Austinite moving to Chicago. Guide me!

January 15, 2006 9:22 PM

I'm moving from Austin to Chicago in two weeks. Tell me what to expect.

This is not my first cross-country move -- I moved from the Carolinas to Texas 5 years ago. I'm not looking for basic moving advice. More... things I wouldn't think of, cultural and lifestyle differences that I may notice or need to be aware of, especially from the perspective of anyone else who may have made a similar move recently.

A bit more detail: I'm moving for work, and to be alot closer to someone special. I'll be working in Libertyville, and have rented an apartment in Buffalo Grove. I was born in New York, but have lived in the south since I was 7. I know the climate is going to be one major difference, although thankfully I'm going to miss most of my first winter there. I'm a young, white, college educated computer geek. I'm moving to a city I have spent all of 3 days in in my life, giving myself two weeks to do it, and loving the impulsiveness of it.

What should I know to minimize culture-shock and make the transition as easy as possible?

posted by jammer to society & culture (30 comments total)

Some people don't know this so please don't be insulted if you do, but it's pronounced Ill-annoy. not Ill-annoys.
posted by 517 at 9:33 PM on January 15, 2006

Ummm.... Cold. (Although it hasn't been too bad lately.)

So you're moving to the 'burbs. I, myself, think Chicago is all about the city itself. The 'burbs are pretty much like any other suburbs around the country: generally boring, quiet, predictable, strip mall-laden, homogenous, full of goofy housing developments called things like "Goose Lake" and "Eaglehead Manor." I have not spent much time in Buffalo Grove, but I've spent time in most of the suburbs around it.

Chicago itself is a totally different story. It's huge, vibrant, fast, diverse, friendly, self-assured, steeped in fascinating political, social, and musical history. I would be bored in the suburbs, but I never, ever run out of things to do in the city. If you are interested in the city, one of the best books I have read about it is Never A City So Real by Alex Kotlowitz.

As for culture shock? That's an interesting question. Austin, though it's not a huge city, has developed a definite culture, and Chicago has tremendous culture. But the 'burbs... definitely lacking, IMO.
posted by lilybeane at 9:38 PM on January 15, 2006

Chicago-style pizza is awesome. Libertyville has a Lou Malnati's take-out restaurant. Try it.

(From an ex-Chicagoan who took four frozen pizzas back on the plane last time I visited.)
posted by IvyMike at 9:41 PM on January 15, 2006

You're kidding yourself if you think you're missing most of the winter. It will last until the end of March or so, and you will hate it within the first week you're there. Be prepared. You better have have a coat, and a hat and gloves.

I hope you're ready for the suburbs, you're a good forty minutes to an hour away from downtown. And please don't be making this move without a car. I'm assuming you have one, you will need it. But when you can make it downtown for a event or just to hang out in the city, do it. And take Metra and the CTA often when going to the city. It's not worth the drive and finding parking.

Use Metromix and Citysearch. Browser Chicagoist and Gapers Block (established by mefi's own me3dia). Brush up on your Chicago Vocabulary. Learn your Expressway names (and don't call them interstates). Get out of the suburbs as often as you can.

One of my friends lived in Buffalo Grove, and from what I can remember from my visits, it's boring as hell. If you're going to be an apartment-dweller for a while, find one closer to or in Libertyville, because commuting always sucks. If you plan on getting a house with (or without) that special someone, look around and find a good neighborhood.

Don't put ketchup on your hot dog without being prepared for dirty looks. Pick either the Sox or the Cubs, and stick with it. The right choice is the Cubs, just like Giordano's is the right choice for pizza, and there's one in Buffalo Grove.
posted by kyleg at 10:02 PM on January 15, 2006

Al's Italian Roast Beef--be prepared to stand, but good sandwiches. Uno's is good, Pat's pizza for Chicago style-cracker crust, (sausage and garlic is my favorite).

Above is for when you get into Chicago. Enjoy!
posted by 6:1 at 10:12 PM on January 15, 2006

You'll have a really tough time getting a good slice of pizza. Otherwise, most of what kyleg said is a-ok.
posted by goatdog at 10:16 PM on January 15, 2006

You might be surprised at how politically conservative the suburbs are. The NW suburbs are boring yes, but it must also be admitted that they are getting a lot more diverse. And along the commuter rail lines, little downtowny areas are sprouting up.

But it's still very true that the city is the place to be.

I wonder why you're living so far from where you're going to work. The commute may end up being a drag. The Metra commuter trains might be a good idea, if you work/live near a station.

If you are a super-uber Geek you might one day venture North of Libertyville sometime in the Summer to the Bristol Renaissance Faire. I've visited just once, but I must admit that I got quite a kick out of the place. Another fun trip is down to the Hyde Park/U of Chicago area, to check-out bookstores (esp Powell's and the Seminary Co-op, and maybe also the beaches and the glorious Museum of Science and Industry (the only building left from the 1893 world's fair--see _The Devil and The White City_)). Wicker Park is the gentrified hipster area (visit Quimby's there for neat "underground" books and Zines). The Fireside Bowl and The Hideout are two favorite music venues.

Best of luck in, or near, Chi-town.
posted by washburn at 10:32 PM on January 15, 2006

I'm aware suburbs are pretty much suburbs everywhere, and I'm very much not a suburbs sort of person. I live on the outer edge of the city core in Austin, and I love it. (And make fun of my friends in the 'burbs)

However, in this case, I'm looking to get up there and get situated in as painfree a manner as possible until I get my bearings, and cookiecutter life makes that highly doable.

As for why the location, honestly, it's because I found an apartment up there with a leasing company that I know of because I had some friends stay in units of theirs in Austin, and they were all quite reasonable. Since I'm not even going to *see* the place I'm singing a lease on until I show up in my moving van, that's... worth alot of peace of mind to me. I understand it's about a 20 minute commute I'm looking at. That's less than I have now.

I definitely plan on getting into the city when possible. That's... non-optional. (And yeah, I have a car)
posted by jammer at 10:43 PM on January 15, 2006

pronounced Ill-annoy. not Ill-annoys.

Also, to further avoid making locals cringe, it's not pronouced "Ell-annoy".
posted by o0o0o at 10:44 PM on January 15, 2006

If you make any new buddies on your visits downtown, expect that to maintain the friendship you'll always have to be the one going to them. In my experience as a lifelong Chicago suburbanite, approximately 93% of people that live in the city would rather DIE than set foot in suburbia . . . and that's assuming they'll even still speak to you once they learn of your suburbanite status. But I suppose that's something you can already relate to, having been on the other side of the coin in Austin!
posted by globetrotter30 at 11:10 PM on January 15, 2006

If you arrive before February 28th, don't forget to go to The Berghoff!
posted by dwordle at 1:04 AM on January 16, 2006

I have to agree with IvyMike--for pizza, you can't go wrong with Lou Malnati's. (Get the thin crust.)

Your question inspired a trip down memory lane, the details of which I'll spare you. I've never been to Austin, but lived in Chicago for many years. I hear that Austin has a really great music scene, and that's an area of overlap with Chicago that should make you feel right at home. Centerstage Chicago is a great site to direct you toward your interests and tastes.
Once you've moved, you'll want to get a copy of the Reader every week to know what's going on.

I hope at some point you decide to live and work in the city itself. It's so interesting and diverse and stimulating, a great place to misspend your youth before settling down in the burbs.

Best wishes to you.
posted by lisaj32 at 1:17 AM on January 16, 2006

If you are working in another suburb, you'd better get to like your car because the commutes are getting to be rough. I live way out west in Aurora/Naperville and a 20 minute commute can mean just a couple of miles depending on the time of day.

If you are working in the Loop, think seriously about taking the local Metra commuter rail line rather than driving. A monthly pass will probably be a fraction of what you'd pay just to park down there.

As far as winter goes, they are definitely not what you're used to in Austin, but thanks either to global warming or random meteorological variation, they've been getting progressively milder, in my opinion, for quite a while now. I grew up out here and my folks moved to Corpus Christi down there a number of years ago. Since then, in spite of the milder winters, my father refuses to come back up here between November and April. Having been down there in between June and August, I say I'd rather put up with a Chicago winter than a Texas summer.
posted by hwestiii at 2:14 AM on January 16, 2006

Pizza? Giordano's. :) Expect wind. There's a reason it's called the Windy City. If you decide to shell out $10 to go up on the Skydeck at the Sears Tower, don't go on a foggy day. I don't know what driving is like in Austin, but doing 75mph in 5 lanes of traffic was a bit intimidating for me when I went to Chi-town (by myself for the first time!) last August. (Sidebar: Perhaps it's because I'm from small towns, but if you are on a highway and miss the expressway, don't panic - the expressways run alongside the highways and reconnect at several places - I didn't know this when I went there.)

And if you need to get out of the city for a while, take the South Shore and come out and visit northwest Indiana. :) Particularly in the summer - then you can check out the Dunes.

/NW IN Mefite
posted by IndigoRain at 2:53 AM on January 16, 2006

And be sure to get to one of the finest museums anywhere.
Visit often.
posted by Thorzdad at 5:50 AM on January 16, 2006

And for the love of all that is holy... never again say that you're moving to Chicago until you actually do. You're moving to the Chicago area right now. Deal.

/self-righteous city rat rant.

Good luck!
posted by FlamingBore at 6:31 AM on January 16, 2006

If you're into Texas blues, or the more bluesy/rock Austin scene (a la Antoine's - is that bar still around? - or the old Liberty Lunch or La Zona Rosa), you will feel right at home at FitzGerald's in Berwyn. Marcia Ball was just there for New Year's Eve. Joe Ely is a Chicago favorite, and usually plays FitzGerald's at least once a year.
posted by SuperSquirrel at 6:34 AM on January 16, 2006

I absolutely LOVE Chicago, but I gotta give some bad news:
- Expect godawful traffic to/from the city.
- Expect the same godawful traffic to/from the burbs, at least during rush hour.
- Expect some of the nation's most expensive gas prices
- Expect people to say it's called the Windy City because of the wind, even when they live here and should know better. It's called the Windy City because of the [very old] reputation for lying politicians.
- While the music scene is good, do not expect it to be as tightly knit as Austin. Chicago is too huge.

On the good side:
- Expect a beautiful, beautiful city with just about any kind of entertainment you can imagine.
- Expect big city life at much more sane prices than that of, say, New York. It still isn't cheap, but it's not nearly as crazy.
- While I hate pizza - most people love it, and Chicago has the absolute best of it, no arguments. Gino's East, Lou Malnati's and Giordano's are the three best, probably. The first two in that list actually make a lot of money Fed Exing pizzas to faraway states for people who miss, or want to try "real pizza".
- Expect sports fandom to be quite different than it is in Austin. Most people in this area (especially the NW burbs where you are) are big Cubs fans. We're all depressed right now over the Bears' loss.
- Museum of Science and Industry, Field Museum, Art Institute, Adler Planetarium, Shedd Aquarium, and a whole host of other wonderful pieces of educational culture are here. Chicago has a lot to offer in that department.
- While it ain't as tight-knit as Austin, there is plenty of live music to be had. However, you'll probably want to go to the city for it. In the burbs it's mostly cover bands.
- Blue Man Group can be seen here for a far more affordable price than in Las Vegas or New York. It started here. See it, it's awesome.
- Second City also started here. If you like live comedy, check it out.
- I'd also recommend the neofuturarium if you like quirky theater.
- As far as a suburban bar/place to see live music, Durty Nellie's is probably the best there is in your area of the burbs. Lots of cover bands, but they do have good originals sometimes, and a pretty good open mic night.


Now, for Buffalo Grove specifically. I grew up in Arlington Heights, and went to Buffalo Grove High School, actually. It's a pretty hoity toity suburb, so I would not expect super outgoing/friendly/social neighbors. They probably won't be mean, but don't expect any welcome to the neighborhood.

If you need suggestions for good places to eat in Buffalo Grove and the surrounding area, where to shop, etc etc - by all means let me know. I'd be happy to help.

I currently live and work in Prospect Heights which isn't far, though I'm moving to the city soon. Also, let me know if you happen play poker. I may have your ticket to meeting some new folks quickly upon your move in!
posted by twiggy at 8:19 AM on January 16, 2006

Culturally, you might be surprised at how "midwestern" the city is. The NW suburbs definately are conservative enclaves, but the city isn't exactly a liberal oasis. Chicago inherets people from Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio, and other surrounding areas and is somewhat defined by them. So you'll deal with a lot of city people who are culturally somewhat conservative. On the flip-side, the suburban (and urban) conservatives tend to be fairly liberal on some social issues especially the death penalty and race relations.

You should also know that you entering the city during a housing inflation boom. You might be shocked at what its going to cost you to buy within the city limits as properties are worth 2x or even 3x what they were worth ten years ago. Rental pricing seems somewhat unaffected but the influx of wealtheir people in the city has made the more expensive neighborhoods more expensive to rent in and has caused a slight inflation of rental prices in neighborhoods like logan square and bucktown.

Illinois is still in a budget crisis so you may or may not be surprised at the tax level. Its fair to say Chicago is still something of a segregated city. Not enforced by the government of course, but the south side of the city is mostly black while the north side is white/mixed. Race relations aren't bad, but they could be better (this is probbly true of most big cities)

For someone coming into the city from the suburbs I highly recommend taking the Metra. Its cost effective and quiet enough to get some reading in.

As others have mentioned iits a pretty good town if not a great town to live in right now. Decent nightlife, lots of music venues, food, and enough culture to keep you busy.
posted by skallas at 8:25 AM on January 16, 2006

Go to Portillo's for hot dogs and Italian beef! : )

You'll definitely want to get an I-Pass if you are going to drive on the tollways at all. Cash tolls are double what they'd cost if you have an I-Pass, and with the recent move toward open-road tolling, it's going to be a lot easier to drive through with I-Pass! (Plus you don't have to remember your change or open the window when it is cold and rainy.) When the weather gets better, there's a lot of road construction in the area, so you'll want to figure out at least one alternate route to and from work. : ) The RTA Trip
Planner is your best friend as far as figuring out how to go places on public transit (this includes CTA, Metra, and Pace suburban buses). If you're planning to take the CTA at all, get a Chicago Card or Chicago Card Plus. The $5 purchase fee if you buy it before March 31, and the fares will be way lower, plus you'll be able to get transfers. (Cash transfers have been eliminated as of January 1)
If you like amusement parks, Six Flags Great America isn't far away from where you'll be. You can take Metra to Kenosha, or take the Amtrak Hiawatha Service to Milwaukee in Glenview if you want to get out of state. (A lot of people I know who live in the northern suburbs like to fly in and out of Milwaukee's Mitchell Airport rather than O'Hare or Midway, and the Amtrak train also stops at the airport.)
posted by SisterHavana at 9:00 AM on January 16, 2006

pronounced Ill-annoy. not Ill-annoys.

Also, to further avoid making locals cringe, it's not pronouced "Ell-annoy".

Hmm. One note of dissent: I think a lot of instaters tend to say El-annoy rather than ILL-annoy. Or maybe somewhere in between? (one website recommends "ih-lih-NOY").

Having grown up in Elk Grove and Palatine (and worked in BG during high school), I can say that "Ell-annoy" is a very common pronunciation in the NW suburbs, the predominate one, I think, in my own experience.
posted by washburn at 10:16 AM on January 16, 2006

I grew up in the NW burbs and never heard "Elli-noy" as a pronunciation. Maybe there's been a massive immigration from other places or something, but all I've ever heard locally is "Ill-i-noy"... Anyone who says otherwise is some blaspheming outsider ;-)
posted by twiggy at 10:59 AM on January 16, 2006

Having grown up in Elk Grove and Palatine (and worked in BG during high school), I can say that "Ell-annoy" is a very common pronunciation in the NW suburbs, the predominate one, I think, in my own experience.

While living in the city and near north burbs for 20 years, I never recall hearing that pronunciation. I only heard it recently while streaming WNUR 89.3 FM and it was painful.

It's like when people pronounce Chicago as "Chick-ah-go", horrible, just horrible.


No, I'm not seriously bothered by any of it, but it is slightly annoying.
posted by o0o0o at 11:03 AM on January 16, 2006

Chicago has some of the best damn museums in the world. I think about the Art Institute's museum more than I do any other I've been to. The Field is also awesome. And the Shedd Aquarium is great.

And really really don't pronounce the s at the end of Illinois.
posted by fidelity at 11:26 AM on January 16, 2006

Once the weather is nicer, you *must* do this to appreciate the skyline: Get down to the "Museum Peninsula," where the Field Museum, Aquarium, etc. all are. Start walking east, past the Aquarium and Planetarium, until you hit the lake/end of the peninsula. Look for a way to get down to the breakwater, and then finally turn around and look at the city. Beautiful.
posted by michaelkuznet at 11:30 AM on January 16, 2006

The Fireside Bowl and The Hideout are two favorite music venues.

The Fireside Bowl no longer has shows. But you can once again bowl.

Born and raised in the city, and I say "Ell-innoy". I never really noticed it until this thread. I also say "melk", "pellow", "layg" and "aygg". I also add unnecessary prepositions to the end of questions, such as "Where's it at?" and "You wanna come with?"

Never, ever refer to a sports team as "Da ________". Yes, it was a funny on SNL years ago. Yes, some people here sound like that. But you know better.

Be aware that a lot of suburbanites refer to anything within the entire city limits as "downtown". You can try to correct them, but many of them don't seem interested in knowing that Chicago is a city of diverse neighborhoods. Some neighborhoods have more than one name, or there can be names for areas within larger areas. Or names that no one uses anymore, or optimistic renaming of areas by developers. (I live in Humboldt Park. My landlord calls it West Ukrainian Village. I like to call it West West West Gold Coast.) So there's a lot of confusion. For example this map has a lot of errors. This one is better, if you want to order one.

Just to clarify, Downtown is where all the tall office buildings are. The Loop is the center of downtown, defined by the loop of the el trains. North Michigan Avenue, with all the fancy stores and high-rise condos and hotels, is not downtown.

Getting into the city frequently is going to be harder than you think. My coworkers from the suburbs hardly ever make it in on weekends. If the city life is important to you, see if you can negotiate a six-month lease. Or a two-month lease.

But I hear there is more and more stuff to do in the 'burbs these days. The Chicago Reader puts out a suburban edition. Check, Please!, the restaurant review show on PBS (which everyone I know watches) usually has suggestions for good eats out in the sticks, too.

Don't wait for the weather to get nice before you start exploring. Get hat, scarf, gloves and long johns and get out there! Take the Chicago Architecture Foundation walking tour. Go ice skating in Millennium Park. Get an overpriced drink and check out the skyline at the 95th floor. On Sunday morning go to the new Maxwell Street Market for flea market deals and Mexican food. (Not really the same as the old Maxwell Street Market you saw in the Blues Brothers, but still worth it.)

And check out this thread.
posted by hydrophonic at 5:10 PM on January 16, 2006 [1 favorite]

Oh, and there's one great live music venue in the suburbs: Fitzgerald's.
posted by hydrophonic at 5:22 PM on January 16, 2006

Somebody say my name?

You might be interested in this glossary/guide to traffic reports we had in Gapers Block last year. It's a whole 'nother language if you aren't familiar with the jargon.

I'm not sure why this thread digressed into a pronunciation guide. Don't stress out about pronunciations -- you're not going to be shunned for having a Southern accent, and as long as you don't pronounce the 's' you can say Illinois just about however you like.

I work out in Barrington, which is just west of Buffalo Grove. Email me when you get to town and maybe we can meet up out there some evening.
posted by me3dia at 7:51 PM on January 16, 2006

Oh man. No more shows at the Fireside Bowl? *deep sigh* Well such is life. It will live now only in our memories and in weepy music videos. As a transplant to downstate (Urbana) this old news is new and sad to me.

Anyway, like me3dia said, don't worry about pronunciation, of course. You'll have a good time in the city, I'm sure. Best of luck.
posted by washburn at 9:22 PM on January 16, 2006

Thanks for the suggestions and advice everyone.

Those of you who've extended an invitation, I'll come back to this thread and send out some emails when I'm settled up there.
posted by jammer at 3:00 PM on January 17, 2006