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Moving from LA to Chicago..right decision??

post #1 of 47
12/9/10 at 2:59pm
Thread Starter 
I have an opportunity to work out of my company's Chicago office. Originally from the Chicago burbs, I've been in LA for 16 years. There are a few good things about LA that I'm sure I will miss, but I have such disdain for most everything else about this city. Every time I leave LA for business or pleasure, I get this sick hateful feeling when I land back at LAX. Yeah, the weather is great. I'm a runner and a cyclist, so the weather is important to me. Nothing beats going for a hike or run after work in the canyons near my home, or sitting outside at a coffee shop in the middle of January. The climate definitely lends itself to a relaxed lifestyle, even at work. Those are the things I'll miss the most.

The office is on Lakeshore Drive, and I would definitely live in the city. The prospect of not having to commute to work and being able to use public transportation is incredibly appealing. My budget for an apartment would be $2,000, and I know that I will be able to live in a much nicer place than what I could get in LA for the same amount. I have friends in the city, too. As far as the weather goes, I know it sucks, but I do enjoy a bit of cold weather, and I'm sure I could get used to running along the lake in the cold. So, everything seems in favor of making this move...
I guess I'm thinking out loud here... Are there any other LA transplants in Chicago that can chime in on their experiences w/ such a move??
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post #2 of 47
12/9/10 at 3:03pm
tough call. chicago is probably one of my favorite cities in the country, minus the weather. if you get angry at LAX you should probably go. when i land and see those stupid neon posts from the 84 olympics, i get warm and happy inside.
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post #3 of 47
12/9/10 at 3:06pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by JTK View Post
I have an opportunity to work out of my company's Chicago office. Originally from the Chicago burbs, I've been in LA for 16 years. There are a few good things about LA that I'm sure I will miss, but I have such disdain for most everything else about this city. Every time I leave LA for business or pleasure, I get this sick hateful feeling when I land back at LAX. Yeah, the weather is great. I'm a runner and a cyclist, so the weather is important to me. Nothing beats going for a hike or run after work in the canyons near my home, or sitting outside at a coffee shop in the middle of January. The climate definitely lends itself to a relaxed lifestyle, even at work. Those are the things I'll miss the most.

The office is on Lakeshore Drive, and I would definitely live in the city. The prospect of not having to commute to work and being able to use public transportation is incredibly appealing. My budget for an apartment would be $2,000, and I know that I will be able to live in a much nicer place than what I could get in LA for the same amount. I have friends in the city, too. As far as the weather goes, I know it sucks, but I do enjoy a bit of cold weather, and I'm sure I could get used to running along the lake in the cold. So, everything seems in favor of making this move...
I guess I'm thinking out loud here... Are there any other LA transplants in Chicago that can chime in on their experiences w/ such a move??

Really? My info is way out of date I know but I recall LA as being a cheap place to rent, buying is of course another matter.
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post #4 of 47
12/9/10 at 3:14pm
It sounds like your mind is already made up, but I would do it. Chicago is real city, while L.A. is a collection of urban areas connected by freeways. As you already know, there's lots of stuff to do and a pretty low cost of living. The drive/view along Lake Shore Drive is one of the best in the country, particularly when approaching downtown from the South Side. The weather is only terrible three months out of the year. The time zone means that televised sporting events end at a reasonable time, not a weirdly early one.
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post #5 of 47
12/9/10 at 3:15pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Manton View Post
Really? My info is way out of date I know but I recall LA as being a cheap place to rent, buying is of course another matter.
it's pretty pricey here, but i think OP's info on Chicago may be equally out of date.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ambulance Chaser View Post
Chicago is real city, while L.A. is a collection of urban areas connected by freeways.
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post #6 of 47
12/9/10 at 3:37pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by mharwitt View Post
it's pretty pricey here, but i think OP's info on Chicago may be equally out of date.
2k/month rent will get you a mid-high to high quality one-bedroom condo in a good area (Old-town, gold coast, river north). If I wanted to rent out my place, while it's nothing special, I would price it around $1200 - 1300 / month. An extra 700 gets you a lot. Prices in the loop are a little higher, but who wants to live there anyway?
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post #7 of 47
12/9/10 at 3:38pm
IMO la is a much more interesting place to live, but it has a few drawbacks. If you are hung up on these drawbacks, it's possible that you would prefer Chicago. You really don't mind snow on Halloween? Then go for it
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post #8 of 47
12/9/10 at 3:40pm
Thread Starter 
I currently live in Hollywood. I recently sold my condo and have been looking at apartments to rent. A nice 800sq ft 1 br apartment with washer and dryer will cost a minimum of $2,000, and that's after a lot of negotiation. There are plenty of cheap, traditional looking apartments in and around Hollywood (no washer/dryer) for $2,000, but very few newer buildings. Maybe the listings on craigslist are misleading, but it seems like there is a surplus of nice 1-2 br apartments in that price range.
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post #9 of 47
12/9/10 at 3:40pm
^There usually isn't snow on Halloween. This year it didn't snow until Dec 2.


Anyway, 2k a month would get you a pretty sick place in Chicago, IMO.
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post #10 of 47
12/9/10 at 3:42pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by JTK View Post
I currently live in Hollywood. I recently sold my condo and have been looking at apartments to rent. A nice 800sq ft 1 br apartment with washer and dryer will cost a minimum of $2,000, and that's after a lot of negotiation. There are plenty of cheap, traditional looking apartments in and around Hollywood (no washer/dryer) for $2,000, but very few newer buildings. Maybe the listings on craigslist are misleading, but it seems like there is a surplus of nice 1-2 br apartments in that price range.

Early-mid '90s LA rents were a joke. That is, if you didn't have to live in BH, Westwood, Brentwood or the very latest building in Century City.

Loz Feliz was awesome and cost nothing.
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post #11 of 47
12/9/10 at 3:43pm
FWIW - when people ask me how I deal with the weather in Chicago , I tell them
Quote:
Originally Posted by ChicagoRon
The weather here filters out the assholes. If it was nice all the time, it would be LA. I don't live in LA for a reason.
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post #12 of 47
12/9/10 at 3:44pm
2K, mo gets you a NICE 2br in any neighborhood but The Gold Cost.
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post #13 of 47
12/9/10 at 3:47pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Manton View Post
Loz Feliz was awesome and cost nothing.
LOL. we live just east of los feliz, in the hills, and i don't even want to tell you what our downstairs tenant pays.
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post #14 of 47
12/9/10 at 3:55pm
Ron, you definitely put it best.

I'd move elsewhere but if I had temperate weather every day of the year, I would be a lazy sack of shit
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post #15 of 47
12/9/10 at 3:58pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by ChicagoRon View Post
FWIW - when people ask me how I deal with the weather in Chicago , I tell them

I f/in love that!! So accurate! The weather builds character IMO, and in LA people can get by on superficialities..
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