Young guy in NYC vs. Chicago
Hasn't been one of these in a while so I wanted to start one up. For guys 22-35 which city would you rather live in? When it comes to career opportunities, COL, dating, weather, nightlife, other shit to do etc.
Old thread, but pretty solid answers. But my take is NYC for your 20s, Chicago for your 30s and reassess after that.
https://www.wallstreetoasis.com/forums/chicago-versus-new-york
Lived in NYC post grad for two years, have spent the last few years in Chicago, and now am moving back to NYC for a new job.
Career opportunities - New York. Simple as that. A lot more opportunity within (and outside of) finance in NY. Part of the reason why I'm moving back.
COL - Chicago. Salaries are more or less the same in Chicago but COL is significantly better here. You definitely get a lot more sq footage in Chicago versus NYC. For reference, I lived in a 2 Bdr in NYC and total rent was $4K a month (600 sq feet). In Chicago, I have two roommates and total rent is $5500 for a 3 bedroom apartment (2k sq feet). Chicago is the clear winner here.
Dating - Push. Depends what you're looking for. Chicago definitely has a better dating scene if you're looking for a relationship. Girls here are much more willing to settle down and looking for something serious. If you want to date around and date girls that are looking for something less serious, NYC is a better choice.
Weather - New York. Chicago weather sucks. We have like four weeks of summer, the rest of the year it's either rainy, cloudy or cold. New York winters are much more mild and summers are much more consistent. Only negative to NYC is it gets humid as shit in the summer.
Nightlife - New York. Much more diversity to the nightlife in NYC, at least I've found. People only really go out in River North or Old Town in Chicago, maybe Lincoln Park too, and the quality options are much more limited. NYC, on the other hand, has a lot more options for bars and clubs, and IMO has much more variety.
Other Shit to Do Etc. - Push. At first, you'd think this would be NYC given that the city is massive and there are so many places to go and see (museums, etc.), but I am biased being from the Midwest originally. I can easily get out of Chicago and drive to a lakehouse, or go golfing, skiing, or other shit when I get bored of the city. Generally, it's easier to get out of Chicago versus NYC on the weekends, if you want to do that. Just depends on what you want.
Net net, you can't really go wrong. I've really enjoyed living in both places.
^Echo this sentiment - I’m from Midwest originally - NYC based now and spent most of my college summers interning in the Chicago finance scene & plenty of friends still in the area
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