Am applying for a job in Chicago.What's it like to live in for a single Mom kids (7 & 4), originally from UK?

Question

School won't be a problem, so where to live? What about climate? The people? Traffic? Things to do at the w/e? What's the cost of living? Is it more or less expensive that other countries/US cities? What about taxes, are they high? Any info would be gratefully recieved. Many thanks.

Answer 1

Chicago is a great city. The public schools give free education...depends on the area on where you live. TRANSPORTATION IS HEAVEN! You can get ANYWHERE in this city by knowing the train and bus routes. I can get to ALL my friend's houses just by the trains and busses, you can basically live without a car, but sometimes a car is necessary...and i'd recommend it, depending on what part of chicago you are moving to. Traffic....hmmm Honestly! It's an adjustment. I've been driving for two years....and I'm still afraid but its SAFER than New York, Florida, and California! HANDS DOWN! There are accidents but its not like big...you just have to be a good agressive driver on the highways. and Climate! My gosh!! We have the most up and down temperatures next to Korea rank #1 in climatic change...we're #2 for climate change. One day it was below 30- Farhenheight, and the next day it was like 45 degrees above normal ya know? Oh the climate really varies, but this is why I love chicago. Like yseterday was a beautiful day in the 30s, and today i wake up with snow on the ground. Summers are pretty decent, Summers here are great. You can just get a tan in your own background. Cost of living is actually pretty decent dependin on your part of chicago...but its WAY cheaper than the above places mentioned, and cheaper than chicago's local suburbs...apartments are pretty reasonably prices, and so are nices. Taxes can be a little high..but other than that...don't let cost intimidate you. It's WONDERFUL here! Best city in the world!

Answer 2

Chicago weather is crazy. Today is snowing a lot. Last couple of days were nice; not too cold. That depends on your point of view. Rent are sky high in this city. There are around $1,000 and up for two rooms. There are apartments that are not worth half of that. You have to pay for heat, cooking gas, light (almost every where). Gas, light, telephone, etc are very high in this city too. Gas bill ranges from $100 and up a month. I pay around $240 a month. Last light bill was $144. I am not exagerating. There are many mexicans (not trying to offend anyone). If you want a good public school...start searching now. Well, that does not guarantee that your kids get admitted. Mainly, they use lottery. In the city, you must beg for services and help. There are a many lazy people working in school offices. Though, there are some good teacher that care about student performance. There are some that they teach for the money. Maintain a communication with your kids teachers so learning can be better. There are many requierements for teachers. At the end, they don't get paid enough considering that their jobs never end. You must get very involve in the school to make sure that your kids are in a learning safe environment. My daughter had been beated up by a boy in the girl's bathroom. This is mainly why I mentioned the security in school. The school did nothing about it. The boy was not suspended or else. She is a very good student as the teachers says. Also, you must be available many hours a week to help students with homework. Classrooms are over crowded with students. In the suburban areas, students learn in school and go home to practice it with few homework. Definitely, schools are better in the suburbs. Another thing, Kids are bussed to school in contrast to the city schools. There is a lot of professionalism and respect there. Rent are lower there too. Mainly, you do not pay heat and cooking gas. Life is better there for children. Even though there is transportation, owning a car it will be helpful. There is 24/7 transportation available in the city; train, bus, and taxi. I don't want to generalize but in the city many (not all) people do not care about others. You might see the egoism on people when they put chairs and things in the streets so others can not park. This makes the city ugly and unable the city workers to clean the streets. The mayor had done great things for this city. They provided many services for children like after school programs, park districts, etc... the park district activities are not free but the cost is affordable. There are many city parks, museum, festivals, zoo (free and paid), libraries, restaurants, etc. There are so many excellent places to visit. I have been so many places in chicago that makes me love this city. The police officials are all over the city. What can I say...I love the city with all the rules and regulations. The things that I don't like is the sky high rents and bills (cost of life) and the school system that is always in need of positive changes.

Answer 3

"School won't be a problem, so where to live?"



Private school, I hope? Our public school system is a chaotic mess. I've worked in it as a substitute teacher, and found my job to be more an exercise in crowd control than actual teaching. Passing a number of classrooms presided over by regular teachers, I found that they weren't faring much better. Even the well-regarded Lane Tech was a zoo.


"What about climate?"


Harsh, with hot, humid summers and bitterly cold, windy winters. Some who've only been in this area for a few years will disagree with the latter, but they're in for a disappointment. The local climate is prone to shifts that last for about a decade and then go away. Reality does return, for better or worse.


"The people?"


A mixed bag.


"Traffic?"


Really, really bad, but the city is better served by public transportation than most in the US.


"Things to do at the w/e?"


Much less than there used to be, but there's still a lot.



"What's the cost of living? Is it more or less expensive that other countries/US cities?"


Not sure.

Answer 4

Hi

im english and lived in a little suburb called Arlington Heights outside chicago. I loved it!!

The people are great, the city is fab, there is loads to do, both educational and non, art galleries, navy peir etc.

The weather is hot in the summer and humid and very cold in the winter but the fab people, place and experience all makes it worth while.

I wishi could move ther emyself, maybe someday. I have travelled to many different places inthe states but Chicago is most definately the best.

I do think tho that the taxes are cost of living is a little higher there but like i said, its all worth it.

And yes do remember that there is no national health. Denatal care etc is very expensive!

Have fun!

Lisaoh by the way i lived there for just over a year!

Answer 5

Depends on where in the UK you're from. If you're from London, you'll fit right in. Both Chicago and London have a huge population, lot of people of all nationalities, a sprawling public transportation city (we have a subway too), both are major corporate hubs, major transportation hubs, lots of nightlife (althought the bars and stuff shut down at about 11 in London, I believe; here, some bars stay open as late as 4 a.m. on weekdays and 5 a.m. on Friday's and Saturdays), similar climates (it can get really cold in London and Chicago and both places can have hot summer). The public school system has it's problems, but the good thing is that you have a lot of educational options: catholic schools, private school, there's even a British School that adopts a British style of education on the Andersonville neighborhood.

People here are surprisingly nice for a city of Chicago's size (it's been called the country's biggest small town. But there is crime, as you would expect for a city of its size. And it can be a little more dangerous than London since people here tend to think differently about guns. But it's not like you have to be fearful for your life every time you leave the house. People live and work and play here every day of the year. They sit in the park, have picnics, go bike riding, etc. You just have to be alert to your surroundings. There are certain neighborhoods that are more dangerous than others and you learn to avoid them if you can.

There is always something to do here for adults and children, particularly in the summer with all the street fairs and festivals all round the city. There are tons of museums and cultural centers, new parks, etc. Despite it's size, Chicago is relatively inexpensive (a hell of a lot cheaper than London and, say, New York City; I've been to both). You can get a one bedroom in a decent neighborhood for about $650-900 a month. Try finding something like that in NYC or LA. The cost of living doesn't have to be high, either. You just have to learn to shop around and find the best stores with the best bargains (for instance, I buy meat at one store and the rest of my stuff at a couple of other. I even go to dollar stores once in a while for basic stuff like papertowels, sandwich bags, etc.) As far as taxes, the city has raised property taxes recently, which will affect you if you plan on buying a house. I rent an apartment so I really can't speak to that.

If you're a single mom with two kids, I recommend looking for a place in the Andersonville or Roscoe Village areas. They're both kinda low key places with a few relatively cheap dwellings as of now. The place I live, Edgewater, is not too far from Andersonville and is pretty nice as well. About a block or two from the lake, which comes in handy in the summertime.

Hope that helps. Any more "Q's",just ask

Answer 6

Chicago has a terrible traffic and the weather? Well, right now is kinda bad, but in few weeks I think it will get nice. It gets rather humid in summer, winters get cold. Cost of living is cheaper than in UK but relatively high comparing to other US cities. However, there is lots of job opportunities here as well as nice neighborhoods to live. You and your kids would definitely not be bored living in Chicago. Taxes are average I would say- unless you're talking about property taxes. Good luck and hope you'll enjoy Chicago!

Answer 7

The bad areas in Chicago are very bad. The climate goes from hot and humid in the summer to cold and snowy in the winter.
The cost of living in Chicago compared to other cities in the U.S. is high. It's one of the top ten most expensive places in live. The suburbs are cheaper.
Traffic can be horrible.
Taxes in the U.S. compared to the UK are lower. Now, Chicago has the highest taxes in Illinois.
Remember, there is no national health care in the U.S., you're on your own. Cheap health care can be found at county clinics.
good luck

Answer 8

I'd recommend a suburb. A little south of the city is usually cheaper than north or west. Schools in Chicago are bad, unless you can afford a private school. If you work in Chicago there is good public transportation into the city. Try the Mokena/Tinley Park, New Lenox or Manhattan areas. They have good schools and are nice family areas to live.

Answer 9

I lived in chicago my whole life except now because I am in college. I would recomend living in a nicer area of chicago or in the near by suburbs. I have always gone to catholic schools because public schools in chicago are scary and not good. Climate is unpredictable. Sometimes we get hot summers sometimes cool. Sometimes crazy snow winters, sometimes mild. Spring and Fall are just unpred. crazy. you get all temp from -30(wind chill) to heat indexes of 113 degrees F. Traffic, we drive Crazy in chicago. Lighter in the burbs, but it sually takes 20 mins min. to go anywhere!
TONS of things to do. Tons of museams down town, the planaterium, aquarium, zoo's, theaters, shopping, clubs, parks!! taxes are generally 8-?? % depending on where you are. Its 8.50 where I live. To get a drink downtown its like 9 dollars for a draft beer. I love chicago and so glad I grew up and will move back as soon as i am done with college in Aug!! Good Luck!