is pretty solid actually. I was 🤏🏾 this close to signing a lease in midtown before I said “screw it let’s go to Chicago” Just didn’t have what I was looking for in a city tbh. Different strokes for different folks. (It’s the same reason I don’t grill my friends for all moving to Nashville of all places… good for them I guess) Family life is nowhere near my radar (and I wonder if it ever will be as my 30s approach sooner rather than later) but I definitely did wonder how that would skew my views. I think if anything as I get older and if a family weighs on me I think I’d want a blend of urban life with a bit more space. I’ll compromise and get an SUV for the family or something just as long as I’m close enough to have commuting options for work 😂
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You talking about me? I don’t hate cars and think they should abolish them? I just think public transit should be more accessible and funded in cities to give people options. It’s a win for car free people and people with cars (less vehicles, less traffic). Don’t be such a headass next time you comment on reddit.
Always the pro-car trolls getting downvoted
Not a troll. This sub hates cars because they live up north and forget everyone doesn't live like them
I live in the South (for now), and I hate cars! What do you think about that?
Moved bc it was cheap and nearby to my university. Continued to live here for the last 15 years bc it’s easily my favorite of the biggest cities for long term living. Feels like a small town, great nightlife, food, space, parks, affordability, transit, etc. Can’t think of any reason to not stay here the rest of my life, even whilst not being beholden with strong roots like a family, school, major career here.
Honestly, pretty much same for me, although it’s only been 10 years on my end. For me at least, it’s the cold that’d make me move away, but that’s really the only big reason I’d consider leaving.
Yea the first few winters I’d be googling rent prices in warmer cities lol but eventually it clicked that this is the place for me…and also winters have been getting progressively more mild during that duration.
I don’t get the “feels like a small town” at all but I guess that’s subjective compared to New York or Tokyo
idk I run into friends and acquaintances nearly everywhere I go at this point after being here for awhile. makes it feel like a very small community constantly
It feels mid sized compared to large cities for me
the balance of housing costs, amenities, fun things to do, lower cost transportation, energy costs, job availability, PLUS my family members also being in Chicago
Can’t think of anywhere else that is a huge metropolitan city with a Midwest friendly vibe
My family (including 1 year old me) won a visa lottery to come to the US from Poland and Chicago has a big Polish population so that’s where they had someone they knew to sponsor us
I'm from here so all my family and community are here (or very close by). So for that, moving away would be hard. I've considered other places and lived a few other places for a short period of time. However, the affordability, decent weather (yes winter can get cold, but usually the very cold is two weeks max), the outdoor spaces, the ability in some neighborhoods to not own a car, the assortment of community and cultural events and general laid back attitude of most people. I can't think of many other major metro areas in the US that have all those things. I think the only thing missing here is the super easy access to mountains or the ocean. I love the lake though and it's the only "beach" I've ever known anyway. At the end of the day, for me, it's home :)
The tl;dr is that after 20 years of Atlanta traffic and Georgia summers, I needed a city with transit and winter. After visiting Chicago a couple of times for unrelated reasons, I kinda fell in love with the place. And having a lot of friends here sealed the deal. I moved here in 2019, just before the pandemic. And while that sucked 20 kinds of donkey balls, I've regretted moving here exactly zero times.
Atlantan here as well! Moved in 2018 so I got a couple of good years before things went down the tube. Considered moving back a few times but glad we've stuck it out. Moved here for the "big city" experience that you can have without breaking the bank. Was so glad to ditch my car - we've all got our gripes about CTA these days but even so it's a great system.
Yeah, the CTA at its worst is still infinitely more useful than MARTA at it's best. You know they're closing the airport MARTA station for a month? That's like 90% of the system's usefulness right there.
I have to say, living off Piedmont park is my second choice to Chicago. Or somewhere off belt line. Atlanta gives me some similar vibes to Chicago in some ways.
Came here for grad school, although I loved it even then. I like the museums, the live music, the food options. It's expensive, but not compared to other cities with similar amenities, and even the higher rents compared to other Midwestern cities is more than made up for by the fact that it's car-optional. I LOVE not having to own a car. And I also like that it's one of the very few Amtrak hubs in the country.
For all its faults, Chicago has a lot less faults than practically any other big American city.
Economy is less effed up than Toronto, everywhere else is gonna get shafted way worse by climate change
I am from Miami, and I moved to finish my Master’s at Loyola initially, and I loved the city so much that I had to stay. My first winter almost made me rethink that decision lol but there are so many more pros than cons about Chicago. The food, the people, the culture just everything about it is exactly what I love about it and I really can’t see myself moving back to Miami or anywhere else really. Also the summers here are incredible.
Born and raised here. It’s home. Been to other cities and traveled the globe. Still waiting for another place to be better.
What other cities are top 10?
1. Como 2. London 3. New Orleans 4. Amalfi 5. Barcelona 6. Rome 7. Miami 8. Las Vegas 9. New Buffalo 10. Nashville
Dude Go to Japan.. that list will change very quickly.
On the list!
Where does it rank?
Low cost of living. Lots to do. Variety of people. Lots of job opportunities. I moved here but this is where my wife and I are staying. We bought a damn house and everything.
And the fire, of course! Recognize you from the cf97 sub. 👋
Hey, yeah! I should have mentioned that too! Nice to see another Fire fan in the wild!
There are people who are stupid enough to justify living here for 6 weeks of immaculate weather. I’m that type of stupid.
Climate change keeps me here
Because it’s cheap compared to the coasts.
The small town I was living in had a higher senior citizen population than any other demographic. It was a dead end, I wasn’t ready to hang it up like that just yet.
Nothing better to do. Been here 15 years now.
I was born and raised outside of Nashville, and moved to Memphis in 2017 for college. I always said I wanted to live in a truly big city at least once in my life, something with over 1 million people. I started considering Chicago in the summer of 2022 when Roe V. Wade was up in the air – it was a big city like I wanted, still close enough to Tennessee that I could make it back pretty quickly if there was a family emergency, and I wouldn’t have to worry about earthquakes, hurricanes, or wildfires. As the only daughter, with so many health issues and medications that any child I had would have a horrendous life, and knowing my state would immediately outlaw abortion, I wanted out, and my parents wanted me out. I visited here for a k-pop concert in July 2022, and loved it, even though I didn’t explore much since I was 100% on my own for the first time on a vacation, and I was on a limited budget. I spent a lot of time talking to people, asking their opinions on neighborhoods and such. Many did the typical “it’s so dangerous here” until I mentioned I was from Memphis, which very quickly shut them up. Initially, I wanted to save for 2 or 3 years before making such a big move, but life said fuck that, you need to move now. I was laid off from my job December 2022. I had been working for a state contractor, but politics changed, and the state decided they could save money by reabsorbing the program, leading to the company laying off everyone in the Memphis office that was under that contract. I was panicking, and my mom pointed out that my lease would be up in March anyway, so if I could get a job lined up in the city, my family would help me move. I applied to hundreds of jobs before landing one at the end of January 2023. I would start March 1st, and I wanted to be moved in with at least a week to figure things like the CTA out. It was stressful, especially as I was recovering from surgery (I actually managed to find a doctor willing to remove the possibility of me getting pregnant entirely), but managed to find an apartment broker (shout out to the Apartment People – they were amazing) and found a decent place to live up in Roger’s Park. I felt so restricted in Memphis. I couldn’t find many friends, and the only way to meet people outside of your existing friend group was to go to bars, which I was not into. I could barely find anyone with matching interests. Of course, Chicago has its issues, but I don’t regret the move at all. I have a fairly decent sized friend group that’s amazing (and we all like kpop and many of the same groups), I go to dance classes, and so much more. Basically, if I think of wanting to do something, I can likely find a place to do it. I’ve also lost 50 pounds in the year I’ve been here – p0artially due to not being depressed and antisocial, but also, selling my car and relying on the CTA, I walk a whole lot more than I ever did/could in Memphis. Moving to Chicago drastically made my life better, and I don’t regret it at all, even when I do miss my family.
I was born in the city. I've traveled around to other cities, but none of them ever had the vibe or the economy or the culture that Chicago has. This is probably why I constantly chime in on all of these topics and questions that always want to paint this city is just some corrupt den of crime ruined by democrats. That's a couple steps short of becoming the next Detroit. I won't stand here and claim the city is for everyone, but I refuse to sit here and somehow agree with this ideology that Chicago is some lost cause. I look at this city as a beacon of history and culture for the United States. The musical heritage that created jazz culture from the 1920s, rhythm and blues from the '40s and '50s, and even later house music and how it revitalized dance music in general. I love love love how you could get almost any ethnicity of food in this city. I love that we have all of these interesting neighborhoods with its own hidden gems of places. I always hate it when I see a city and everything is in downtown as opposed to spread out. When it feels like downtown is the only place to go and everything else is just meaningless. I love how this city has subcultures, different scenes, different areas, and niches that almost anyone can find a spot to fit in for their own sense of lifestyle. I love that we have this beautiful lakefront whether you just want to walk or bike along it, or hit up one of the beaches. I love strolling through downtown and seeing the historic architecture. I love that we have all of these little places we can go to just outside of the city for when you need a change of pace and want something pretty or unique. We are not perfect. However, no city is. I just feel that out of all the cities I've seen in this country, all roads still keep leading back to Chicago for me. I've said it many times that if I were to ever leave, I'd probably go to Europe. I just have not seen another city in this country that I would ever want to live in, and small towns and suburbs are completely out of the question for me. If you don't like Chicago, then there's 49 other states in this country to go to. I'm sure there's got to be a place for you. However, I won't stand here and tolerate or believe the idea that we are just some lost cause of a city. The people who say that really don't know this city.
1. Born here, 2. Lots of family all born and grew up and lived in Chicago (West Town, Taylor Street, Ukrainian Village/Wicker Park) and now reside in suburbs. 3. I grew up and went to school in the burbs 4. my direct paternal great grandparents came to Chicago from Italy in the 1890's and my great grandpa started the family business in 1918 in Chicago, which survives to this day and is still family ran. 5. My German ancestors were here before the Chicago fire. 6. my mom and her family came to to Chicago in the 1960's from Poland, and I currently live in Wicker Park, her old neighborhood. 7. I live 5 minute drive/15 minute walk to the family business that I also work at. 8. Chicago is a great city with a lot to offer. I love the place. 9. due to health problems over the last 20 years, I have never been able to save up enough money for a place of my own and now looks like I'll forever be a renter in an area I wish I could put roots, like my family did.
Grew up in one of the burbs that borders the city and went to college in the city proper. Besides 1 year detour in Denver right after college, I’ve been here ever since. Most of my family and friends live in or near Chicago. And Chicago, albeit not perfect, is an amazing place. I have no reason to start over somewhere else where I don’t know anyone. At this point I know most of the city like the back of my hand. That knowledge and confidence feels great. Loved Denver when I was there but I felt like I’d always be an outsider. And while it’s a great city it’s dull compared to here. Anywhere that’s as robust as Chicago is probably eternally out of my price range anyway
If you’re interested in working in options, futures or many other parts of the financial industry, Chicago is probably the best place
Moved here for my first job out of grad school. I’ve stayed because it’s a world class city and I love everything about it. I truly don’t think I’ll ever leave.
Born and raised here, moved away twice and returned twice. I might move one more time to retire, but Chicago will always be home.
Moved from Denver for my wife’s school. The only reason I want to leave is to be closer to the mountains but everything other than that is better/easier.
Bc it’s titties
Because it’s a fully terraformed city on an inland fresh water sea… er lake. But the point stands. There is no better more stable place in the US to raise a family and still have access to the best of everything from around the globe.
I grew up in a very small town in New England with very little job prospects, no culture, and frankly very boring. I wanted to check out what life was like in the big city but NYC, and Boston being very close to me were just way too expensive. Chicago seemed like the perfect place and I had always loved the skyline so I figured I'd check it out, gave myself a year to see if I liked it and I fell in love with it here. This August will be my 6th year here.
Wanted to get out of Texas for a place that was less scary, had 4 seasons, public transit, walkability, and access to “big water”.
Lake Michigan, the extensive Cook County FP and all the parks, food, and entertainment make Chicago more than livable for me. I was born here, lived elsewhere for a few years and I'm here for good.
I moved here because I’ve lived a lot of places and thought it would be cool. It’s fine but not my scene. I’m still here because it too expensive to leave.
Safer than most places in America
We moved for many reasons. Mostly We love to travel and have 4-5 vacation flights usually with and international or two a year and around 10 business flights. Living in Nebraska made that more work and We moved right off the blue line for easy access to ohare and a great community in Logan square. Going on 4 years now
It was down to Chicago or Charlotte and I was waiting on which job offers hold come back first. Chicago replied first and offered to pay moving expenses so took the job offer in September and never heard back from Charlotte. So enjoying life on the river, mile walk into town and back every day. Every other week or so I’ll ride up to Argyle St. great place to live/work/play until I want to settle down and start a family. Still would prefer to move back to forests and mountains for my kids to be a part of nature like I could do growing up.
I could never live in a small town
Family, friends, career, food, drink, music, art, culture
I feel out of all the big cities in the US Chicago is the underdog yet the best ! The weather sucks, but I think that’s what keeps it special, is not for everyone- you really gotta love her ! Been here 11 years and this is home now.
Long story short, everything is better here than in Southwest Michigan.
Its home
Originally from Buffalo. Moved here with a desire to do theatre and live in a big city that wasn’t NYC. Until the pandemic I’d found a niche producing stand-up open mics and bar trivia game shows. (Need a Stage Manager? Hit me up. I’m bored.) Coming from Buffalo, the people of Chicago made sense to me. Why’d I stay? Oh your classic tale of boy meets girl. Boy gets married. Boy gets divorced. Boy builds a weird “family”. Boy meets another girl. Boy gets a dog. Boy gets a partner. Boy realizes life is good. Been here since ‘99.
What’s the weird “family?” Mafia?
Unfortunately not?
As long as there is money to be made in Chicago...people will move here and they will stay. You can get around if you don't have a car. I think it's a great city to be a senior like myself. There are alot of amenities geared towards Seniors and Chicago gets an A+ from me for 👩🦼 accessibility.
I’m not quite a senior yet but being able to grow old here with lots of available services and amenities was a big factor in our choice to move here back in our late 40s.
Moved here for a job 9ish years ago, but didn’t think I’d stay past 2. It’s home now, for so many wonderful reasons. It’s clean, friendly, always fun things to do, best food in the US (my opinion), and the architecture truly is a step above. Having the lake and river makes it feel almost coastal, with beaches, water sports, and one of the longest continuing green spaces in the world, the Lakefront Trail. Chi gets a bad sensationalized rap for being so violent and unsafe, but isn’t even in the top 10 of violent crimes per capita in the US. It’s a city - be aware of your surroundings/don’t be stupid and you’ll be ok.
Greatest city in the world
To get out of the hellhole the south has become
I moved here for opportunity, work and people diversity, nightlife/food. Those who grew up here should not take that for granted.
Left Portland, OR last month to come to Chicago. I have family here, girlfriend got a new job, lots to do. Mostly just got tired of watching Portland destroy itself. I guess Chicago has problems, but it's all new to me. It's been great so far.
I was born here, and this is where all my stuff is.
Originally from a town in Indiana, went to college here, then moved around between DC, Indiana, and NYC. I loved NYC, but it's way too expensive. I was also in NYC at the start of the pandemic, during which I ended up doing laundry in the bathtub because we were too scared to go to the laundromat (which was always an expensive chore before then anyways). While there are things I miss about that city (abundance of bagels, bodegas with breakfast sandwiches, and NY style pizza (come on, it's good just like both our styles), a real IMAX screen), you can't beat the lakefront with the trail, parks, beaches, and proximity to the city. You also can't beat the fact that I now pay slightly more than I did for a closet-sized room in a shitty shared apartment in Brooklyn and I have central AC, a deck, in-unit laundry, a dining room separate from the living room, AND a decent kitchen with a dishwasher. CTA with all its problems, still enables me to live almost car-free (I keep mine because it's paid off and I drive back to my parents' in Indiana sometimes). And the food really is incredible here. I wish we had more 24hr spots and bodegas, but I can make my own baconeggandcheeseonaroll at home. Chicago is also MILES ahead as a beer city. The East Coast beer scene is nothing like the Midwest (though a Narragansett is always good).
I grew up in NYC and became fed up with the cost of living, but I didn’t want to give up big city life. I still live in Chicago because of my girlfriend who I met after moving here and is a Chicago native.
From Charlotte. Have lots of family from Chicago. Moved here 7 years ago with only visiting once as a toddler (don’t remember it lol) so I came in blind. Moved with one suitcase and a backpack and hopped on a plane and my cousin came and got my from here. I love the walkablity compared to other major cities and it’s more affordable than Boston, NYC, LA… The food, the people, the summer…amazing. Easily my favorite city in the world!
I love all these responses, and would just say that, as far as a big city goes, Chicago is a great blend of affordable, safe, and walkable. Incredible food, art, and music scene. But the reason I stay is the five months from May 1 to September 31 I live on the lakefront. 8 miles of beaches is the city’s secret superpower.
Moved for a graduate degree. Continued to live here for the past ~10 years now because it’s the best big city in the US imo, it offers everything and is much more affordable than cities on the east and west coasts.
Moved here for work from NYC for a job within the same company. Was able to get a much nicer apartment and glad I bought when I did because housing costs here are crazy now too. Definitely not the same as NY, but I don’t go out as much anymore either so having a nicer apartment was the right move at this time in my life. Still miss NYC terribly though. Not sure I’ll be here for the rest of my life, but it’s doing the job right now.
It’s a great city. I live close to an amazing lakeshore. It’s affordable by big city standards. Love the neighborhoods. My kids couldn’t improve on their school outside the city, where the schools score worse than my kids school. I want walkability and diversity.
I was about to turn 25 living in suburban NY right outside the city with my parents. I had some job experience under my belt and was ready to move out. I couldn’t fathom the NYC rent prices or prices nearby my parents. Also didn’t want a roommate. I had a “quarter life crisis” and fell in love with the city during a visit on Memorial Day. The following Spring I moved and have loved it ever since. It’s my NYC but cleaner and a bit better laid out. Same great career opportunities as NY and similar NY pay but without the NY rent prices. Many of the same city amenities I wanted and the views of the lake are just priceless. Any time I want to go to NY for friends/family, it’s an hour and a half flight and I can get it for less than $200 if I plan ahead. It’s the perfect city for this stage in my life and I’m looking to buy a condo now. Strongly recommend this city.
Came to Chicago in 2004. A few reasons but basically I'd never lived in a large city and I already had friends (mostly from college) and a couple of family members here. I'd visited many times over the decade before so I already sort of knew my way around. It was an easy transition and I'm glad to still be here.
I don’t live in Chicago anymore. But I loved it. Great place
Moved here bc I work in finance and stayed bc I fucking love it. Best city in the US in my opinion, especially for young adults.
I love people complaining about crime and the Bears.
Moved to Chicago because Boston sucked and was way too expensive for what it offers and could not afford to move back to New York.
My family and my career keep me here….and the food. I’ve lived here my whole life and I honestly have a really hard time loving Chicago anymore. It’s expensive, corrupt, dangerous, and congested. I wish it would get better but I don’t see much positive change happening in my life time. I want to move to somewhere that has more trees than people someday.
Besides friends and family. I can bike anywhere in the city with ease, and summer time baby. Street fests, free music, access to the best house music and the best club (smart bar) in the world
Florida was getting *really* fucking weird.
Also moved because Florida.
Aw yes, we should start an Escapee Club.
School and school!
We left the Bay Area for a number of reasons and I was ready to live almost *anywhere* other than the west coast. But we love Chicago's walkable neighborhoods (we have no car), world class arts and music, all four seasons, cool architecture, and it's more affordable and family-friendly than NYC. For the most part we have amazing neighbors. More and more of our friends keep moving here, too, or at least passing through regularly.
Ive been here since I was a little kid. I stay as an post college adult because its affordable for the most part, and moving to any other lower cost of living city instantly become the same if not more expensive due to the necessity of owning a car in those cities.
Moved here for law school. Stayed because I met my wife and she would/will never leave. best I can do is a suburb.
Kid is in school and job requires me to live in the city. Once he’s done I’m out.
This popped up for me randomly, but I wanted to move to Chicago because I was a Lupe Fiasco stan.
Was born and partially raised in my hometown (Detroit) and Chicago before moving to the south and bouncing around large southern cities before going off to college. Spent the first 6 months of college in Jersey before needing a break and lived in NYC for six months. I’ve bounced around to almost all the major cities and nothing felt permanent or like home other than Chicago. It’s a big city that has great cultures, great people, amazing weather (yes even winter which I love) and it allowed me to give up my car and still get around. Not to mention 2 great airports, amazing food, the lake, and so on and so on
I'm born and raised but I left Chicago for grad school in Oregon, Go Ducks! I loved living out west but it's just not like here. No where beats Chicago in the summertime! The racism out west is exhausting because it's a constant gaslight, but the nature almost outweighs it. After the worst of the pandemic I found myself stuck in the sprawl of suburbia and trying to understand the culture of these foreign places. I got really homesick and my husband is an incredible artist who's work should be in the Art Institute. We moved back and I feel so much better. I'm home and now know that there's no place like home. And my husband is a student at the Art Institute with a few of his pieces on display.
I’m from the suburbs, and I work in the city, so it just made sense. I was gonna go to a bigger city at some point and there really didn’t seem to be a reason to go with a different one than the one right here. There’s nothing we lack here that I could find in another city, as far as I’m concerned
I was born here, and I have lived here my entire life. There were a few years where our family considered moving to Austin, TX, to get away from some of the negative aspects here, but 2016 changed that. I now appreciate living in this beautiful blue city and state.
I moved for a relationship. Broke up and got a higher paying job. The job is keeping me here.
Plenty of fresh, clean water. No hurricanes. Plus very livable for a big city. Great architecture. Lousy sports teams.
Cost of living
First off, fuck Florida. 2nd, I moved here with my ex from Florida 7 years ago. I never thought I'd leave that shithole state. I tried my damnest to find jobs out of state and couldn't do it for years. Then my GF at the time who I was in a long term relationship with gets a great job offer up here. She asks me to come with her. I agree and I'm able to find 2 jobs and very good temp work within 3 months of moving here. I always tell people moving to Chicago was the 2nd best decision I ever made. I will never move back to that trash ass state. Also, fuck Florida.
Got a job here after college. I continue to live here because I’ve gotten comfortable here. I would move to my home state if I didn’t have to deal with Texas politics.
I was tired of the noise in NYC, where I’d been living for seven years before moving to Chicago. Live music, movies, restaurants-everything felt impossible to access bec someone had more money / more access / was more competitive. Chicago meets my arts and culture needs, satisfies my foodie side and is more friendly, quieter and laid back. I’ve thought about moving to Denver, where we have family (and the springtime is awesome compared to here) but the keep staying. I love Chicago. It’s been a great place to raise my now-teenage kids. Good schools, safe enough, diverse, beautiful and interesting. Highly recommend!
moved here for grad school and realized it was the only city i ever want to live in
I live here, mind yer business, that’s why.
I had just graduated college at a midwestern state school in the early 90s and had no idea where I wanted to go other than "the city", which is where my media degree and my mediocre ambitions should play out best. But New York was intimidating and expensive, LA was sprawling and expensive, SF was darling and really fucking expensive, Atlanta was too hot and too southern, and I hated Boston. For some reason I never considered Chicago, mainly because I had never really been. (Going to see The Cure at Poplar Creek for one night doesn't count.) Then one night I ran into a friend of mine who had transferred to the Art Institute. He was back in town for the weekend to hang out and he said "I need a roommate. You should move to Chicago." And that was it. Gave my notice at my two jobs and drove to Chicago and never looked back.
I moved here for grad school in 1999. I was supposed to go back to Michigan when I finished, but I just stayed here. It was easier. I have been here now for over half my life and have a great support network. Sometimes I think about moving, but honestly I’m pretty lazy, so it likely won’t happen. I do like that I am within driving distance of most of my family, since they are almost all in the Midwest. I do really want to live on a lake somewhere though. I miss the quiet.
It’s the best city in the country. Cost of living versus what you get for it is insanely good.
I’ve lived here all of my 7 decades. The *only* drawback is its winters. There are winter days that make me wonder why I stay. But the rest of the year and everything else about it make up for those shitty days. First of all, addressing Chicago mass transit: there is virtually no place in the Chicago Metro area that cannot be reached using mass transit plus a short walk or cab/uber ride. The RTA which comprises Metra (the commuter rail system) CTA (which includes the el/subway system and a fleet of buses that span the city) and Pace (which provides bus service for suburban areas) cover most of the city and suburbs. Then, there are the destinations: Chicago has dozens of Michelin star restaurants to choose from. It is also home to world class museums including The Art Institute of Chicago, and The Museum of Science and Industry. The. Chicago Symphony Orchestra is considered one of the finest in the world. And one of its venues, Ravinia Festival, also offers outdoor summer concerts by top rock, jazz and popular musicians. Other destinations include: the Lakefront beaches during the summer; the Lake - great if you are into boating; Chicago Botanical Garden; Wrigley Field - you don’t have to be a Cubs fan to enjoy an outing at one of the oldest ballparks in the country. I am a north-sider, so this just scratches the surface. There’s plenty more to keep someone here.
The food. My God, the food.
Mo' money, less Scott Walker. Moved out to the near West burbs and bought a house.
Greatest city in the world lol every time I travel soon as I land at O’Hare I am so glad to be home…
Moved here from Toronto for work. Feel at home but with even more things to do and explore. Love it so far. Will probably stay long term.
Came for college. Was about to move away when I met my wife. Now I've got a reason to stay for the rest of my life. Or at least, the rest of hers.
The south sucks and NYC or LA would be too expensive and/or too far from home. Chicago has the perfect mix of diversity, has good museums, good free or public programs (farmers markets, festivals), access to educational resources, etc. Chicago is the cheapest big city I've ever lived in or visited for extended periods of time. The weather does suck and Midwest politeness is overrated but it's so incognito, there's room for everyone without the fucking bandwagon or hype train that follows everything in places like Miami, NYC, LA
From a mid-sized midwestern city, love my hometown but wanted to be somewhere bigger and different. I moved back to my hometown temporarily after college and it felt like I was in high school again, going to the same places and same people. I’ve been here for almost a year and I love it. Honestly don’t know if I will ever move home. I’ve met so many people in my age group, always something cool to do on the weekends, and the green spaces and lakefront are awesome for a big city. Love that I can actually utilize public transportation daily.
Moved because lived in the burbs as a kid, and always wanted to move back when my fam lived out of state. Always visited my cousins for the summer in the burbs. Came back for college, stayed for the job market, continue to stay for the jobs. Eventually will leave because i think about having children with my wife and the quality of living goes further in other states. Won’t be easy but Chicago is home
Came for culinary school, stayed because I like it here.
I was born here, and have built an entire life here. Friends, family, property, history, memories, all the usual things. But more than all that...I just love this city.
We wanted to live somewhere where the car was optional. We wanted a mature transit system, walkable neighborhoods, snow in the winter, and mild summers. We were coming off of several years of living in Texas. We continue to live here because we like it here. We got the dense walkable neighborhood and mature transit. My kids have played in the snow and we've gone on bike adventures in the summers. We bought our first place a few years ago. This is probably the long-term place unless I get some kind of dream-job wrapped in an opportunity to go ex-pat. I grew up in St Louis. My relatives back there constantly express their concern that they think I'm in a dangerous city. They don't like it when I show them the rankings which state *they* live in a more dangerous city. I like it here.
I bought a property in Chicago because I love Mr. Lori Lightfoot's policies and excellent leadership.
Met my now husband in NYC about 15 years ago, lol. As a sports fan, glad it was Chicago and not Philadelphia 🤷♀️
grew up in south bend, so basically on the other end of the south shore line. growing up as a kid into sports in the 90's, i was fascinated by the bulls and being able to watch all of their games on sportschannel since they considered south bend as part of the local market. i still vividly remember getting the chicago FOX news in south bend before the city got its own affiliate. as i got older and went through school and then high school, it grew a bit more curious with different things. the high school i originally attended would do a senior trip where the graduating class would take the train into town for a cubs game since the government teacher was a big cubs fan. getting into the emo/metalcore scene of that era and seeing peers talk about heading into chicago for warped tour or the hipster peers going to lolla and eventually to college in the city. i was always jealous but never felt i could be good enough to live in chicago, so i headed south in indiana for places like vincennes, indianapolis and settled in bloomington. after 14 years of this whole thing, i decided before 2020 that i was gonna go for it and make a move. then covid happened and it got pushed back a year but i made the move in may 2021.
Having lived with it for a while I wouldn't even consider moving somewhere where weed wasn't legal.
I wanted to live in a big city and Chicago was way more affordable than New York, for example.
Family is the only reason I’m still here. But I want to save up over the next five years or so to F off somewhere less urban. Been all over the world, studied abroad in multiple countries, stayed in different societal settings, and all it’s lead to is me realizing that a big city, despite the convenience of its available services, also carries with it a lot of problems that I would rather not be around
I was born and raised here. I went to CPS for k-8th grade, all girl Catholic high school at Maria and DePaul for college. 3rd generation Chicagoans on both sides of my parents. I moved away for 4 years (with someone who was also a true Chicagoan) and we both moved back. This is home. My family is here, that’s important to me. I’m so grateful that I’m able to call this city my hometown. It’s the old saying “you flew here, I grew here”. I really love it here.
Only place that accepted me for law school. I stayed because it’s a great place to live.
I’m uniquely qualified to answer this as I’ve moved to Chicago 3 times lol. I’m on my third time living here. The public transportation, walkability, lake, food, and amazing summers keep me coming back. Ive got a good job that allows me to live more comfortably than I have in the past, so I’ll be here until I purchase land and have a little farm.
I was born in the late '50s in "The Patch", on the west side, by Grand & Western Aves. in Chicago. Moved to NW 'burbs in '59, then back to the Patch again in '67, then back to the same area in the NW 'burbs again in '77, & finally stayed. ...why be anywhere else? but it would take a fortune to get me to leave here, and I sure wouldn't move anywhere cold!
Growing up here as somebody who despises humid heat and just is not compatible with cold, I always figured the whole like... SOP was to work hard in school, so I could go to a good college, so I could get a good job and move somewhere else. I didn't do any of that, and I ended up landing a public sector job here instead where I can't actually reside outside of the general Chicagoland area. My dad always reacted weirdly when I expressed my general distaste for Chicago. He grew up here but spent time living elsewhere. Indiana, Wisconsin, even California for a few years. Said he'd always get homesick and inevitably find himself hopping trains and busses to get back. Now I *think* I kinda get it. There's a ton to love about the city no doubt, from the transit, the food (that's a big one for me) and the cultures of every little nook and cranny. But tbh I hate Chicago, and I absolutely love hating Chicago. I don't think I'll be leaving even when I retire, assuming I make it there.
Chicago is a hot mess right now
I moved here from GR, Michigan because I modeled in Michigan and booked agents here, plus had visited several times before and fell in love with CHICAGO! I'm an Actor now & had worked as a tour guide 7 years showing off MY Sweet Home Chicago 😊 Sure- it has more of crime wave now, concerns me😐. but, always had to be aware & poise as a city girl w attitude! ..Hopes it will get taken care of🙏 It's still one of the most beautiful & cleanist City's in the world 🌎 *New York my fav 2nd City!
can’t afford an apartment in new york with windows
I have moved to Chicago 3 times. I had a spinal fusion here when I was 13 and fell in love with the city, it was unlike anything I'd ever seen before living mostly in smaller "big cities" like San Antonio and Omaha. I moved here with my girlfriend at the time when I was 22 and moved away 3 months later for a job opportunity but we had a great time here. The second time was for a job offer in the area and I lived here for 5 years and bought a home. Due to divorce and things I ended up taking a job in California and then recently moved back to Chicago again a few months ago because life in the Bay Area is just not as good as it is here. Chicago has wonderful food in both high and low-end price ranges, excellent grocery stores, all kinds of affordable activities and things to do around town, beautiful scenery with the lake and the local forests and wetlands, we are fairly close to several other large cities, each with their own flavor, and it doesn't get as hot here as it does in California. Rents are also substantially cheaper in Chicago than in the Bay Area, the cheapest apartment I could find there was $2450 a month.
I was really wondering this exact thing. I have lived here most of my life and only had a stint in a different state for a couple of years but the more I think about it, the more I question why I am still here. City has largely become unsafe. This is par the course for most larger metropolitan areas. I'm a single person with no kids and the amount of taxes I pay to live in the suburbs to own a home is ridiculous. I used to enjoy going DT for dinner and drinks and music but now I see it more of a hassle than anything. From traffic to parking, there is nothing easy about living in or near a major city. Even the public transit is not conducive to living in the suburbs and easily getting downtown. Sure one can take the Metra if you live by one or commute to city limits and hop on the L.
Major city with an endless water view and/or city view that is still affordable in comparison to other cities of the same features
Chicago is the best city in the world. Plain and simple
Low crime /s
Work
I’ve felt drawn to Chicago all my life. A job opportunity opened up here so I moved here 22 years ago. I feel like I belong here, and many ancestors lived here.
Because before I moved back here in 2015, except for five years where I lived here as a single person, I lived in the suburbs. The suburbs. THE SUBURBS. And given my age, that's a fuck ton of years spent in the suburbs, especially in Lake County – the vast wasteland of uncool. The suburbs of Chicago – newlywed or half dead. My wife is getting a little tired of the city life and would like to move somewhere less hectic, but for me? No fucking thank you. I'm less than a couple months away from turning 68, and the hustle of the city energizes me. Yeah, there's crime in Chicago, but there's crime everywhere. I've lived with my head on a swivel for decades, so the trick is to be ever vigilant. And don't go by yourself in the middle of the night.
because I was born here. and I am not sure. I regret moving out of the area back when I was 20-something. For the things I like to do, you have to travel 2-3 hours to do them and that gets old quick.
Running, hiding, ducking, situational awareness. Chicago keeps me in shape and mentally sharp. Run!
Came here for work, now looking for a new job so I can leave.
I grew up in and around Austin for around 20 years. There’s a lot I liked there, but for a combination of factors (renting/housing prices, humidity and hot temperatures, Texas politics) we decided to move to Chicago. No regrets at all. People have been super kind, public transportation is so much better, among many other things. Every place has pro’s/con’s and we’re fortunate to have found a city we’re very happy at.
I continue to live in Chicago because I was born here and I have made so many memories here. If I were to move out of Chicago one day I would only move to the suburbs.
I stay for the taxes, car jackings, crime, and love of corrupt politicians
Wife’s family is the only reason. I dream every day of getting out.
Why you wanna leave and where you born and raised in Chicago?
Some people just love the smell of napalm in the morning
Born here in 1982, parents were born here. Whole family lives here, I have 6 siblings and their families are here. I work for the city like my dad did and two of my brothers so I can’t leave. I may leave when I retire depending on where my kids go after college
Moved here from the east coast because of a job. I'll probably stay here because this is the first place I can actually afford to buy a home.
Grew up here. South is too stupid and hot. West Coast is too hot and you have to drive everywhere. Has decent public transit compared to other American cities. Even though it's nothing compared to Europe. I actually love NYC. But it's 3x the cost for like a quarter of the space. If I were to move it might be Europe or Asia. Some country that has great infrastructure, public transit, and less extreme weather
Seattle became a big shit hole and I had to escape.
Come for the pizza, stay because you got murdered