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The sad reality is that even folks on these boards that live in suburbs that do adjoin the city limits seem to largely have knowledge ONLY of things east of them -- fact is there are dozens of great ethnic restaurants in suburban Cook Co and DuPage Co that too many people on these boards willfully ignore. Similarly the music and entertainment venues that exist west of Chicago are completely off the radar of folks on these boards. Local businesses like Two Brothers Brewing knock themselves out to get TERRIFIC local bands lined up and doofuses on these boards act like everything east of Central Ave in the land of Applebees and Muzak...
I don't have any problem with folks that make knowledge based decisions to live anywhere but I will continue to rail against the mindless fools that dismiss anyplace outside the 606xx zone as unworthy of consideration.
In all honesty the homogenization of Chicago caused by the hordes of "lock-step non-conformists" is a bigger concern to me than any deficiencies in the car-centric suburbs: as more idiots overpay for shoddily thrown-up condos of split-faced concrete block in parts of Chicago that have traditionally been off the beaten path the spread of "college fraternity and sorority" values will make more and more of the city look like a Disneyland of "craft beers" owned South African beverage companies and food recipes cranked out by Food Network focus groups...
The broader issues of how the detached / devil-may-care post college crowd is likely CLUELESS in matters like school reform and holding corrupt politicians accountable for financial mismanagement whereas in a well functional smaller suburb the strength / stability of home owners that are acutely aware of the impact of quality schools and modest government expenditures on property value and additional reasons that I strongly discourage renters from buying condos inside Chicago. Sure there are people that toss down more per square foot on a fantastic looking single family house in Lincoln Park than they would on a similarly tricked out place in any of the desirable affluent suburbs but my take is that MOST such people are orders of magnitude more "insulated" from shifts in the economy. These are typically the kind of people with massive windfalls that can afford to send their kids to private schools and rely of their close contact with political insiders to carve out a "safe zone" for their needs. Regular people that have achieved some measure of financial success through regular old hard work and a just wee bit of luck would be foolish to assume their values are the same as the folks that are "drippin' in it"...
It is extremely tempting for folks in every situation to "generalize based on their specifics" but the facts are irrefutable -- many parts of Chicago that supported a decent "working class" are increasingly suffering from the effects of policies that have shifted resources to the politically connected and the trends are NOT reversing. Jobs in the Loop are more easily reached via rail-centric suburbs that places inside Chicago but poorly served by transit. And even those "jobs in the Loop" are harder and harder to come by. The failures of many firms to compete in an environment with increasingly fickle consumers and rapidly shifting business trends. The 20-somethings that look around their hip workplace are likely to be even more quickly "obsolete" than the scrappier baby boomers that may look like old farts but at least know the value of using "band together" politics to their advantage...
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Originally Posted by marothisu
Cool, so you're fine. And some suburbs are set up more for that, especially ones on smaller lots and the older burbs. However, many burbs now are a lot more spread out.
There's nothing wrong or bad about preferring the city to the suburbs. I hate the suburbs, sorry. Just can't stand it. You prefer the suburbs and that's fine, but don't give me or anybody else **** for it. Everyone likes different things and I'm sorry Chet, but I've lived in both suburbia and urban and urbanity is much more spontaneous. There are some suburbs which are fine, they're the older ones, but most suburbs today are cookie cutter subdivisions FAR from anything and the people are very to themselves and it's not that common to have people from 5 houses down hanging out and everyone in the neighborhood just doing that. I'm talking about suburbs where everyone is on a half acre or more of a lot.
Just because I live in the city doesn't mean I don't know what I'm talking about. I've lived in both environments.
Just wondering in general about the pros/cons of living in each. Obviously, if one wants action every night they would pick the city, but I am not the one, as I only go out on weekends. Is car insurance cheaper in the suburbs? Less crime? Schools don't matter to me. What about taxes?
I feel like the answer to this question is you have know what type of person you are and visit the city neighborhoods and the suburbs yourself. That is what I did years ago, and I knew where I wanted to be. You seem like you know what type of person you are, but is it best to come see it yourself.
The city/suburb living in Chicago is very black/white with a few gray areas like the older suburbs like Oak Park/Evanston which Oak Park is favorite of mine.
Are you the type of person that needs constant energy all the time, do not mind grit, and single then you need to be in one of the exciting neighborhoods a.k.a LV/LP/WP etc...
If you want more quiet you can live in neighborhoods outside the trendy ones like Ravenswood/LS/North Center but I really do not see the point in that unless you want to be to say I can am close to the action. These neighborhoods are kind of brown, gritty and almost boring to me and feel a place like Oak Park more interesting, cleaner and green and you still have the city access.
I feel there is really no point to living in the city if do not live in these exciting neighborhoods. City living can be more stressful and if you are living in some ordinary city neighborhood, why are you putting up with stress. You can live in the suburbs and drive to one is these trendy areas. The only stress relief I see in the city as you can give up your car and not worry about it breaking down or other car related issues. I know that use to completely stress in me out.
You have to ask yourself are you more mainstream with stores and housing or do you not mind older housing with grit around you. I did not know this about the city before I visited and was in complete shock. Also, there is definitely more energy in the city Downtown and trendy areas but not necessarily outside of that.
Do you need that constant energy? Do you like drinking a lot or being around heavy urban surroundings with people breath this because if not it can actually drain you or you will be annoyed and feel like you are surrounded by urban douchebags.
I am the type who love energy and likes being around people, but I enjoy my quiet too. This is possible to achieve in the city too.
Do you have a family as this will influence your decision also. There are families in the city and some nice outside almost suburban neighborhoods like Sauganash, Edison Park and many others.
But the suburbs are more centered towards family even middle ground ones like Oak Park. I use to live in Forest Park and my car insurance was only 30 dollars a month, but I only had liability and I think it would have been around 47 with collision.
I wanted to address the excitement spontatenity issue. You are who you are. A person does not cross into the 606 whatever zip code and crazy spontaneous stuff with just happen or even fall in your lap the way people on this board hype it up to be. You have to be happy where you are for things like this to happen. I have many conversation with random people in the city and outside of the city as I go out in both.
Yes there are possibly more opportunities for this as you will be passing more people day to day in certain parts of the city, but many of these people just trying to get through the day or worse looking at there I-Phones.
You can have spontaneous conversation anywhere if you like, but certain outer suburbs are more isolating.
The point is come and visit, make a decision own you own gut, and don't believe all the city hype and suburban hate you have to decide for yourself.
For sure. When I lived in the burbs I found it to be the opposite of comfortable or convenient to drive an hour each way any time I wanted to see a band, hear a comedian, eat obscure ethnic food, go on dates, or be around like-minded people in a place that didn't depress the hell out of me...not to mention having to choose between driving or getting a hotel room after drinking. It's also quite a bit less convenient to have to get in the car to go to the nearest grocery store, coffee shop, restaurant, or bar rather than walking a block.
I don't agree with Chet much. But this sounds like you were living in the country not the outer crust of a large metro area.
A btw, band play EVERYWHERE - even dinky little sports bars. Why was it taking you an hour - even if you were going to the city and not a nearby suburban area? You sound like someone who is only is interested in super popular music at stadiums (such as the Tweeter Center in Tinley Park or the Rosemont Theater). I can show you a number of small concert venues and band-friendly bars in the south suburbs and northwest Indiana. Every band has to start somewhere.. It's harder to get booked in Wicker Park than Hammond, Indiana. I'm not in a band but a good friend of mine is.
I would not mind living in the suburbs, in fact, that's where we want to live eventually. However, right now my husband would have to drive down town everyday for work if we lived in the suburbs. He works at 3 am. If the Metra would go all night long, we would find a place in Arlington Hights with walking distance to the Metra.
Right now he takes either the red or the brown line or Clark 22 buss. Someday he drives but mostly not.
Unless you lived in some suburb of Lincoln Nebraska I cannot imagine that you had to drive AN HOUR to find ETHNIC FOOD -- in all honestly even the most car centric suburb in the far reaches of DuPage, Lake or suburban Cook is loaded with places that have terrific Thai food, great Pho shops, awesome Indian / Pakistani places and often tons of good places for Italian, Greek or Mexican too...
There are opportunities to see live comedy in Naperville, Vernon Hills and the various historic theatre venues along the Fox River.
Live music is definately more plentiful in Chicago but many nightspots have a wide range of bands performing. Two Brothers Brewery is doing an awesome job with the Round House property out in Aurora and the traditon of live music at Fitzgeralds in Berwyn has been a staple of suburban music fans for decades
Sorry, but I have to defend ChiNaan on this one. He/she said they were unable to find "obscure" ethnic food, which judging by their forum name could be interpreted as authentic Indian, or other harder to find restaurants such as Ethiopian, Korean, Peruvian, etc, etc. You would be hard pressed to find these restaurants (let alone delivery) in the suburbs. And while I don't doubt that there are a handful of great-to-excellent restaurants in the suburbs (amongst a sea of Pizza Huts and Olive Gardens), it simply doesn't compete with the dozens of exceptional ones in Chicago.
With regard to comedy, NO ONE is going to see live comedy in Naperville when Chicago (the comedy mecca) is nearby. Terribly sorry.
Finally, I presume that ChiNaan was referring to bands of quality and talent. Try to convince me that I can see Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds at Two Brothers Brewery...that's what I thought. Is Dita Von Teese's Burlesque tour making a pit stop in DeKalb that I don't know about?!!
It's one thing to live in rural or suburban areas because you enjoy the space, the nature, the affordability...but if you try to argue that night life, restaurants and entertainment in the suburbs are even remotely sufficient enough to compete with that of the city (or satisfactory in any way), you're sadly mistaken my friend.
Sorry, but I have to defend ChiNaan on this one. He/she said they were unable to find "obscure" ethnic food, which judging by their forum name could be interpreted as authentic Indian, or other harder to find restaurants such as Ethiopian, Korean, Peruvian, etc, etc. You would be hard pressed to find these restaurants (let alone delivery) in the suburbs. And while I don't doubt that there are a handful of great-to-excellent restaurants in the suburbs (amongst a sea of Pizza Huts and Olive Gardens), it simply doesn't compete with the dozens of exceptional ones in Chicago.
Even if they do, nothing says it's good or authentic. There are two Malaysian restaurants in the burbs. I have been to one and it's not very good and it's not terribly authentic either. In fact, the chain fast food I had in Malaysia was even much more superior than this. But to the person that doesn't know, they just see "Malaysian." It would be like you trying to find Pad Thai in Thailand..
With regard to comedy, NO ONE is going to see live comedy in Naperville when Chicago (the comedy mecca) is nearby. Terribly sorry.
Finally, I presume that ChiNaan was referring to bands of quality and talent. Try to convince me that I can see Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds at Two Brothers Brewery...that's what I thought. Is Dita Von Teese's Burlesque tour making a pit stop in DeKalb that I don't know about?!!
There are plenty of obscure bands that have way more talent than the talent-less crap on the radio - bands that play in stadiums. And anyway, the burbs have the Tweeter Center and the Rosemont Theater, anyway. Two huge stadiums where bands play. Last I heard, Kid Rock played at the Tweeter Center. There used to be venue in Mokena called Capone's that brought in some pretty big name acts. Perhaps not names as big as Nickelback or Justin Beiber though. It closed down due to mismanagement though.
There's a "black" comedy club in Crestwood that seems to attract a large audience. If Chicago is a comedy mecca as you claim, it would be spilling over to the burbs.
YUCK... Pizza Hut.. Seriously? There's a sea of better pizza restaurants in the burbs just like the city. Come on, now. That's just blasphemy if you live within 2 hours of Chicago...
Sorry, but I have to defend ChiNaan on this one. He/she said they were unable to find "obscure" ethnic food, which judging by their forum name could be interpreted as authentic Indian, or other harder to find restaurants such as Ethiopian, Korean, Peruvian, etc, etc. You would be hard pressed to find these restaurants (let alone delivery) in the suburbs. And while I don't doubt that there are a handful of great-to-excellent restaurants in the suburbs (amongst a sea of Pizza Huts and Olive Gardens), it simply doesn't compete with the dozens of exceptional ones in Chicago.
Exactly. I was not talking about Italian, Greek, Mexican, or Chinese food, or even Spanish, Indian, Thai, or Japanese food. I thought that was obvious.
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Originally Posted by Bardot
Finally, I presume that ChiNaan was referring to bands of quality and talent.
Yep. In the burbs it was nearly all cover bands all the time, except in the rare instance that a university brought somebody in or it was a once-a-year festival or something. You'd get a few regional bands coming through, but on any given weekend, the stuff I wanted to see/hear was in the city. (The same was true for comedy, theater, etc.) Trust me, when it was near me I knew about it, but it wasn't often. Also, on the rare occasion that it was, the suburban crowds were lame as hell. It's more fun to see a band feeding off of the better vibe they're getting from a hipper crowd.
There are a few suburban music venues that are exceptions, mostly in the inner ring burbs (SPACE in Evanston, Fitzgerald's in Berwyn, etc.), but the overwhelming majority of quality music in Chicagoland is in the city. I was taking the train or driving into the city nearly every weekend. It got extremely old.
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Originally Posted by urza216
I don't agree with Chet much. But this sounds like you were living in the country not the outer crust of a large metro area.
It was the Chicago metro area, and I wasn't even all the way on the outer crust of it.
This is the first time I've checked the forum in a few days, and it's funny to see that anyone is bothering to argue with me about my own experience. I lived it, folks. Share your own contrary experience if you wish, but it doesn't make mine any less valid.
There are plenty of obscure bands that have way more talent than the talent-less crap on the radio - bands that play in stadiums. And anyway, the burbs have the Tweeter Center and the Rosemont Theater, anyway. Two huge stadiums where bands play. Last I heard, Kid Rock played at the Tweeter Center. There used to be venue in Mokena called Capone's that brought in some pretty big name acts. Perhaps not names as big as Nickelback or Justin Beiber though. It closed down due to mismanagement though.
Was something lost in translation there or am I misinterpreting? I can honestly say Kid Rock, Nickelback, and Justin Beiber would be the last people I would ever want to see in concert. In fact, if I would pay money to not hear there music. My entire point was that the city attracts the best music (particularly indie bands) from all over the country.
Was something lost in translation there or am I misinterpreting? I can honestly say Kid Rock, Nickelback, and Justin Beiber would be the last people I would ever want to see in concert. In fact, if I would pay money to not hear there music. My entire point was that the city attracts the best music (particularly indie bands) from all over the country.
It does. Of course the city has MORE than the burbs. But the original post said that the burbs didn't have anything. And you had to drive an hour to see a good band or go on a date.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ChiNaan
drive an hour each way any time I wanted to see a band, hear a comedian, eat obscure ethnic food, go on dates, or be around like-minded people in a place that didn't depress the hell out of me.
And then in defense of this post, someone referenced Pizza Hut.. Of all chain restaurants, why Pizza Hut? Actually, I DON'T think the city is any better than the burbs as far as pizza is concerned. If you are standing anywhere in Chicagoland, there's an excellent pizza restaurant relatively nearby. But everything else talked about here, I'll give you. (Better restaurants in general, more venues, etc.) But there is good music in the burbs. And every band has to start somewhere.
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is a bigger concern to me than any deficiencies in the car-centric suburbs: as more idiots overpay for shoddily thrown-up condos of split-faced concrete block in parts of Chicago that have traditionally been off the beaten path the spread of "college fraternity and sorority" values will make more and more of the city look like a Disneyland of "craft beers" owned South African beverage companies and food recipes cranked out by Food Network focus groups...
I cannot imagine that you had to drive AN HOUR to find ETHNIC FOOD 
-- in all honestly even the most car centric suburb in the far reaches of DuPage, Lake or suburban Cook is loaded with places that have terrific Thai food, great Pho shops, awesome Indian / Pakistani places and often tons of good places for Italian, Greek or Mexican too...
