People have been retiring to warmer climates for decades. This isn't some great social statement or shift. There are entire communities in Florida and Arizona that are ex pat Chicagoans, New Yorkers, etc.

You have next to no chance of crime affecting you directly here and it isn't decreased by much moving elsewhere, unless you move to somewhere remote.

Corruption happens everywhere. I laughed at guys like Christie talking about "chicago political corruption" when he ran for president...as a guy from NJ. If you think its only big cities, you really are not paying attention. You can go to innumerable towns across this country and find a potentate whose family is living from the public trust.

Dennis, with two houses and a basement filled with gold coins that he swims in each night is going to tell us with a straight face that he is moving to avoid 5-10K a year in property taxes.

I don't deny anyone, especially in retirement, seeking his own personal heaven. However, be honest about what you are doing. You want warm weather and the comfort of homogeny in your old age. There is nothing wrong with that. My guess is that you will set up shop and soon find something about that place to patriot about as well but at least you won't slip on the ice and break your hip. Hawaii lives in Hawaii and that still isn't good enough

My guess for me is that life will retire me before work does. That retirement plan ain't exactly attractive either so who am I to poke holes in other plans. I love to travel. I also love to come home to this city and all it has to offer. Maybe that changes if my kids and friends disperse.

The victims are the American People and the Republic itself.

Question: Are you going to live the rest of your life in Illinois?

Our hotel smelled like dead hooker vagina (before you ask I had gotten a detailed description from beardown)

The crime is largely a myth as it pertains to you.

The tax burden isn't likely to affect you in retirement.

Get your condo and enjoy the culture rather than chasing hot weather that you will avoid in an air conditioned home.

That's my understanding. Keep both residences, but stay 184 days in FL, and you don't pay Illinois taxes. Instant raise.

Will the person still retain employment and physically work in IL? If they work for more than 30 days in IL they're liable for state income taxes on those wages earned. And of course they're still paying the property taxes for their IL domicile and sales tax for purchases in IL.

I guess it's worth it? Probably? Maybe?

The crime is largely a myth as it pertains to you.

Not so sure about this anymore. When I lived in Lincoln Park for about 10 years, I never worried about crime. But a guy was shot on Oak Street recently. 20 or so shots fired near the W hotel on LSD. The Gold Coast/Mag Mile/Lincoln Park are no longer immune from random crime. An old guy was recently pulled out of his vehicle in a car jacking. A recent shooting in Grant Park. Crime seems to be spreading.

I thought we were talking about retirement, no idea how it works if still working. My apologies.

Not so sure about this anymore. When I lived in Lincoln Park for about 10 years, I never worried about crime. But a guy was shot on Oak Street recently. 20 or so shots fired near the W hotel on LSD. The Gold Coast/Mag Mile/Lincoln Park are no longer immune from random crime. An old guy was recently pulled out of his vehicle in a car jacking. A recent shooting in Grant Park. Crime seems to be spreading.

Yes, during a pandemic with a historical number of unemployed people.

The much more important fact is less people on the street. None of those things occur in those places with the ordinary crowds. Its a bit dystopian right now downtown with the reduced traffic and boarded up stores. The void is being filled. That will change.

Also if you fuck someone like they are a millionaire they might go try to be one.

For instance they were never taught that Columbus was a slave owner.

Got out 7 years ago and would never move back. Weather and property taxes so much better in AZ.

Yes it is.

Have to love the left wing guys who leave a state run by Dems to go to a cheaper state run by Republicans.

Our hotel smelled like dead hooker vagina (before you ask I had gotten a detailed description from beardown)

Have to love the left wing guys who leave a state run by Dems to go to a cheaper state run by Republicans.

Who has been a victim of gang or violent crime in the past 20 years?

Who has been a victim of gang or violent crime in the past 20 years?

Yes it is.

Especially the older you get. I doubt we've had anyone here that has been a victim of gang crime in the past 15 years if ever. The worst you'll hear is someone going through your unlocked car. That happens everywhere.

I'm aware that MANY people in the Chicago area are victims of violent crime or gang crimes. The reality is that the crimes almost never comes to our doorstep and it rarely happens to someone we personally know. You probably have a better chance of dying in a car crash or getting struck by lightning than being a victim of gang or violent crime. Those odds are better if you don't live in a few neighborhoods in Chicago.

I've been going off this as Nas said it like 3-4 years ago. Whenever people ask me where i'm originally from and I say Chicago, they get scared or ask me it must have been soooooo violent while I was growing up.

I say no, and go back to Nas's response - that only 2/3 neighborhoods are bad and that's in every major city. the rest of the city is pretty safe to live in.

What irony? Arizona is turning blue because of people like me moving here. Plenty of assholes like you two here in AZ, but they are slowly losing their grip.

Our hotel smelled like dead hooker vagina (before you ask I had gotten a detailed description from beardown)

For instance they were never taught that Columbus was a slave owner.