Moving to Chicago (or Denver) from South Florida (Northbrook, Lincoln: transplants, apartment)

[odiego]

This is my first post here. I am 27 yr old single male.
I currently live in Fort Lauderdale, FL and my company will be relocating to Northbrook, IL.

I've been to Northbrook (and surrounding areas) about 5 times, and although it is a nice area, I don't think it fits my lifestyle. I enjoy going out, having a few drinks at a bar and meeting new people.

Northbrook was definitly not the place to do that. I couldn't even find a place that was open past 9pm! I ended up finding a few nice places at the "Glen".

Ideally I'd like somewhere where the nightlife is somewhat alive. And since I'd be renting, I'd like a nice place near everything, wouldn't mind near downtown (although the commute to Northbrook can be painful, so I hear).

Other than location, I know the weather is 'brutal' compared to Florida, but I don't think I'd have a problem adapting, change is good sometimes!

My other option would be moving to Denver, CO. I work in the IT field, and enjoy winter sports a lot. From all I've read here, it seems like a good fit for a 27 yr old single male. But I'd like to get the Chicago take from you all.

Any pointer/tips are greatly appreciated, and maybe see you soon in CHI!

[chet everett]

If you like active winter sports Colarado wins HANDS DOWN. No contest at all.

I love Chicago put if I were facing your choice the pluses of Chicago are simply not many. Chicago has a larger employment base than Denver in some fields, but Denver is not too shabby with IT employment. If you were going to be able to live and work in Chicago itself, as opposed to working in Northbrook and possibly living quite a commute away in Chicago that would be different, but you are correct that suburban lifestyles are very much family focused in the Chicago region.

I disagree that there is nothing to do in Northbrook for singles, but the opportunity to "meet new people" {which I generally translate as "pick up a date"} is far less likely than in Chicago. Further the commute from Chicago would make the late night / early morning stuff much rougher...

[surlycue]

So your company has a branch in Denver as well? Are you guaranteed a position there? I would say first and foremost go where the job is. It is easier to look for a job when you have one so if you find an apartment along 90/94 (the highways that connect to Northbrook) you can get to work in a decent amount of time and still be along the blue line for drinking and going downtown. If the commute gets annoying, which it may - though I know many people who have worse commutes, you can start looking for jobs in the loop, ditch the car and move to a hip neighborhood.

I have a good IT recruiter contact if you need it down the line. Good luck!

[Lookout Kid]

Chicago and Denver are not very similar. It seems like a strange predicament.

[synapse]

If it was a question between *Chicago* and Denver, then I think Chicago wins. Chicago's got a great young single population, fun neighborhoods, and great bars and restaurants, more so than Denver. But if it's a question between *Northbrook* and Denver, then Denver wins. You really won't want to commute back and forth between the city - even the north parts of Chicago - and Northbrook every day, unless you happen to be close to a Metra stop. Even then it'll get highly annoying. And Denver is an interesting enough city in its own right, with a young single high-tech population, and lots of winter sports nearby in the Rockies, that you'd be perfectly happy in Denver.

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by chet everett

If you like active winter sports Colarado wins HANDS DOWN. No contest at all.

I love Chicago put if I were facing your choice the pluses of Chicago are simply not many. Chicago has a larger employment base than Denver in some fields, but Denver is not too shabby with IT employment.

I disagree that there is nothing to do in Northbrook for singles, but the opportunity to "meet new people" {which I generally translate as "pick up a date"} is far less likely than in Chicago. Further the commute from Chicago would make the late night / early morning stuff much rougher...

Well Chet, I tend to think that you sometimes overstate the benefits of the suburbs and understate the benefits of the city. Northbrook sucks for singles looking to have a good time. Most single young people would want to slit their wrists a month after moving there.

And Chicago has a lot to offer than Denver could never compete with (urban lifestyle, cultural ammenities, architecture, public transit, etc.). Denver has a different set of benefits (outdoor recreation, topography, slower pace). This decision is a matter of personal priorities and preferred lifestyle, and I don't think we've been given enough information from the original poster to help him out. These are very different cities.

[gichicago]

To Lookout's point; these are two very different choices. If you prefer the outdoorsy life, choose Denver. If you crave city-living, choose Chicago.

As for IT opportunities, they seem to be on-par. On one hand, you have more companies to choose from in Chicago. However, Denver is home to a lot of Military contract firms (Boeing, Northrup Grumman, etc), so govt clearance will go a long way there.

I had the choice to relocate to Denver from Chicago years back. I stuck with Chicago cause I love city living. Co-workers who opted for Denver love the fact they are close to the mountains and various outdoor activities.

[chet everett]

LK:

I think you selectively editted my response -- my point was that for the OP's situation, having to choose between a JOB in Denver and one in Northbrook, and almost certainly LIVING in Chicago, the advantage is to DENVER as the concentration of people LIKE HIM (young, single, into outdoor sports, working in IT) is biased FAR toward Denver.

In general Chicago does have lots to offer, but when one factors a commute that while not the worst of the region by far, will still seriously limit the opportunity to enjoy Chicago's mostly indoor oriented winter social scene THEN Chicago has no advantage. This is a pretty simple equation: work in Chicago and odds of meeting people in the course of one's job and commute that also works in Chicago goes up significantly whether you take bus, El, cab, bicycle, walk or some combination.

Odds of commute from Chicago to Northbrook having any such interaction falls DRAMATICALLY as the most common way to get from Chicago to Northbrook is in a single passenger vehicle. Oddly most common way of getting from Northbrook to job in Chicago is probably Metra train, but lack of decent schedule and public transit infrastructure makes this very challenging to do in reverse.

Denver has large number of people driving from one residential area to another job center, as well as some transit options but since there is less of a dominant "City people take transit / suburbanites drive if there is no Metra" dichotomy the odds of meeting people is not so limited.

The recreational options around Denver are more balanced as well, with much less of an emphasis on the "bar scene". There is a actual "downtown" in Denver that does have density that is not dissimilar to Lincoln Park, and as an actual percentage of the total population I think it compares favorably with Chicago.

I think too many people forget that there is a LARGE portion of Chicago that is not significantly appealing to people like the OP.

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by chet everett

I think too many people forget that there is a LARGE portion of Chicago that is not significantly appealing to people like the OP.

Yeah, but very few transplants move to such an area.

I've explored most of the neighborhoods in Denver, and there is NO part of residential Denver that has the density of Lincoln Park. And the downtown is sort of Minneapolis-like in its scrubbed clean boringness. There are many people in this world who prefer the Chicagos, Phillys, and New Yorks to the Denvers, Minneapolis's, and Austins. It's just a matter of priorities. When I was 25 and single Chicago appealed to me more than Denver, but now that I have a family and need more space Denver looks better all of the time...

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by chet everett

LK:

I think you selectively editted my response

Who me? Sorry about that. But it could have been worse (see below):

Originally Posted by chet everett

LK:

I think you... have lots to offer... and... are more balanced as well,... and compare favorably with... many people...

appealing... people...