Chicago has bad optics and also, 2.5h from Chicago is rural Illinois. Their public trans is decent, especially if you're commuting in. You have Metra, CTA bus a

Chicago has bad optics and also, 2.5h from Chicago is rural Illinois. Their public trans is decent, especially if you're commuting in. You have Metra, CTA bus and rail. Sure, some are inefficient and there are transit dead zones but the spots that work are amazing. Cycling has improved a ton. Also, education sucks everywhere. I wish I had more experience with charter schools. I demoed one a few years back and it was radically different than anything I've seen. Kids were moving, listening to music, reading. It was nuts and this was in the Austin area, a neighborhood I'd consider ghetto. I'd imagine I'd of thrived in that environment. As for crime, again, it's an optics thing. There's been a surge of certain crimes and one offs but the only times I've been victimized in the city was because I was being a privileged idiot like being oblivious on the Green Line, getting off the Blue Line on Cicero and walking around or being confrontational. Other than that, I've always flown under the radar and was never once victimized in Little Village. As for over regulation, will all the changes I've seen in the city, it's hard to say what regulations you're talking about. If it's the Wrigleyville hotel you're thinking, good. Screw that. Soldier Field should have also not happened. Glad that the George Lucas museum never happened. I think all Chicagoans can agree on this. As for expense, it's expensive everywhere. I know I can't get a good haircut outside of the city so at least when it comes to food and haircuts, I get my money's worth. Parking we can blame on Delay for the next 100 years.