Anyone move here from Miami? (Chicago, Champaign: best cities, sale, for rent)

[Pebbles81]

I have soo many questions!

My husband is from the midwest and lived in Chicago for a long time. The Miami legal market is too small, too crowded, and the salaries are ridiculously low, so we are thinking of moving to Chicago.

There are of course other reasons why I want to leave Miami, but I don't want to turn my post into that...

What was the most difficult thing you had to adjust to? Aside from the weather?
What neighborhoods do you suggest living in that would allow me to learn where everything is in the city and allow me to have a relatively short commute to downtown without 2000+ rent for a 2-3 bedroom?

We want to live in an area where we can walk to restaurants, yadi yadi ya....

Any winter wear you suggest considering the abrupt climate change?

any advice or things to think about before the move would be awesome!!

Ayleen

[Pebbles81]

OOps! I am so rude I forgot to introduce myself! I am ...well ...from Miami. Hi!!

[gabry76]

Hi there! My wife and I have moved from Miami last April, and we're loving every minute of it! Really no comparison between Chicago and Miami...you're doing the right choice. The most hard factor to adjust to was...well...the weather! That is truly the only thing I'm missing of Miami. When we arrived the winter was still lingering and spring has been kind of cold. But summer's been wonderful, amazing and Chicago in summer is one of the best cities in the US. Lots of parks, green spaces, lake in downtown, millions of restaurants, bars, clubs and stores. Everything is here. Chicago is a real cosmopolitan city. I laugh when somebody still says that Miami is culturally diverse!! This is a real culturally diverse city. We live in Lakeview that it's about 4 miles from downtown that means about 20-30 minutes commute by the L, the metropolitan train system here in Chicago. A little slow...but light years from the ridiculous public transportation of Miami. We're renting a brand new 950 sq.ft 2-1 in a quiet tree-line street close to everything for 1,800 bucks a month, but you can find something cheaper. We walk everywhere or we move by the L, we use the car only to go buy groceries or when we need to go out of town!
We love it and we don't regret at all having left Miami. Really one of the very few downsides is the weather, now it is still very nice...but winter is coming soon...and that will be a hard test!!! Good luck!! Don't think twice and take the leap towards Chicago!

[Bessie728]

If you need help finding housing, it would be my pleasure.

Bessie

[jessiegirl_98]

Originally Posted by Pebbles81

I have soo many questions!

My husband is from the midwest and lived in Chicago for a long time. The Miami legal market is too small, too crowded, and the salaries are ridiculously low, so we are thinking of moving to Chicago.

There are of course other reasons why I want to leave Miami, but I don't want to turn my post into that...

What was the most difficult thing you had to adjust to? Aside from the weather?
What neighborhoods do you suggest living in that would allow me to learn where everything is in the city and allow me to have a relatively short commute to downtown without 2000+ rent for a 2-3 bedroom?

We want to live in an area where we can walk to restaurants, yadi yadi ya....

Any winter wear you suggest considering the abrupt climate change?

any advice or things to think about before the move would be awesome!!

Ayleen

I would also agree that the weather will be the biggest adjustment. Just buy a long down coat (we're talking past knees) and plenty of gloves, scarfs, hats and some boots.

What is the amount you want to pay for rent? Go to the first post in this forum and read about Lakeview, Lincoln Park, Wicker Park, Roscoe Village...there are many other to choose from but those are a good start.

My other advice is regarding the legal market in Chicago. It is much larger, but it is also very competative and can be difficult to find a job, unless you are top 10% or have big firm experience. It's difficult, but not impossible, so I would secure a job before moving. Just an example, many of my friends now have 2-3 years experience and are making 50-60K. Some of them are trying to find jobs with this level of experience (they have jobs, but want to switch to other firms), and only 1 has been able to find one. Again, just plan ahead and try to find a job before moving. You can also check into some legal temp agencies that pay lawyers per hour. That may be a good option before finding a job.

[gabry76]

Guys, this post is at least 9 months old...

[Drover]

Well in case the OP ever comes back I can give her the inside line on the best Cuban sandwich shops in the city.

[Pebbles81]

Hi! I am in Chicago! I made ithere. I am working at an immigration firm which is what I wanted. My husband, also an attorney, ended up getting a job with a 40% inc in pay.

We are living in Wrigleyville, but are looking to buy in the next year or two.

what abotu that rec for cuban sandwiches? can you hook me up?
I am, afterall, cuban-american

Have yet to find a great mojito in this town, but I am still lovin' it here despite the fact that I moved in January!!

Ayleen

[Steve-o]

Well, glad you made it! Enjoy!

[Drover]

Welcome to Chicago and it's nice to hear you are all settled in.

By far the best Cuban steak sandwich, and certainly a contender for best Cubano, is El Cubanito on the 2500 block of N. Pulaski Avenue, 2 doors south of Wrightwood. Don't blink though, you'll miss it. The couple who run it came to the U.S. from Cuba a few years ago; first to Miami, and then to Chicago. The wife's sister managed get out pretty recently as well and now she's helping out too. The sister isn't well-versed in American manners yet -- they write a little note on the receipt so they know whose order is whose, and sometimes when she's at the register my receipt ends up saying "gordito" on it. Now, I may not know much Spanish, but I know what that means. If El Cubanito has a drawback, it's no medianoche. It's dry crispy bread or nothing.

The two other highly respected sandwich joints in town are Cafe Mirianao on the 2200 block of N. Milwaukee Avenue and La Unica on the 1500 block of W. Devon Avenue. I personally don't understand the hoopla over Marianao. But those who know more about Cuban cuisine than I do hold it in pretty high esteem, so don't take my word for it. I think one experienced Cuban sandwich aficionado who has actually dined in Cuba may have captured it when he said Marianao's cheese "tastes like socialism."

La Unica is actually a tiny grocery store with a small sit-down cafeteria-looking restaurant in the back and they have various dishes from all over Latin America. They also have the best variety of Latin and pseudo-Latin sodas for retail sale of any grocery store I've found so far, including Good-O Champaign Kola, Inca Kola, Materva, Coco, Jupina and Ironbeer. They even have some of these varieties in diet -- Inca, Jupina and Materva for certain. It's the kind of place that makes living in Chicago worthwhile.

Con Sabor Cubano on the 2700 block of Lawrence Avenue gets pretty good praise for its Cubano. Haven't tried it or the steak sandwich myself yet. I tried their ropa vieja and I wasn't terribly impressed. They also serve medianoche.

Latin Sandwich Cafe on the 4000 block of N. Elston Avenue has the best ropa I've tried around here so far and they have great homemade shakes, but I haven't been thrilled with their other menu items. Their Cuban menu is kind of an add-on; their focus is on Chilean dishes. I wouldn't go out of your way to eat here unless you just can't find decent ropa vieja anywhere else.