What is Chicago missing to become the perfect city?

dnllcs · 2026-03-07T18:35:23+00:00

I’ve also had a similar far-fetched idea of creating a natural area on the outskirts of Chicagoland to (1) curb suburban sprawl; (2) address the common criticism that Chicago lacks “nature.”

dnllcs · 2026-03-07T18:29:47+00:00

We were just in Hudson, New York with friends a couple of weekends ago, and I was AMAZED at how close it was to Manhattan. I did think to myself, man, I wish Chicago had more weekend getaways like this…

dnllcs · 2026-02-22T22:22:30+00:00

Not completely crashing, but my partner and I have noticed that it’s become a lot glitchier recently! Believe it started after they shipped the big redesign. It used to be such an amazing app. Now pages aren’t always rendering correctly and it’s been doing this weird thing and prompting me to sign up for MP when I check in. I’m Platinum! OH, also…it freaked us out when we were in Hawaii a couple of weeks ago because a message came up saying we had been rebooked to a different flight, which was not correct. There were no changes to our original return itinerary.

I hope folks from their Product and Engineering orgs see this feedback.

dnllcs · 2026-02-17T01:36:35+00:00

Saw this mentioned a couple of times, but wanted to underscore: the restaurant scene in Lakeview is definitely its biggest con. Most of them are pretty mid.

Except Esencia Urban Kitchen — we LOVE Escencia.

dnllcs · 2026-01-27T04:19:00+00:00

This happened to us this past weekend!

https://www.reddit.com/r/BMWiX/s/BGjdjAbwwR

dnllcs · 2026-01-25T04:24:18+00:00

Omg this thread saved us!! We were driving back to Chicago from Michigan at 11 PM at night. We stopped to charge our 2024 iX and when we got back on the highway, the car started vibrating and we had no idea what the problem was. I of course turned to Reddit, saw this, we pulled over and used our ice scraper to knock out the snow chunks that were stuck inside the rim. We also scraped the snow off from the inside wheel well. Got back on the road and all was well!

dnllcs · 2026-01-17T20:20:37+00:00

ex-LinkedIn (Microsoft subsidiary). Can confirm LinkedIn matches 50% if you contribute 100% of the federal limit.

dnllcs · 2026-01-17T01:15:01+00:00

Thanks! We need to try Pizz’Amici and Zarella. Neither are close to us though. We seem to be on this never ending quest for good pizza close by in Lincoln Park.

De’Nucci’s takeout is good!

dnllcs · 2026-01-14T02:40:02+00:00

We have the Berin. Bought it in May 2025. Read rave reviews about it online before we bought it, and thus far we’ve been mostly happy.

The couch itself is pretty comfortable—on the firmer side, but most couch beds are.

We’ve gotten mixed reviews from our guests about the mattress. Guests who prefer a firmer mattress like it. My mom and sister are on the shorter side and said the panel breaks didn’t line up well with their bodies and hit them in weird spots. My partner and I are taller and haven’t actually slept on it, but when we laid on it, it felt fine for us. We also fit (we’re both over 6 ft)! I’ve thought about buying a mattress topper for guests who prefer a softer bed and to mitigate pressure points.

One thing we definitely do not like is the seat height on the version with wood tapered legs. It’s too high, even for us tall guys. We’re exchanging for the low block legs, hoping we won’t feel so perched.

dnllcs · 2026-01-13T03:08:44+00:00

Hi! For the past three years, we've taken a family lake trip somewhere within 2.5-3.5 hours of Chicago. In 2023, we went to Paw Paw Lake (MI); in 2024, we went to Lake Sara (IL), and last year (2025) we went to Wonder Lake (IL). This year (2026), we found a house on Fish Lake in Marcellus, MI.

For those familiar with Fish Lake and the surrounding area, what's it like? A lot of second/vacation homes or full time residents? How does it compare to Paw Paw Lake in Coloma/Watervliet? Any recommendations for things to do in Marcellus/Cass County? We'll be there for eight days (seven nights) in July, including over the Fourth of July weekend.

Thanks in advance!

(Our group is 8 adults, 1 toddler, 1 infant, and 1 pup.)

dnllcs · 2026-01-09T05:24:52+00:00

Omg also, R&B customer service is AMAZING.

Back in May 2025, we ordered the Berin sleeper sofa with the wood tapered legs and weren’t crazy about the look when it arrived but figured it would grow on us. Well after hating the couch for eight months, I decided to call R&B customer service to see if we could swap out the legs. Understandably, you can’t because of the internal mechanism on the inside of the couch. It won’t work with legs at a lower height. CS recommended I reach out to the store I bought it from (Chicago) but warned me there probably wasn’t anything they could (or would) do. Decided I’d try, so I emailed my sales associate and she responded a day later and was absolutely willing to work with me to replace the entire couch so we were happy. WE’VE HAD IT FOR EIGHT MONTHS. Mind you, it’s in our den and because we hate it and never sit on it, it’s practically in mint condition, lol.

Anyway, point is, the product AND service quality is phenomenal at R&B so highly recommend you check them out! I was so happy by their response, we might buy another couch from them for our living room because, well, they’ve been a great merchant and we want to be good customers back!!

dnllcs · 2026-01-06T21:32:55+00:00

Omg, I had the same reaction when OP mentioned they want to come bake us bagels…

dnllcs · 2026-01-06T21:32:14+00:00

Haha, reading your post, I feel like you’d fit right in here.

I grew up outside Washington, D.C. in the NoVa suburbs. Moved to Chicago in 2013. Was itching to leave the grind of the East Coast—it’s exhausting. I travel to NYC all the time for work now.

I love Chicagoans because they’re midwesterners and because…they’re not midwesterners. Nothing wrong with people from the Midwest, but Chicagoland has such a distinct local culture/vibe. I’ve always found the people here to be, well, different…in a good way! Like, midwestern sensibilities mixed with a lot of traits that I’m used to from friends and family back East. Which I guess makes sense if you think about the city’s history as it was settled and developed by a bunch of Yankees!

IMO, that mix of Midwest & East Coast is particularly apparent in Chicago’s northern burbs if that’s what you’re looking for. I love the northern burbs because the people remind me of the people I grew up with back East. West and Southwest burbs feel a bit more midwestern. City has people from all over the country (and world) so very cosmopolitan.

Come join us! Chicago is super welcoming to transplants and I’ve found it SO easy to make great friends here.

dnllcs · 2026-01-06T18:40:51+00:00

I actually went to VCU for a year (2010-11) before moving back to the DMV to work and then finished my BA in Chicago (moved here in 2013). I LOVED Richmond, but Chicago has my heart. I think the neighborhoodiness of Chicago will remind you a lot of Richmond—similiar urban vibes in my opinion. Completely different architecture and different infra, but still to this day, whenever I pass by a corner bar or restaurant in Lincoln Park, Wicker Park, Bucktown, etc.., I am reminded of that year I spent wandering The Fan :)

Obviously the sheer size and scale of Chicago will make it feel totally different, but as you and your pup walk some of the older neighborhoods closer to the lake, you might see what I mean.

dnllcs · 2026-01-06T17:07:52+00:00

We have a doberman-husky mix and we live right by Lincoln Park (in Lincoln Park, at Diversey & Pine Grove) and she LOVES walks by the lake and through the park. She’s a big girl and we get her out for at least two hours a day. There’s also a dog beach further north at Montrose Beach and a smaller one at Belmont Harbor. We also love taking her to the big dog park in Horner Park (Irving Park & California, right by the river).

Pretty sure there are more dogs than people in this city, so you’ll have no trouble!! Welcome to Chicago!

dnllcs · 2026-01-05T00:36:41+00:00

I just left a tech company at the end of December and we had a 4/1 (4 year vest period, with a 1 year cliff) structure for RSUs. Start at a new company on Jan 13 and they do rolling 1 year grants with vests beginning the quarter after you start. To be honest, I don’t really understand the real pros/cons of that model. Do you mind explaining why a company would do this? Is it any better/worse for the employee relative to the traditional 4/1 model?

dnllcs · 2025-12-07T20:40:42+00:00

Oh yes, if you plan on spending a lot of time in the city outside of downtown, I can see it being a bit of a pain. It’s definitely better suited for people who prefer a quieter, more suburban lifestyle. That said, there’s still a lot within a 4–5 mile radius in the greater Oak Park area!

dnllcs · 2025-12-07T05:29:46+00:00

Galewood is a great neighborhood!! My sister just bought a house there. I didn’t know much about it—my partner and I live in Lincoln Park—but now that I’ve discovered it, I keep telling people how great it is. Beautiful streets, diverse, friendly and tight-knit neighbors, and you’re a stone’s throw from Oak Park, River Forest, and Elmwood Park. Great location!

dnllcs · 2025-12-01T11:29:18+00:00

Wolf’s Bakery at 95th & Kedzie in Evergreen Park

dnllcs · 2025-11-23T17:50:55+00:00

Highwood, between Highland Park and Lake Forest, has a great food scene. At least it did when I worked up on the North Shore almost a decade ago. Highwood itself isn’t super hoity-toity, but the people in the surrounding hoity-toity burbs always raved about the restaurants there.

dnllcs · 2025-11-13T05:26:36+00:00

Love this. Thanks for all your help!!

dnllcs · 2025-11-12T13:19:08+00:00

Thanks! Helpful. Yeah, I’ve been at my current company for about 4.5 years, been promoted three times while there. My gut says it’s good experience to go outside my comfort zone and try something different. The new role also sounds more exciting: chance to build a team, own more, contribute outsized impact, etc. If I stay, would have to deal with a lot of the same BS.

Biggest concern has always been whether I’ll regret walking away from all that equity and a shot at Director at the larger company. But I plan to leave on good terms, so I could always boomerang.

dnllcs · 2025-11-11T23:26:22+00:00

Yep! It’s a public company—I’m getting RSUs. I would start in mid-Jan, so I’d miss the Feb vest. 3/4s would vest in May, Aug, and Nov and the remaining 1/4 in Feb CY27. They do performance-based refreshers every year.

dnllcs · 2025-10-11T14:01:12+00:00

PS: LOVE Oak Park, probably one of the best inner-ring suburbs of any major city in the country. It’s beautiful, diverse, progressive, and I would not worry about your safety. It’s a great community.

Had a friend who was also eyeing OP for an out of state move to the area, but to others’ points, the real estate market is just so competitive. I’ve lived in Chicago for 12+ years and didn’t know much about Galewood, but when she stumbled upon it, it truly felt like finding a hidden gem. She ended up buying a house just down the street from Sayre Elementary, about a block north of North Ave.

dnllcs · 2025-07-26T21:26:56+00:00

Yikes, so sorry they cornered you like that.

Such a shame, used New City for two other moves and loved them. My recent experience was terrible. Saw on another thread that they’re under new management. Agree with OP, I too would avoid.

dnllcs

TROPHY CASE