What is so special about living in Chicago (10 points for most thorough answer!)? -

As someone who lives there, what kind of things do you go out and do?Any information about the city I look for just shows tourist information/attractions.Also if one were to move to Chicago in their early to mid 20 s, what would be a good way to go about it? (financial preparation, job access, affordable areas to live)Is it better to live in the city or outside? Better as in financially, socially, job opportunities.What areas (in and out) of the city are best to live? and what s there to do outside of the city?What parts of Chicago are not safe?

10 points for all those questions?Things I do are not necessarily the same as tourist sight seeing quests.I do enjoy the lake in summer, Both at it and getting a break from heat when theres an east wind. In Winter it is warmer near the lake than in the hinterland.There are about 50 museums to visit. Many people don t know about most of them and think there are 4 or 5. Some are real hidden gems.Preparation for the move? Pack up and stay at a friend s apartment. That s what I did until one opened up in the same bldg. Get a job first. Chgo is hit by the Bush catatastrophe as much as anywhere I guess but there are jobs to be found.I suggest living close to downtown on the north side as a single. There are several areas with nightlife and single bars. If you have kids maybe a nearby suburb would fit you better.In general, the closer to the lake, and downtown, the better the neighborhoods. This is not completly true on the south side. Stay away from there anyway as it is not that friendly to newcomers.Bad things....Taxes are higher here than anywhere else. As a result, food, fuel, transportation and most other things are higher than you would expect. Traffic is congested with a lot of construction projects fixing the falling apart superstructure that has been neglected. Construction soon stops but snow will start. Commuting will continue to be long. Public transportation is fairly good although people complain. There are 2 tracked systems and 2 bus systems that serve the entire area. 95% of the city and suburbs is accessable by public transportation.Wisconsin is close for escapes to the north and Indiana and Michigan have great beaches within a couple hours.