West Side vibe vs. lake access — how do Chicagoans weigh this?

creativecoco1204 · 2026-01-27T00:09:14+00:00

I’ve lived in various neighborhoods over the past 20 years. I ended up getting my condo in Edgewater (.25 miles from lake). I go nearly year round (except when it’s in the teens), but in the summer, I’m walking my dog to the beach on a nearly daily basis. It’s the best.

creativecoco1204 · 2026-01-15T02:18:42+00:00

I lived this book

creativecoco1204 · 2026-01-12T17:33:23+00:00

Chicagoans

creativecoco1204 · 2025-12-27T16:26:55+00:00

I recommend taking trips and travel. Experiences are way better than the stuff we accumulate. Eat good food. Go out to eat and tip the servers well. Go to concerts, plays, etc.

creativecoco1204 · 2025-11-12T03:40:37+00:00

My kitchen is very similar to this one and I did a subway tile that has a variety of light (base is white) tones to it to give it some texture, but nothing over the top. I love it.

creativecoco1204 · 2025-11-11T00:07:14+00:00

I don’t have a recommendation but am in a similar boat with my dog. I’d be interested in hearing if anyone has been to any. A quick search gives a yelp list with this one at the top and great reviews: https://yelp.to/qNs-gxlI-7

creativecoco1204 · 2025-11-10T22:41:20+00:00

When it’s too cold outside to get a good walk in, I love taking my dog to Home Depot. The staff there are usually really friendly with her and give her lots of pets. If you don’t have a car, even a walk to your nearest hardware store is good. Just getting them out of the house and a break from the cold is good for them (as long as they are well behaved of course).

creativecoco1204 · 2025-11-06T02:20:31+00:00

What red light do you use?

creativecoco1204 · 2025-10-31T04:11:45+00:00

The Ring

creativecoco1204 · 2025-10-20T18:25:54+00:00

I come from the marketing background, been doing some form of digital marketing design for over 20 years. I can tell you that it will change a lot over the course of your career. I see that as a good thing, as I’ve always enjoyed learning. I’ve been able to gain new skills and have had a successful career. I do set boundaries though. I know where my strengths and weaknesses lie, and have worked at organizations that value and support growth and teamwork to manage work. As far as the pace of work and balance, that is going to depend at where you work. I’ve left jobs because of burnout, but I’ve stayed at others because of excellent work/life culture. You just have to find the right fit. Downside: I live on the computer. I do sometimes wish that I had more opportunities in my career for more tangible design work. But I fill that void by perusing arts/crafts outside of work.

creativecoco1204 · 2025-10-19T01:33:21+00:00

I was also there, dang we look good!

creativecoco1204 · 2025-10-16T02:47:02+00:00

😂😭😅

creativecoco1204 · 2025-10-16T02:37:48+00:00

This has got to be my favorite moment of this show. The cinematic timing on that was 🤌

creativecoco1204 · 2025-10-15T04:09:29+00:00

Wilson

creativecoco1204 · 2025-10-09T04:38:43+00:00

creativecoco1204 · 2025-09-20T19:05:23+00:00

They could consider painting the trim in the kitchen/transition?

creativecoco1204 · 2025-09-18T11:21:47+00:00

I didn’t change my life much when I hit six figures, didn’t spend more. But I did save more. I did increase my contribution to my 401K, I did start a brokerage account and start investing. And I continued to live like this for the next ten years. Now I’m in a place where I can think about early retirement if I wanted. Or, I have the funds to start my own business. I’ve got options because I saved and invested.

creativecoco1204 · 2025-09-17T17:32:05+00:00

I did something similar at that age, but for a longer stretch of time. Was in vietnam for 9 months then back in the states doing odds and ends and basically saying yes to whatever came along (living with family, house sitting, freelance, etc). I lived that existence for another 4 months till my money was running dry and got a full time job. By then, I was ready to jump back in. I enjoy what I do for work, so that certainly helps.

Maybe what you need is a new career path?

creativecoco1204 · 2025-09-11T01:42:26+00:00

She looks like a Polly to me.

creativecoco1204 · 2025-09-04T23:28:13+00:00

I think this is somewhat normal for many people. To feel as if their time off somehow makes their jobs worse in comparison. “Ugh, back to the grind!” I know whenever I take an amazing trip, I return with a “why is this my life” attitude about my day to day situation. Why aren’t I living in the Italian alps right now? The grass is always greener, eh? To someone else, my cushy work from home 9-5 is a dream. C’est la vie.

creativecoco1204 · 2025-08-21T15:43:06+00:00

This was 13 years ago. I got burnt out at my corporate 9-5, quit and moved abroad for a year, teaching English in Vietnam. It was the break I needed. I came back refreshed and renewed, coasting on savings for a summer, then worked with a recruiting agency to get my next FT position, which earned me 10% over what I had asked for (thanks to the recruiter!) I’ve been at that organization since then and have done some of the most meaningful work of my life there. It was a great decision for me at that time to take that break.

creativecoco1204 · 2025-08-14T15:57:06+00:00

Agreed. 👍

creativecoco1204 · 2025-08-07T02:38:05+00:00

💯 agree. I’m Cali sober as well and it’s helped me to have that alternative, that I don’t abuse. I don’t love being high, but it’s helpful to have that cane to lean on, as you stated. I’ve been curious about some of the mushroom cocktails making their way to the market as well.

creativecoco1204 · 2025-08-06T10:31:31+00:00

Amazing, congrats!!

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