Texas boy moving the Chicago! (crime, houses, find a job)

[MannheimMadman]

Originally Posted by Drover

What the hell is a dragon shirt?

Interesting to see someone who defends Naperville to the end on these boards compare it disparagingly to Austin.

I think it's one of those polo/bowling type of shirts with the dragon on the back of it or over the shoulder/chest.

Although, I have not seen one of those in a few years.

I have been seeing a lot of those affliction/MMA T shirts that the Chads and "bro" type crowd have been wearing. I may have spotted a dragon in one of those designs.

[JustinHaugens]

Here's a great option and it's just what we did...

ABF is a trucking company that has an operation in Bedford Park and they have the U-Pack service that we really enjoyed. The people were polite and easy to work with.

You have a couple options with them regarding shipping your items. One is using a container they provide and the second is using a pup trailer. Un/Loading either one can be done two ways, at the terminal or drop at your door. At your door cost was about ~50$ more at each end. As Drover said, PODS won't drop their containers within city limits, that's a Chicago thing, not the transit company's policy.

But damn, unless I typed in something wrong, the price for UPack is ridiculous. Let me find out how much it is from Austin TX to Bedford Park IL, that would be closer to what you would do. UHaul one way 17 foot truck is 600$ and there are smaller trucks than that. Figure 1200 miles though and you're talking 250$ in gas right there, MINIMUM, figuring 3.15$/gal average and 15mpg. I doubt those two numbers are close enough. UPack said 1150$.

Biggest dilemma you run into since the container won't be dropped at your door is that you'll still need another vehicle or rent a UHaul. If the UPack comes back at ~600$ like it was for us then it would make more sense to go that route.



I have a feeling none of that makes sense...

[hank0604]

Originally Posted by dewthedru

heh. i would echo the sentiments above regarding moving from austin to chicago but to each his own. i don't think the way the cold and wind in the winter affects how much people go out can be overstated. spring is great here because everyone is emerging from hibernation.

I moved to Chicago from Austin, and I don't think it can be overstated how oppressive the Austin heat is. The mercury hits triple digits in April (sometimes March) and stays there until September or October. By mid-June, the water in Lake Travis (a pretty large lake, over 150 feet deep) hits 90 degrees at the surface, so you can only imagine what the local swimming pool feels like. You become a slave to shade, air conditioning, and cold beer.

[SmartGXL]

Originally Posted by MannheimMadman

I think it's one of those polo/bowling type of shirts with the dragon on the back of it or over the shoulder/chest.

Although, I have not seen one of those in a few years.

I have been seeing a lot of those affliction/MMA T shirts that the Chads and "bro" type crowd have been wearing. I may have spotted a dragon in one of those designs.

I have to echo this comment; Austin is really just a slightly hipper, warmer version of Columbus OH. I would say Austin is MUCH BETTER than naperville by a long shot. When I visit my brother down in Austin, I notice just how cheesy and suburban it can be (in some parts of town, anyway...and I like where my brother lives). Yes the "dragon shirt" thing is real. It is a cheesy suburban fashion trend that started maybe 8 years ago or so. It may have been cutting edge or new 9 or 10 years ago. But as we all know, once "Pacific Sun" or "Hot Topics" finds out about the trend, they mass market it to suburbanites (teenagers living with their parents in mcmansions, and cheesy, unoriginal, red-bull drinking, fast-food eating guys, living paycheck to paycheck, either by themselves, or with roomates, in plastic cookie-cutter apartment complexes). Many parts of Austin are beautful and really interesting, including South Austin...but when you go to 6th Street on the weekend, all of the clubs either cater to 21 year olds, or they are really cheesy, you go in and you are surrounded by bad music and guys wearing white dockers and hiking boots.

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by SmartGXL

...Yes the "dragon shirt" thing is real. It is a cheesy suburban fashion trend that started maybe 8 years ago or so. It may have been cutting edge or new 9 or 10 years ago...

I had a dragon shirt like 13 years ago. But see, I was a rock star back then and my chinese zodiac symbol is Dragon.

[CityJerk]

Hardly a puss Steve-O (awfully original name, by the way). Originally I am from Detroit, so I am used to frozen weather, escalating unemployment and rampant crime. However, I agree with druthedew on how the weather really effects life in the city. We're not talking about skiing or hiking in the hills here, we're talking about waiting for a damn bus for 20 minutes in 0 degree weather. The cityscape is also rather ugly during these months (grit, sludge). But most importantly, as stated, Chicago is a vibrant city, but not really so much in the winter. So, if I am a puss, so are 2.8 million others, because the streets are relatively dead for 6 months out of the year (the length of the Chicago cold season). FACT: It is May 12 and it is 48 degrees.

[NYrules]

Steve should say, if you're a puss and can't handle temperatures below 40 degrees for 4 months and many mornings where you get to shovel your car out of a space in your business clothes with dress shoes on while your boogers are freezing to your face all while your lips are chapped and bleeding from the dry-ness of the indoor air everywhere you go and the ice cold outside air waiting to greet you once outside, all while not having seen a sunny day in about a week then sure you are a puss. I admit, I am a puss. I HATE Chicago winters and springs for that matter as springs here are basically non-existant thanks to whats known as the "Lake Wind Season" (March-May) which makes springs for folks in the city just an extension of a dull seemingly endless winter with temperatures in the upper 40s to low 50s day after day.

[JsTx0521]

wow lots of posts. I didn't get any e mail alerts. Well I will be living in Wrigleyville. The house I will be living at has a garage. And rent is $300 a month. 2 blocks from the brown line and a few more from the red

I have lived in Austin for almost all my life and have taking great advantage of it while I've been here. I currently live in South Austin, south congress as a matter of fact. Right in the thick of hippsterness. Yes it truly is an amazing place, but its not for everyone. Its what you make it. 6th street is pretty bad. I try to avoid it as much as possible. If you know the right places you can easily avoid the dragon T shirts and rowdy college crowd. Yes summers are brutal. 90+ days of triple digits isn't easy. Nor is below freezing. So Ill be coming from one extream to the next.

I'm leaning towards packing my car with as many belongings and driving. I may not need my car but having one is always a plus. I can ship a few things UPS or Postal but I don't know how much that will cost. There is ONE small problem. A few years ago I got a nasty little DUI and am currently making monthly surcharge payments to keep my license. I called the Texas DPS and asked them how and if these payments would follow me to Chicago. They didn't have an answer. All of your input has been very helpful. What else yall got?

[linicx]

I hope the $300 rent is just for the garage.

[SmartGXL]

Originally Posted by JsTx0521

wow lots of posts. I didn't get any e mail alerts. Well I will be living in Wrigleyville. The house I will be living at has a garage. And rent is $300 a month. 2 blocks from the brown line and a few more from the red

I have lived in Austin for almost all my life and have taking great advantage of it while I've been here. I currently live in South Austin, south congress as a matter of fact. Right in the thick of hippsterness. Yes it truly is an amazing place, but its not for everyone. Its what you make it. 6th street is pretty bad. I try to avoid it as much as possible. If you know the right places you can easily avoid the dragon T shirts and rowdy college crowd. Yes summers are brutal. 90+ days of triple digits isn't easy. Nor is below freezing. So Ill be coming from one extream to the next.

I'm leaning towards packing my car with as many belongings and driving. I may not need my car but having one is always a plus. I can ship a few things UPS or Postal but I don't know how much that will cost. There is ONE small problem. A few years ago I got a nasty little DUI and am currently making monthly surcharge payments to keep my license. I called the Texas DPS and asked them how and if these payments would follow me to Chicago. They didn't have an answer. All of your input has been very helpful. What else yall got?

I imagine that when you get here, you will want to go to the DMV and get an IL license. You will have to surrender your TX DL. Once you surrender it, I imagine that TX will stop charging you monthly payments for the license, but at the same time, I am not sure how IL does things for people who have had DUI's. They may charge you, or they may not. You may want to check if you will even qualify for a license (!!!). I am not sure. Thankfully I do not have that problem (another advantage to city living. When I drink, I do not have to drive anywhere! I just walk home).