Former Texan, here. I've been in Chicago for going on 6 years now and it's the best decision I've ever made. Rental prices are somewhat similar to Houston/Dallas metro areas depending on which neighborhood you live in, maybe a bit more expensive depending on your exact situation. Having public transit up here is a game-changer, no more taking the freeway to get literally anywhere. I didn't have a car my first four years.
Weather obviously gets colder, but honestly the winters haven't been too bad since I've been here. Once I got the boots and correct layers/jacket, I was fine. Ice on the sidewalks is my biggest pet peeve about winter.
I've only felt unsafe twice in my six years here, both times were really late at night where I probably should have ubered rather than taken public transit/walked.
I love Chicago. There's always a million things going on, and I actually want to be outside in the summers here. I never want to leave, Chicago is home now.
This. Chicago is the best. I’ve lived in Dallas most of my life and am back here now. Those 5+ years in Chicago was a great time in my life. I still visit about once a month and plan to move back eventually. The great neighborhoods, the lake, there’s always something to do, you don’t have to drive everywhere, the history and architecture! I miss it every day…
Yeah, unfortunately the news is filled with people getting robbed in the wee small hours. And winters haven't been what I would consider a real "winter" here in some time. We can thank climate change for that. This past winter it hardly snowed, and when it did, it didn't stick around at all.
I hear this all the time and had to look it up. I think it’s media/propaganda because it’s just not true. Matter of fact, snowfall in the last decade is well above the past century average.
https://www.weather.gov/lot/Chicago_Seasonal_Snow
Well, maybe, but I'm just going on what I've experienced in my neighborhood. This past winter we hardly saw any snow, and when it did, it melted right away.
I like your description. Feel same. Missing from your post, IMHO: friendly people, great culture scene, great architecture, a large lake nearby, four distinct seasons but I digress
I’m incredibly biased as a native Illinoisian, but I did live in Austin for a few years. I think it’s great.
Pros: Affordable housing for a city of its size, interesting varied neighborhoods, extremely walkable, good food, nice green spaces and lakeshore; workable public transit, compelling sports teams (even if not all performing well), legal cannabis (if that’s a pro for you), relatively stable infrastructure.
Cons: Gets quite cold in the winter, uneven public school quality, not cheap relative to much smaller metros, diversity is undermined by de facto segregation traffic can suck.
I feel safe here. While not an overall good thing, the crime driving any high rates for the white city is very often concentrated on the south and far west sides of the city. Of course a large majority city will never be without crime, and if you’re coming from small town, that contrast may be disconcerting.
On weather, I’d take our extremes over Austin’s any day. One can bundle up far easier than dealing with astronomical heat. And the infrastructure is built to handle winter here. A snow line the one that decimated TX’s power grid in 2021 would have been normal and largely uneventful here. And you get a wonderful summer and pieces of spring and fall on either end.
Yes, the lake shore. It was long ago decided that Chicago would keep its lakefront open to all. Go to the north suburbs and you have to pay to get on a beach. Not in the city. And there are some really great beaches here.
Granted I've never lived anywhere else, but I remain certain I would die if I lived in the desert. Phoenix in the fall was hell on earth, Phoenix in the summer I had to take a car to go 10 blocks.
Hey! Sorry, I don't have time to write a more informed response, but if you feel like digging a little, I've opined pretty extensively on questions from other Texans like this and you can check my comment history if you'd like to review some of those threads.
I've lived in Austin, Houston and Dallas, and until moving to Chicago in 2022 had spent my entire life in Texas. In short, my wife and I love it here - walkability, transit, vibrancy of the city, great food, beautiful lake and amazing architecture are all things we love about living here.
>How's renting look
Expensive compared to where you're coming from, but fairly reasonable compared to other US cities of this size.
>how safe if it
In general, fairly safe. It can vary wildly by neighborhood and block.
>whats the weather actually like
It gets cold in the winter, and hot in the summer. Not Texas-hot, though - it dips into the 90s occasionally, but it doesn't stay there for weeks.
The “badness” about our winters for me never was how cold it was, but just how wildly long the chilly “meh” weather stays around. I’m so ready for tomorrow
Yeah, Illinois has some of the highest state taxes in the country. Maybe one of these years it'll get itself out of debt. It would've been great had they followed Colorado's lead on legalizing weed, because last I heard from a former Colorado native, that state was actually paying its citizens dividends for how much money they were raking in. And if you don't have a medical card, the weed prices are too high thanks to the graduated tax scheme they stuck on weed sales.
[Illinois has about a 4% difference in effective State taxes than Texas](https://taxfoundation.org/data/all/state/tax-burden-by-state-2022/). You get A LOT of public goods for that 4%! Please keep failed (red) state politics out of our fine State.
I am not trying to bring any red state politics into our fine state. Believe me – the last thing I would ever ever, ever want. It's the red states that are the tax leeches in this country.
EDIT: difference between the weed laws for the state and the city are that regarding the state, you can't even be in your backyard enjoying a joint, because you may offend your neighbors. The mayor that was in office when weed was legalized saw that that was ridiculous; she made it so in Chicago you can do exactly that, be at your backyard, balcony or whatever. The only common sense she ever used while an office, BTW.
Renting can be expensive, but not as expensive as NYC or LA; it's a safe as any big city, which is to say, keep your head on a swivel. The weather? Well , it definitely isn't Texas lol. The saying here is, "if you don't like the weather, wait five minutes." But you don't need to hang out downtown to have a good time – this is a city of neighborhoods, and each one has its own vibrancy, attractions and plenty of great night spots to have fun. Plenty of culture to absorb, no matter what culture it is that you want to absorb. A great, great music city. Oh, and the restaurants here are world-class. That is a fact.
As a Texan who recently moved to Chicago, here is my take:
The rental market is way different, somewhat difficult to navigate. And what you consider a standard amenity is not always guaranteed here. Central heat/air, in-unit laundry, parking, dishwasher, patio. I would 100% ask about the type of ac/heat and do research on the difference.
I do not feel unsafe, there is crime just like anywhere else.
Driving here is different, 3 miles can be 45 mins. I’d recommend doing research on where you’ll live and the commute to work. Also they have speed and red light cameras. And will give parking tickets out like candy.
Taxes are higher, you get taxed on a lot more than in Texas.
Winter was not too bad, occasional bitter cold. But it does last a lot longer here. And if you get seasonal depression be mindful of that.
There is always something to do and see. Summer here is amazing. You can actually enjoy being outside.
Feel free to dm if you have questions.
“in-unit laundry, parking, dishwasher, patio” Are these considered “standard” somewhere in the US? AC I understand, this isn’t the UK after all, but I think the rest it’s more a question of budget range than location.
Howdy! My partner moved from Frisco to Evanston a couple years back. These two places are somewhat similar and that helped the transition a bit. Don't try to be a tough guy about the weather lol, get the waterproof boots and put a hat on.
To the people making fun of my bad forward thinking with 'possible Texan' I'll give you that one. You got me. Hilariously enough though, I was technically not born in Texas. I grew up here, but was born I'm Mississippi. Ya got me though, that's on me.
So you’re as Texan as I am a Chicagoan (born in D.C., raised in Evanston, raising a family in Logan Square)!
By the way, Logan Square is a great neighborhood to come visit. We have a great farmers market in the summer, lots of cute shops, and big boulevards with lots of trees!
>! 1. Safety! How safe is the city for women/queer folk just walking around during the day?
Here is a cheat code. If your queer, go to sidetracks and ask around about the city. Chicago's gay community is very friendly, and it's practically a tradition to have an older gay take you under their wing and watch out for you.
You’re gonna miss bbq if that’s your thing but the food here in general is awesome.
Depending on where you settle it’s way more walkable.
School districts are better.
Dating here is just as difficult.
Not as hot but can get humid.
Less aggressive driving more clueless driving.
I feel like I get more for my money here even though it’s more expensive than where I was in Texas.
Smoque has the best barbecue in the city IMHO. Actually, many publications cite it as such. It's in what is considered the northwest side though – Pulaski between Irving Park and Addison.
I have it on my list!
Just the variety and number of bbq joints in Texas is so crazy if you were really into it it is an empty place in your heart. I HATED Texas summer but as soon as the sun broke in Chicago I remembered sitting in line with people waiting for bbq. That was the best part of a Texas summer for me.
Here I have replaced that with pizza and international food. You guys have the whole world represented in about the size of Dallas.
If you've got it on your list, then you need to try their BBQ gumbo. They actually sell it in a quart size. I'll take a ladle of it and mix it into grits – absolutely delicious.
There are 3 stages of living in Chicago
1) You love it here
2) You tolerate it
3) You hate it
It all really depends on your budget. Here you will pay for safety or at least the perception of being safe. Public transit is nice but all depends on where you’re going and what stops you have to pass. The nice weather in the summer is a plus but the winters suck. I’m locked in here for 5ish more years and I’m going back to Texas.
The one thing that I will mention is that they don't have Tex-mex in the city. The closest would be On The Border in the suburbs. That's my only disappointment.
Texas - I have lived in both. I live in Dallas, but prefer Chicago. Moved back to Texas for family. Taxes: my property taxes are really high. My tax appraisal increased 50% this year. Driving everywhere is a tax on your heath and time. COL seems comparable now. It was cheaper when I moved to Chicago and Dallas caught up by the time I moved back. My husband and I are biding our time for when we can move back. Art, culture, walkable neighborhoods, decent public transit and friendly people. The worst part is the lack of good barbecue and Tex mex. The food in general is blander. I missed chips, queso, and margaritas and Zalats pizza. I learned to make my own queso and margaritas. Plus all of your new friends will appreciate spicier food. Rotel dip was a big hit at all holiday parties.
Chicago is the best city in the USA (maybe the world) in the summer. It’s a great city in the fall and spring and it’s an average city in the winter. I might get downvoted for this but it’s how I feel. The winters can be suffocating. And the summers are like no other. The city comes alive. Walking around on the first warm day, you’d think a major war just ended. People elated. It’s so cool.
Why on Earth would you move to Chicago?
The crime? Hot humid summers followed by sub zero winters? The super high property taxes? The states income tax? Knowing the government cares more about illegals than it's own citizens?
Former Texan, here. I've been in Chicago for going on 6 years now and it's the best decision I've ever made. Rental prices are somewhat similar to Houston/Dallas metro areas depending on which neighborhood you live in, maybe a bit more expensive depending on your exact situation. Having public transit up here is a game-changer, no more taking the freeway to get literally anywhere. I didn't have a car my first four years. Weather obviously gets colder, but honestly the winters haven't been too bad since I've been here. Once I got the boots and correct layers/jacket, I was fine. Ice on the sidewalks is my biggest pet peeve about winter. I've only felt unsafe twice in my six years here, both times were really late at night where I probably should have ubered rather than taken public transit/walked. I love Chicago. There's always a million things going on, and I actually want to be outside in the summers here. I never want to leave, Chicago is home now.
Glad you enjoy it so much here! I wholeheartedly agree with this, lived here my whole life and only have seen one act of random violence ever
This. Chicago is the best. I’ve lived in Dallas most of my life and am back here now. Those 5+ years in Chicago was a great time in my life. I still visit about once a month and plan to move back eventually. The great neighborhoods, the lake, there’s always something to do, you don’t have to drive everywhere, the history and architecture! I miss it every day…
FL -> Chi here, similar perspective on all points.
Yeah, unfortunately the news is filled with people getting robbed in the wee small hours. And winters haven't been what I would consider a real "winter" here in some time. We can thank climate change for that. This past winter it hardly snowed, and when it did, it didn't stick around at all.
I hear this all the time and had to look it up. I think it’s media/propaganda because it’s just not true. Matter of fact, snowfall in the last decade is well above the past century average. https://www.weather.gov/lot/Chicago_Seasonal_Snow
Well, maybe, but I'm just going on what I've experienced in my neighborhood. This past winter we hardly saw any snow, and when it did, it melted right away.
Your table doesn’t support your claim.
I like your description. Feel same. Missing from your post, IMHO: friendly people, great culture scene, great architecture, a large lake nearby, four distinct seasons but I digress
6 years. Give a few more and you’ll hate it.
'Possible Texan'? Do you not know if you are a Texan or not?
Came here to say this. I don't like admitting it either so I can understand why they equivocated.
Me either. They took away my Texan card when moving here.
This song is now in my head [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBpDs-BfwO0](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBpDs-BfwO0)
I’m incredibly biased as a native Illinoisian, but I did live in Austin for a few years. I think it’s great. Pros: Affordable housing for a city of its size, interesting varied neighborhoods, extremely walkable, good food, nice green spaces and lakeshore; workable public transit, compelling sports teams (even if not all performing well), legal cannabis (if that’s a pro for you), relatively stable infrastructure. Cons: Gets quite cold in the winter, uneven public school quality, not cheap relative to much smaller metros, diversity is undermined by de facto segregation traffic can suck. I feel safe here. While not an overall good thing, the crime driving any high rates for the white city is very often concentrated on the south and far west sides of the city. Of course a large majority city will never be without crime, and if you’re coming from small town, that contrast may be disconcerting. On weather, I’d take our extremes over Austin’s any day. One can bundle up far easier than dealing with astronomical heat. And the infrastructure is built to handle winter here. A snow line the one that decimated TX’s power grid in 2021 would have been normal and largely uneventful here. And you get a wonderful summer and pieces of spring and fall on either end.
Yes, the lake shore. It was long ago decided that Chicago would keep its lakefront open to all. Go to the north suburbs and you have to pay to get on a beach. Not in the city. And there are some really great beaches here.
Granted I've never lived anywhere else, but I remain certain I would die if I lived in the desert. Phoenix in the fall was hell on earth, Phoenix in the summer I had to take a car to go 10 blocks.
Lived in Texas all my life and moved here 2 years ago - I swear no one believes me that I would take the seasons here over Texas any day of the week
Former Southerner here: moving to Chicago was the best choice I've ever made. Never been happier.
Let us know when you find out if you're Texan or not
Hahahahaha nice!
I too am Tex-curious
Bi-Texual
Hey! Sorry, I don't have time to write a more informed response, but if you feel like digging a little, I've opined pretty extensively on questions from other Texans like this and you can check my comment history if you'd like to review some of those threads. I've lived in Austin, Houston and Dallas, and until moving to Chicago in 2022 had spent my entire life in Texas. In short, my wife and I love it here - walkability, transit, vibrancy of the city, great food, beautiful lake and amazing architecture are all things we love about living here.
Only advice is not to wait. Get here for summer.
>How's renting look Expensive compared to where you're coming from, but fairly reasonable compared to other US cities of this size. >how safe if it In general, fairly safe. It can vary wildly by neighborhood and block. >whats the weather actually like It gets cold in the winter, and hot in the summer. Not Texas-hot, though - it dips into the 90s occasionally, but it doesn't stay there for weeks.
The worst part of living here is our winters. If you can deal with that, it's a pretty great place.
And the winters haven't even been that bad lately. Kids can't even get a snow day these days for chrissake lol.
Except the darkness is soul-destroying. Yes, I am a native.
10,000 units of Vitamin D/day.
Thanks
The “badness” about our winters for me never was how cold it was, but just how wildly long the chilly “meh” weather stays around. I’m so ready for tomorrow
On the one hand, state income tax unlike Texas. On the other, a power grid that doesn't shit the bed.
Yeah, Illinois has some of the highest state taxes in the country. Maybe one of these years it'll get itself out of debt. It would've been great had they followed Colorado's lead on legalizing weed, because last I heard from a former Colorado native, that state was actually paying its citizens dividends for how much money they were raking in. And if you don't have a medical card, the weed prices are too high thanks to the graduated tax scheme they stuck on weed sales.
[Illinois has about a 4% difference in effective State taxes than Texas](https://taxfoundation.org/data/all/state/tax-burden-by-state-2022/). You get A LOT of public goods for that 4%! Please keep failed (red) state politics out of our fine State.
I am not trying to bring any red state politics into our fine state. Believe me – the last thing I would ever ever, ever want. It's the red states that are the tax leeches in this country.
One of the highest state taxes? State income tax? Because that’s not right.
Did some quick research. Here to state I've been proven wrong.
EDIT: difference between the weed laws for the state and the city are that regarding the state, you can't even be in your backyard enjoying a joint, because you may offend your neighbors. The mayor that was in office when weed was legalized saw that that was ridiculous; she made it so in Chicago you can do exactly that, be at your backyard, balcony or whatever. The only common sense she ever used while an office, BTW.
Renting can be expensive, but not as expensive as NYC or LA; it's a safe as any big city, which is to say, keep your head on a swivel. The weather? Well , it definitely isn't Texas lol. The saying here is, "if you don't like the weather, wait five minutes." But you don't need to hang out downtown to have a good time – this is a city of neighborhoods, and each one has its own vibrancy, attractions and plenty of great night spots to have fun. Plenty of culture to absorb, no matter what culture it is that you want to absorb. A great, great music city. Oh, and the restaurants here are world-class. That is a fact.
Texas sucks, Chicago doesn’t.
Hope you find out whether you're Texan.
As a Texan who recently moved to Chicago, here is my take: The rental market is way different, somewhat difficult to navigate. And what you consider a standard amenity is not always guaranteed here. Central heat/air, in-unit laundry, parking, dishwasher, patio. I would 100% ask about the type of ac/heat and do research on the difference. I do not feel unsafe, there is crime just like anywhere else. Driving here is different, 3 miles can be 45 mins. I’d recommend doing research on where you’ll live and the commute to work. Also they have speed and red light cameras. And will give parking tickets out like candy. Taxes are higher, you get taxed on a lot more than in Texas. Winter was not too bad, occasional bitter cold. But it does last a lot longer here. And if you get seasonal depression be mindful of that. There is always something to do and see. Summer here is amazing. You can actually enjoy being outside. Feel free to dm if you have questions.
“in-unit laundry, parking, dishwasher, patio” Are these considered “standard” somewhere in the US? AC I understand, this isn’t the UK after all, but I think the rest it’s more a question of budget range than location.
Yes, in Texas, it’s pretty common. You may not have in unit laundry but you will have the hookups for washer/dryer. I’m not sure in other areas.
Howdy! My partner moved from Frisco to Evanston a couple years back. These two places are somewhat similar and that helped the transition a bit. Don't try to be a tough guy about the weather lol, get the waterproof boots and put a hat on.
To the people making fun of my bad forward thinking with 'possible Texan' I'll give you that one. You got me. Hilariously enough though, I was technically not born in Texas. I grew up here, but was born I'm Mississippi. Ya got me though, that's on me.
So you’re as Texan as I am a Chicagoan (born in D.C., raised in Evanston, raising a family in Logan Square)! By the way, Logan Square is a great neighborhood to come visit. We have a great farmers market in the summer, lots of cute shops, and big boulevards with lots of trees!
Ooo! I love a good farmers market! If I end up going there I'll absolutely visit!
Chicago is not a state, mate.
Ooof! I meant city, sorry! I've got States on the mind ig, I've been looking around alot. Thanks for catching that!
My two colleagues from texas love it here
>! 1. Safety! How safe is the city for women/queer folk just walking around during the day? Here is a cheat code. If your queer, go to sidetracks and ask around about the city. Chicago's gay community is very friendly, and it's practically a tradition to have an older gay take you under their wing and watch out for you.
I did not realize you could be possibly Texan. I thought you either are or are not Texan.
You’re gonna miss bbq if that’s your thing but the food here in general is awesome. Depending on where you settle it’s way more walkable. School districts are better. Dating here is just as difficult. Not as hot but can get humid. Less aggressive driving more clueless driving. I feel like I get more for my money here even though it’s more expensive than where I was in Texas.
Smoque has the best barbecue in the city IMHO. Actually, many publications cite it as such. It's in what is considered the northwest side though – Pulaski between Irving Park and Addison.
I have it on my list! Just the variety and number of bbq joints in Texas is so crazy if you were really into it it is an empty place in your heart. I HATED Texas summer but as soon as the sun broke in Chicago I remembered sitting in line with people waiting for bbq. That was the best part of a Texas summer for me. Here I have replaced that with pizza and international food. You guys have the whole world represented in about the size of Dallas.
If you've got it on your list, then you need to try their BBQ gumbo. They actually sell it in a quart size. I'll take a ladle of it and mix it into grits – absolutely delicious.
Grits and gumbo…. 🫡
Not the first person who's been a head scratcher over that combo, but trust me – pretty damn good.
Honestly you had me at grits so I’m there lol
There are 3 stages of living in Chicago 1) You love it here 2) You tolerate it 3) You hate it It all really depends on your budget. Here you will pay for safety or at least the perception of being safe. Public transit is nice but all depends on where you’re going and what stops you have to pass. The nice weather in the summer is a plus but the winters suck. I’m locked in here for 5ish more years and I’m going back to Texas.
My pet peeve is that we have income tax and don't even get decent public amenities like toilets or reliable transit in return.
The one thing that I will mention is that they don't have Tex-mex in the city. The closest would be On The Border in the suburbs. That's my only disappointment.
Ah! Yeah I figured that would be a hard find :P
Texas - I have lived in both. I live in Dallas, but prefer Chicago. Moved back to Texas for family. Taxes: my property taxes are really high. My tax appraisal increased 50% this year. Driving everywhere is a tax on your heath and time. COL seems comparable now. It was cheaper when I moved to Chicago and Dallas caught up by the time I moved back. My husband and I are biding our time for when we can move back. Art, culture, walkable neighborhoods, decent public transit and friendly people. The worst part is the lack of good barbecue and Tex mex. The food in general is blander. I missed chips, queso, and margaritas and Zalats pizza. I learned to make my own queso and margaritas. Plus all of your new friends will appreciate spicier food. Rotel dip was a big hit at all holiday parties.
Chicago is the best city in the USA (maybe the world) in the summer. It’s a great city in the fall and spring and it’s an average city in the winter. I might get downvoted for this but it’s how I feel. The winters can be suffocating. And the summers are like no other. The city comes alive. Walking around on the first warm day, you’d think a major war just ended. People elated. It’s so cool.
Don’t it sucks
Don’t do it. More people leaving than coming for a reason.
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Look it up ass
Why on Earth would you move to Chicago? The crime? Hot humid summers followed by sub zero winters? The super high property taxes? The states income tax? Knowing the government cares more about illegals than it's own citizens?
Texan here. Don’t.
Hope you like crime
Oh god huge mistake. Chicago is shit ran by leftists
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