Moving from Chicago to San Francisco?

Question

Does anyone have experience moving from Chicago to San fran? I am considering moving. I love going to SF on travel, but not sure if I will enjoy living there. I love Chicago, except for the weather. Is there anything you miss or like about both?

Answer 1

I moved from the Milwaukee area to SF and I love SF! The weather is SOO much nicer in winter, and you don't have to worry about digging your car out of a snowbank! The weather is mild all year round, which at times can get boring, but is a nice change from 90 degrees one day and 20 the next like in the Midwest. Living in SF is living in a big city, only better. There are tons of little neighborhoods, each with a different atmosphere/style, so you can definitely find a place to live that matches your personality. Anything you can possibly think of doing is available to do in or around the city...I would highly recommend the move!

Answer 2

I've only ever been in Chicago airport, and it was nothing to remember. But I can tell you San Francisco is a great city in which to be young.

I lived in SF from 1976 (the BI-centennial; I had a tee shirt with four naked people hugging on it), to 1985, when I left to move to Santa Cruz County, to the south of SF.

San Francisco is a unique city in every way, and starts with a unique history. As you know, it was basically built on the money brought down out of the Sierras by the gold rush. People landed here, bought their supplies (Levis, for example; the HQ is in SF), and headed off for the gold fields. When they made money, they came back and spent it -- or had it stolen -- in San Francisco. Those were the days of plush red saloons and plush women to decorate them.

Since that time, San Francisco has dominated shipping, commerce, banking specifically (there's a branch of the US Mint, and a wonderful museum in the old mint building downtown), and many cultural functions on the west coast, and been the primary link for the US with the orient. The Chinatown in San Francisco is the one people mean when they say "Chinatown." It is also a wonderful place to eat good food for cheap. Japan Town is equally fascinating, although a lot newer.

There are world class museums and symphonies and operas and plays and on and on; culture as it really is when it is taken seriously. There is Golden Gate Park, which is huge and has many attractions, including a buffalo herd (small, but real).

Modern music and theater and so forth are also here, of course; San Francisco is often a major stop on the tours of the best bands.

Wonderful wineries surround San Francisco, and so really good wine is relatively inexpensive. The best restaurants take full advantage of the fact, and the best restaurants are world-class.

And you do know that there are huge department stores and major branches of the finest specialty stores, and shopping is really delightful in San Francisco. Sort of expensive, but there are bargains as you learn where to look.

There are neighborhoods in San Francisco that are not all that expensive, relatively speaking, that are still decent enough to raise children. You can hardly say that in any other big city. There are also many, many neighborhoods with really colorful histories of their own, some of which have little spaces for rent with more charm than rental prices would suggest; again, the unusual is highly concentrated. You might find a little apartment carved out of a large old Victorian house, and the landlady may be the heir of the people who built the house. It's that kind of city.

San Francisco basically has everything, and if you deny yourself the chance to live there, you will always regret it.

Answer 3

If you like sunshine in the summer you will probably miss that. It's about the only thing I missed coming from NY (Long Island) to here. I have a lot of relatives in Chicago and was born there but left when I was 7. The things I like the most about chicago that I don't have here are hot summers and white castles. I would have had to live there longer to know what an adult would miss though.

Answer 4

I moved from the midwest to Napa Valley. I don't miss one danged thing after all these years. Even though the housing prices are appalling.

The food is better, the people are better, transit is better, the culture is better, it's beautiful here, and the weather is still awesome. I mean, it'll take you a few years to get over saying "It's February and it's only raining! Cool!" I definitely don't miss the snow and icy roads.

My car had frost on it the last two days and I actually thought it was pretty. And it was only 29F overnight!