anotherlimey

Blue skies here... 90f and blue skies...

Jerseygirl

Can't remember exactly...Naperville was one horror I remember. Religion is a big part of life in the US...which I don't mind in itself...if only people would keep it to themselves.

BTW through experience and reading posts on this and other BE forums...I would always recommend visiting the area before making such a life changing decision.

cybersecretary

absolutely right - there is no way we are moving over there unless the company also sends me on a go see!!! If they arent prepared to do that, I am not prepared to go.

gruffbrown

I bought my truck in Naperville, no shortage of car sales that's for sure.

(Gruffs uninteresting fact # 271)

Jerseygirl

I have never seen anything like it...before or since...probably worse now 12 years on.

Maz

That's for sure! There's a new Ford one going up along Ogden, too.

cybersec, it snowed here on October 12th, I think it was. It came down very heavily, too. It was quite the shock, but disappeared early in the afternoon when the sun came out and it melted.

HappyHammer

I live in NW Suburb - Close to the airport so we get lot's of noise from planes. Chicago has 1 big problem the road system... the interstates leading in and out of Chicago are really messed up every day between 6:30 and 8:30 in the morning and 4:30 and 7:00 in the evening... the rest of the day they are still bad. It's like the M25 on a good day. My advice is you're working downtown.... either live downtown, or find somewhere where you can get in and out of the city quickly...either by Metra train or CTA.
You already know about the winters and know what to expect.
Chicago nightlife is really bustling downtown and in suburbs
Lived in St Louis for a while - (didn't like it can't put my finger on it... but just found the place a bit depressing) lived in Kansas City for a while - liked it but a but not a lot to do there. Chicago though... always something going on somwhere.... and happily settled now.

gruffbrown

I never lived there, but I noticed that about St Louis as well, don't know what it was, just soulless.

Jerseygirl

Cabrini Green is nice...once had the misfortune of taking the wrong exit off the freeway. :scared: :scared: :scared: :scared: :scared:

gruffbrown

It's gone now, demolished I believe.

Jerseygirl

You mean to say there were actually people who dared venture there...'twas a no go even for cops.

David Richardson

Hi. I lived there for my first two years in the USA - 1979 - 1981. Du Page county is OK. Fairly bland in the suburbs but the city of Chicago is terrific. My son just started college there downtown. Winters are harsh, summers hot and fairly humid but nothing you can't handle. Best cities for schools etc are Glen Ellyn, Wheaton and Downers Grove. All are decent rides by car to Chicago proper ( 40 minutes except in rush hour( allow 60 to 75 minutes). All have good local train service - ever see a double decker train?. You might consider other suburbs like Arlington Heights, Des Plaines ( nice older town flavour). You will walk downtown and through the mall after parking in ginormous parking lots/decks. You'll walk at the lake and in the parks. My recommendation is to live as close to the city as possible - you'll be there a lot when the weathers good. Should you need a referral for some real estate. let me know. I'm an agent in Atlanta but we can make referrals anywhere.
David Richardson

USBound

ok I read through all of this..

my family and I are thinking about moving from LA up towards Hoffman Estates... I have the chance of a VERY good job up there..

what pitfalls should I be aware of in that area?

we're aware of..

1. snow, lots of it
2. relatively high house prices (relatively compared to LA.. )

thanks

andy

Terrier

Never had that problem since I moved here to be honest.

Terrier

Keep out of Wheaton then! The wife and I biked to Wheaton along the Praire Path on Sunday afternoon to have a pint at a bar we had seen, we were sitting outside having a nice cold one when this group of about 5 people start calling me the devil 'cos I am having a pint!!! I kindly ask them to **** off before I set the wife on them and they leave shouting all kinds of stuff at me! Strange.
Another time we went to Wheaton to the forign foods store they have come out of the store there are about 3 different flyers on the car all about loading up on guns and reclaiming the country in the name of God, it was real Waco type stuff. I was so shocked I took it to the police station in Glen Ellyn to report it, did'nt want to go to the one in Wheaton in case they were in on the whole thing!, anyhow the cop in GE just too a look at the stuff and said it was pretty normal for Wheaton!!!! Not been back since, I drive right through now and peddel pretty hard when biking through there too!