Moving to Chicago

  • After Iowa State won the Big 12, a Cyclone made a wonderful offer to We Will that now increases our match. Now all gifts up to $400,000 between now and the Final 4 will be matched. Please consider giving at We Will Collective.
    This notice can be dismissed using the upper right corner X button.

tejasclone

Well-Known Member
Oct 20, 2006
6,644
790
83
Chicago, IL
Hi friends,

I grew up in Ames, graduated from ISU in 2007, and then moved to Austin, where I've been for the last 10 years. My wife recently completed a PhD at UT and just found out that she's been selected for a job at the Field Museum, so we're mentally preparing to relocate to Chicago over the next couple of months.

I've visited Chicago a few times from when I lived in Ames, but I don't know too much about actually living there. Naturally I thought CF is the best place on the internet to find recommendations.

My wife and I are both 30+ and we have a 3-year old daughter and two 50 lb+ dogs. We operate at a moderate speed but our income is modest and we're not exactly party folk. My idea of a good time is beer on a patio with an ISU game on. So, probably like most families moving to the area, we're looking for a safe, family- and budget-friendly area with good schools and relatively easy access to public transportation (we spent 30 minutes studying the Metra and CTA maps the other night but gave up and started drinking instead), especially for her to reach the museum campus.

I'll add that I haven't found work of my own yet, but I've started hunting. My current employer in Austin would let me work remotely but I'm not sure I have the discipline to sustain that for more than a few months. I'd definitely prefer something local.

Anyway, I'd appreciate any advice or recommendations. Thanks, fam.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ianoconnor

tejasclone

Well-Known Member
Oct 20, 2006
6,644
790
83
Chicago, IL
Don't do it! You're going to miss Austin.

There are I things I'd miss, for sure. The food is fantastic, and the ability to see the Cyclones play at least once a year is nice. The lack of a state income tax can be good at times.

But I'm just kind of over this place. Way too many people crammed into a space that can't support them. Traffic is brutal and the people constantly vote down any measure to improve public transportation. Summers are lethal and last as long as a pregnancy. The levels of entitlement and elitism escalate every year. And it's in Texas.

Plus, all our family is in Iowa. I miss fall. We're ready for a change.
 

jmarter

Member
SuperFanatic
SuperFanatic T2
Jan 10, 2010
145
4
18
A bit older than you, but we just moved to Chicago in 2013. It probably comes down to how much you want to pay for housing and what kind of commute you are willing to deal with. After spending a couple years renting in Oak Park, we felt familiar enough with the area to look into buying. We focused in on the "near" suburbs of Oak Park, Berywn, Brookfield, Villa Park, and Elmhurst. We wanted easy access to downtown (for a daughter that is attending Roosevelt University) and the interstates (to get in & out of the city). All of these work nicely with CTA, Metra, and the interstates. We just recently bought a house in Villa Park. The feel of the community and the housing market fit our situation the best.
 
  • Informative
Reactions: tejasclone

JohnnyAppleseed

Active Member
Nov 30, 2008
193
26
28
Roscoe Village, Southport Corridor, Wicker Park, Bucktown are all great neighborhoods where a lot of young families are located and have a lot of great restaurants and things to do nearby. Those locations are also some of the best bets to get a deck or patio.

Unfortunately, the Field Museum isn't very easy to access via public transit. It will be a train and then walk 15-20 minutes, or take a bus down lakeshore which who knows how long that will take depending on what traffic is like.
 

Bryce7

Well-Known Member
May 4, 2016
3,044
949
63
Work remotely until you are sure. Conagra may have some jobs in Chicago. Omaha joke.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Pat

Cycsk

Year-round tailgater
SuperFanatic
SuperFanatic T2
Aug 17, 2009
26,838
14,643
113
Where have you lived in Austin? And what did you like/dislike about it? That may help some of us who know both cities to give you some advice.
 

carvers4math

Well-Known Member
Mar 15, 2012
20,254
15,873
113
My sister lives way the heck out in NW suburbs and takes the train, but just has a short walk then. Still an hour on the train each way. I think most of the young people she works with live downtown, not exactly sure where though.
 

cytheguy

Well-Known Member
May 23, 2006
1,521
194
63
Definitely go the stay at home dad route. Meet some stay at home moms. Bring the kids together for play dates. Get to know the moms. Offer to drive everyone to the local Apple Store or Starbucks or wherever. Single out and target the MiLFs you want to bang. Tell them you understand how lonely it gets being at home with the kids all day. Offer a friendly shoulder to cry on. Tell them you understand how upsetting it is when only 3 people "like" the cute selfie they posted on Facebook or Instagram. Offer a friendly massage to take their stress away. Tell them how nice they're looking today. Make your move. Get what you came for, and leave. Move to another city. Wash, rinse, repeat.
 

KnappShack

Well-Known Member
SuperFanatic
SuperFanatic T2
May 26, 2008
20,068
25,809
113
Parts Unknown
Hi friends,

I grew up in Ames, graduated from ISU in 2007, and then moved to Austin, where I've been for the last 10 years. My wife recently completed a PhD at UT and just found out that she's been selected for a job at the Field Museum, so we're mentally preparing to relocate to Chicago over the next couple of months.

I've visited Chicago a few times from when I lived in Ames, but I don't know too much about actually living there. Naturally I thought CF is the best place on the internet to find recommendations.

My wife and I are both 30+ and we have a 3-year old daughter and two 50 lb+ dogs. We operate at a moderate speed but our income is modest and we're not exactly party folk. My idea of a good time is beer on a patio with an ISU game on. So, probably like most families moving to the area, we're looking for a safe, family- and budget-friendly area with good schools and relatively easy access to public transportation (we spent 30 minutes studying the Metra and CTA maps the other night but gave up and started drinking instead), especially for her to reach the museum campus.

I'll add that I haven't found work of my own yet, but I've started hunting. My current employer in Austin would let me work remotely but I'm not sure I have the discipline to sustain that for more than a few months. I'd definitely prefer something local.

Anyway, I'd appreciate any advice or recommendations. Thanks, fam.

You sound like a Lombard man. Good rail service to the Chitty and kind of a Des Moines feel to it. Of course you're on the flight path for ORD and Midway, but I have family who lives there. They love it
 

EYEoftheSTORM

Well-Known Member
SuperFanatic
SuperFanatic T2
Jan 3, 2009
3,068
443
83
34
Ames, Iowa
Definitely go the stay at home dad route. Meet some stay at home moms. Bring the kids together for play dates. Get to know the moms. Offer to drive everyone to the local Apple Store or Starbucks or wherever. Single out and target the MiLFs you want to bang. Tell them you understand how lonely it gets being at home with the kids all day. Offer a friendly shoulder to cry on. Tell them you understand how upsetting it is when only 3 people "like" the cute selfie they posted on Facebook or Instagram. Offer a friendly massage to take their stress away. Tell them how nice they're looking today. Make your move. Get what you came for, and leave. Move to another city. Wash, rinse, repeat.
This is too thorough to be made up... must be speaking from experience
 

SCNCY

Well-Known Member
SuperFanatic
SuperFanatic T2
Sep 11, 2009
9,577
7,010
113
36
La Fox, IL
[QUOTE="tejasclone, post: 5522090, member: 3149"]There are I things I'd miss, for sure. The food is fantastic, and the ability to see the Cyclones play at least once a year is nice. The lack of a state income tax can be good at times.
[/QUOTE]

I grew up in the Chicago Suburbs until I left for college; and my parents moved from that house to Austin. The bold is not entirely true, the food in the Chicago area will overall be better (especially Italian food).
 
  • Disagree
Reactions: Tailg8er

BikeSkiClone

Well-Known Member
Jul 25, 2014
1,215
907
113
Small thread hijack, and then you all can carry on.

Contemplating applying to an internship downtown but outside the Loop (near what appears to be a Northwestern Law and Medicine campus?). Am I correct in reading transit maps that something along the Red Line would be best for housing? or also is it easy to transfer from brown or purple to red? The Metra lines from what I can tell don't give the best access to this area.
 

NWICY

Well-Known Member
Sep 2, 2012
28,833
24,135
113
Congrats to the wife on the job, I think working at the Field museum would be pretty cool.
 
  • Like
Reactions: tejasclone

9104Griffith

Active Member
Jul 31, 2010
155
180
43
Chicago
Roscoe Village, Southport Corridor, Wicker Park, Bucktown are all great neighborhoods where a lot of young families are located and have a lot of great restaurants and things to do nearby. Those locations are also some of the best bets to get a deck or patio.

Unfortunately, the Field Museum isn't very easy to access via public transit. It will be a train and then walk 15-20 minutes, or take a bus down lakeshore which who knows how long that will take depending on what traffic is like.

North Center & Lincoln Square are also good family neighborhoods with access to L. We have had city friends move out to Elmhurst & LaGrange in last few years and both families are happy with their choices.
 
  • Informative
Reactions: tejasclone

Bryce7

Well-Known Member
May 4, 2016
3,044
949
63
Definitely go the stay at home dad route. Meet some stay at home moms. Bring the kids together for play dates. Get to know the moms. Offer to drive everyone to the local Apple Store or Starbucks or wherever. Single out and target the MiLFs you want to bang. Tell them you understand how lonely it gets being at home with the kids all day. Offer a friendly shoulder to cry on. Tell them you understand how upsetting it is when only 3 people "like" the cute selfie they posted on Facebook or Instagram. Offer a friendly massage to take their stress away. Tell them how nice they're looking today. Make your move. Get what you came for, and leave. Move to another city. Wash, rinse, repeat.
Chicago is so big you can move from burb to burb and be democratic.