Leaving Illinois for Wisconsin? (Chicago, Rockford: sales, home, neighborhoods)

[ram2]

Originally Posted by Hiruko

I like how fast people in Illinois drive. I don't like people driving like they are manic (tailgating, weaving in and out of traffic, etc.), but it's better than having cops writing tickets everywhere.

Fast drivers in Illinois? The Illinois drivers in Michigan are afraid to go faster than 65 and camp out in the left lane.

[ram2]

Originally Posted by olive03

You sound like my father-in-law. Born and raised on the north side of Chicago. He HATES WI with a passion. Not sure why, but any time he has to cross the state line, there's profanity spewing from his mouth.

My relatives in Milwaukee have similar hatred for Chicago.

[CCrest182]

WI is not the cheap and free haven for Illinois residents as it once was. Some parts are cheaper than others, but IMO I'd rather leave IL for IN before WI. I'd probably fall in the minority of most Chicagoans though. Iowa, even though it's further away, is also becoming a big destination for people heading out of Illinois.

[CCrest182]

Originally Posted by Milwaukee City

Would you leave IL for Wisconsin?

On average 40-50 families move to WI from IL a day. I think Chicago is a saving grace, without it who knows how IL would survive. What I am still surprised about is the lack of the IL state governemnt to make any adjustments to help it's financial situtation. It appears the can has been kicked down the road again.

Wisconsin beat IL 13 out of 14 categories, the 14th category is a biggie though...Income Tax Rate.

It's a very interesting read just checkout the numbers and stats:

https://www.badgerinstitute.org/BI-F...ration2019.pdf


Would you ever consider living in the Badger State?

To be fair though, if Illinois didn't have Chicago, it also wouldn't be the crazy high taxed/high priced place it is today. Illinois would probably be another Indiana if Chicago didn't exist. I think there's both positives and negatives to that scenario.

[dcisive]

Well I just have to jump in on this one having grown up in Chicago and the North Suburbs. Ever since I was a small child I had a thing for Wisconsin. Why? Primarily because it had clean air, water, less population and lower stress. As soon as I got a driver license back in 1969 I worked hard and got my first car, a 67 Tempest Convertible. My best memories were driving up to visit a friend who was living with his dad in Fontana on Lake Geneva. It was so nice to get the heck OUT of Illinois for the weekend. I never liked big cities really. Chicago has basically been an armpit since the 70's so it's no recent development.

The decline you read about now is like describing the difference between a sewage treatment plant on a decent day and now on a bad day. The list of negatives are pages long so I won't bore anyone. I got the heck out of Illinois way back in 1982 and oh what a difference it made. Wisconsin actually has a ton of great options if you're into cities. Besides Milwaukee there is Madison, Appleton Wausau and a plethora of smaller cities and towns, ALL of which have wonderful friendly people, a community atmosphere that gives a rats patootie about where they are, and decent schools, parks and places you can do day or night without worrying about a drive by bullet in your head.

So you folks in Illinois can go down with the ship if that's your thing. But to try to defend what isn't very defendable is pretty pathetic to watch. Between Chicago's mayor, the Governor and aldermen and more, it's like a huge BAD joke that one can make a movie out of easily (and there have been a few). A real narrative on how a city and state can go to $hit in a progression of years. From what I've seen Wisconsin has gone quite the opposite, and so much of it has to do with their people, which to me have always been leagues beyond in their general manner. Even the drivers (and I used to drive for a living across those states) have some kind of death wish in the Chicago metro area. In Wisconsin more often than not it's not so bad. And you Illinois folks can be in denial all you want, the number of Illinois plates that invade across the Wisconsin line on any given weekend in the summer can't be counted. I'll leave it there. This from a "been there done that" guy....and I mean it

[Maintainschaos]

Originally Posted by CCrest182

To be fair though, if Illinois didn't have Chicago, it also wouldn't be the crazy high taxed/high priced place it is today. Illinois would probably be another Indiana if Chicago didn't exist. I think there's both positives and negatives to that scenario.

Yeah people seem to always overlook the fact that there are several million people living in Illinois outside of Chicagoland, that Illinois is a hugely important agriculture state that contributes strongly, has a large amount of natural resources, and has produced many Fortune 500 companies. Golly gee how could those people ever survive?! Even under a scenario where Chicagoland were completely removed, the state would still have more people and a bigger GDP than Iowa.

[dcisive]

yeah I did notice back in the early 70's when I went off to SIU Carbondale it was like leaving the State. The area, culture, air, water and the people were completely different then up north. Much better I'd say. It was a blast. I hated to come back.

[Hiruko]

Originally Posted by ram2

Fast drivers in Illinois? The Illinois drivers in Michigan are afraid to go faster than 65 and camp out in the left lane.

You have people writing tickets in Michigan. That's why Illinoisans drive more slowly out of state. I went on a road trip with my Illinois-born-and-bred girlfriend to Michigan last summer, and she got a ticket going 90 MPH just outside of Detroit.

[ram2]

Originally Posted by Hiruko

You have people writing tickets in Michigan. That's why Illinoisans drive more slowly out of state. I went on a road trip with my Illinois-born-and-bred girlfriend to Michigan last summer, and she got a ticket going 90 MPH just outside of Detroit.

I bet I would get police attention driving 90mph in Illinois, especially with all of those 55mph speed limits there.

[damba]

Originally Posted by dcisive

Well I just have to jump in on this one having grown up in Chicago and the North Suburbs. Ever since I was a small child I had a thing for Wisconsin. Why? Primarily because it had clean air, water, less population and lower stress. As soon as I got a driver license back in 1969 I worked hard and got my first car, a 67 Tempest Convertible. My best memories were driving up to visit a friend who was living with his dad in Fontana on Lake Geneva. It was so nice to get the heck OUT of Illinois for the weekend. I never liked big cities really. Chicago has basically been an armpit since the 70's so it's no recent development.

The decline you read about now is like describing the difference between a sewage treatment plant on a decent day and now on a bad day. The list of negatives are pages long so I won't bore anyone. I got the heck out of Illinois way back in 1982 and oh what a difference it made. Wisconsin actually has a ton of great options if you're into cities. Besides Milwaukee there is Madison, Appleton Wausau and a plethora of smaller cities and towns, ALL of which have wonderful friendly people, a community atmosphere that gives a rats patootie about where they are, and decent schools, parks and places you can do day or night without worrying about a drive by bullet in your head.

So you folks in Illinois can go down with the ship if that's your thing. But to try to defend what isn't very defendable is pretty pathetic to watch. Between Chicago's mayor, the Governor and aldermen and more, it's like a huge BAD joke that one can make a movie out of easily (and there have been a few). A real narrative on how a city and state can go to $hit in a progression of years. From what I've seen Wisconsin has gone quite the opposite, and so much of it has to do with their people, which to me have always been leagues beyond in their general manner. Even the drivers (and I used to drive for a living across those states) have some kind of death wish in the Chicago metro area. In Wisconsin more often than not it's not so bad. And you Illinois folks can be in denial all you want, the number of Illinois plates that invade across the Wisconsin line on any given weekend in the summer can't be counted. I'll leave it there. This from a "been there done that" guy....and I mean it

I’m fairly certain there’s no love lost down here for your move to Idaho LOL.

Drive by? Yeah, that’s *everywhere* in Chicagoland