Reserve commute
06-01-2016, 05:40 AM
#22
Line Holder
Joined APC: May 2015
Posts: 58
Chicago is a lot more of a fun city with a lot more to do all the time but it does cost more to live there. More activities, more events every week, summertime always has something going on, Chicago sports/social is great year round with co-ed sports leagues being huge there. Fanatical sports city. Many different neighborhoods around the city with different vibes but all right next to each other and walkable, endless supply of fun non-generic places to hang out, No car needed, easy public transit around the city and to the airport via the blue line. You can walk or bike anywhere, you won't be doing that in DFW lol. North Beach in the Summer. More active city by far if you like to keep in shape and that kind of thing.
Dallas is better if you like strip malls, the Dallas Cowboys, chain restaurants, fire ants, driving forever to do just about anything, generic chain bar/grills, or have a family and want to live in a nice house in cookie cutter suburbia for cheap. Uptown/Deep Ellum and part of Ft Worth are ok for fun areas but they are small isolated areas and equivalent to ORD housing prices to be in those areas. There is literally nothing to do in DFW if you live in a suburbia area (which is 95% of the huge sprawling area) but sit around with others and drink beer, watch football and go out on the lake occasionally if you or a friend has a boat. There are some really pretty girls around DFW but the ones in ORD are much friendlier and not as stuck up and materialistic, IMO.
Single, Active = Chicago
Family ready to settle down in suburbia and put the kids in a good school = DFW
I miss Chicago. Winters are long and it sucks, but you can still have fun at least, just indoors. lol.
Dallas is better if you like strip malls, the Dallas Cowboys, chain restaurants, fire ants, driving forever to do just about anything, generic chain bar/grills, or have a family and want to live in a nice house in cookie cutter suburbia for cheap. Uptown/Deep Ellum and part of Ft Worth are ok for fun areas but they are small isolated areas and equivalent to ORD housing prices to be in those areas. There is literally nothing to do in DFW if you live in a suburbia area (which is 95% of the huge sprawling area) but sit around with others and drink beer, watch football and go out on the lake occasionally if you or a friend has a boat. There are some really pretty girls around DFW but the ones in ORD are much friendlier and not as stuck up and materialistic, IMO.
Single, Active = Chicago
Family ready to settle down in suburbia and put the kids in a good school = DFW
I miss Chicago. Winters are long and it sucks, but you can still have fun at least, just indoors. lol.
You literally just summed up perfectly why I'm leaving DFW for Chicago in a few months once I hit 1500.
06-01-2016, 05:43 AM
#23
Line Holder
Joined APC: May 2015
Posts: 58
Reserve commute
Early 30's and single.. easy choice! 
Wicker Park/Division/Bucktown area around Milwaukee/Damen/North ave intersection is a great area for someone that works at the airport. Walk just steps to the Damen Blue line, 35 minutes you are in the terminal. Super easy to get anywhere you would want to go from there, tons of restaurants, bars, nightlife right there within a few blocks. Walkable, or super easily bikable to North beach and park areas for sports at Lakeshore Dr down North ave, just a few stops on the train to get downtown. Easy bus trip over to Lincoln Park area and Old Town, but still closer and much easier to get to work without a double train connection.. Lots of the Eagle guys do Chicago Sports and social club leagues. We did Football, Softball, Indoor sand volleyball in the winter, beach volleyball in the summer, kickball. All teams sponsored by a local bar so after the games you all meet up at the bars afterwards. They usually provide some appetizers and a few free pitches to the teams after the games. It's a great way to make friends and meet cute girls there if you join the co-ed leagues. Tons of ex college, young professionals that move to the city are involved. Lots of ex college athletes looking to stay active. They take their sports seriously in Chicago, this is no joke!! lol. I have not seen anything similar anywhere near as popular or fun in any other city.
Wicker Park/Division/Bucktown area around Milwaukee/Damen/North ave intersection is a great area for someone that works at the airport. Walk just steps to the Damen Blue line, 35 minutes you are in the terminal. Super easy to get anywhere you would want to go from there, tons of restaurants, bars, nightlife right there within a few blocks. Walkable, or super easily bikable to North beach and park areas for sports at Lakeshore Dr down North ave, just a few stops on the train to get downtown. Easy bus trip over to Lincoln Park area and Old Town, but still closer and much easier to get to work without a double train connection.. Lots of the Eagle guys do Chicago Sports and social club leagues. We did Football, Softball, Indoor sand volleyball in the winter, beach volleyball in the summer, kickball. All teams sponsored by a local bar so after the games you all meet up at the bars afterwards. They usually provide some appetizers and a few free pitches to the teams after the games. It's a great way to make friends and meet cute girls there if you join the co-ed leagues. Tons of ex college, young professionals that move to the city are involved. Lots of ex college athletes looking to stay active. They take their sports seriously in Chicago, this is no joke!! lol. I have not seen anything similar anywhere near as popular or fun in any other city.
I was looking at moving to the Lakeview area. I know it's not on the blue line but I figure since I only have to make the commute once or twice a week it wouldn't be a complete headache. Thoughts? Should I look closer to the blue line?
06-01-2016, 06:45 AM
#26
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Mar 2011
Posts: 708
I lived there, right on the lake. Live near one of the main west/east streets to catch a bus over to the blue line. Normal days took me one hour. It can be a pain waiting for the bus in the cold of winter but hey there is an app for that, cta trackers. Really you can live anywhere in Chicago and get to the airport in under 90 min, the public transit is that good. Loved living there but wifes job....back to commuting.
06-01-2016, 10:01 AM
#29
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jul 2011
Posts: 894
You have two options, you can take the bus to the blue line, I took the Addison ave bus, to the Addison Blue line stop. Took about an 1:00-1:05, just depends if you get perfect timing on a bus/train or not. Annoying to have to ride the bus during rush hours though with luggage. Imagine a bus "packed" full of people going to/from work and you have to carry all your luggage on there. Train is the same but much easier than the bus.
Or you can ride the Red line into downtown and transfer to the Blue line. This takes a little longer. Maybe 1:10-1:15. I never really did this much. Red line doesn't run as often it seems and I would always just barely miss the other train leaving at the transfer and I would have to wait like 15 minutes to transfer.
If you are commuting for a line, twice a week, no big deal but Reserve though with a 2 hour call out. Makes a big difference to live closer. You "may" have to go in and back every day sometimes, plus with only 2 hours notice you aren't nearly as rushed and can handle a delay easier, if the train breaks or stops for 15-20 minutes (happens sometimes). If you have a car, disregard and it doesn't matter. Parking in Chicago without a reserved dedicated parking space is a nightmare though, just a warning.
Places I would avoid are living near the Blue line anywhere between ORD-Belmont stops. They aren't good areas. You have to go all the way to Logan Sq before it starts to get Ok, that area is transitioning to a better area, then it gets better as you get closer to the city, Damen, Division areas are really nice but more $$$, then the train goes underground into downtown $$$. My friends in Lakeview always had to come meet us further south, we never went up there much. It's not that it's "that" far, but for some reason most people just never want to take the trek up to Lakeview unless going to a Cubs game.. Outside of Wrigleyville bar areas, not that much going on up there. Lakeview is not a bad area, just more dead IMO, which is good for people who like that or maybe married. I guess (Boys-town) is in Lakeview also if you are into that kind of thing..
Last edited by RyanP; 06-01-2016 at 10:45 AM.
06-01-2016, 10:40 AM
#30
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jul 2011
Posts: 894
You obviously have never been to any good area of Chicago which is very similar to NYC for gorgeous women walking around everywhere.
Some of my neighbors were Victoria secret/Ford Models. Hideously fat and disgusting lol.
Some of my neighbors were Victoria secret/Ford Models. Hideously fat and disgusting lol.
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