[Mintsopoulos]

Well after moving from Chicago to Arizona and living here for just about 2.5 years it looks like my time is up. Got a lucrative job offer at the company where I started my engineering career and it was just too good to pass up.

Hate the idea of being in illinois but after having a little boy out here being near family is better for him than not. Amazing how much your views change after having a little one. and in all honesty...i really miss Chicago as whole. Tucson is a drag.

I know there are a lot of members on here from the chicagoland area so I'm excited to get back into an actual car scene and meeting up with some M owners! Doing cruises and track days.

[chassis]

If you are looking for a family home in Wilmette, message me.

[eluded]

[paliknight]

Perfect time to move back to Chicago!

Congrats on the promotion though.

[thebmw]

Where in Chicagoland are you planning to go? Schools matter. That's one of the biggest selling points of certain Chicago burbs. Literally the best public schools in the country. Great schools, job opportunities, and family are why my most people stay in Chicagoland. If it wasn't for those things, I think many people would probably get out because of the property taxes.

Downtown is a whole separate story. Unless you're young and single, it actually kind of sucks after a while. Once you have kids and when you get older, you should be over all day pointless bars and clubs and stuff like that. You start running into real problem such as finding parking or walking 10 min from your parking spot up to your apartment while carrying a baby and bags and pushing a stroller, etc. It just sucks. And then add covid, the violence, winter...no point living downtown.

[floridaorange]

Chicago was on our short list of cities to visit this summer prior to covid.
Culturally just from what I've read Chicago blows AZ out of the water (pun intended).
I grew up on the Cubs and Bulls and I've had multiple strangers tell me I have a twin in Chicago, whatever that means. I need to get out there, but as I've only lived in Florida snd San Diego, well and we vacay in NC, the Chicago winters scare me.

But if I was from there, I'd choose Chicago > AZ. Congrats.

[thebmw]

Originally Posted by floridaorange

Chicago was on our short list of cities to visit this summer prior to covid.
Culturally just from what I've read Chicago blows AZ out of the water (pun intended).
I grew up on the Cubs and Bulls and I've had multiple strangers tell me I have a twin in Chicago, whatever that means. I need to get out there, but as I've only lived in Florida snd San Diego, well and we vacay in NC, the Chicago winters scare me.

But if I was from there, I'd choose Chicago > AZ. Congrats.

Downtown Chicago is probably one of the best cities to visit in America, hands down. And compared to New York City or San Francisco or other big cities, I still think it's one of the best livable cities. I wouldn't raise any kids in San Francisco or NYC. I'll raise them in downtown Chicago any day before those places. But if I had to choose downtown Chicago or the Chicago suburbs, it would be the suburbs where we have literally some of the best schools in the country. In fact, the top high school in the country is in the northern suburbs of Chicago.

[thebmw]

Another perk of the suburbs, you actually have a garage to park your cars. Don't ever call yourself an enthusiast and park your cars on the street!

[Mintsopoulos]

Originally Posted by thebmw

Where in Chicagoland are you planning to go? Schools matter. That's one of the biggest selling points of certain Chicago burbs. Literally the best public schools in the country. Great schools, job opportunities, and family are why my most people stay in Chicagoland. If it wasn't for those things, I think many people would probably get out because of the property taxes.

Downtown is a whole separate story. Unless you're young and single, it actually kind of sucks after a while. Once you have kids and when you get older, you should be over all day pointless bars and clubs and stuff like that. You start running into real problem such as finding parking or walking 10 min from your parking spot up to your apartment while carrying a baby and bags and pushing a stroller, etc. It just sucks. And then add covid, the violence, winter...no point living downtown.

Were going to be staying with the In-laws in elmhurst at least until we get settled and our house sells here in AZ but as far as future homes we are really like the elgin or naperville area. The schools seem to be great and both areas are beautiful.

As far as being downtown, i just love being down there. Ill never actually live in the city but just culture, the food, the entertainment...theres no other city like it. I remember my dad taking me to the field museum, shedd aquarium, and auto show every year and to be able to do that sort of stuff with my son and him would be awesome.

[DieselDiner]

LOL, good luck in Illinois when the state pension funds finally fail and taxes go through the roof:

The recent passage of the deadline for ballot initiatives on May 3rd means that the state cannot do meaningful pension reform on its own until 2023 at the earliest without federal intervention, which implies that Illinois’ underfunded pension will need to be fixed in the context of a state bankruptcy.

When these negotiations conclude the state will have top income tax rates approaching ten percent and everyone, rich or poor, will be paying more in income taxes, sales taxes, property taxes, tolls and fees than they are now. The public pension cost-of-living adjustments will likely go down, the health care benefits for public sector retirees will be less generous, and Chicago—along with the other communities in the state—will enact their own tax and spending reforms.

While the state may have enough in its pension coffers to go on for a few years, and remains adept paying bills with IOUs and increasingly pricey debt to get through another year while pretending to satisfy its constitution’s balanced budget requirement, this game will end as soon as investors realize they don't want to be owning Illinois debt while waiting for the music to stop.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/ikebran.../#3636a7503550

[thebmw]

Originally Posted by Mintsopoulos

Were going to be staying with the In-laws in elmhurst at least until we get settled and our house sells here in AZ but as far as future homes we are really like the elgin or naperville area. The schools seem to be great and both areas are beautiful.

Just friendly FYI, Elgin schools are not known to be good at all. Naperville schools have taken a nose dive in the last 5-10 years. They are now above average suburban Chicago schools now. Nothing like the northern suburban schools.

[Mintsopoulos]

Originally Posted by DieselDiner

LOL, good luck in Illinois when the state pension funds finally fail and taxes go through the roof:



https://www.forbes.com/sites/ikebran.../#3636a7503550

Oh trust me I am not fond of illinois at all, especially compared to Arizona but with family and friends all out there plus a lucrative job now, its hard not to go back.

When it was just the wife and I in AZ, it was smooth sailing but having a kid and him literally having no one here isnt the best. And our families are never moving out of that state...weve been trying for the last two years.

[Mintsopoulos]

Originally Posted by thebmw

Just friendly FYI, Elgin schools are not known to be good at all. Naperville schools have taken a nose dive in the last 5-10 years. They are now above average suburban Chicago schools now. Nothing like the northern suburban schools.

I definitely have some research to do, and some time till we have to make that decision but anything is better than these AZ schools. They are terrible, unless you start looking into charter schools like Basis.

[thebmw]

Originally Posted by Mintsopoulos

I definitely have some research to do, and some time till we have to make that decision but anything is better than these AZ schools. They are terrible, unless you start looking into charter schools like Basis.

True. Even "average" schools in the Chicago suburbs are better than the "good" schools elsewhere. Not a knock, just a fact. Midwest is known for their schools. The culture here is different than AZ or CA or FL for sure!! If you've lived here before, you know exactly what I'm talking about.

[Turkish Pickle]

I ended up here by chance, and I like that it's cheap to live. Shoot me a PM if/when you're here, I'll add you to our facebook group for BMW meets!

[qba335i]

Overall Chicago is not a bad option. The negatives are high property taxes, relatively high crime rate, too many liberal people in charge of the city and harsh winters...

I live in the city/loop - but really consider moving to the suburbs. Just waiting for some price cuts (desperate sellers) to make an offer.

[Mintsopoulos]

Originally Posted by qba335i

Overall Chicago is not a bad option. The negatives are high property taxes, relatively high crime rate, too many liberal people in charge of the city and harsh winters...

I live in the city/loop - but really consider moving to the suburbs. Just waiting for some price cuts (desperate sellers) to make an offer.

Yea well definitely be in the suburbs but close enough to still enjoy city life. The property taxes are what weve always hated. We have a house out here in AZ 3 times the size of our previous house in Illinois (Streamwood) and the property taxes are 1/4 of streamwood's....and streamwood wasnt anything special.

[BMWBear]

We’re looking to do the opposite move in the next 6 months. Our original plan was Nov at the latest but Covid through a wrench into our plan. Elgin is one town to the West of us. We’re also about to put up another home in Schaumburg. If anyone wants to buy us out we’d be happy to move sooner but we’re far from desperate. With the low inventory it’s really a sellers market right now which all evens out in the end if you’re selling then buying. Good luck.

[damnitBobby]

Houston burb resident here and former NYC resident.

I visited Chicago last year a 4 day weekend and loved it. I stayed in the city. Compared to NYC it’s just a more cleaner city and has just as much character and culture. Not knocking NYC because that will always be my home town but Chicago is a great city in its own way. In my experience Houston/Austin has the best food scene but Chicago and NYC are both up there as well.

[Mintsopoulos]

Originally Posted by damnitBobby

Houston burb resident here and former NYC resident.

I visited Chicago last year a 4 day weekend and loved it. I stayed in the city. Compared to NYC it’s just a more cleaner city and has just as much character and culture. Not knocking NYC because that will always be my home town but Chicago is a great city in its own way. In my experience Houston/Austin has the best food scene but Chicago and NYC are both up there as well.

I haven't made it out to Austin yet but I hear the food is killer. Being a lover of food...Arizona is not the place for to fill that need lol.

[thebmw]

Originally Posted by damnitBobby

Houston burb resident here and former NYC resident.

I visited Chicago last year a 4 day weekend and loved it. I stayed in the city. Compared to NYC it’s just a more cleaner city and has just as much character and culture. Not knocking NYC because that will always be my home town but Chicago is a great city in its own way. In my experience Houston/Austin has the best food scene but Chicago and NYC are both up there as well.

Chicago is very much a foodie town and some would say the best in the US. Some of the top rated restaurants in the country are here, as well as new food innovations. Alinea was once voted the top restaurant in the WORLD...right here in Chicago.

[Mintsopoulos]

Originally Posted by thebmw

Chicago is very much a foodie town and some would say the best in the US. Some of the top rated restaurants in the country are here, as well as new food innovations. Alinea was once voted the top restaurant in the WORLD...right here in Chicago.

Alinea is an experience. I've only been there once but it was worth every penny. Honestly my one of my tops is River Roast and Green Street Meats.