Hi all, I'm retired and It's a a mid-size city city with about 256K people. Rent is about $1,001/month for a decent place. There's a growing tech scene which is exciting. The weather takes some getting used to. Traffic can be rough during rush hour, no sugarcoating that. Cost of living is definitely rising, but still manageable. It's a very car-dependent city, for better or worse. Public transit needs a lot of work honestly. There's a real sense of community in certain neighborhoods. The school system varies a lot by neighborhood.
49 upvotes
3 Replies
Thomas Wright
nah I disagree
32 upvotes
Alexa Martinez
Gonna give a different perspective here since most replies seem pretty good.
I've been here 14 years and I genuinely enjoy living here. The thing nobody mentions is pet-friendliness. It's established and it affects daily life more than you'd think.
That said, the cultural scene is legit. And if you're into fishing, this place is improving.
Neighborhood matters A LOT here. The East side vs the Oak Park side are basically different cities. Make sure you visit both before deciding.
Feel free to reach out with questions..
28 upvotes
austin_skylar
Used to live on the Oak Park side, now on the Eastside side. Completely different vibe. it's not perfect but it works for me.
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