Anyone move from Chicago to DMV and regret it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People come to the DMV to work not to live. A few like it. Most just tolerate it.

I am from Chicago with roots generations deep. Although very poor due to a divorce, went to a great north shore high school which gave me years of advantage at some of the best schools in the nation. The suburb very much supported the athletic careers of my brother and me, where we were state and national champions. I worried about too much emphasis on sports but my peers at my school - albeit a place with no diversity - set a fantastic academic tone.

I could live anywhere, but Chicago has its challenges. The north shore schools remain excellent and on par or better with Fairfax schools. Taxes are a problem. My small home back in the north shore suburb is 1400 square feet, is worth 480k, and has property taxes of 12k a year, more than I pay for large a 1.3 M dollar place here. Yes, housing is generally a bit cheaper in the desirable places in Chicago but the taxes eat at equity. I competed throughout the state, and places I used to like - Peoria, Rockford, Decatur, the Southern suburbs, and the Illinois side of the quad cities are now run down, bleak and crime ridden places with incredibly poor schools. This doesn't necessarily impact north shore denizens but the vibrancy of these places is gone and not coming back. The public university system after U of I UC is bleak, with nowhere near the options of Virginia. Chicago has the most debt per capita of any state by far due to its pension obligations, and it is unsettling to live in towns where 60-80-100 (Peoria) percent of property taxes go to pensions - work long ago performed. Crime in Chicago - even places like River North, Lakeview Lincoln Park and Steeterville are now experiencing escalating crime. My father just passed away and he was saddened in his last days by the number of armed carjackings on his Gold Coast street. Yes, DC has crime but when violent crime hits the 4 or 5 wards that pay for most of the city it is a problem and is depressing.It is not logical to move back to the Chicago area, even with roots which run deep. I do miss Lake Michigan but hiking the AT here is great. The ocean is close and on balance Chicago does not deliver like it used to.

very based post

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here,

Still in Chicago

Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experiences. It’s incredibly helpful and I appreciate seeing answers to my own questions stuck in my head.

Every time summer comes to Chicago it’s easy to forget the bad weather. That personally hasn’t bothered me much, but I know my wife would appreciate a “warmer” winter.

People not living in DC, but in the suburbs of Virginia/Maryland, how do you deal with the lack of character?In Chicago every neighborhood has its own vibe and the walkability, bike, and transit and pretty good.
We spend some time last weekend at Roscoe Village and it was so idyllic. People were hanging out on their front yards, kids selling lemonade in lemonade stands, super family friendly vibe. There is also roscoe st with its amazing restaurants and local business which was super cute with a small town feel. It seems like that doesn’t exist in DMV?

I’m from the North Shore and now live in the Maryland suburbs, and this is one of the things I most hate. With the exception of Old Town Alexandria and the District itself, there’s absolutely no charm. Just none, and except for some areas with pretty housing, it’s all borderline ugly.

[Anonymous]

PP here. Another thing that’s great about Chicago is that the beach/lake can be a huge part of your life if you want, whether in Chicago or the northern suburbs. I grew up swimming, walking along the shore, playing beach volleyball, and going to the Evanston dog beach. God I miss all that so much.