Saturday, October 17, 2009

OUR DEAR WINDY CITY - MORE EXPENSIVE THAN EVER!

A good friend of mine recently moved from Cleveland, Ohio to Columbus. It was out of necessity. The job market is much better in Columbus. It was a hard decision for him to make. He loved the more "urban" feel of Cleveland, but Columbus offered greater opportunities on the job front. Granted, even though it is larger than Cleveland, it feels more like a giant suburb. It is uber clean. But the skyline pales in comparison to Cleveland's. I am now starting to ask myself the same question: would I be better off relocating to another city than staying here in The City of Big Shoulders? The shoulders seem to be sagging a bit lately. Taxes are outrageous, and, as it turns out, the overall cost of living here is up, Up, UP!

Yes, dear friends, Chicago now ranks as the seventh most expensive city in the U.S. and the fiftieth most expensive city in the world. And it happened quite quickly. Last year, Chicago was the 84th most expensive city in the world. This is all according to the London office of Mercer, an American human resources consulting company. The worldwide figures are posted here. U.S. figures are posted here.

Looks like we pay a pretty high price to live in a city riddled with corruption, high unemployment, police brutality, and uber-high taxes. Or maybe I'm just getting bitter in my old age. Heh-heh.

And I really canNOT imagine myself living in a place like Columbus, Ohio. But then again, ya never know ...

7 comments:

jazzy said...

Snark, you sound like you are not doing so well at the moment; I'm getting worried now!
To move or not to move, nobody can make such a hard decision for you. All I can say is that I'm always afraid of new places/situations, then again I take them as challenge.
But please listen to YOUR intuition before you make ANY decision!

val said...

Most of the people I grew up with (and all my cousins, too) have moved away from the area where we grew up, and where I still live. Folks are amazed that I stuck around. Even though the area is bottom-end-of-the-housing-market, my house would cost over £250,000, more before the housing slump. Why didn't I move like everyone else? Well, number 1 is I have great neighbours. All human life is within easy range. Make up a Pros/Cons list for moving and for staying and that might give you you your answer.

SnarkAngel said...

Thanks, ladies. Lots of food for thought!

Just Catie said...

Columbus? Shoot yourself and save the hassle of moving! Now moving to Boston, or Providence or someplace uber cool...that is an option, just NOT OH!

Unknown said...

If you are considering moving to Columbus, Ohio, I can offer you some resources to help you get connected.

First, check out www.liveworkplayColumbus.com. It provides information and links to resources to help people get to know Columbus, from neighborhoods to arts & culture to information about the economy/industries/employers. You'll also find a Cost of Living Calculator there, where you'll discover that your dollar goes much farther in Columbus than Chicago. (But you know that already.)

Speaking of employers, check out www.OhioMeansJobs.com, a free resource that is powered by Monster.com, to post your resume and find employers who are hiring. (The Columbus zipcode is 43215.)

There are many, many people who live in Columbus who are just like you: they are from someplace else. And they love living here! Columbus is a community of great diversity so, no matter your background, you will likely find your place here!

Boston_Betty said...

No, Lovey...for the love of God, Not Ohio!!!

SnarkAngel said...

Thanks for the info, Andrea! Much appreciated. Betty, calm down. LOL