Feedback from people who moved from CA to Chicago (St. Charles: transplants, home)

[ssiegler]

Hey everyone,

I have finally graduated with my MBA and will be moving from the bay area to Chicago. I am really looking forward to it but am most concerned about the weather difference.

I just wanted to get some feedback from others who have made this move. How did you adjust to the harsh winters? Do you get used to it? How about the weather the rest of the year - the Spring and Fall? How does the Lake compare to the beaches out west?

[Mel2882]

I'm about to do the same thing! Good to know I'm not the only one...my family says...no one moves TO Chicago from CA...

[ofTheValley]

We're about to make the move, too. We're all going to have to learn to say pop instead of soda. ;}

[Chi2NYC?]

fl to chicago here. see my opinion at

Winter weather in chicago

thankfully, plenty of people say "soda" here.

[moonsavvy]

Well who knew people from the bay area were going to start to migrate to Chicago?

Actually mine is still just a thought, no set plans yet. You will get a wealth of knowledge from the Chicago forum, they are good people.

Midwesterners are just nice.

[j33]

So true about the CA to Chicago move. I rarely meet any west-coasters out here. I meet loads of people from the midwest and east coast all the time (I had a roommate from new jersey and have worked with people all from all over the midwest and east coast), but not the west. I'll be curious to see how you two like it (to be fair I've never made it out CA yet either).

In Chicago pop and soda are interchangeable, I use both interchangeably and don't think much of it. As far as the weather is concerned, everyone seems to have a different opinion on it, so I'm not touching that hornet's nest (although I had an opinion in the winter weather thread too).

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by j33

So true about the CA to Chicago move. I rarely meet any west-coasters out here. I meet loads of people from the midwest and east coast all the time (I had a roommate from new jersey and have worked with people all from all over the midwest and east coast), but not the west. I'll be curious to see how you two like it (to be fair I've never made it out CA yet either).

In Chicago pop and soda are interchangeable, I use both interchangeably and don't think much of it. As far as the weather is concerned, everyone seems to have a different opinion on it, so I'm not touching that hornet's nest (although I had an opinion in the winter weather thread too).

Its funny that this thread popped up lately, regarding Cali transplants. Not a single day goes by where I dont see a few Cali plates out here in the burbs. I guess theyre just fed up with Cali's problems and have moved to Chicagoland. That and MI, WI, MN, MO, TX and IA plates. I see them all the time, no joke. Especially in St. Charles.

[rgb123]

the midwesterners are nice thing....is pretty much a myth. not to dissapoint but this is a huge city with lots of good and not so nice people in it.

anyway I lived in california but I am from the chicago area. It will be a lot of getting used to, in chicago. I miss California all the time....there is just so much there that I value....in terms of quality of life. I love the west anyway but I really love california because its also urban and the ocean is there....and truly I think the people there are bit more laid back and NICE

when I first moved to california (northern) I got made fun of lot for my black and gray clothes....my professional demeanor...and people seemed surprised by my frank attitude, honesty and willingness to state my true opinion at work. I missed chicago people for that reason....not because they are so nice....more because they are not afraid of being less nice!

anyway.....the weather will be difficult....but fun and excititng. I told a californian before that our weather is more exciting because it is more changable....and they said something like, ha, that happens here in california too...

no.....this is totally different!!!!!!!!!!!!!

and when I was in california I missed midwestern thunderstorms.

otherwise, california weather is on the whole preferable. but I think we all miss what we grew up with.

[Drover]

Originally Posted by rgb123

anyway.....the weather will be difficult....but fun and excititng. I told a californian before that our weather is more exciting because it is more changable....and they said something like, ha, that happens here in california too...

no.....this is totally different!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ha! yeh, they don't seem to understand that by "changeable" we mean stuff like, it only got up into the 50s yesterday; tomorrow it will be in the 90s. We go from -10 in the winter up to 100 in the summer... Or my favorite is when we get a thunderstorm and it rains cats, dogs, boats and airplanes for hours, then all of a sudden out of nowhere the sun comes right out and starts beaming like it's been there all day. THAT is what we mean by "changing weather."

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by Drover

Ha! yeh, they don't seem to understand that by "changeable" we mean stuff like, it only got up into the 50s yesterday; tomorrow it will be in the 90s. We go from -10 in the winter up to 100 in the summer... Or my favorite is when we get a thunderstorm and it rains cats, dogs, boats and airplanes for hours, then all of a sudden out of nowhere the sun comes right out and starts beaming like it's been there all day. THAT is what we mean by "changing weather."

Yeah, like the last 2 days. Light rain on and off under gray skies, then on the way home the clouds disappeared completely. Weather here is very exciting, youll definitely not get bored with it, thats for sure. LOL

Here is a perfect example. I took this picture on the way home from Rochelle on Saturday. It was sunny out, but raining. Figure that one out. The only clouds around me were a good mile or two off, and they werent even rain clouds. There was nothing above me or around me really, but it was drizzling. It only lasted for 5 minutes, but there was also a rainbow. Ive never seen a rainbow under sunny skies before.