Sell Me On Relocating To Chicago From KC

[KCUnited]

My wife has a really good job opportunity in Chicago and is trying to talk me into relocating there. I would stay in my current position and work virtually with occasional commutes back to KC. Her office would be downtown, just north of the Loop. So, we'd like to be somewhat near there with public transportation options.

A new city with better food, music, and entertainment options excites me. However, I'm mostly on the fence about it due to the winters there and the thought of working everyday from home in virtually 8 months of winter bums me out a little.

Any neighborhood suggestions from people who live/have lived there?
Pros/Cons from people who live/have lived there?
Is the weather that much different than KC?

I love KC, but I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't getting a little bored here.

[Swanman]

Originally Posted by CoMoChief

Their Italian beef sammiches are ****ing amazing though. So are there deep dish pizzas if you can find the right place to eat from. I've had really good Chinese in their asian district south end near White Sox US Cellular field or whatever they call it now. The El is kinda neat considering here in KC there is no mass transit in form of a rail line. Never been to NYC or anything but Chicago comes close to it from what i've heard. Guess thats why they call it the 2nd City.

Driving in downtown Chicago will take years off your life. I mean talk about an absolute ****ing headache. I read a previous post someone getting stuck in traffic at 2am. Yes that bizarre kind of shit really does happen...and esp after a long day at work it may take you an hour just to get home when you have to go only 5-10miles. By the time you get home you're ready to beat your dog or wife simply out of frustration.

Lots of good eats, music, comedy/theatre/arts, night life and other cool shit. Like I said previously...great for a week or 2 vaca...but I just absolutely could not live there. Best of luck to you and your fam KCU.

If you live in Chicago or the suburbs and work in or near the loop and drive to work, you are an idiot. My train ride from where I am at is around 40 minutes, compared to 2 hours or more if I drive. If you have to drive from the city out to the suburbs for work or have to drive suburb to suburb, you are kinda screwed.

The traffic is bad and is just something you have to adjust around. Luckily I live in walking distance to a commuter rail stop and I time my driving trips to downtown around times when it isn't as bad if I can.

[Easy 6]

Originally Posted by KCUnited

Speaking of babies being cut out of stomachs, I've never had a Horseshoe. Do those go as far north as Chicago or is that more of a central Illinois thing?

More of downstate thing I'm pretty sure, its nothing special really... just an extra messy cheeseburger and fries.

[Swanman]

Originally Posted by Easy 6

More of downstate thing I'm pretty sure, its nothing special really... just an extra messy cheeseburger and fries.

I think the horseshoe originated in Springfield, or at least it was showcased on an episode of Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. I have never seen anything like it in the Chicago area.

[KCUnited]

Originally Posted by Swanman

If you live in Chicago or the suburbs and work in or near the loop and drive to work, you are an idiot. My train ride from where I am at is around 40 minutes, compared to 2 hours or more if I drive. If you have to drive from the city out to the suburbs for work or have to drive suburb to suburb, you are kinda screwed.

The traffic is bad and is just something you have to adjust around. Luckily I live in walking distance to a commuter rail stop and I time my driving trips to downtown around times when it isn't as bad if I can.

Say the wife works down on Chicago Ave near the river and I have an option of working out of my company's Aurora office. Is there an ideal middle ground for us to live or is that just a disaster scenario?

[Easy 6]

Originally Posted by Swanman

I think the horseshoe originated in Springfield, or at least it was showcased on an episode of Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. I have never seen anything like it in the Chicago area.

Yeah, its a pretty big deal around Springfield. Don't get me wrong, they're damn tasty if the cheese sauce is good... but I've never understood the hype.

Its a hamburger patty or chicken breast or whatever on toast, covered in fries and cheese sauce lol... its not exactly some incredibly original invention.

[KCUnited]

Originally Posted by Easy 6

Yeah, its a pretty big deal around Springfield. Don't get me wrong, they're damn tasty if the cheese sauce is good... but I've never understood the hype.

Its a hamburger patty or chicken breast or whatever on toast, covered in fries and cheese sauce lol... its not exactly some incredibly original invention.

I could be interested in a pork tenderloin one, but yeah, I'd probably pass on the burger one and certainly wouldn't make a trip out of town for.

[Easy 6]

Originally Posted by KCUnited

I could be interested in a pork tenderloin one, but yeah, I'd probably pass on the burger one and certainly wouldn't make a trip out of town for.

I've seen some of your posts in the food threads, you could easily stay home and make one just as good as any restaurant.

[KCUnited]

Originally Posted by Easy 6

I've seen some of your posts in the food threads, you could easily stay home and make one just as good as any restaurant.

I'm not sure I physically have it in me to dump a pile of fries and cheese sauce on a properly made pork tenderloin. I likely could stuff my face with one if someone placed it in front of me though.

[DeepSouth]

Chicago is Harry Dresden's city.

[Easy 6]

Originally Posted by KCUnited

I'm not sure I physically have it in me to dump a pile of fries and cheese sauce on a properly made pork tenderloin. I likely could stuff my face with one if someone placed it in front of me though.

Totally agree.

[CoMoChief]

Originally Posted by KCUnited

Say the wife works down on Chicago Ave near the river and I have an option of working out of my company's Aurora office. Is there an ideal middle ground for us to live or is that just a disaster scenario?

Eww...yeah that commute is going to suck either way.

Even if you live halfway lets say Oak Park or Forest Park and take I88/I290 you're prob looking at a 45min to hr commute. And I think these are toll roads.

and I55 during rush hr makes you wanna commit suicide.

[Swanman]

Originally Posted by KCUnited

Say the wife works down on Chicago Ave near the river and I have an option of working out of my company's Aurora office. Is there an ideal middle ground for us to live or is that just a disaster scenario?

That's not a great scenario but there are some workable options.

1) Move somewhere in the west suburbs within a decent distance of Aurora but not too far out. Somewhere like Lombard or around there. Oak Park has been mentioned and that is fairly nice but it's right next to Chicago so a good amount of distance from Aurora.

2) Move to Aurora. There is a Metra (commuter rail) station there and your wife could get downtown in 40 minutes using the train. She would then need to take a bus to her office if it's as far north as Chicago Ave. She would need to do that in option 1 as well, just from a closer Metra station. I lived in Aurora for about 9 years. It's far out and getting crowded but you can get good deals out that way.

If you live downtown, her commute will be cake but if you want to drive out to Aurora, that is a murderous reverse commute unless you do really strange hours.

A lot of it comes down to how close or far from downtown you want to be. Many people have strong opinions on one or the other. My advice to you would be to look at a sample of different areas both in and out of the city and see what stands out for you.

[KCUnited]

Originally Posted by Swanman

That's not a great scenario but there are some workable options.

1) Move somewhere in the west suburbs within a decent distance of Aurora but not too far out. Somewhere like Lombard or around there. Oak Park has been mentioned and that is fairly nice but it's right next to Chicago so a good amount of distance from Aurora.

2) Move to Aurora. There is a Metra (commuter rail) station there and your wife could get downtown in 40 minutes using the train. She would then need to take a bus to her office if it's as far north as Chicago Ave. She would need to do that in option 1 as well, just from a closer Metra station. I lived in Aurora for about 9 years. It's far out and getting crowded but you can get good deals out that way.

If you live downtown, her commute will be cake but if you want to drive out to Aurora, that is a murderous reverse commute unless you do really strange hours.

A lot of it comes down to how close or far from downtown you want to be. Many people have strong opinions on one or the other. My advice to you would be to look at a sample of different areas both in and out of the city and see what stands out for you.

Great insight, much appreciated.

I would only have to report to that Aurora office as little as once a week, so we'd likely build the commute around what's easiest for my wife. Does that Metra rail run from Downtown to Aurora in the AM's?

[Swanman]

Originally Posted by KCUnited

Great insight, much appreciated.

I would only have to report to that Aurora office as little as once a week, so we'd likely build the commute around what's easiest for my wife. Does that Metra rail run from Downtown to Aurora in the AM's?

It does but it would then depend where your office was in relation to the train station. It's not like downtown where you have a billion businesses within a mile of the train station and can walk anywhere so you would need to arrange transport to your office, which can be a pain from the suburban train stops.

[KCUnited]

Originally Posted by Swanman

It does but it would then depend where your office was in relation to the train station. It's not like downtown where you have a billion businesses within a mile of the train station and can walk anywhere so you would need to arrange transport to your office, which can be a pain from the suburban train stops.

Ah, yep, they aren't real close to each other. What are typical driver commute times from Chicago to Aurora? I'm guessing the 1 hour Google is showing is off.