Lived in So Florida many years (Gables, Lauderdale, Boca, Delray) and more recently Chicago (Lincoln Park- "The City") for about 10 years. I'm one of those people who is not a fan of Chicago (or quite frankly any big city in the NE or MWest). Yes, it has good things, but in my opinion, the negatives clearly outweighed the positives. Once I had the luxury of being able to choose where to live and work, I got the H out of Chicago. The weather sucks - unless you like wearing winter clothing from Oct through May (best case). Traffic sucks even in the non-winter months. Once winter hits, you're f'cked. Taxes (property, sales and income) are ridiculous and only going to get much worse. Cost of living is very high and quality of life is poor in my opinion. Getting around and finding parking, etc., was usually a f'king nightmare. Crime was quickly moving into even the nicest (and once "relatively safe") areas. The rats the size of cats are cool Yes, it has a nice lakefront, beautiful buildings (lol) and very good restaurants. It also has distinct and vibrant neighborhoods (Bucktown, Old Town, Gold Coast, Lincoln Park, Wrigleyville, etc., etc.) - but the sh*t that comes with that sandwich makes it not worth it. The northern burbs typically avoid the crime and the hassles of living in the City, but the ridiculous cost will bite you hard. I have friends who still live there and some will put a good face on it and say how much they love it - I suspect those are the poor souls who can't get the H out because of work, family and circumstances. Must be fun to pay $20K plus a year minimum to get a kid into kindergarten (yes, frickin K). If they don't get in at that stage, forget about getting in later. If you have a choice, just say no. If you're single, it isn't as bad because of the obvious reasons. Raising a family there? F no. I didn't mean to offend anyone, just wanted to give my honest opinion.
