u/Harvard7643

For starters I’m moving from Chicago and have only taken the Brightline from Fort Lauderdale to Miami. Obviously their monthly pass isn’t feasible for most so I’m curious if anyone here has experience taking the Tri-rail to Miami frequently with their monthly pass?

How long would it take? I’m in Flagler village if that helps and my job offer is in Brickell (I’ll turn it down if not feasible). I’m assuming I’d need to transfer to the metro rail at some point?

How safe is the Tri Rail and is there security that patrols the trains? I’m used to seeing everything in the book during my commutes on the CTA in Chicago so I’m assuming it’s not that bad but I’d prefer to avoid the crazies. I know driving won’t be an option either.

Thanks for the help and sorry for being clueless.

I’m a M26 and want opinions on my pros and cons list for staying in Chicago or moving to south Florida. Mind you I was fully on board with leaving until I had a blast this summer.

Pros for Chicago -

-my social circle is here and it’s huge. There’s at least 100 people I could call and get to come out with me.

-there’s nothing better than summertime Chi

-I love the lake

-I love the drinking culture and bar scene here

- I’ve done incredibly well with women in the past year here

- the food. No comment needed

- priced insanely well for a city of its size

-job market far better than Florida (I’m in tech sales)

- wouldn’t have to move all my stuff

-Cubs are my fav sports team (idc abt bulls/bears)

Cons about Chicago-

-after 4 years I still hate the winter weather and get seasonal depression. I hate leaving the house. I won’t lie this one is big for me but maybe I’ve made so many closer friends in the past year I’ll handle it better..

-dislike not having a car in winter months (I’d be buying one either way probably if I stay or go.

- dating scene is very fickle. I do very well with hookups but haven’t had any luck with dating. Think there’s just too many options for everyone

- Crime. I’ve been a victim of it. It’s overblown but it’s a con.

-Segregated. I’m white but grew up in a far more diverse neighborhood back home (which yes you can change but my preference is to remain in Lincoln park regardless.

- no ocean

- maybe I’m too comfortable and not growing as a person?

- corrupt city

Pros about Florida -

-Have family down there

- people would still come visit me

- I love the beach and the weather. Humidy doesn’t bother me

- I speak Spanish

- the fitness culture down there would better me and make me more motivated

- apartment would have a pool

-home cooked meals from my mom (she’s the best)

-attractive girls that are likely more cultured so I’ll have more in common with them potentially

- FREE living

-could get a job and try to pay off student loans

-I could lock in and focus by not really going out

Cons about Florida

- my dad is an alcoholic and having some mental health stuff going on. Supposedly getting help for that so I don’t know if that’s a good environment to go into after not living with my parents for many years now

- drivers are terrible

-people are ruder than Chicago

- not that walkable but my area is more walkable than you’d think

- not a good social circle down there I barely know anyone

- just became unemployed so it’ll be harder to find a good job if I can’t get a remote role

-bad job market ^

- heard dating is great either and girls seem like they’re less down to earth (also more STDs)

- would NEED to buy a car but that’s not a huge con for me I grew up in the suburbs I miss having a car sometimes

- if I got down there and didn’t like it, I can always move, but it’ll be harder to find roommates I’d actually wanna live with.

I’ll edit if I miss anything but would really like your guys’s help deciding. I’m beyond stressed because my lease ends in 2 months.

I want to preface this by saying I absolutely love Chicago so this is a very hard decision for me and I figured some unbiased opinions would be very helpful for me.

I’m 25 (M) and was recently let go from my sales job. I made really good money so that’s not an issue for me currently. I’ve lived in Chicago for 3.5 years now and maybe need something new? I have hundreds of friends to go out with (although all my BEST friends live elsewhere), have been really successful with casual dating, and genuinely love the food and the bar culture. On the other hand, I feel stuck in a career crisis, I’ve always wanted to try living in Florida, and I was also the victim of a serious random violent crime last year here in Chicago and now I feel like I’m a lot more anxious walking around here and taking public transport whereas I wasn’t previously.

In Florida, I love the beaches and the weather. I CAN’T STAND the cold anymore but the Chicago summers always pull me back in hence this post. The heat doesn’t bother me for some reason. I would also be able to live with my parents (they have an extra bedroom for me) for free and save money. I haven’t been able to save anything these past few years and still have some student loans to pay back. My hang up is the job market sucks down there and I don’t know many people down there. I’d be starting my whole social life over and that’s not the most fun thing to do at the age of 25-26. Maybe it’d help me focus more? Idk. A character flaw of mine is I don’t do things sometimes because of my Fear of missing out.

Politics aren’t a concern for me in terms of moving or not so please don’t make it about that.

Would love any advice and I’m willing to answer any questions to help you guys help me.

TLDR; I committed to moving in with my parents in Fort Lauderdale in 2 months and now I’m having second thoughts about leaving Chicago.

I want to preface this by saying I absolutely love Chicago so this is a very hard decision for me and I figured some unbiased opinions would be very helpful for me.

I’m 25 (M) and was recently let go from my sales job. I made really good money so that’s not an issue for me currently. I’ve lived in Chicago for 3.5 years now and maybe need something new? I have hundreds of friends to go out with (although all my BEST friends live elsewhere), have been really successful with casual dating, and genuinely love the food and the bar culture. On the other hand, I feel stuck in a career crisis, I’ve always wanted to try living in Florida, and I was also the victim of a serious random violent crime last year here in Chicago and now I feel like I’m a lot more anxious walking around here and taking public transport whereas I wasn’t previously.

In Florida, I love the beaches and the weather. I CAN’T STAND the cold anymore but the Chicago summers always pull me back in hence this post. The heat doesn’t bother me for some reason. I would also be able to live with my parents (they have an extra bedroom for me) for free and save money. I haven’t been able to save anything these past few years and still have some student loans to pay back. My hang up is the job market sucks down there and I don’t know many people down there. I’d be starting my whole social life over and that’s not the most fun thing to do at the age of 25-26. Maybe it’d help me focus more? Idk. A character flaw of mine is I don’t do things sometimes because of my Fear of missing out.

Politics aren’t a concern for me in terms of moving or not so please don’t make it about that.

Would love any advice and I’m willing to answer any questions to help you guys help me.

TLDR; I committed to moving in with my parents in Fort Lauderdale in 2 months and now I’m having second thoughts about leaving Chicago.

For context I was born in the inner city of Chicago and was raised there for 8 years and then I moved to a suburb of Indianapolis where I spent the majority of my years in middle/high school obviously.

Would you say you’re from Chicago or Indy in my shoes if you had to answer it without explanation? I’m sure others can relate but idk what I’d say if I had to pick one.

Curious what this community’s thoughts on Italki is and if anyone has direct experience using it. I’ve done some research and it seems opinions are kind’ve split and the teachers skills on there vary so it’s trial and error.

I learned Spanish in Chile by immersion and reached a B2 level very quickly. I want to get to C1 (I don’t want to study and take the actual test but you know what I mean) and it’s very hard without using it consistently and being immersed in the language/culture. Would a combination of tv series, books, the news, and then adding Italki be sufficient? All of my close friends are non Hispanic-white and black so there’s never much use for the language in my daily life. I’m moving from Chicago to Miami so it’ll be much easier to use my Spanish there but I want to get back into improving it. I just feel like I lack resources for learning and everything I come across is too easy. I think my biggest gap is just having actual conversations so I forget things I’ve previously learned

I have a pool at my apartment complex but sometimes I just wanna go drink at a pool by the beach. I’m aware you can spend $50 for a day pass at most places but are there any hotels that are pretty easy to sneak into the pool area? I’d buy drinks there too if there’s a bar but I don’t feel like paying money for a pool when I already have access to one.

Thanks in advance!!

I was that guy that got any girl he wanted in high school and college and then struggled once I became an adult in a big city. I got rejected a few times cold approaching, had a few failed talking stages that ended on their part, and then I started listening to rhetoric online that women don’t want men to approach them. I kept seeing videos of men getting harshly rejected and decided there’s no point, even though I’d never struggled getting with women previously.

Girls/women can chime in on this but I fell into a lie. Women DO want you to approach them in the right setting you just have to know when. I’m a M, 26, and I have went home with the first girl I’ve approached at the bar pretty much every time I’ve went out these last few months. I go out 2-3 times a week. As long as you’re not a creep and you show you’re genuinely interested in them as a person.. it’s not hard.

I do realize attractiveness plays a big role too. I’m a good looking guy but I’m only 5’9 so please don’t let height deter you. It’s all about your confidence/vibe.

Happy to answer any well thought out questions on what works for me if you provide context on what DOESN’T work for you. Again, please don’t listen to the incel BS you see on social media. Dating and finding hookups has gotten harder for most people but it’s not impossible.

So, I’m currently at a B2 level of Spanish and very fluent conversationally with the vocabulary I know.

My issue is, I don’t practice/study as much as I should and I do feel myself starting to make a few more careless mistakes and forgetting vocabulary that I was easily able to use before. I want to get a tutor to practice with on a frequent basis but the way my brain works is I have to learn something a very specific way and then branch out from there.

I keep getting stuck on what dialect should I hone in on when I know that shouldn’t be an issue but it is.. I studied abroad in Chile and picked up all their modismos/jerga and very few people understand me in the United States. I’m currently in Chicago where it’s a lot of Mexicans and Venezuelans that I come across but I’m moving to Miami soon.

Would you keep going with the Chilean dialect, or given I only go back there once a year (to see friends and host family that I text with like once a month) focus on learning a different countries dialect with a tutor from that country)

I know I’m making this more difficult than it needs to be but I’m super ADHD and this is the only way I can learn lol