When I moved to Chicago almost 20 years ago, I really didn’t know exactly what to expect, but I’ve always lived in a bigger city growing up, a fast paced energetic life, so I’ve easily adapted. There are definitely pros and cons about that, but today I’m gonna focus only on pros and I’m gonna explain them:

DIVERSITY

Big cities are all inclusive of different races, cultures and minorities. I instantly learned so much about so many different cultures, from traditions, foods and their way of living here. Living in other remote areas don’t expose you to diversity, so this is definitely a good experience in a city such as Chicago, without traveling to different countries and continents to experience that.

FOOD

Here in Chicago I discovered such a big variety of top quality restaurants available with foods from all over the world, and that’s how I discovered my love for asian food, that I didn’t really experienced much growing up in Europe. I also noticed that eating out at such speciality restaurant is the same in price compared to an all American food restaurant, so it doesn’t feel like a splurge or something out of your way.

SCHOOLS & COLLEGES

I really like that you can actually study whatever you are good at, in any kind of fields , and you can also find work after and pursue your career in your designated field, which sometimes is quite impossible in a small city.

OPPORTUNITIES

Because the big city is so diverse and growing at a fast pace, it’s also growing economically every year, so it’s easy to find opportunities to grow. A lot of people invest in real estate, that I noticed never stop growing and expanding, but there are also other opportunities you can pursue and succeed in.

ENTERTAINMENT

What I really like is that in a big city, you can find entertainment for all ages, lots of variety and options, and for all pockets. Even though the small city life has it’s own charm, the big cities can offer cultural enrichment that you wouldn’t be exposed to otherwise. Also, you can fun tons of clubs in things that you are interested in and people likeminded in the same niche.

• 

SHOPPING EXPERIENCE

In a big city you can definitely find things that you need since there are so many stores and products options, but also little guilty pleasure to buy, like little treasures and collectibles. From small boutiques to big malls, the shopping experience it definitely wins you over .

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION

Living in a big city doesn’t mean you need to invest in a car, especially when parking is now available, so public transportation is a really great option, and there are available everywhere.

PARKS AND PLAYGROUNDS

There is always a balance between work and leisure, and recharging in nature is the best way to go, Chicago offers a lot of green areas, the beach, many children playgrounds, walking and bicycle trails. You can always go to the nearby forest preserve and discover many plants and animals, watch the sunrise or sunset, and just simply relax.

If you would like to try living in a big city next, such as Chicago, I found a really helpful website called ZUMPER, that can narrow down your search by size, price, neighborhood and also pets. Using this website can save you time eapecially looking in such a big city,, can help you find rent near a public transportation such as Metra (train), can help you sign a lease easier, plus you can compare prices by areas.

After living for almost half of my life here, this city is part of me.

Also the multitude of cultures , the foods and the fast pace in general, gives this city so much color and life, that I don’t see myself detaching off, but keep exploring.

Which big cities have you lived in and what do you think of it?

Laura