Life in Chicago

[Tinpusher]

Anyone live around the Chicago area?....considering making the move from the NYC area. That would entail leaving full time flying for a temporary but lucrative non flying gig but continue to fly for my contract connections. Looking for info such as cost of living, what are the upscale areas for real estate, how bad is the flying job scene, how bad are those CHITown winters really, etc
Basically anything you would have liked to have known before you got there. As always thanks to great group for your input.

 

[2000flyer]

how bad are those CHITown winters really, etc

While not from Chicago, I lived in the Upper midwest for 23 years. How cold are the winters? Well, get one of those industrial floor fans you see in factories and such. Take it and find a cold storage meat freezer, as cold as you can find.

Go in and periodically turn the fan on high to replicate a winchill of -30 to -50°F. And just for kicks, pour a little water on you to simulate some wet snow. Oh, and take a dumbell weight, approximately 15 lbs worth, and simulate shoveling snow for 45 minutes.

All kidding aside, I've spent time in Chicago and it is a great town. Plenty to do, see, eat and drink. Winters are tolerable, you just need to adjust and get used to them. Winter only lasts 9 months anyway

2000Flyer

 

[stadik_kling]

What Airport will you be operating out of? Lifestyle and cost of living vary greatly across the Chicago area.

 

[bigD]

The only thing Chicago is missing is Shiner.

I planned on bootlegging Shiner to the good people of Chicago via Piper Saratoga, but my partner in crime sold out to the Man and started flying 121.

 

[ICTS]

I don't think you can find Fat Tire in these parts either.....

I live in Chicago.

As for "upscale" -- a pilot cannot afford some of the areas

Housing isn't too bad -- a building with a 24 hour doorman, security, etc. runs about $250K (2 Bedrooms, 2 Baths) but wait, don't forget the parking space. These days they are running from $30K to $50K depending on the property IN ADDITION TO THE COST OF THE CONDO. Being a pilot, alas, not living in that building.......



Then there are the suburbs. How far do you want to commute. Which airports will you be doing Contract work? The Northern Subs are nice, but then you are limited to PWK; if NW (nice too), then DPA. If you want to work out of MDW, expect long drives and commuting if not living downtown or in LaGrange (partial to that little community ).

I would suggest going to the Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Sun Times and looking at their classifieds -- just to familiarize yourself with pricing in the area. Also go to Barnes & Noble or Borders and pick-up a map of the Chicago area. This will help you visualize the interstates with the areas you are interested in living. For example, Schaumburg is nice, but working out of MDW would be an unhappy commute -- if done on a regular basis -- expect 1 1/2 hours each way because there no "straight" shot to the airport. If working out of ORD, it would be an easy commute.

I think this is an awesome town, however, it is stretched North/South/West and depending on where you live and the airport you want to work at, the commute could take upwards of 2+ hours (during rain, snow, traffic, etc).

As for the winters, well I grew up in the Midwest and I don't think that they are "that" bad......it does get cold. I would suggest investing in a car starter if you will not have a garage. I would suggest lots of warm clothing too!! At least you aren't coming from FL and have seen some snow in NY.

 

[Boomhauer]

Fahrenheit / Celsius
· +50 / +10
o New York tenants turn on the heat
o Wisconsinites plant gardens
· +40 / +4
o Californians shiver uncontrollably
o Wisconsinites sunbathe
· +35 / +2
o Italian cars don't start
· +32 / 0
o Distilled water freezes
· +30 / -1
o You can see your breath
o You plan a vacation in Florida
o Politicians begin to worry about the homeless
o Wisconsinites eat ice cream
· +25 / -4
o Boston water freezes
o Californians weep pitiably
o Cat insists on sleeping on your bed with you
· +20 / -7
o Cleveland water freezes
o San Franciscans start thinking favorably of LA
o Green Bay Packers fans put on T-shirts
· +15 / -10
o You plan a vacation in Acapulco
o Cat insists on sleeping in your bed with you
o Wisconsinites go swimming
· +10 / -12
o Politicians begin to talk about the homeless
o Too cold to snow
o You need jumper cables to get the car going
· 0 / -18
o New York landlords turn on the heat
o Sheboygan brats grilled on the patio, yum!
· -5 / -21
o You can hear your breath
o You plan a vacation in Hawaii
· -10 / -23
o American cars don't start
o Too cold to skate
· -15 / -26
o You can cut your breath and use it to build an igloo
o Miamians cease to exist
o Wisconsinites lick flagpoles
· -20 / -29
o Cat insists on sleeping in your pajamas with you
o Politicians actually do something about the homeless
o People in LaCrosse think about taking down screens
· -25 / -32
o Too cold to kiss
o You need jumper cables to get the driver going
o Japanese cars don't start
o Milwaukee Brewers head for spring training
· -30 / -34
o You plan a two-week hot bath
o Pilsner freezes
o Bock beer production begins
o Wisconsinites shovel snow off roof
· -38 / -39
o Mercury freezes
o Too cold to think
o Wisconsinites button top button
· -40 / -40
o Californians disappear
o Car insists on sleeping in your bed with you
o Wisconsinites put on sweaters
· -50 / -46
o Congressional hot air freezes
o Alaskans close the bathroom window
o Green Bay Packers practice indoors
· -60 / -51
o Walruses abandon Aleutians
o Sign on Mount St. Helens: "Closed for the Season"
o Wisconsinites put gloves away, take out mittens
o Boy Scouts in Eau Claire start Klondike Derby
· -70 / -57
o Glaciers in Central Park
o Hudson residents replace diving boards with hockey nets
o Green Bay snowmobiles organize trans-lake race to Sault Ste. Marie
· -80 / -62
o Polar bears abandon Baffin Island
o Rhinelander Birkebeiner
o Girl Scouts in Eau Claire start Klondike Derby
· -90 / -68
o Edge of Antarctica reaches Rio de Janeiro
o Lawyers chase ambulances for no more than 10 miles
o Minnesotans migrate to Wisconsin thinking it MUST be warmer
· -100 / -73
o Santa Claus abandons North Pole
o Wisconsinites pull down earflaps
· -173 / -114
o Ethyl alcohol freezes
o Only Door County cherries usable in brandy Manhattans
· -297 / -183
o Oxygen precipitates out of atmosphere
o Microbial life survives only on dairy products
· -445 / -265
o Superconductivity
· -452 / -269
o Helium becomes a liquid
· -454 / -270
o Hell freezes over
· -456 / -271
o Illinois drivers drop below 85 MPH on I-90
· -458 / -272
o Incumbent politician renounces a campaign contribution
· -460 / -273 (Absolute Zero)
o All atomic motion ceases
o Wisconsinites allow as to how it's getting a mite nippy

 

[bigD]

I don't know how you Midwesterners do it. I left the house this evening, and about froze my butt off. It was 68 degrees out! Brrrrrrrr!

 

[U-I pilot]

I don't know how you Midwesterners do it. I left the house this evening, and about froze my butt off. It was 68 degrees out! Brrrrrrrr!

woke up this morning and weather channel said 38 degrees currently

I planned on bootlegging Shiner to the good people of Chicago via Piper Saratoga, but my partner in crime sold out to the Man and started flying 121.

you refering to FlyChi?
I'll take his spot!

 

[banned username 2]

Yeah, I we were supposed to go for Brazilian BBQ too!

 

[skyking1976]

Yeah, I we were supposed to go for Brazilian BBQ too!

The invite at APA is still open... Pm me if you're going to be in town.

SK

 

[banned username 2]

The invite at APA is still open... Pm me if you're going to be in town.

SK

Will do, unfortunately we don't get to APA very often at all, and then if we do the odds of my being on the trip aren't all that great (for some reason my odds go way up when the trip involves Asia or Europe )

 

[I'm lost]

Boomhauer,

That's the funniest crap I've seen on this board in I don't when. My sides are still hurting!!

 

[UALBRAT]

I have lived in the Chicago area most of my life. I have been out of a flying job since early May. Pickens are slim unless you are qualified in the "right aircraft" or know the right connections. Being that Chicago is a major domicile for United and American, you can imagine the amount of pilots out of work in the Chicagoland area. Still though, it is a great place to live if you don't mind the winters. I live in the northwest suburbs where condos go from the low 100's and the most expensive homes are for the people that own the aircraft we fly. You can pretty much find anything inbetween depending where you want to live.

Good luck!

 

[jbud]

Already had to de-ice twice up in the U.P. ---- MOVE TO FLORIDA NOT TO THE MIDWEST!!!!!!

 

[rettofly]

The only thing Chicago is missing is Shiner.

Shiner's OK but Moose Drool is better!