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[CortJstr]

But $855 for two bedrooms sounds like a bargain.

Sweet merciful crap! I've never found a one bedroom for under $1,100. Damn.

[wombat]

I had a one bedroom in DC when I first moved here for about 900 dollars. But that was probably before Cort was born.

You know the other thing I remember about Chicago now that I think about it is that the kind of apartment you get for that price is really, really nice. Like Jorge says, old and full of lots of nice wood. And the public transit is really good - a car is probably not worth the bother, which saves you a lot of money.

Hmm, I would almost be getting jealous, if it weren't for the WINTER.

[Choop]

How to Transport Groceries Without a Car

[jough]

Thanks Jorge for the info.  I only mentioned Rogers Park because I see a LOT of places for rent there via the Chicago craigslist and then one of the neighbourhood guides pretty much said "do not move there if you're a white person" so I was kind of cancelling it out in my head.

I probably don't want to move anywhere I can't walk around in at night, since I tend to do a lot of walking at night.  Maybe there is no unsafe place in Chicago for a hulking giant of a man who doesn't feel that a handgun nestled in the small of his back is a problem, but at the same time, I don't want to have to shoot anyone either.

If I take the Chicago job I'd certainly have to come up there to look at places for a couple of days beforehand, probably lining up a lot of places to look at in a day or two and then deciding quickly where to move.  If you could help me narrow down the list by letting me know that I definitely wouldn't want to move to a particular place, that would be very helpful.

Being able to walk to jazz clubs is more of a "would be nice" than essential.

Chicago is a HUGE city, with 70+ distinct neighbourhoods all with their own names and local flavour.

1/4th to 1/3rd salary is a good range, I guess.  I'll still be getting contract and other residual income for a while, so I'm hoping to be able to save up most of my salary for a bit no matter where I work.  It seems that D.C. is way more expensive to live in than either Chicago or Philly.

Chicago is supposed to have a 15% higher cost of living than Philadelphia, but rents (at least on Craigslist and the Chicago Reader) seem to be about the same as Philly.  Maybe everything else is more expensive.  That 9% sales tax sounds brutal.  I may have to just buy everything online - you know, like I do now.

Choop, I thought about those old lady shopping cart things, but I am not sure that my dignity has sunk that low.  Or does everyone who lives in the city use those?

[JorgeFabregas]

I didn't use one, but that's only because I didn't have one. I just made more frequent trips to the grocery. European style, or something.

Oh, and there is a handgun ban in Chicago.

The high COL may have something to do with gas prices, were are supposedly the highest in the continental 48--illinois tax + cook county tax + city tax. I doubt cigarettes are factored into it, but those run for $7/pack. If you buy neither of these items then it's probably just the sales tax.

[jough]

Handgun ban?  So only criminals have them?  Wonderful.

Anyway, I will assume that Chicago is not the wild west and that everyone is not packing.  I just keep hearing about how dangerous certain neighbourhoods are, and I don't know what those places are, so I'm still learning the city.

I won't drive and don't smoke, so neither of those things are an issue.

I don't know if there's a city wage tax like here in Philly, but it's pretty steep in Philly so that would probably balance out.

European style works for me.  Also, home delivery of groceries looks like an option in Chicago from Peapod.com, at least for commodity items like ketchup and cans of tuna and stuff.  I'd probably want to select my own meats and veggies.

I've been looking for a 1br that's sub-$1000/month on craigslist, and there seems to be a lot of difference in rent depending on neighbourhood (which is obvious, of course) but then I don't know if I'm just seeing a deal in a decent neighbourhood or seeing highway robbery in a bad one.

I'm going to have to see places, ask people about the neighbourhood, etc.

Every ad I see seems to mention "no security deposit!" which is helpful (means less money upfront to move) and some places seem to include utilities like electric, which sounds too good to be true so I'm wondering if there's a catch with those places, like that I only get so much electricity per month or something awful like that.

I'm going to have to look into high speed internet providers too, but being a big city I doubt that'll be a problem.

Otherwise what else am I missing?  Is there anything I'd have to worry about that I haven't mentioned?

[wombat]

Otherwise what else am I missing?  Is there anything I'd have to worry about that I haven't mentioned?

Scrapple!

[jough]

Other than scrapple and cheese steaks, I mean.  Just things to worry about for moving to a new city in general.  I'm making a list.

[KeithHernandez]

I just wanted to take this oppurtunity to say that I live in the "ghetto" (norman doesn't have a ghetto, just shitty apartment complexes around town) of Norman, about .5 miles away from OU.  My rent is 440 for a two bedroom split with a friend (I pay 220 if this di not make sence).  Last year I lived in a really, really nice 4 bedroom house and our rent was 365 each.  The only problem?  It is in Oklahoma.

[wombat]

Things to worry about: You don't know anyone.  You get home from work the first day, and the first week, and the first month, and you want to go out, and there is no one to call.  And on the weekend.  And when you need someone to do you a simple favor like, I don't know, feed the cat while you are away.  There is no one out there.  It can be a pretty awful feeling. Frankly I don't have that huge a social life - most of my really good friends live far away, due to all the moving to new cities I've done - but still that is the part of moving to a new city that I would not want to go through again. 

Also, if you have a regular doctor, dentist, etc., you have to find all new ones. With no one to ask for a recommendation. You might want to do some research before you have an emergency.

On the other hand, when you move to a new city, you come home from work or it's the weekend and you want to go out and do something - you don't look in the paper and whine that you've done all that stuff. Which is the point I've gotten to now in DC.  It would take a person a long time to get bored in Chicago, I think (except of course for the times you are snowed in and can't leave the house).

[CortJstr]

some places seem to include utilities like electric, which sounds too good to be true so I'm wondering if there's a catch with those places, like that I only get so much electricity per month or something awful like that.

My coworker lives in an all-utilities-included building and once the landlord called and said he'd raise the rent if they didn't ease up on the a/c. Apparently they kept their appartment at like 65 degrees all year. So basically the lease probably has some clause in it for "excessive usage" much the same way that ISPs do.

And wombat, have you ever been to the Ellipse Art Center? They change exhibits pretty frequently. Just recently there was art made from trash. Last summer they had a playable 9-hole mini-golf course designed by local artists to mimic local landmarks. My favorite was the only place you can fill up your tank and your soul, the church/gas station.

[jough]

I hardly go out with friends now so any bit of socialising would be an increase.

I hope to make some new friends there.  At first I'm probably going to be really busy with work and moving in and exploring the city and all.  I'll have hundreds of miles (counting up and down city blocks) of new territory to walk in and around, too.  Chicago has like 60 parks in the city.  The lake has a nice walking path that sounds awesome.

I think I'm going to just avoid places with utilities included (other than heat/gas, which is common just about everywhere, and maybe water, which would be fine).  Otherwise I'd rather get my own electric bill and internet access.  A friend of mine is in Antwerp now and has internet as part of his rent, but it sucks and he's stuck with it.

I'm hoping to make this work.

Also, wombat, wouldn't those same problems also be problems in D.C.?  Of course, I know people in D.C.  So maybe not so much.

Hm.

[wombat]

Yeah, you know people in DC, and you'd be only a train ride away from the people you know now.  It's much less drastic. 

But I am prejudiced. I can't argue that DC is a better city than Chicago.  I just always assumed that someday I'd be able to get on the train and come up there to Philly and, I don't know, slap you upside the head or have dinner or something. Your moving to Chicago discombobulates my picture of the world and my imaginary friends in it. 

But also aren't you choosing between jobs, too?  Presumably that has to enter into it.

[theinevitable]

man, 1000$ a month?

I am so glad that I live in a dormitory still. This figure alone has made me stop fantasizing about truly Living on my Own.

of course, I could live my life beat-poet style, living with an everlasting series of amorous sluts ladies.
And then die alone/of a drug overdose.

Jough, I would come visit you! I have 2 friends in Chicago anyway (at U Chicago), so I could kill a variety of fowl with one stone.

[JorgeFabregas]

Inev, St. Louis housing is super cheap (for an actual city), so if you end up living there you won't have to worry so much about the cost.