How far did you move from where you grew up?

[Uncle Rico]

The WSJ had an article awhile back about Milwaukee that said among major cities, it had the highest percentage of residents who had never lived anywhere else. Some of the responses in this thread seems to support this.

I was born in Germany on a US Army base. After that, I lived in Belleville and Decatur in Illinois, and then Nashville.  Went to Marquette, lived there a few years afterwards, then Boston for a couple of years, then suburban Chicago over 30 years after that.

Now I split my time between Las Vegas and South Central Wisconsin.

And contrary to what DGies says, I would never ever encourage any young person to move to Chicago, or anyplace in Illinois for that matter.  In the past decade or so, the entire state has become a dumpster fire.

I wouldn’t encourage anyone to live in Wisconsin.  This state has gone so backwards in the last decade, it seems almost improbable.

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

The WSJ had an article awhile back about Milwaukee that said among major cities, it had the highest percentage of residents who had never lived anywhere else. Some of the responses in this thread seems to support this.

I was born in Germany on a US Army base. After that, I lived in Belleville and Decatur in Illinois, and then Nashville.  Went to Marquette, lived there a few years afterwards, then Boston for a couple of years, then suburban Chicago over 30 years after that.

Now I split my time between Las Vegas and South Central Wisconsin.

And contrary to what DGies says, I would never ever encourage any young person to move to Chicago, or anyplace in Illinois for that matter.  In the past decade or so, the entire state has become a dumpster fire.

My kid and his wife have lived in Illinois for awhile now. They love it. 🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️

[rocket surgeon]

Arizona won’t have water in a decade or so

  ok greta...and when will Manhattan be under water or the polar bears become extinct...another decade or so?

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

   "I personally don't get Arizona.  Ungodly hot from May to September, and then winter is nice but you're wearing a jacket once the sun goes down...and a backyard of rocks."

  i beg to differ

what do we do when it's minus 10 and/or a foot of snow on ground?  when it's 110-115, i'm in the pool

Glad you enjoy your place but I would have no interest in that.

[Uncle Rico]

  ok greta...and when will Manhattan be under water or the polar bears become extinct...another decade or so?

Could be.  I suppose if you live in Arizona, you have no choice but to bury your head in the abundant sand to miss what is happening with the water supply in the SW. 

[rocket surgeon]

Glad you enjoy your place but I would have no interest in that.

the golf courses are some of the best in the country.  love mountain/desert golf.  plus the ball flies a little bit better due to the lower humidity and thinner air.  love the people of Az as well

[rocket surgeon]

Could be.  I suppose if you live in Arizona, you have no choice but to bury your head in the abundant sand to miss what is happening with the water supply in the SW.

  home to the 5th or 6th largest and probably one of the fastest growing cities(phoenix) in the country, i'm pretty sure they will not let this happen reeko.  if you would have listened to all the "experts" from the years past, we shouldn't even be here right now, but i guess we've got 12, no 10 years left according to sandi cortez.  unless we keep dumping money into windmills, solar panels and algores pocket

[JWags85]

My kid and his wife have lived in Illinois for awhile now. They love it. 🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️

Yea, maybe I wouldn't buy a house or plan for the next 20 years in Illinois, but if I was 23 again, knowing what I know now, I still wouldn't hesitate to move to Chicago again.  I had my issues with it when I was there, but the positives so greatly outweighed the negatives.  Honestly, the only thing that would push me away from Chicago in a do-over scenario is my changed feelings on weather and what I'm interested in putting up with

[warriorchick]

Yea, maybe I wouldn't buy a house or plan for the next 20 years in Illinois, but if I was 23 again, knowing what I know now, I still wouldn't hesitate to move to Chicago again.  I had my issues with it when I was there, but the positives so greatly outweighed the negatives.  Honestly, the only thing that would push me away from Chicago in a do-over scenario is my changed feelings on weather and what I'm interested in putting up with

But would you advise a 23-year-old to move there now?

[NCMUFan]

Opportunity is a big weight.
Coming out of school, do you wait around for your ideal location or take the opportunity and make the most of it.
Chicago probably provides more opportunities than most places.

[dgies9156]

The WSJ had an article awhile back about Milwaukee that said among major cities, it had the highest percentage of residents who had never lived anywhere else. Some of the responses in this thread seems to support this.

I was born in Germany on a US Army base. After that, I lived in Belleville and Decatur in Illinois, and then Nashville.  Went to Marquette, lived there a few years afterwards, then Boston for a couple of years, then suburban Chicago over 30 years after that.

Now I split my time between Las Vegas and South Central Wisconsin.

And contrary to what DGies says, I would never ever encourage any young person to move to Chicago, or anyplace in Illinois for that matter.  In the past decade or so, the entire state has become a dumpster fire.

Sister Chick:

I was born in Superior,. lived in Highland Park, Watertown, Nashville, Milwaukee, Solon Springs, the Quad Cities of Illinois and Iowa and Chicago. We will liquidate our last Illinois holding on August 22nd.

Our Nashville years kind of overlapped (Go Ryan High!!!!) and while I love parts of living in Nashville, you could not pay me enough money to live there now. The infrastructure can't begin to handle the toxic growth that has been Middle Tennessee for the past 25 years or so. It's only going to get worse and the folks that promote Middle Tennessee are worse than Florida. The only bad growth in their minds is no growth -- damn the consequences.

Chicago and Illinois are a political toxic waste dump. The people who govern have not a clue and Illinois is a state where government is of the people and for the government. The ostrich look of both the Governor and the Mayor is very Nero-esque and at some point, some invading army, be it bankers who want to get paid, pensioners who want their pensions or creditors who are wondering whether Illinois' junk credit rating is too favorable, is going to do to Springfield and City Hall what the Huns did to Rome. Only worse, because they're going to take much of the Midwestern economy down with them.

All that said, Ms. Dgies and I Chose Chicago in 1982 because it offered us economic opportunity that few other places in the country provided. We both had Journalism degrees and we were able to find attractive meaningful professional jobs in Chicago. We were close to her family in Dubuque and mine in Douglas County, WI. I'd tell whoever has the same conversation we did to go with your heart and with what will bring you the best opportunity.

The only city that afforded us a similar opportunity was New York and that's a far bigger cesspool than Chicago could ever dream of being. Over the years, we've had opportunities to move to New York, Washington, Los Angeles, Seattle and Portland and turned them all down. Chicago has been home.

One last thought: My daughter and soon-to-be son in law live outside Denver. They are close to both families and uprooted from jobs they had in Grayslake and Waukesha County largely because of a tremendous opportunity in Denver for him (hint: It's classified). Up until a year ago, they spent most of their lives in Chicago. It will be interesting to see if they come home in the years ahead.

[rocket surgeon]

dgies-solon springs??  wow, i didn't think anyone knew where that place was except myself and chili.  we have a place just up the road on 27 in barnes on upper eau claire lake and still call it Gods country.  hidden greens has always been a "go to" golf course as well. 

[Uncle Rico]

  home to the 5th or 6th largest and probably one of the fastest growing cities(phoenix) in the country, i'm pretty sure they will not let this happen reeko.  if you would have listened to all the "experts" from the years past, we shouldn't even be here right now, but i guess we've got 12, no 10 years left according to sandi cortez.  unless we keep dumping money into windmills, solar panels and algores pocket

Enjoy it now, because people won’t be living there for long.  You’re a science denier, so not surprised you ignore it.

[CTWarrior]

I live 5.6 miles (I just checked) from where I grew up.

I really like it in southwestern CT, 4 real seasons of roughly 3 months each.  Long Island Sound keeps us a little warmer in the winter and a little cooler in the summer.  Vast majority of winters I only have to pull out the shovel 0-3 times, usually closer to 0 than 3. 

Past week or two has been brutal, though, with temps reaching the 90s.  July and August are only months where generally it really gets hot, though.  My wife (who I met at MU) grew up in northern suburb of Chicago and loves it here.  Easy trips to NYC and Boston.  I live in a nice quiet neighborhood in a blue-collar town, so not as expensive as other parts of the area, too.

I have friends who have moved out of the region and like it where they are and many who have stayed and are happy here.  Any place is what you make of it, so I don't tend to think that in general one place is any better than another.

[real chili 83]

dgies-solon springs??  wow, i didn't think anyone knew where that place was except myself and chili.  we have a place just up the road on 27 in barnes on upper eau claire lake and still call it Gods country.  hidden greens has always been a "go to" golf course as well.

Next time, hit Hog Wild in Solon. I also hear Longbranch in Minong is worthy. Gots to get there yet this summer.

[dgies9156]

dgies-solon springs??  wow, i didn't think anyone knew where that place was except myself and chili.  we have a place just up the road on 27 in barnes on upper eau claire lake and still call it Gods country.  hidden greens has always been a "go to" golf course as well.

Brother Rocket:

Yes, Solon Springs.

My parents were both from Superior and my Dad spent his summers growing up on Upper St. Croix Lake. My parents place was on Island Lake, just east of Upper St. Croix. It was built in 1968 and then added on in 1980 and 1990. We spent our summers there as children from 1968 until I was graduated from Marquette. My parents retired there and lived full-time in Solon from 1990 until my Mom died in 2005 and my Dad in 2018. Even though my parents migrated 1,000 miles away to Nashville for a good part of their adult lives, this is living proof of the theory in this thread that inevitably, many go home. Solon Springs is 30 miles from where they both grew up.

If you've ever been to the Lucius Woods Performing Arts Center, my parents founded it. My Mom also was Chairwoman of the St. Croix School Board and was appointed by Governor Thompson to the Wisconsin Arts Council. My Dad was Chairman of the Douglas County Development Authority and played a big role in helping save the oil refinery in Superior. Dad also did the engineering work for Hidden Greens and was instrumental in getting that course developed. The course is about a mile north of my parents' old place.

Chili is married to the daughter of one of my parents' high school classmates and actually knew my parents!

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

But would you advise a 23-year-old to move there now?

Sure. Not sure why I wouldn't. Chicago area is a fun place with a ton of economic opportunity.

Opportunity is a big weight.
Coming out of school, do you wait around for your ideal location or take the opportunity and make the most of it.
Chicago probably provides more opportunities than most places.

Exactly.

[MU82]

But would you advise a 23-year-old to move there now?

Would I "advise" a 23-year-old to move to Chicago now? I probably wouldn't advise that person to move any place in particular.

A better question IMHO: Would I discourage a 23-year-old from moving to Chicago? Definitely not. Chicago is a fantastic place for a young, independent person to live.

Numerous studies have shown that a vast, vast majority of the violence takes place in just a few areas. Avoid those areas and enjoy all the great things Chicago has to offer. That's what I'd advise a young person if she or he was planning to move to Chicago and asked my advice.

[dgies9156]

Would I "advise" a 23-year-old to move to Chicago now? I probably wouldn't advise that person to move any place in particular.

A better question IMHO: Would I discourage a 23-year-old from moving to Chicago? Definitely not. Chicago is a fantastic place for a young, independent person to live.

Numerous studies have shown that a vast, vast majority of the violence takes place in just a few areas. Avoid those areas and enjoy all the great things Chicago has to offer. That's what I'd advise a young person if she or he was planning to move to Chicago and asked my advice.

Brother MU:

While I absolutely agree with you on Chicago, sadly, things have changed since the studies you reference were undertaken. Crime in the more affluent areas of Chicago, particularly the near north side, has increased dramatically. I guess criminals think like everyone else does -- heighten your return on investment. Or, go where the money is.

[JWags85]

But would you advise a 23-year-old to move there now?

Without hesitation.  I just did recently actually.  My cousin moved there about 18 months ago.

Brother MU:

While I absolutely agree with you on Chicago, sadly, things have changed since the studies you reference were undertaken. Crime in the more affluent areas of Chicago, particularly the near north side, has increased dramatically. I guess criminals think like everyone else does -- heighten your return on investment. Or, go where the money is.

Sure, but again, I don't view it at all as "unsafe".  I lived in Old Town for 8 years and there was a section just to the West that was still very "transitory".  I remember going out to my car, in the very nice development I lived in, and hearing gunshots and seeing the story of someone shot a few blocks away the next morning.  But never did I think "I GOTTA GET OUT".

[BM1090]

I've lived as far as 40 miles away from home. So, not far enough. My wife and I are in our low 30s and planning for a family soon, so we're staying in the Milwaukee area longer than we'd like to be closer to our parents.

Planning on moving out of the midwest in 6-7 years.

[warriorchick]

Numerous studies have shown that a vast, vast majority of the violence takes place in just a few areas. Avoid those areas and enjoy all the great things Chicago has to offer. That's what I'd advise a young person if she or he was planning to move to Chicago and asked my advice.

I am not worried about the crime as much as I am worried the general financial condition of the state.

When I moved to Illinois, the personal income tax rate was 2%, the sales tax rate was 5.5%, my annual property taxes were 2% of my property's value, and the state was in decent financial shape.  When I  left, the personal income tax rate was 4.95%, the average sales tax was almost 9%, my property taxes were 3% of my property's value, and the state is teetering on bankruptcy.

Yes, Chicago is a fun place to live for a few years as a young adult, and there are career opportunities there (for now, at least), if someone asked me for recommendations as to where to relocate and set down roots, Illinois would not be on the list. 

I am not looking to change anyone's mind; it's just my opinion as someone who spent most of her life there.

[mu_hilltopper]

For those who .. lived somewhere in adulthood for XX years, then moved away:  How'd you deal with the loss of acquaintances/friends?

While so many folks move somewhere else when the kids are grown or after retirement .. I've thought about it too, but I find it hard to comprehend how one flushes 95% of the relationships you've built over the years and start over.

I think it'd be cool to live in the mountains and/or somewhere warm in the winter, but the thought of zeroing out the people I know seems like such a negative, I'd feel very alone in my new beautiful atmosphere.

So for those who did it .. how was that aspect?

[dgies9156]

I am not worried about the crime as much as I am worried the general financial condition of the state.

When I moved to Illinois, the personal income tax rate was 2%, the sales tax rate was 5.5%, my annual property taxes were 2% of my property's value, and the state was in decent financial shape.  When I  left, the personal income tax rate was 4.95%, the average sales tax was almost 9%, my property taxes were 3% of my property's value, and the state is teetering on bankruptcy.

Sadly, nobody wants to do anything about it. Consider what has happened in the last three months: Boeing left for DC; Caterpillar left for Dallas; and, the scariest of the them all, Citadel Holdings for Miami. Most of what was once Fortune 500 corporations headquartered in Chicago are gone -- the banks mostly have been acquired, the insurance companies are headquartered elsewhere and the manufacturers largely a shell of their former selves. The largest company left headquartered in the area is McDonald's or Walgreens!

If this isn't a canary in the coal mine, I don't know what is!

I have know idea what the end game will be, but like you and Glow, I aint going to be around to suffer the consequences.

[Pakuni]

I am not worried about the crime as much as I am worried the general financial condition of the state.

When I moved to Illinois, the personal income tax rate was 2%, the sales tax rate was 5.5%, my annual property taxes were 2% of my property's value, and the state was in decent financial shape.  When I  left, the personal income tax rate was 4.95%, the average sales tax was almost 9%, my property taxes were 3% of my property's value, and the state is teetering on bankruptcy.

Sorry, but this is plainly false. While there's still MUCH work to be done, Illinois is in better financial shape today than at any time since the mid 90s. It's nowhere near bankruptcy (which is impossible, anyhow).
Every rating agency has upgraded the state's bond rating in the last year - the first time that's happened in two decades. The massive backlog of unpaid bills that resulted from Bruce Rauner's ruinous attempt to break the unions has been chopped down from $17 billion to $3 billion. A bunch of short-term loans needed to fund the government because Rauner refused to have been repaid. The latest budget has a $1.7 billion surplus, compared to $3.2 billion deficit when Rauner left office. The pension shortfall, while still massive, has been trimmed 10 percent and is no longer the worst in the country.
 
Illinois is still far from what anyone would call good financial shape, but it's far better than just a few years ago and is by no means "teetering on bankruptcy" ... which, again, is an impossibility, since states cannot legally declare bankruptcy.

Regardless, not many 23-year-olds care about property taxes or pension obligations or a state's bond rating when contemplating where to live.