I Might Be Moving to Chicago
 

Any suggestions, preferably from people who have lived/ are living there?
Thanks!

Cool, step on steve albini head for me.

Don't bother with a car, take the bus. It saves on gas and is much safer~
(I know this from talking to other people from Chicago, I myself live in a small town 20 minutes Southwest [or east?] away from Milwauke)

When I think about where I'd like to move to one day I think of somewhere in California, Austin, TX or perhaps Chicago, IL. I went there for this last New Year & loved it.

elder18, (about your signature)
a band called Pylon have a song called "Read a Book"

Read a book/Don't be afraid

I'm in Chicago. It smells a bit odd, but you get used to it.

Where are you from originally?

Anngella's right, public transportation is the way to go. We are currently 11th highest in the nation with gas prices, if I remember correctly. Plus, there's not much point having a car if you live in the heart of the city.

Chicago is really a great place to live, very ecclectic and varied. It's an asscrack when it comes to weather, but that depends on your tolerance level.

I'm with you atari - I'm thinking southern California, where I can get sunshine, moderate temperatures, and personal space.

I hate living in Austin and can't wait to leave. It's so fucking ridiculously hot here all the fucking time, like 101 DEGREES IN MID APRIL!!!! it smells bad, traffic is bad, public transportation is bad, and the local vegetation is ugly. and southern hospitality is a lie. the great music scene austin is so well known for has been dead for at least 15 years. The days of the butthole surfers, big boys, dicks, etc are long gone. frat rock is the new austin sound.

101 DEGREES last monday! IN APRIL! DIAAAAAAAAAAMN. you must be crazy.

p.s. i usually don't hate austin nearly as much as i do today. it has its good points, but i'm struggling to remember what they are.

Everyone in chicago is strange and indie snobbish ..its got the best music.. shellac, Us maple, bearclaw, .22, jesus lizard, blah blah...

We're snobbish, because by default, Chicago residents are deities. Cower in the wake of our ethereal glory!

i know, I envy chicagoians.. i mean.. they have tons of shit to do all the time!

yeah Texas is ugly & hot that's for sure. I lived in Dallas briefly during the summer of '89. But Austin is the live music capital of the world. I know that's a slogan, but it's also pretty true.

No way...truncated you are so with it....I had no idea that's where you were.

Yeah, it ain't too shabby here. Spoiled for choice really. Chicago is a denizen for hedonists.

I live in a small college town (25,000 people) right now.
I've been to Chicago a few times and really enjoyed it.
How about neighborhoods to avoid, things like that?
Thanks!

Chicago has a no-wave scene.

Kk Rampage and NTELOS kick major ass.

Depends on what you're into, really. Are you looking to move into the actual city, or the suburbs?

Don't go downtown - there's no point, the entire city is accessible within minutes by train, and downtown is MAD expensive (1-bedroom condos on Lakeshore Dr. cost upwards of $1 million).

I recommend the north or far north side, mostly because that's where I'm used to. The south side is a bit sketchy, and I don't know what the hell they do on the east and west sides - they're some kind of no-man's-land. But anyway, the north side is not very posh, but it has tons of character. Every block is a different ethnicity, and it has the most amazing venues/restaurants/theaters/shops that are holes in the wall, but offer a wealth of good shit.

Unless you're extremely wealthy and/or a yuppie, I wouldn't bother with Lincoln Park or Irving Park in the north. Bucktown is pretty good, and Grant Park isn't bad. Rogers Park is good, if you don't go too far north. But Loyola is in Rogers Park, and I for one find college students rather irritating.

Anywhere around Fullerton or Belmont is FABULOUS, if you can afford it.

It's cold here in the winter. REAL cold. Like, freeze your snot in your nose cold. And the wind is a force to be reckoned with. It's quite funny walking by the lake on a windy day - you watch people fall on their asses at random because the wind pushes them over. But if you can handle that, hey, come on down.

check out these 2 areas: pilsen + wicker park. really fun, lots of art, and cool people to boot.

also, make sure you get a bike; city bike riding is the best

Thanks for the help fellas.
I'm thinking of living on the North Side as well, somewhere around N.Sheridan, etc.
I'm curious about the biking; is it safe?

<----- Not a fella, for the record.

I lived right off of Sheridan, on Arthur. Not a bad area (but we had a lot of centipedes for some reason).

The cars fear the bikers, not the other way around.

Bearclaw fucking sucks!

north side: i think truncated was with the irish mob

but didn't they get slaughtered by al capone?

I live on the north side; it's nice but I'm a bit bored with it after four years. If I had it to do over again, I'd move to hipsterville (Wicker Park) in order to have more fun things to do every night and to be around my friends.

North side is the safest, though I was actually glad when I got my bike stolen because I was so terrified driving it on the streets. (I'm not a proficient biker).

Look forward to it. My life got so much better when I went from the suburbs to the city.

ukranian village is good if yr not looking to live by yrself. parking is really good too. ukranian village is just south of wicker park and maybe 5 or 10 miles directly west of downtown. lived in a 2 bedroom w/ roommate for 800 a month a little less than a year ago. lots of kids and hipsters along with old ukranian families. theres a really good ukraninan grocery at western and iowa. i wonder what its like now tho becuase the hipster yuppie money factor is spreading into the UK from wicker park. couldnt find a studio or 1 bedroom for less than 600 or so when i left the old apt . also the empty bottle club is right in ukraninan village/wicker park along with the double door and subterrenean.

now im living alone in a studio for 450 a month between addison and irving park and 6 or so blocks from the lake. the neighborhoods kind of yuppie but ok tho most places are pricy. parking is OK but when the cubs play it can get a little out of hand. also the metro club is like 6 or so blocks from me.

rogers park is as far north chicago as you can get till you get to evanston. some spots are nice some are really not very nice and parking is just stupid
up there. logan square is west of ukranian village and wicker park. it is pretty spotty safety wise but the rent is not bad there and lots of kids are beginning to move in. its like wicker park 10 or so years ago. id imagine parking is not too bad there.

pilsen is the beginning of the southside and maybe 10 or 15 miles west of the lake. prices are good there but again safety wise its sort of hit or miss. lots of kids hipsters artists etc. are moving there tho now so its not too frightening but you are kind of far away from the city and the places to go like clubs etc.