Are chicago-ans friendly? (Madison, Lexington, San Jose: sales, real estate, condos)

[rfung]

So I live in San Jose in the SF bay area.

I visited Chicago for 3 days back in February.

Yes it was cold. VERY cold. I think one of my balls fell off and rolled under that big donut thing.

I stayed only around the downtown loop area.

But I thought that:

"I could see myself living here (except for the cold)" and

"it looks really diverse (in a different way than SF does)" and

"people seem really laid back and friendly".

This out of 3 days. Do any of these statements have any hint of truth or was I just having a major brain freeze?

[chet everett]

I think you hit it pretty good for a 3 day visit. I moan about the weather as much as anybody. I've been here most of my life and I think that "talking about the weather" is a pretty good way to strike up conversations.

You can have a very good life in Chicago at many income levels, many people have and because of that there is a lot of generosity that I think is lacking in some places. In Silicon Valley if you aren't a VC everybody assumes you're living a hundred miles away. In Chicago the most costly real estate is often around the corner from a stuff that wouldn't sell for 100th ... Makes for a different feel. When it comes to things like "lifestyle diversity" there is big range too. There are wealthy homosexuals and those that are struggling. Politics is not dominate and there is not as much "fervor" over things. Laid back is a good description.

I am sure other will disagree, but even the racial thing is not as explosive here as it may be in other places.

[scongress1234]

Originally Posted by chet everett

I think you hit it pretty good for a 3 day visit. I moan about the weather as much as anybody. I've been here most of my life and I think that "talking about the weather" is a pretty good way to strike up conversations.

You can have a very good life in Chicago at many income levels, many people have and because of that there is a lot of generosity that I think is lacking in some places. In Silicon Valley if you aren't a VC everybody assumes you're living a hundred miles away. In Chicago the most costly real estate is often around the corner from a stuff that wouldn't sell for 100th ... Makes for a different feel. When it comes to things like "lifestyle diversity" there is big range too. There are wealthy homosexuals and those that are struggling. Politics is not dominate and there is not as much "fervor" over things. Laid back is a good description.

I am sure other will disagree, but even the racial thing is not as explosive here as it may be in other places.

It's friendly. A friendlier version of NYC is the best way of looking at it. It has the craziness of such a densely populated area, but layered over
with a midwesterm ethos. All in all, a pretty great place...

[lenniel]

No, we're not friendly..**** off. Please give me some of your tax money though-Mayor Daley

[aragx6]

If the OP is from California, I'd hazard to guess that our taxes wouldn't shock him.

[Lookout Kid]

Some Chicagoans are friendly. Some are not. Chicago people do have an edge to them that is kind of off-putting to people from smaller midwestern towns. But on a scale of big city friendliness from Minneapolis (most friendly) to New York (least friendly), I'd put Chicago somewhere between Boston and Milwaukee.

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by aragx6

If the OP is from California, I'd hazard to guess that our taxes wouldn't shock him.

Seriously! I don't think we're taxed that badly here compared to the Northeast and California. Even places like Wisconsin have MUCH higher property taxes than Illinois (almost double), though their sales tax is considerably lower. State income taxes also don't seem that high in Illinois. I'm more concerned about the user fees and sales tax more than anything.

[chet everett]

Originally Posted by Lookout Kid

Seriously! I don't think we're taxed that badly here compared to the Northeast and California. Even places like Wisconsin have MUCH higher property taxes than Illinois (almost double), though their sales tax is considerably lower. State income taxes also don't seem that high in Illinois. I'm more concerned about the user fees and sales tax more than anything.

There are a relatively large number of homeowners in Chicago itself that have property tax bills well over $10,000. That is a lot of money to spend year and year out for as look you own your home with only a trend that is increasing AND at a rate faster than any wage growth or inflation.

The average property tax bill in Chicago is far less than that, not even half, though tremendous amounts of those bills are going to people in condos and the older smaller homes in the vast stretches of Chicago.

Data that I have seen suggests the typical property tax rate in Milwaukee, Madison or Greenbay is higher, granted the typical home there is also less expensive.

There is some data on "total taxes as a percentage of average wages" is this is where Chicago really looks bad. Worse than NYC. Generally worse than California even. These are not the kind of places that are attractive to retirees on fixed incomes. That is why a lot of them head to places like Vegas and the southeast. You can live a lot cheaper down there.

In today's WSJ there was a very cute 3 bedroom home in a historic district of Durham, NC for $40K with taxes of $389 a year. Not a typo -- three hundred eighty nine dollars are the entire tax bill! In Lexington MO there was a similar bargain -- $79K for 3 bedroom house on the National Historic Register with a $836 tax bill!

Now I'm sure they must have some wicked income tax rates to make up for some of that, but if you are retired and structure your pension, social security and 401k properly you should be in hog heaven!

[aragx6]

In Lexington they don't have high taxes, but they also have no services - also not good for older folks on fixed incomes.

[chet everett]

So what wonderful services is a retiree going to get in Illinois. Oh that's right, free ride on transit. And occasional free walking tour of the inside of a sewer with the possibility o electrocution... PRICELESS!