I grew up here in the Tulsa, Oklahoma, area and am ready for a change. My father recently died and left me a little money (a little under $35,000 before taxes), so I’m going to use it (well, some of it, anyway) to get the hell out of here.
My best friend from high school moved to Chicago three and a half years ago and he really wants me to move there. He recently found out that he’s HIV-positive and keeps telling me that he “needs” me to move there for moral support. I visited him there back in April (before his diagnosis) and really loved it, but now I’m having second thoughts. I made the mistake of telling my friend about my second thoughts and now he says I’m “abandoning” him as he’s “dying” (he’s showing no symptoms right now and his t-cell count is really good, he’s just being melodramatic as usual).
See, I’ve always wanted to live in New York City. And now, with my inheritance, I’m thinking I might actually be able to make that happen. Also, I’ve heard that the Chicago Transit Authority is having funding issues and may have to cut their services back (and I read in a thread from a few years ago that they’d already cut back something like thirty-five percent). Since I don’t drive, that kind of bothers me.
So, Chicagoans, tell me about living in Chicago. The good stuff and the bad stuff. Same with the New Yorkers and residents of other cities with great public transportation.
Maybe you could tell us a little bit more about yourself. What kind of work do you want to do, for instance? But also, how do you like to spend your spare time, what kind of people do you like to hang out with, what is it that you’re hoping to find in a bigger city?
I, for one, love NYC. I loved it when I was poor and I love it now. Can’t imagine leaving. OTOH, I might be saying the same thing aabout Baltimore or Chicago if that’s where I went after college.
Maybe you could tell us a little bit more about yourself. What kind of work do you want to do, for instance? But also, how do you like to spend your spare time, what kind of people do you like to hang out with, what is it that you’re hoping to find in a bigger city?
I, for one, love NYC. I loved it when I was poor and I love it now. Can’t imagine leaving. OTOH, I might be saying the same thing aabout Baltimore or Chicago if that’s where I went after college.
Well, I’m not really expecting it to. I mean, people get by on less than $35,000 per year in NYC. I figure it’s enough to sustain me for a few months while I look for a job. I don’t expect to live by myself or in an expensive apartment. There are listings on Craigslist from people looking for roommates and charging $500 or less (or more, it’s true) per month, some in fairly nice neighborhoods. Obviously, it’s not an ideal situation, but I’m more than willing to make some sacrifices and compromises.
For the last six years or so, I’ve worked in inbound call centers for various companies. Most recently, I’ve been doing advanced technical support for DirecTV. I’ve also done hotel work (front desk, reservations, that kind of thing).
As for what I like to do in my spare time and the kind of people I like to hang out with, well, I’m pretty open to anything. That’s part of why I want out of this city. It’s frustrating being so open to anything and everything but not having many options.