How is Chicago (minus the winter)? (Paxton, Avon: sales, real estate, 2015)

[_vespertine]

I'm contemplating a move to Chicago from Portland, Or. I love Portland but am ready for a change and feeling the urge to explore something new. I have no problem with the weather in the Pacific Northwest, I prefer it to the super sunny weather of SoCal. It seems like the biggest negative people have been telling me about Chicago is the brutal winter weather. I have 8-10 weeks of vacation a year and can take it pretty much whenever so if I were to move here, I would be taking it during Jan/Feb. Minus a good chunk of winter weather, how is the rest of the year weather wise? How would you rate Chicago in the following areas:

1) Food- I really love the food scene in Portland (it seems like new, innovative restaurants are popping up all year round). Are there any food carts in Chicago?

2) Museums: One thing lacking in Portland is the low number of museums. It looks like Chicago has a lot of museums- how does it compare to NYC or LA in this regard?

3) Social: I originally lived in Seattle for 10 years and found it very very difficult to make new friends- I made more friends in 1 year in Portland than I did in 10 years in Seattle. Maybe the timing was off or maybe I just wasn't trying hard enough in Seattle though but I would like to move to a city where people are more open to meeting new people/not as "clique-ish".

4) Shopping: I love the numerous quirky/indie shops here in Portland. How is the non-big label shopping here?

5) Real Estate: Price wise, I think Chicago and Portland are comparable but I think Pdx will rise more in the future. However, I think you get a lot for your money in Chicago-for how much larger the city is. Planning on buying in 2015; I do not want a large place- just one with character and a high walk score and quick access to public transportation. From my research, it looks like you can get a nice 2 bd condo for 300k and below here. I also saw some nice SFHs in Portage Park for 250k+. How is this neighborhood?

I'm in my early 30's, work from home, no kids; besides Seattle + Portland, I've lived in Newport Beach, CA(did not like it), Dallas, TX (okay), Orlando, FL(too sunny).

Any opinions, good or bad, welcomed!

Thoughts and/or recommendations of neighborhoods to concentrate on for further research would be much appreciated. Thanks!

[rzzzz]

Food - mostly great but no food truck scene comparable to PDX's and not as much "healthy" food as I would like. Although if there was a liqueteria in the loop I'd be content.

Museums - best museums in USA, art museum definitely best in USA, one of the best in the world.

Social - tough one. maybe a toss up? PDX people are super friendly and pretty nice. Chicagoans are cool too. More brash and IMO funnier. Way more diversity in Chicago too. Not hard to meet people or date or make friends. Not very clique-ish in my experience.

Indie shopping - weak compared to PDX. a lot of thrift stores, furniture stores, and women's boutiques, but nothing like Canoe, Control Voltage, Compound Gallery, Paxton Gate, Floating World (quimby's is ok, but has more 'political' stuff than 'weird' stuff), etc. Portland is the king of quirky shops in the USA so it's going to be tough to beat.
Nothing like Powell's but nowhere has that. Also there is 9.5% sales tax compared to no sales tax in PDX which is PAINFUL.

Real estate - way better deals than PDX (IMO). unsure about appreciation or what the city will be like 20 years from now, though. Chicago is hard for me to figure out. Much of it is terrible, much of it is pretty great, buildings keep going up everywhere, schools are bad, interesting projects coming up in the next year or so (parks, raised high line style park, riverwalk, etc).

[_vespertine]

@rzzzz, thanks for reply. Truth be told, the museums in Chicago are a big draw for me/entertainment- wise, probably the most interesting to me.
Also, Canoe is one of my favorite stores!

[Attrill]

If you aren't worried about winter, Chicago should be fine. Compared to Portland Chicago is a very different deal overall. While Portland is awesome (I've visited many times, and spent over 2 weeks there this summer) it is a significantly smaller city.

In terms of your specific questions:

1) Food- I really love the food scene in Portland (it seems like new, innovative restaurants are popping up all year round). Are there any food carts in Chicago?

There are nowhere near the number of small scale carts/trucks in Chicago that there are in Portland. That said, there are plenty of incredible cheap eats in small storefront places in Chicago. That includes old school ethnic places, newer hybrid places, and the high end places feel cheaper to me in Chicago. There's more of all cuisines at all levels and prices, just not served from portable kitchens. Chicago is at an entirely different level in terms of dining options just because of how huge it is compared to Portland.

Chicago also has infinitely more places to buy great ingredients to cook with - and I say this as a huge fan of places like Otto's and Flying Fish. Portland is no slouch in that department.

2) Museums: One thing lacking in Portland is the low number of museums. It looks like Chicago has a lot of museums- how does it compare to NYC or LA in this regard?

Chicago is better than LA, second only to NYC in the US, and in the top 10 worldwide. On an entirely different level than Portland on this one.

Social: I originally lived in Seattle for 10 years and found it very very difficult to make new friends- I made more friends in 1 year in Portland than I did in 10 years in Seattle. Maybe the timing was off or maybe I just wasn't trying hard enough in Seattle though but I would like to move to a city where people are more open to meeting new people/not as "clique-ish".

I moved to Chicago knowing no one and made plenty of friends. That said, I think this is a very personal thing, but I've always found people in Chicago to be down to earth in general, and if you persue your interests and are outgoing you shouldn't find it hard to make friends.

Shopping: I love the numerous quirky/indie shops here in Portland. How is the non-big label shopping here?

There's plenty of indie shops in Chicago, although the prices tend to be higher than Portland. There were a couple places around where I was staying this summer (Hawthorn/Chavez) that had some great deals on vintage furniture that you could never find in Chicago. But there are some crazy flea markets within a 30-45 minute drive of Chicago that will have better deals than Portland. Chciago has plenty of great cheap places for clothes and other random things.

Real Estate: Price wise, I think Chicago and Portland are comparable but I think Pdx will rise more in the future. However, I think you get a lot for your money in Chicago-for how much larger the city is. Planning on buying in 2015; I do not want a large place- just one with character and a high walk score and quick access to public transportation. From my research, it looks like you can get a nice 2 bd condo for 300k and below here. I also saw some nice SFHs in Portage Park for 250k+. How is this neighborhood?

They are roughly comparable, but Chicago has a much wider range of neighborhoods and possibilities for appreciation. Portage Park isn't bad, but is out there a bit. Avondale is a better bet if you can find a decent place, and make sure any place you look at is generally safe, and has decent access to the L and an Expressway. I'd also recommend living anywhere for at least a year before considering buying (that goes for anywhere in the world).

[It'sAutomatic]

Chicago has a great food scene and its coffee scene is recognized as either #1 or #2 in the country. Chicago is a better bet for long-term real estate because Portland is much closer to maxing out its potential than Chicago is.

[Vlajos]

emathias should chime in on this one

[steeps]

These are videos put out by the city of Chicago I originally saw posted on the thread here called BEYOND THE LOOP.

You might find them interesting on the yuppie gentrified neighborhoods near Downtown Chicago.
It gives the areas vibes, restaurants and nightlife scenes.

I'd say start with the first intro one......

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...WBeE8yC_jCtDln

[_vespertine]

Thanks for all the great replies! I'll research the neighborhoods mentioned further.

I started watching the videos Steeps posted. I really like Hyde Park from what I see.
Also, watched a video on Andersonville and Wicker Park(which reminds me of a larger Capitol Hill in Seattle).

[everythingatall]

Unless you're going to school at University of Chicago, I would avoid living in Hyde Park.

It's lovely but IMO, not livable for most people.

[chicagobear]

Originally Posted by _vespertine

Thanks for all the great replies! I'll research the neighborhoods mentioned further.

I started watching the videos Steeps posted. I really like Hyde Park from what I see.
Also, watched a video on Andersonville and Wicker Park(which reminds me of a larger Capitol Hill in Seattle).

Do not live in Hyde Park. It is isolated and boring. Wicker Park and Lakeview are great neighborhoods.