Moving to Chicago
Moving to Chicago: Tips for a Smooth Transition to the Windy City
Chicago is one of the world’s great cities. Life here is good, but if you’re new to the area, you’ll need to do plenty of research and planning to make sure your move goes smoothly. As Chicago’s most referred-to professional moving company, Joey’s Movers is happy to provide these tips and practical advice for making your transition to the Windy City as seamless and stress-free as possible.
Introduction
Chicago is known for many things. Its remarkable architecture, its vibrant music scene, and its amazing food are just the start. If you’re considering moving into one of Chicago’s iconic neighborhoods, it’s important to know as much about the town as possible. Whether you’re moving here for professional reasons, for school, or for the opportunity to live in a vibrant city with mouth-watering deep-dish pizza, Chicago will definitely deliver adventure and its own unique flavor.
This guide was written with people new to Chicago in mind. The staff of Joey’s Movers loves our town, and we want to provide you with the practical insights and inspiration you need to help make your relocation the start of something wonderful.
Why Move to Chicago?
From Millennium Park and world-class museums like the Art Institute to our thriving culinary scene, Chicago has so much to offer. We’re proud that our cost of living is lower than that of our coastal counterparts, while still offering world-class attractions and cultural experiences.
Preparing for Your Move
Moving involves far more than packing up your belongings and loading them onto a truck. You need to do a significant amount of homework to ensure that you’re thoroughly prepared for all that awaits you, especially in a big, thriving city like Chicago. These preparations include:
- Researching Chicago’s Neighborhoods Lincoln Park, Wicker Park, and The Loop are more than just names. They’re examples of Chicago’s diverse and vibrant neighborhoods, each of which has its own distinct personality. We have a great guide on where to move in Chicago. When moving to Chicago, you need to consider more than housing prices. You also need to know what each area has to offer in terms of factors like safety, cost of living, amenities like public transportation and grocery stores, and community vibes.
Don’t forget to investigate the specific elements that are important to you, whether that’s playgrounds or dog parks, proximity to work or school, or access to the city’s extensive public transportation system. And of course, when doing all of this research you’ll also want to look at Chicago’s real estate environment and compare it to your long-term goals and lifestyle preferences when deciding whether your move involves a rental or purchase.
Essential Chicago Moving Tips
Beyond the where and why of moving to Chicago, you also need a clear roadmap and plan for navigating the logistical challenges of moving to the city. A move to Chicago requires meticulous planning for many reasons, including:
- Timing Your Move: While moving to Chicago during the winter months offers the benefit of lower rental prices and less competition for apartments, there’s good reason for that: the city experiences drastic seasonal weather changes that bring intense cold temperatures and snow that make the moving process a challenge. The spring and summer in Chicago are sensational, and the most popular moving time, despite higher prices and greater competition. Whenever you choose to move, Joey’s Movers will make sure the process is stress-free.
- Parking and Permits: Moving to Chicago requires a firm understanding of the city’s parking and permitting requirements, both for the day of your move and beyond. Many neighborhoods have designated residential parking zones, and if you plan on parking your car on the street, you’ll need to apply for a permit. In most cases, these permits will be linked to the Chicago City Sticker that you’ll be required to purchase as a resident.
- As for the day of your move, if your move involves a moving truck you’re going to need to get a moving day permit to allow your truck to park near your new location. Applying for this permit is something that Joey’s Movers is happy to take care of on your behalf, taking one more thing off of your to-do list.
- Creating a Moving Checklist: To make sure that you’re approaching your relocation in a way that minimizes stress, focus on being organized. Start with a detailed checklist that covers everything from collecting packing materials and arranging for a moving company to calling utility companies to get things set up, and notifying your family, friends, creditors, and colleagues about your address change. The goal of making a list is to ensure that nothing falls through the cracks.
- Moving Into a House in Chicago: Chicago is a city filled with historic streets and buildings, and though those elements are what make the city so wonderful, they also make it extra important that you understand your home’s access points plan accordingly. In addition to local parking rules, do a careful assessment of whether your new location’s access is limited to narrow alleyways that would demand a smaller moving vehicle or the use of a hand truck to convey items from your moving truck. You want to measure all doorways and communicate with your building’s management to identify any specific loading/unloading procedures they require.
Navigating the City Post-Move
Once you’ve settled into your new place, the next step is to master Chicago’s intricacies and unique features. The most pressing things for you to address are the city’s transportation system and understanding how to navigate the weather during the winter months.
- Public Transportation: The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) and Metra systems are world-famous for good reason. If you’re planning on commuting, take the time to familiarize yourself with its routes, schedules, and fare options. With a little study and practice, you’ll soon be navigating your daily travel like you’ve lived here your entire life.
- Driving in Chicago: Driving in Chicago requires patience, both in terms of the city’s notorious traffic, the eye-popping cost of parking, and the often-maddening grid system. Chicago’s street layout can be daunting, but take a deep breath and remember your GPS. It will become more manageable with experience.
- Adapting to Chicago’s Weather: The secret to surviving Chicago’s weather lies in equipping yourself with appropriate winter clothing (layer, layer, layer!) and making sure that your home is weatherproofed against the cold. Chicago winters are famously harsh and windy, so the best way to manage is to be prepared and work hard to stay comfortable.
Embracing Chicago’s Lifestyle
Once you’ve settled into your new home, it’s time to check out the many attractions that make Chicago’s cultural scene so vibrant. The city offers something for everyone, from world-class museums like the Art Institute of Chicago and the Museum of Science and Industry to fun annual festivals like the Chicago Blues Festival and the world-famous Taste of Chicago.
Food lovers can sample the city’s iconic deep-dish pizza at popular spots like Lou Malnati’s or Giordano’s, as well as culinary gems and hidden treasures like neighborhood taquerias and Michelin-starred restaurants. If you love spending time outdoors, you’ll enjoy beautiful Millennium Park with its “Cloud Gate” sculpture, as well as strolling, biking, or jogging along the scenic Lakefront Trail, which hugs Lake Michigan’s shoreline.
Explore Navy Pier, relax in Grant Park, or discover Lincoln Park Zoo—all of these attractions and many more will become essential parts of your daily life once you’ve
made Chicago your home.
Want to visit? Start with these famous highlights:
Art Institute of Chicago – https://www.artic.edu
Millennium Park https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/dca/supp_info/millennium_park.html
Navy Pier https://navypier.org
When you’re moving to Chicago, it’s easy to get swept up in the excitement and make mistakes that cost you extra money, stress, or aggravation. To make your transition as seamless as possible, avoid these common mistakes:
- Underestimating the Winter Cold: Chicago winters are intense. Don’t kid yourself about toughing it out! The quality of your winter jacket and winter boots will have a direct correlation to how much you enjoy the city, so buy the warmest coat, gloves, boots, and scarves, and take the time to thoroughly weatherproof your new home.
- Neglecting Commute Considerations: Chicago’s traffic can be a nightmare, and even the famous transit system can have delays. All the lines are good at getting you downtown quickly, but getting to other areas that require transfers can take significantly longer. When choosing a neighborhood, be careful about your commute time, and pay attention to your access to amenities and conveniences.
- Overlooking Local Regulations: Do not forget about or dismiss Chicago’s parking permits, especially those involving your moving day. It’s also a good idea to check out the street-cleaning schedules, parking signs, tow signs, speed radar, city sticker renewal, and plate stickers, as well as all other city-specific rules to avoid fines and delays.
When you move to Chicago, you’ll never run out of exciting things to do. The Windy City is filled with opportunities and experiences. At Joey’s Movers, we hope you’ll take advantage of our decades of experience working and living in Chicago and use the tips and insights we’ve provided in this guide.
Ready to get started on your Chicago move? Get started by contacting Joey’s Movers to see how we can create a smooth move to Chicago.