Gay professional might move to Chicago from San Francisco...will I like it? (2015, to rent)

[Chicagoist123]

Originally Posted by Bluefox

I've been to Boystown many times and have many friends who live there. My best friend (who is also gay) has gay friends there from Texas, California, Florida, and the East Coast. It's true that Chicago attracts a lot of Midwesterners but that is not to say it does not also attract people from the coasts as well.

As someone who has spent a good deal of time WeHo, Hillcrest (San Diego), and to a lesser extent the Castro, I will say in my experience, nothing exists in those areas that you couldn't also find in Chicago except maybe not the same extent of super high end gay clubs that apparently exist only in NYC and LA (not my scene so I don't really know).

All in all, I think Chicago is a great city for gay guys and gals and you'll definitely save a lot of $$ coming from SF. $1500 could get you a 2BR in the middle of Lakeview from what I understand.

Yeah, I pay like $760 for a real nice one bedroom. While that's not typical you can find easily one bedrooms in the $800-$1000, with the exception of the priciest neighborhoods.

It's amazing the COL changes. I was applying to a job in LA and I had to request $15k more than what I was currently making in order to match my current salary and COL!

[reppin_the_847]

Based on your requirements and your concerns with SF/NYC, I think that Chicago would be an excellent new home for you. The gay scene is alive & well in the Chi-Town and your cost of living will be far less.

[PerseusVeil]

Originally Posted by Chicagoist123

Yeah, I pay like $760 for a real nice one bedroom. While that's not typical you can find easily one bedrooms in the $800-$1000, with the exception of the priciest neighborhoods.

It's amazing the COL changes. I was applying to a job in LA and I had to request $15k more than what I was currently making in order to match my current salary and COL!

In Lakeview?!

[marothisu]

To the OP, I'd say if you can to visit Chicago (preferably before middle October) to see if you like it, then do it. That's the best way to know since we can tell you whatever, but until you experience it - you may never know. By the way, the bar here called Sidetrack is humungous. I've heard people from SF, Los Angeles, NYC, etc say it's the biggest gay bar they've ever been in. That's actually the one thing my gay friend from Manhattan who moved here 4 months ago noticed - size of some of the gay bars (no, not all).


In any case, I'm not gay but have a lot of gay friends here. I'd say in a number of areas, nobody really gives a **** about this stuff. I've never really hard any negative comments about my friends when they've been out (some you can tell are gay, others you cannot).

Anyway - There are some 2 bedroom places in Lakeview not far from Boystown, in low rises, that you could mayyyyybe get for $1500/month...for an entire 2 bedroom. Maybe not the norm, but it's definitely possible if you're good enough. You could get a decent 1 bedroom for $900-$1200/month in Lakeview too. If you want a 2 bedroom for that $1500/month, you could live in an area like Lincoln Square which is a 7 minute train ride to the beginning of Boystown and you may get lucky and find a 2 bedroom for like $1300 or $1400/month. The other major scene (but still nothing compared to Boystown) is in Andersonville/Edgewater, which I would say is for a little older folk to live in (i.e. 35+ maybe). Still has a handful of gay bars and it's a mix of gay and straight, laid back, etc. Good food up there, but no area for the amount of gay things beats Boystown here.

So there's something like this, which is $1095-$1185 for a 1 bedroom right near the lake, and quiet, but it's 3 minutes from a ton of restaurants and shops on Broadway, and another 3 minutes to Boystown walking. Not much further is the Red Line train (runs 24/7). On the lake's street (Lake Shore Drive), there are a few express buses that pick up right near there. If you need to go to Michigan Avenue (big shopping district), then these can get you down there in 10-15 minutes. If you happen to work in the eastern part of the Loop, then these buses will get you down there pretty fast too (there are no signals/stop signs on Lake Shore Drive).

Chicago Apartments | 3510 N. Pine Grove | Domu Chicago

[tollfree]

^^^^^

Lol, more qualifiers. You also magically know someone who said that Chicago had a superior version of any & every possible variable.

You probably have a friend from Milan who said Chicago is more fashionable too.

Chicago, better kim chi than Seoul.

Your friend said so.

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by RonnieJonez

^^^^^

Lol, more qualifiers. You also magically know someone who said that Chicago had a superior version of any & every possible variable.

You probably have a friend from Milan who said Chicago is more fashionable too.

Chicago, better kim chi than Seoul.

Your friend said so.

Cool story BRO, but yes my friend from Manhattan did say that. I'd be happy to give you his Facebook (well, at his discretion) and you can ask him yourself. Or perhaps you can scour one of the hundreds of reviews for Sidetrack from people NOT from Chicago.

Perhaps you'd like Kevin J's review, from San Francisco:

Hands down the largest gay club I've seen in the mid-west if not the entire country. Sidetrack has multiple rooms with different floors each pumping out a different but none-the-less cruisy vibe. The people are usually friendly and the drinks are cheap! Then again living in San Francisco everything else seems appropriately priced.

The drinks are heavy, the boys are hot, and the club is bumpin'.

From what I've heard there's some great, great gay clubs/bars in LA, but usually this place actually rates highly amongst gay tourists from other large gay friendly cities.


It's not my problem if I actually know people and talk to them about real **** and I can actually meet people of different backgrounds - obviously something you couldn't do in Chicago because you're a "holier than thou" douchebag.


No I don't have any friends from Milan, or Seoul (though I have friends from South Korea). LA's Korean food is superior to Chicago's by quite a bit (even if you can get good stuff in Chicago - better by far in LA), and Milan's fashion is obviously light years ahead of Chicago's.

[tollfree]

If someone from Milan told you that (obviously they'd be joking), you'd probably mention it in one of your statements as a qualifier given you had a reason for it.

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by RonnieJonez

If someone from Milan told you that (obviously they'd be joking), you'd probably mention it in one of your statements as a qualifier given you had a reason for it.

Nobody from Milan, or anybody who knows fashion, in their right minds would say that, and if they did - I would disagree with them.

[Lorielicious]

I typically don't skip over whole threads before responding, but considering I guarantee you precisely 0% of the people who have responded until now have actually lived in California, the Bay Area or otherwise, I feel fine skipping ahead.

Hi, I'm from LA and lived in the Bay Area for 4 years. I know California and I know very well the culture shock that happens when a west coaster moves to the Midwest. In answer to your questions.

Originally Posted by destroycreate

- How is city life different from SF? Is it exciting? Does it feel bustling, compact and lively the same way SF does? Does the city shut down in the winter or is it thriving?

Chicago is indeed fun, and while the city is an entirely different place in summer than it is in winter, it doesn't shut down in winter. I'd say the difference is a testament to how alive the city becomes in the summer as opposed to its shutting down in winter. This is the Midwest. Sh*t don't shut down because it's cold outside.

- How gay friendly is the city overall? Will I be able to be myself freely without frequently running into douchebags and homophobes?

I'm not gay, so I can't give you any insider perspective, but my outside view is it's all good. This isn't Texas.

- How is the job market currently for someone looking into advertising/marketing?

I'm assuming good, but I honestly don't know. I'm sure Google can tell you. Considering every broad I meet is in marketing and "loves it," I can make guesses that the industry is vibrant?

- Do you think someone coming from CA will enjoy the lifestyle/people out there

No.

- Does Chicago have that dynamic, worldly city feel that I crave?

No.

- For those of you that are gay, how is the Boystown scene vs Castro/west Hollywood?

Can't say authoritatively, but the gay people I know seem to be happy in Boystown. Then again, the gay people I know are from small town Midwest, so what may be a vast improvement to them might not seem like the cat's pajamas to you. I can speak with no authority on this as a straight female, but for what it's worth, the only person I knew when I moved to Chicago is a gay guy who lives in Boystown and he thinks it's the center of the universe. My first experiences here were hanging out in gay bars with him and carousing about town with him in his friends in Boystown. Good times were had by all. Also, he's from Owatonna, MN. Make of this information what you will.

[Bluefox]

Originally Posted by Lorielicious

I typically don't skip over whole threads before responding, but considering I guarantee you precisely 0% of the people who have responded until now have actually lived in California, the Bay Area or otherwise, I feel fine skipping ahead.

Actually Lorielicious, I lived in San Diego for 4 years and have been in LA for several months at this point. I grew up an hour outside of Chicago, have visited many many times, and as a gay man, if I could live in Boystown I'd move to Chicago in a heartbeat. Boystown is not appreciably different for me than West Hollywood (other than less plastic looking gays in tank tops with 0.5% body fat and obvious work done), and while the weather is obviously a negative, Boystown I've found is extremely walkable, is fun all year round, and boasts a wide range of bars and clubs that suit all sorts of gay guys and girls.