Potential Move to Chicago

[obib]

M dh works for an american company in the UK , he has been approached about a move to work in Chicago. He's visited for work a number of times but i'v never been. He thinks career wise it would be a great opportunity and I agree that it is something we seriously consider. But we have 2 ds (9 &5) and who are both settled in school, they have great friendship groups and hobbies. If it were just the 2 of us i would jump at the opportunity, but as a family of 4 I am conflicted?! Any advise would be appreciated TIA

I wouldn’t. Gun crime.
Plus Chicago is cold, windy and broke.

Do a search OP.
Someone has had recent threads all about moving to Chicago.
We moved 2 years ago.
It is cold in winter.
The nickname Windy City is about corruption not wind levels.
City is broke as an entity but has lots of positives.

We moved 2 years ago and love it here. The summers are great and the lake beaches help to make up for the winters. Unless you plan to buy a house you probably won’t notice on a day to day basis how broke the city is (property taxes). The high crime is in certain pockets and you are highly unlikely to have any reason to go near those areas. Our neighbourhood feels extremely safe. The Windy City is indeed an old timey reference to corruption! I’d recommend you get out her to visit, although we moved completely sight unseen (because we’re crazy!) and don’t regret it.

Also what visa are they offering? An L1 (if he already works for the company and is transferring) gives you the option to work but I don’t think the other common types e.g. H1 do. And as always ask about health insurance when discussing salary- bad coverage can end up costing you a fortune.

You will also need a decent uplift in salary, Chicago is an expensive city.
It is a good city for dc, there is a lot to do outside in the summer, a wide mix of people and good museums for winter.
Our neighborhood is also very safe.
I think public schools would be your biggest issue if you needed to use them but a lot of employers offer private schooling as part of the package for Chicago.

I used to be an aupair in the 'burbs, I was in Glencoe; seemed like a lovely, if very McManchiony place

Hello! It's me with the recent chicago posts .

We are moving mid Feb with 2 children aged 6 and 7 who will be going to state school - I have had loads of brilliant advice on here so let me know if I can help..

Thanks...DH is currently out there at the moment with work.

In principle I am open to investigating it further. The company are putting together a package for us to look at. They based about 20 miles north of the city city. Hopefully, we will know more details in a few weeks time so we can make an informed decision as a family.

I thinks its just shocked me as its come out of the blue...I've just lived in a little bubble the last 9 years since we had kids. DH believes it would be a great opportunity for us as a family and give the boys a new experience, to which I agree... but then there is a lot to think about re education, living arrangements and our house here etc.

Nice to hear peoples experiences and knowing others have a made a success of it!

@shaktar I may need to take you up on the offer to pick your brains. Where will you be moving to and whats been you experience of the schools?

In a nutshell: my husband will be working in centre of Chicago and will get the train to work every day.

We went over in the summer and spent a day with a relocation agent and looked at loads of different areas and narrowed it down to a few. However, as we are renting it will come down to which area has a suitable house free (rent is high as you don't pay property taxes) which is in catchment for a good elementary school when we get there. We have temp accommodation for the first month.

We did look around a school when we were there and in general the public (state) schools in 'good' areas have smaller classes than their equivalents here, do PE most days and compare v favourably.

Hope that helps as a start point - I don't know a lot but will help with any questions you have..!

OP if you are 20 miles north of the city you are in the suburbs, these traditionally have excellent state schools and are very family friendly places to live.
Think home alone for the nicest examples of these.

Niche is good for checking what the various areas and schools are like
www.niche.com/places-to-live/search/suburbs-with-the-best-public-schools/m/chicago-metro-area/

You really should go over there and see what it's like before you make any decisions. The company may well have a relocation agent or realtor who can show you good areas.

Everyone I know who lives in Chicago loves it.

We may be going over for a visit at the end of the month- just to get a feel and to see if it’s a fit for the family.

We are taking the kids, even if we decide not to move want to make it fun enjoyable holiday at the least. Any suggestions of what to do whilst we are out there with the kids will be much appreciated.

-Museum of Science and Industry
-Lincoln Park Zoo
-Hancock or Willis (Sears) tower for views
-The Bean and Maggie Daly Park
-Planetarium
-Field Museum
-See a ‘broadway’ show
-Garret’s popcorn
-Botanic Gardens if you’re in the Northern suburbs
-Navy Pier for the wheel and lake views
-Shopping on the Mag Mile, probably more for you
-Eat some deep dish pizza, it’s gross (sorry Chicago) but you should do it at least once and make your own mind up
-See a basketball game depending on the timing of your trip

I think that’s most of the standard touristy things... it’s a great city and I hope you love it! It’s very much a city of neighbourhoods though so make sure you also spend time exploring where you’ll likely be living.

I know nothing about Chicago but if it were me and i had the means/opportunity i'd probably go for it. Especially if it's a once in a lifetime thing. Otherwise you might always wonder "what if?"

The worst that is likely to happen is you come back in a few years with some great stories.

Having said that, for me it would be NYC or nowhere.

Expressedways list is great - we've done most of those with my kids on various trips. The Shedd Aquarium is also brilliant. The Museum of Science is a fair way south but is amazing - easy just to Uber down there. Most of the others are fairly central. Lincoln Park is somewhat north so a good stop if you're looking round the northern suburbs.

The traditional place to get deep dish is Lou Malnati's but lots of other places do it.

If you're likely to be north of the city then check out some neighbourhoods up there.

If you're looking round Evanston you could see a Northwestern University college football game at Ryan Field if you're there over a weekend when they're playing at home.

The Architectural Boat Tours are also wonderful, but your kids might be a bit young for them.

Agree the list above is fab. We did an architectural boat tour, the Bean and park, Shedd Aquarium, Navy Pier, Lincoln Park Zoo and deep dish at Lou Malnatis.

Highly recommend you find a hotel with a pool. That, Art on the Mart and a trip to the sugar factory (wtf did I do it?!) were highlights for my two when there in the summer.