one: don't think about the amount of aid they give you, but about your cost. If two schools each give you 30k/year, but one charges 5k more per year, that's a huge difference. NYC rent is also more expensive. Life is more expensive. That's the big con.
buuuut it' more expensive because it's better. There's more culture, there's more night life, there's better food, theater, fashion, et cetera, et cetera. Chicago's strong suits are improv and museums... NYC definitely has it beat on museums...
Oh, and I guess the lake might factor in, the water around NYC is not quite as tempting.
But NYC is just the place to be. It's invigorating.
Mar 9, 2024
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I feel like a lot of people on here live in NYC, and are therefore biased towards it. So as someone who used to live in Chicago, I feel like I need to give Chicago some love.
First and foremost, its impossible to avoid generalizations when you're dealing with cities full of 2.5+ million people. That being said, Chicago has way less people, so even though it is crowded and packed (big city vibes), it nevertheless rarely feels congested (except the freeways). Chicago is in the midwest, which means despite being a large urban area, it avoids a lot of the pretension and networking that LA and NYC possess. I found it was a lot easier to make genuine connections without feeling like people were constantly weighing you for coolness and clout potential. Chicago is cheaper, and despite being in the midwest, being right by lake Michigan makes it feel like you're on a coast. It was a great transition to the midwest from the west coast for me, slowly weaning me from my reliance on the ocean. Also the coastline where lake michigan meets the city is beautiful, and its a lot of fun to be able to swim off of the boardwalk right at the foot of skyscrapers. Chicago is also home of the skyscraper, and lets be honest, its a major city, and once you get up past 2 million people, you're going to be able to find all the culture and diversity you want (just at less of a premium and with less washed-up/trust fund artists that rely on the distortion of the hype machine). Oh, and Chicago has great food, parks, public transit, etc.
Anyway, I love Chicago. I feel like its often overlooked (vs. NYC and LA) which makes it the best option. In my opinion, both of those other cities are overplayed and overpriced. However, the good news is, with both of these cities as your options, you can't really go wrong.
Mar 9, 2024
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Iβm done gatekeeping this. Itβs like New York but cheaper and cozier
Jan 23, 2024
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To see what the fuss is about, it looks better than NYC and the rest of the USA
Aug 16, 2024
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I pulled together all the good advice I could on how to get a men's summer wardrobe together cheap. I hope it helps somebody.
Apr 11, 2024
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I feel like this place isn't about people but about recommendations, right? forget the influencer, forget the individual, just browse and talk about cool shit and whoever says something good, that's good. that's what I liked about reddit, back when I actually liked reddit.
I haven't found many people I want to follow, and I'm not really looking.
Mar 3, 2024
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I've been enjoying new clothes, and experimenting them with fun ways, so much lately that I need to keep reminding myself of this. Not every excursion outside needs to be fresh and new and experimental. If I am going out and I need a warm sweater and I need my sneakers and I already have a fit in mind with those pieces, I can just wear it, I don't need to reinvent the wheel every time.
Feb 28, 2024