keira-2007

Hi everyone - just wanted to let you know that I just got back from visiting the "Chicagoland" area, and I loved it!
In the week that I spent there we have managed to find a nice house to rent, visited the school my daughter will be going to, and even managed to fit in a little bit of shopping (!! of course!!)
Didn't have enough time to sight-see Chicago itself (apart from taking a wrong turn out of O'Hare airport and finding that the high-rise towers were getting a bit close!)
Now I'm back home I can't wait to finalise everything and get right back out there! Mind you, the weather was warm, probably by the time we eventually arrive it will be freezing cold and a different kettle of fish altogether!!!
Got my visa interview week after the next, have got my dogs rabies injections sorted.... mmmm, not sure what's next but there's bound to be something I've forgotten!
Just wanted to thank everyone for all your help about the best places to look in Illinois, and that I shall be on here frequently panicking about things as they materialise!!!
Regards Keira

TruBrit

great news, glad all went well

lapin_windstar

great news - it's a nice town!

another bloody yank

Jerseygirl

Good news...I love downtown Chicago. Now you can finally start packing.

USBound

nice one... you'll have to let us know when you're due in.

Kaffy Mintcake

First of all, so glad that you had a nice time! Chicago is an exciting city.

The bolded portion of your post caught my eye because it reminded me of myself. I have an irrational fear of accidentally driving into the middle of a huge city without meaning to. (Nerves, ack!) When I was within 1 hour of NYC last fall I was watching the signs like a hawk because I didn't want to accidentally drive into the city (the portion with the zillions of skyscrapers anyway)! I'm silly.

Keep us posted with how everything goes with the move, etc!

simongb

Chicago is a very nice town. I visited once years ago and loved it too. It's a big city, but I found it very friendly. I am glad that you had a good trip. All the best with your move.

Glen Ellyn Service Crew

Let us know if you still feel the same way at the end of February.

anabella

HAppy to hear that it's all going well for ya.. Chicago is a very nice city..

snowbunny

Have to agree, other than that cold white stuff Chicago is a great city. I'm glad that you've got house and school sorted!

MsElui

hehe - your about 2 weeks ahead of us as we go to columbus in the first week of sept for househuinting - to return for good in October subject to visa etc.

Hiro11

A few rhings about living here:

1. Prepare to drive... a lot. even as an American it surprises me how dependant the Chicagoland burbs are on cars and driving. because of this, the traffic volume here is simply unbelievable. Chicago has the second worst traffic-generated delays of any metro area in the US, only LA is worse. If you have the option of using Metra (commuter rail) use it, by all means.

2. Be prepared for the amount of time people here spend in church. Again, even as an American it surprised me how many avid church-goers there are in this area. It's not a big deal because people are very nice about it and I've never had anyone try to preach to me, but I'd say 80% of the people I know go to church every Sunday.

3. The burbs and 99% of the city are extremely safe. Most of the burbs are on the order of Japan in terms of crime levels and the vast majority of the city is the same. Just don't go wandering around western or south side Chicago at 2AM with gold bricks taped to your clothing and you'll be fine.

4. I've found most suburban school to be excellent in this area.

5. The public ammenities (libraries, town pools, parks, golf courses) are simply incredible in many towns, much better than the East Coast. The library in my town is brand new and basically renders bookstores and Blockbuster useless. It sounds corny, but the library is actually a very nice place to spend a few hours with the kids. The pool in my town is more like a water park (three story slides, acres of zero-entry-depth pools, waterfalls, sand areas, full restaurant etc) than a standard pool. Lots of towns are like this. Definitely take advantage of the town's facilities, after all you are paying property taxes.

6. Get a Costco membership. It's a basic requirement. Don't buy anything perishable at Costco (with the exception of the meat and some of the fruit in the summer).

7. Get a giant down parka. They're not sexy but we're talking about your very survival here.

8. Avoid the chain restaurants. Try to stick to local places, they have better atmosphere, better food, better prices and you'll meet more locals.

9. Midwesterners are extremely forward and friendly. Join a gym and maybe a few clubs, it's surprisingly easy to meet people here.

10. Good tourist traps: Art Institute (simply astounding and world class by any measure), Shedd Aquarium, Millenium Park, Brookfiled Zoo, Lincoln Park Zoo, Field Museum, Signature Room at the John Hancock Tower, Architecture boat tour, the lakefront. OK tourist traps: the Museum of Science and Industry (with the exception of the U-boat which is extremely cool), the Adler Planetarium, most of the FL Wright houses. Avoid: Navy Pier, the Sears Tower.

11. Get out into the Chicago neighborhoods after seeing the Magnificent Mile. The neighborhoods are where the real Chicago exists: Devon Street, Ukranian Village, North Halsted, Maxwell Street Market, Wicker Park, Wrigleyville, Andersonville, Old Town, Chinatown etc. All have unique things to see. Again, avoid the chains and stay local.

12. Good pizza: Gino's East, Giordano's, Lou Malnati, (all exceptions to the "avoid the chains" rule) and most mom-and-pop stores. Domino's and Pizza Hut are not patronized by any self respecting Chicagoan.

13. Good local (or regional) beer: Goose Island, Great Lakes Brewing, Capital Brewery, Three Floyds.

14. www.metromix.com . Use it often.

15. A brat is not a poorly behaved kid.

16. Go see a baseball game. Even if you don't understand it, it should be lots of fun. Wrigley (the Cubs) is a beer-swilling party with no parking and awful concessions, but the atmosphere is second to none. The Cell (Sox) is much fancier, more family-friendly, much cheaper and has a better team, but not as fun.

17. Chicago is a football town, be prepared for the rabid Bears fans. It's like a religon here.

18. Rewatch Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Note the details closely, it's a great celebration of all things Chicago.

19. It's very cheap to fly basically anywhere in the country from Chicago due to the central location and massive airports. For example: round trips to Florida can be had for less than $100 per person most of the year. Take advantage of this and take a look around. Most people in Chicago go to warmer climes on vacation in the winter. Get out of the area in February if you can, the break is a requirement and doesn't have to be expensive.

20. Keep an open mind, I'm sure the culture shock will be heavy for you. I've been here for seven years now and I'm still learning about the place and I'm from America. It's going to be a huge change for you, just roll with the punches.

dave2702

Good job you didn't come this week, I think we've had 5 days of rain, it's almost like being back in the UK except for the humidty

Maz

Excellent post Hiro11!! Especially point #10 about the architecture cruise. I think I learnt more about Chicago and its great heritage of fantastic architecture than I have anywhere before or since. One thing we were encouraged to do at the end of the cruise was to go into interesting looking buildings in the CBD in particular and look at the lobbies. There are some quite amazing ones!

Hubby actually managed to mow the lawn the other day. I was impressed!