The Most Affordable US Metro with Underrated Livability, Walkability and Transit - Chicago

[@dlphcoracl9645]

You have correctly identified and emphasized one of Chicago's most important features - it's beautiful and distinctive architecture. Walking the path along Lake Michigan while looking at the varied skyline, from the museum complex (Shedd Aquarium and Field Museum of Natural History) past Lincoln Park, is a visual joy and it is wonderful exercise. Few cities embody the history of modern architecture as well as Chicago does.

[@ShouldWeLiveHere]

Thanks for your comment! I do love all the amazing architecture around Chicago.

[@JakeVanderPloeg]

Chicago is fantastic and receives an unwarranted amount of negative press

[@ShouldWeLiveHere]

I do love visiting Chicago!

[@peterconrad6135]

you mean the highest residential property taxes in the nation?? Or is it the fuel tax?? Well, at least your gov ended sales tax on groceries but we have never had that here in Indiana

[@richardalvarez2390]

Chicago is a terrible city filled with libtrds, it's no wonder people are leaving that corrupt city and state of illinois

[@DefenestrateYourself]

@@peterconrad6135 Ah yes. Indiana-the Mississippi of the Midwest 🤮

[@patricklee4316]

@@peterconrad6135 at least we have a governor who is turning things around

[@TheRenaissanceAmazon]

I AGREE!! I moved to Chicago from NYC 7 years ago. It is underrated.

[@ShouldWeLiveHere]

Thanks for watching and sharing your comment!

[@nwj03a]

Moved to Chicago a couple years ago from the west coast because my wife and I couldn’t afford a house, family, and the lifestyle we wanted. 2 out of 3 maybe, but not all of them. Chicago is so much cheaper, it’s night and day. Safety is not nearly the problem it’s made out to be. I’m perfectly fine with my kids walking to school or a friends house, and when they come home we actually have a yard.

[@ShouldWeLiveHere]

Thanks for sharing!

[@MarkF-jj9fi]

hey could you reccomend some great diverse, safe neighboorhoods thave have a young family crowd/vibe... Moving with my wife and two toddlers in a few months.

[@nwj03a]

@mark I have no idea what your budget is, but ravenswood would fit my boxes of what you asked. Chicago is an enormous city, we moved from San Francisco (smaller city and somehow still 3x the price), so price is very relative. The north side is far less “diverse”, but it’s safe and you can get a SFH there for prices that aren’t insane (to me).

[@MarkF-jj9fi]

@@nwj03a thanks for the insight, will def check out ravenswood

[@marcuscole4394]

Thank you for all the positives that you listed and presented about Chicago. Chicago, agreed isn't for all people and neither is any other big city in the US. Nothing is perfect any where any longer in our country. So, people make their choices, some get to move while other stay their whole lives. Yes, the state of IL has high taxes, we have almost 9 million people in Chicagoland, probably 7 million of those folks live in IL, why do they stay, must be something good about life here. I acknowledge that there is a LOT that is wrong and unjust, but there is a lot that is quite wonderful about this big, large, active, diverse third largest city in the US. Thanks for the great video.

[@ChicagoMike97]

Dude you left out every south side neighborhood. That is partly why it still struggles. Neighborhoods like Bronzeville, Woodlawn, Bridgeport, Hyde park, Pullman, West Lawn, South Shore (parts), and Morgan Park are all fine and have nice homes that are way more affordable than Lincoln Park; which is way overpriced. Plus you have the green and red lines. There are only a few areas where I WOULDN’T live.

[@ShouldWeLiveHere]

Thanks for sharing!

[@MarkF-jj9fi]

hey could you reccomend some great diverse, safe neighboorhoods thave have a young family crowd/vibe... Moving with my wife and two toddlers in a few months.

[@skatefan9495]

I also moved to Chicago from NYC because I could immediately buy a condo and also save a lot on state income taxes.

[@ShouldWeLiveHere]

Thanks for sharing!

[@MITdork]

We can't believe you never went to a beach while living here.. its the anecdote 😎

[@ntatenarin]

What I like about the Museum Campus in Chicago is that it has land (Field Museum), water (Shedd Aquarium), and space (Adler Planetarium)! Other popular ones are the Art Institute and the Museum of Science and Industry, which are both huge and perfect for you art and science lovers! There are so many more museums: Nature Museum, Contemporary Art, African American History, Surgical Science, American Writers, Polish History, Mexican Art, and so many I didn't even list! Oh yeah, and we don't just have the Lincoln Park Zoo (which is free), but Brookfield Zoo as well! We also have video game and comic conventions (C2E2) and Anime conventions! Don't forget the largest arcade in America (Galloping Ghost Arcade). Get your nerd and geek on in Chicago!

[@ShouldWeLiveHere]

Thanks for sharing all that you can do in Chicago!

[@nitedreamer23]

Excellent video with one exception: locally, there’s no such building known as Willis Tower🤣.

[@Whoo711]

Granted, there is a lot of walkability and transit in Chicago, but... in some areas, large 'gaps' still persist, sadly. For example, I stayed at Rosemont for a week-long Chicago trip (late 2022), and one of my first stops was Galloping Ghost Arcade (on Monday, I think). While I was able to use the bus to get to an intersection that, supposedly, led me down a "straightforward" path- more or less- to said arcade, the fact that you *couldn't get there directly via transit* was annoying. You could only use transit to get off the first leg of the trip and then figure out another mode of transportation (or walk, perhaps, thanks to copious sidewalks, however "screwed-up" the state of some may be) for about 2-3 miles. I did see a lot of interesting bungalows, though. Even though, until I came back home, I didn't even know they *were* bungalows, funny enough! I looked-up an article from a few years prior (maybe... 5 years prior or so?), and it talked about how, even then, there were quite a few "stupid" gaps in where the buses and trains stopped. especially for those of modest means... Not to mention, as I found out later, the amount of RIDICULOUS locations for bus stops (lol)! Like, some of them, in the less-'urban' parts of Chicago (farther from downtown, in other words), had bus stops in places nowhere near or *off* the sidewalk in a 'more-grassy' part near the road/curb. And I'm like, "really?" Like, who comes up w/ such weird bus stop placement?? An "alarmingly high" amount of bus stops are in the "dumbest" and/or "weirdest" locations in the US, for one reason or another, apparently. I surmise that part of the reason is simply because they- the transit planners- "know", deep down, that 'a lot' of people may be around those areas, but, sadly, the "infrastructure"- especially sidewalks and the like- isn't yet there, and the transit folks "don't wanna wait" to have a sidewalk installed there before making it a bus stop, or something? Or maybe they figure that adding a sidewalk there is "too expensive"? Also... come to think of it, I planned to go to that one, huge "Japanese store" somewhere in the suburban parts of Chicago- I forget the exact name- and I looked up transit. Technically, you *can* get there via just transit from at least *some* parts of Chicago (like Rosemont), but... apparently, according to Google Maps, the CLOSEST you can get dropped off to is the sidewalk bus stop *near* the strip mall it's in! So, in other words, you'd have to get dropped off at the sidewalk and then, somehow, I guess... figure out a "safe way" to *walk into* the strip mall (and eventually the store) without being hit by some rude or selfish idiot driving around there? or maybe wait for an Uber to drop you off *into* the strip mall (just for such a short ride, though?) Not exactly the safest... Obviously, the safest option, as far as transit goes, would be to just... have a bus stop *closer to or within the strip mall*, at least?? Surely this is somewhat feasible? Or would a bunch of 'Chicago suburbanites' complain and bitch if that happened?? Would they think it's "tacky" or some shit, so the transit planners "dare not risk it" (just like with not putting transit stops near those aforementioned sidewalk-adjacent bungalows I referred to earlier)? Luckily, those were only 2 (maybe 3, including one I neglected to mention, possibly) stops where I "couldn't use" transit for the whole trip, but, nonetheless, these were far from "middle of nowhere" locations. The fact that, from what I can tell, many such locations, within Chicago proper, are still sorta "underserved" by transit access, does kinda suck, in any case. You'd *think* the people in charge of CTA would fix this but... I guess, in some cases, they're too afraid of "NIMBYs" getting pissed off and giving them 'extra flack', if not *somehow shutting down* such projects for 'extra stops' in certain parts, for all I know? If memory serves, Chicago is, nonetheless, pretty walkable and easy to access via transit- especially downtown- but, in any case... "dumb" gaps still persisting in places that, surely, loads of people walk and/or drive by regularly is kinda silly. Especially when, if memory serves, many *other* bus stops I noticed on my 'Monday excursion' were, if anything, MORE "in the middle of nowhere" (near 'more-industrial' parts of the suburbs that, in all likelihood, fewer *regular folks not going to or leaving a particular job or job site, would 'dare hang around' regularly). In other words, while most placement of transit stops- especially train- may make sense, within Chicago, the fact that there are "all too many" 'dumb' stops and/or "no stops" in certain areas that are frequented *by* many a regular resident, just makes little sense. Of course, maybe these "gaps" would be fixed if, like, the public-transit planners in various parts of the country *were required to put stops to a VOTE*, instead of just a handful of "folks in charge" (I guess?) being able to "unilaterally decide where all of the stops are"?? Surely if *the people*, by and large, had far more 'voting power' on at least some stops, they could put them in *sensible areas* (and not put extra stops in "dumb" areas)? at least, in theory

[@drinkingrobot2252]

Rosemont is a separate city but in general Chicagoland does need better transit

[@Sayso2423]

I love you Chicago ! My Home Sweet Home!💗

[@patricklee4316]

Chicago is a great along with the whole metro area. Only downside is how expensive it is. I never plan on leaving though!

[@ShouldWeLiveHere]

Thanks for sharing!

[@mic1240]

Oak Park isn’t in Chicago, it’s one of many suburbs of the city. It is 8 miles west of downtown and served by two L lines as well as Metra trains. Deep dish is tourist food.

[@skatefan9495]

True. It's a suburb.

[@jessejarseneau]

I love tavern style the best, but plenty of locals eat deep dish too.

[@mic1240]

@@jessejarseneau true, but not even close how many more local tavern style and thin pizzas compared to deep dish. There is a reason many are concentrated in touristy areas. Is false narrative deep dish is the norm for locals to eat regularly

[@glisterspeck]

True, and that was my first thought, too, knowing they're incorrect. But... it is the suburb most like a western Chicago neighborhood, with the same street names and similar bungalows to the actual neighborhoods north of it like Galewood, Dunning, and Portage Park, with better L service than those spots. And I like deep dish, but only have it when friends and family come to town, as it just takes too long. By far, my fave pizza has always been Pat's thin crust, followed by Vito and Nick's.

[@mikeg.4211]

Deep dish is not tourist food. Where are you getting this weird south wider opinion from?

[@Bruce-t8s]

Willis Tower! It will always be Sears Tower!!

[@htc860]

Great video! Now I am even more torn between all the good city choices to live in in 2024. Can someone help me, I am ready to move out to what could possibly be my last destination where I will settle in for at least 10 years if not forever. I currently live in Upstate NY area but I work remotely, and I am thinking to move to one of the following: 1. Dallas, TX 2. Sacramento, CA 3. Detroit 4. Chicago ( thanks to this video ). Which city would you choose and why?

[@ShouldWeLiveHere]

We haven’t been to Dallas Texas yet. Sacramento would be my top choice but California has apparently changed a lot since I was last there. While I think Detroit is improving, at the current time, I would pick Chicago over Detroit. We really like Williamsburg Virginia- if you want a midsized town.

[@jays1079]

Chicago. Don't buy into all the negativity on social media. We all have our issues but I think this might suit you well.

[@giacobbeperales5926]

Dallas -100 and humid 9 months of the year. Sometimes 110. Sacramento- Expensive, earthquakes, wild fires. Detroit- Abandoned and dangerous.

[@MightBeAPizza]

I live in Chicago and visited Dallas literally for a same day flight last December (my girlfriend and I saw a flight that was $100 RT all together) just to see how it was. I was surprised at how dead downtown was. People from Chicago say downtown is dead here, but I've only lived here since 2023 and its never "dead" as Downtown Dallas was for such a booming city. I only saw Uptown and Downtown Dallas, but it just wasn't a vibe for me. I did like being able to take transit from the airport to downtown and they had an amazing art museum.

[@lshevil]

@@giacobbeperales5926 Dallas drivers are even worse than the weather!

[@Alan-lv9rw]

I’ve lived in NYC, Chicago, and Dallas. I prefer Dallas, but all three are pretty good. NYC has the best suburbs by far.

[@ShouldWeLiveHere]

Thanks for watching, and your feedback! I really appreciate it.

[@Clementinee]

As someone from Chicago, Dallas was one of the worst designed and most boring cities I've ever been to tbh. Even on a Friday or Saturday night there's no one walking around downtown, felt dead

[@Banom7a]

@@Clementinee texas city in general is just drab compared to the more established big city up north lol

[@gregorriusadolphus2729]

you prefer DALLAS to NYC or Chicago? Yeah, I'm judging LOL.

[@DefenestrateYourself]

Dallas is a car-centric hellscape. Terrible electric grid, no reproductive freedoms, and high property taxes. Next! 🫡

[@devoradamaris]

Chicago is home.

[@Aeorocks]

It is amazing, but we don't need you telling people how great it is. We don't need more people 😅. Thank you for this great review, though! :)

[@ShouldWeLiveHere]

Thanks for watching. Always appreciate feedback….

[@DefenestrateYourself]

You also don’t want more and more people leaving the city, which is what’s happening to the city

[@-.TS.-]

3:00 = me after touching dairy

[@mikeg.4211]

Generally good, but you missed big time on not including the second largest zoo in America, the Brookfield Zoo; and you failed to mention that Chicago is by far the best sports city with 2 MLB teams, football, basketball, hockey, soccer (men's and women's), and more. The Art Institute is one of the top art museums in the world.

[@ShouldWeLiveHere]

Thanks for the additional information! Much appreciated.

[@mikeg.4211]

@@ShouldWeLiveHere 😊👍

[@RJS1974]

Chicago didn’t used to be underrated or inexpensive. It was always among the most desired and expensive US cities until the last 20 years. Chicago saw a steady gain of population throughout the 90s thanks to Gen X and Boomers moving in but Millennials favored coastal cities and warm weather. Also u have to realize that when housing costs are averaged amongst the whole city you are not getting a true average among the neighborhoods that all working professionals want to live in. If you took the average of downtown, Gold Coast, Lincoln Park, Wriglyeville, Lakeview, Andersonville, Wicker Park, etc the cost of housing would be much higher. There is a huge disparity in cost of living from the North Side and South Side and so taking an average from the whole city is misleading.

[@ShouldWeLiveHere]

Thanks for watching, and your comment!

[@skatefan9495]

But those neighborhoods you mention are bargains compared to NY and LA.

[@RJS1974]

@@skatefan9495 probably so. Nevertheless, I hear a lot of people who are surprised when the move here that a nice two bedroom apt downtown will cost starting at 3000 and up because they were told the average Chicago rent is 1500. A studio downtown is around 2500 a month. You won’t find the “average” price in a desirable neighborhood or downtown.

[@emmanuelmuzumara6046]

Lots of younger millennials and Gen-Z is moving to Chicago in droves and I think that number is going to rise and more Gen-Z is becoming adults and will eventually be on their own. A big reason for Gen-Z moving there is the cost of living compared to NY and LA is low and they’re being exposed to more of Chicago and not the negative notion that the internet tends to show when Chicago is brought up.

[@BrooklynDaDon1]

L is short for “Loop” not elevated.

[@futureshocked]

UCHHHH SHUT UP STOP TELLING PEOPLE DON'T COME HERE ITS TERRIBLE DON'T DRIVE UP OUR RENT THANKS

[@aljavier2927]

It is walkable if u live downtown or live along the lake towards the north side. The trains are disgusting. The winters are very long. Also, if you buy property don't expect it to appreciate like the coasts do. And your property taxes are subject to go up at any time the politicians feel like it. I owned my condo in downtown chicago for 20 years. It increased only about 30% in that time but my property taxes more than doubled.

[@mikeg.4211]

The trains are not disgusting.

[@DefenestrateYourself]

Ignorant and incorrect

[@mikeg.4211]

@@DefenestrateYourself you are right.

[@FabianKim-z9u]

Coldddd af

[@DefenestrateYourself]

Thin skin 😂

[@Khanfuzed1]

Totally fine place for the warm months. Unlivable in the winter.

[@ShouldWeLiveHere]

True- unless you’re a fan of winter sports…. Cold isn’t for us though

[@Khanfuzed1]

@@ShouldWeLiveHere yeah, sorry but those winter months are non-negotiable !!

[@dlphcoracl9645]

Untrue. With global warming, each decade has seen progressively milder winters in Chicago with very little snowfall. There may be 1-2 weeks of sub-freezing weather each winter, but it is a minor inconvenience and not a dealbreaker. The remainder of the winter is cold, but not Siberian cold or nearly as cold as Minnesota , the Dakotas, etc.

[@skatefan9495]

This past winter was very mild. Will it always be? Probably not. But buy a warm coat and it's worth it to not have to pay exorbitant rent.

[@Khanfuzed1]

@@ShouldWeLiveHere what kind of winter sports you doing in Chicago?

[@Brian0wns]

I live in the area and It is really great and beautiful - but my god the politics are garbage and the people keep voting for nonsense. I don't know what it is about north east self hating liberals that keep voting for self destruction but it just gets exhausting. For example if you walk around Chicago there will still be stores that requires masks in 2024 as I write this. And just like NYC - they will vote for sanctuary city policies but then when immigrants actually show up to their neighborhoods they get all weird about it. The shocking thing for people visiting as opposed to NYC or LA is how clean it is. You won't see an ocean of homeless like in LA and you won't see giant piles of trash like in NYC - I think this has to do a little bit with the Alderman system the city has that makes the wards here local (Alderperson now because of course it is). If the politics ever changed this would be the best city in the US by far. But because it is such a blue area and blue people hate civilization - it is just getting slowly hollowed out like every other blue city. I won't even bring up the south side because that is self explanatory.

[@matchghost]

How’s the demographic though? The stereotype is that it’s a place single midwesterners spend in their twenties and then they get married and/or move to the burbs.

[@ShouldWeLiveHere]

I would think it depends on the neighborhood. 16% of households in Lincoln park have kids and 22% of households in Logan Square. We saw a lot of kids in Oz Park playing after school. In Detroit families definitely move to the suburbs!

[@vaishx]

That’s not entirely wrong from what I know but I’d say it really varies what part of the city you live in. I did hear Chicago although transient is less so compared to other cities like NYC or LA. On top of that, I did hear DINKs are pretty common there too. But again, that’s from what I hear and know

[@jays1079]

There's a lot of young families in the city now. Depends on the neighborhood but there's no shortage of moms and nanny's pushing strollers in the city.

[@pauly5502]

Except for the terribleeee winter weather.

[@ChicagoMike97]

And the hot, humid summers with constant severe thunderstorms, hehe.

[@memeo1234567890]

It’s not that bad, there are plenty of services set up to make things easier

[@mikeg.4211]

The winter weather isn’t nearly so bad anymore due to climate change.

[@ntatenarin]

​@@memeo1234567890That's why I'm sad. I love snow, but the winters have been warmer the past decade.

[@huntrrams]

It’s not that bad

[@skatefan9495]

Don't count on getting a single family house in the most desirable neighborhoods for $525K.

[@peterconrad6135]

1 person every 4 minutes, 15 people per hour, 360 people per day fee Chicago and Illinois. the state has the second highest population loss in the nation in the 2020 census. highest property taxes in the nation, high crime, low accountability, you are literally better off moving to Detroit-seriously.

[@frodotheewok]

Boston over Chicago having lived in both

[@foxesamu]

Not even close, there’s nothing to do in Boston other than watch baseball, drink or eat oysters

[@blackie_travels]

Agreed. Chicago is a fart in the wind compared to Boston. It's like comparing a tabletop to the Mariana Trench in terms of culture.

[@dlphcoracl9645]

Boston is considerably more expensive than Chicago, especially the cost of housing.

[@drinkingrobot2252]

Boston sucks.

[@frodotheewok]

@@foxesamu mountains, thousands of lakes and rivers, islands, beaches, easy access to new york city, montreal plus shorter/same direct flights to europe vs west coast; yeah nothing to do.

[@thesean3194]

This video is for boomers with money. No one else.

[@DefenestrateYourself]

Only Boomers live in Chicago? Lol ignorant comment

[@Cocytus]

Bad policies, bad crime, it's actually not affordable, there's a lot of poverty. It's not a good place. Definitely not affordable. Did I mention it's super expensive? Especially in the Cost of Living which includes taxation, both personal and public. But the worst aspect of Chicago is the Democrat Leadership. 90+ years voting straight Democrat, and in this 90+ years, the overall status of Chicago across practically all categories has GOTTEN WORSE, not better. Under proper (not Democrat) leadership, the place might be able to be saved.

[@ShouldWeLiveHere]

Just posted a con video about reasons not to live in Chicago….👍🏻

[@mic1240]

Never, ever, been in top cities for crime. It is far less expensive than NYC, DC, San Fran, Boston and many other large cities.

[@blackie_travels]

Chicago is by far the most dangerous city I have ever lived in, and this is coming from someone who has lived in Mexico City and Medellin, Colombia.

[@mic1240]

@@blackie_travels too bad your experience, statistics and facts don’t bare that out as a whole.

[@Cocytus]

@@mic1240 Unless you simply open your eyes and look. Also, let me remind you of the Bill signed into Law that basically makes major crime into misdemeanors. You got nothing!

[@pi-sx3mb]

You can't POSSIBLY be serious. I've lived in Chicago since 1993 and I can't wait to get out of this dumpster fire city and state.

[@mikeg.4211]

I’ve lived here since 1960, and you are nuts.

[@pi-sx3mb]

@@mikeg.4211 I grew up in NYC. Sounds just like all the people I grew up with who never left. Try getting out more. BTW, sorry about the '69 National League pennant race.

[@dallas-sf1ib]

I've lived here for 8 years and love it. However, I do find it odd that you're on a social media platform watching content about the city you despise so much. Make that make sense.

[@mikeg.4211]

@@pi-sx3mbfool.

[@mikeg.4211]

@@dallas-sf1ib there are a lot of idiots on social media, which is the only explanation possible.

[@bktaino201]

😂😂😂😂😂😂 it’s great if you don’t get shot

[@ShouldWeLiveHere]

We are just researching crime statistics as we make the video about why Chicago isn’t a great place to live. The stats are terrifying!

[@glisterspeck]

​@@ShouldWeLiveHere When you do this, please use per capita statistics - per capita, Chicago is safer or ~ equal to several small towns I've lived in in rural Illinois (Cairo, Carbondale, Murphysboro, Mt Vernon, Ziegler, Danville - these are all a few thousand or a few tens of thousands of folks, and around equal or higher in crime per capita than Chicago). And importantly, unlike most of these smaller towns, the crime in Chicago is also massively neighborhood based, being significantly lower in all the neighborhoods (and the Village of Oak Park) that you mention in this vid. We should, as a city, do all that we can to fight those crime levels AND work to reduce the social structures that initiate and extend them, of course, but it's also important not to hype up massive cities as crime centers when, per capita, they have plenty of small town comparables.