Leaving Chicago (Knoxville, Phoenix: section 8, how much, neighborhood)

[surlycue]

Originally Posted by ajolotl

A family of four with less than say 300K/year doesn't cut it in my view.

300K seems awfully lofty to me. I am not currently working so my family of 3 lives pretty comfortably in my neighborhood on 80K a year. We just rent. It would be impossible for us to buy into this neighborhood or even the majority of the neighborhoods on the Northside. We aren't struggling though and I am able to have my daughter in several recreational programs and we eat out 3 or 4 nights a week. We are planning to send her to public school at Lincoln and there are quite a few good public elementary schools on the North and Northwest side. Things become trickier once high school and sometimes junior high school approach.

[ajolotl]

Originally Posted by surlycue

300K seems awfully lofty to me. I am not currently working so my family of 3 lives pretty comfortably in my neighborhood on 80K a year. We just rent. It would be impossible for us to buy into this neighborhood or even the majority of the neighborhoods on the Northside. We aren't struggling though and I am able to have my daughter in several recreational programs and we eat out 3 or 4 nights a week. We are planning to send her to public school at Lincoln and there are quite a few good public elementary schools on the North and Northwest side. Things become trickier once high school and sometimes junior high school approach.

Well, what I consider to be really cool isn't on the far north or northwest side, by and large. Not that there aren't nice places there, but I was thinking more like a brownstone in Streeterville, or a nice townhouse in Lincoln Park or Lakeview, or a nice glass high rise in River east or even the South Loop. Something where you could have all of the advantages of urban living with minimal grunge. Maybe even a cool small house in Andersonville. All of that takes some money, but it makes it sensible to live in this place. Otherwise there are many other places in the country which are cheaper, have less crime, and are less grungy.

Just my take ...

[Basekamp]

hahaha

Originally Posted by Lovegun

Phoenix, AZ. I have lived there before.

[rockinrolla]

I like the east valley better than Phoenix proper. Scottsdale is of course nice, but I'm talking Mesa, Tempe.

The Phoenix area is nice though, me likie.

[PokerPlayer1]

Chicago is very much a 'black licorice' city.
You either love it, or you hate it. There is no in between.
People who make a flighty move here without bothering to consider all factors involved are flipping a coin. You may get along, you may not. There's a whole lot more to Chicago than lots of blacks and cold winter weather.
There are also people who are destined to be miserable no matter where they go. They traipse around like Gypsies, landing in new places and complaining about everywhere they wind up because they fail to realize that it isn't "where they are" that's miserable, but rather "who they are".

Being a resident of Florida for a while taught me this. That is the one state where everyone believes they can 'leave their lives behind' and suddenly, everything is transformed into sunshine and Mickey Mouse by sole virtue of where they are. Most of them are horribly let down and wind up blaming "Florida" for their own life-suckitude. Chicago is no different.

[Drover]

Originally Posted by Lovegun

I'm hitting the road again and don't want to look back.

If your actually thinking about moving to Chicago, make sure you visit here for a lengthy period.

Really get a feel for the city, cost of living, winter, and the people. Chicago is a fine city, but for me, there are way to many negatives that out weigh the positives here. Don't move here blind, be 100 percent sure you know what your getting yourself into. Make sure your have connections here, a job, friends of friends, or even relatives. You may love it or hate it.

I'm curious here; what is Chicago-specific about this advice? Aside from the fact that it's impossible to ever be "100 percent sure that you know what you're getting yourself into," wouldn't this advice apply to moving to any new place anywhere?

[grapico]

Originally Posted by Chicago60614

I moved here blind without a job, connections, friends or relatives and loved it - best decision I ever made.

Thanks for your story!

roll back the clock....

x2 lol.

[softdev]

Originally Posted by ajolotl

To me Chicago is on of the great places in the country to live if you have adequate money to enjoy the benefits (or have no kids and have decent money). A family of four with less than say 300K/year doesn't cut it in my view.

I think you're overestimating the cost of living in Chicago a bit. I know plenty of families in near north that do well enough on 200k.

[ajolotl]

Originally Posted by softdev

I think you're overestimating the cost of living in Chicago a bit. I know plenty of families in near north that do well enough on 200k.

Yeah, you can do ok for 200K, but it's tight with kids in private school (22K per year per child no tax break) and depending on your priorities. I was thinking more about the amount of money where I started to experience a crossover point and felt that I really enjoyed and benefited from living here. Not that you can't live comfortably for less, but that it you can reap the benefits of living here vs., say, a suburb near atlanta georgia, and honestly say that it far superior.

I've lived off of 20K a year and been pretty happy, but if I were scrimping I would probably move elsewhere, all else equal.

[grapico]

Originally Posted by softdev

I think you're overestimating the cost of living in Chicago a bit. I know plenty of families in near north that do well enough on 200k.

A lottle bit.