Moving to Chicago
Graduate students at the University of Chicago who moved here from other parts of the country—or the world—will often tell you they came to Chicago thinking the city would be too vast and anonymous to feel like home.
But given just a little time, they start to rave about it: fascinating ethnic neighborhoods, fantastic food, friendly people, all the art and entertainment you could imagine, and a gorgeous lake that looks kind of like the ocean.
Erin McKenna lived in Wisconsin before moving to Chicago. Fears of a difficult transition didn’t last long. “I moved into graduate student housing and found myself immediately with a set of friends,” she says. “Before I came here it used to be a monumental struggle to get friends together to go salsa dancing. But here it happened effortlessly! I really love it here. My experience has been overwhelmingly positive.”
Latishya Steele came here with no preconceived ideas after having lived in Boston and New York. She just knew she wanted to live in an urban environment. “One of the coolest things I discovered was that you can learn about so many cultures by just walking around the different neighborhoods,” she says. “I did a lot of neighborhood touring on my own. I also learned that Chicagoans really like their food. That’s great for me, because I come from two cities that have fantastic food. Chicago fits right in there.”
Kyle Gracie is studying in public policy and environmental science. He found a real sense of community here, and an investment in improving the city in every way. “There’s so much to do here, both academically and for fun, and Chicago is well connected to the rest of the country,” he says. “It’s a great place to live and to vacation from. I wish they’d make Chicago the capitol of the United States.”
Cheng-Tong Wang came here from Taiwan to continue her studies. She had done some internet research and was already excited about Chicago’s world-famous architecture and the city’s reputation for great music. “I love jazz and blues but there aren’t many opportunities to hear it live in Taiwan,” she says. “The Checkerboard Lounge is so close to where I live, I can walk there.”
