Welcome to a city that perfectly blends Midwest hospitality with a slight East Coast edge. Immense civic pride, a love of sports, and incredible food choices make up the fabric of the Second City. Where other cities are harder to break into, Chi-town is an easy place for transplants to navigate and find heir place. Before moving to Chicago, familiarize yourself with the things every local knows.
1. Know the Food Staples
Deep Dish Pizza
Locals rarely eat this cheesy “meal in a slice” version of pizza. It’s a delicacy reserved for visiting friends and the occasional drunken craving. Pequod’s is some of the best in town, and the popular (but touristy) Lou Malnati’s is another great choice.
Classic Italian Beef Sandwiches
Originating in the 1930s, this regional sandwich is composed of thin slices of seasoned roast beef, simmered and served with au jus on a long Italian roll, topped with spicy giardiniera. Italian beef sandwiches are the answer to all that ails, and appreciating this hometown staple is part of your initiation into becoming a Chicagoan. Bari, Portillo’s, and Al’s Beef are all great places to start deciding which Italian beef combination is best for you.
The Chicago Dog
This staple is comprised of an all-beef hot dog in a poppy seed bun topped with yellow mustard, chopped white onions, sweet pickle relish, a dill pickle spear, tomato wedges, pickled sport peppers, and a dash of celery salt. Sorry, ketchup fans, that’s not how it’s done here. Some of our favorite places serving Chicago dogs are Maxwell Street Depot, Portillos, and The Weiner Circle.
2. Find Your People
Chicago is like a big city and a small town wrapped in one. It’s the perfect blend of transplants, locals, and those who have lived here long enough to be considered locals.
Chicago is also widely known as a city of neighborhoods, so where you choose to live will help shape your opinion of your new city. Do your research and figure out which one best suits your interests and budget. If you need some help, check out our deeper dive of the city’s neighborhoods for young professionals and our top picks for Chicago’s best neighborhoods.
3. Sports Authority
Nothing brings this city together quite like sports. You can find locals day drinking at Wrigley Field, watching the Bears at Soldier Field, or cheering on the White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field. If baseball and football aren’t your favorite sports, fear not! Chicago is also home to the Blackhawks (NHL), Sky (WNBA), and the Bulls (NBA). So go ahead, pick your favorite sport and root for your new hometown squad.
4. Get to Know Transportation Options
Ditch the car—your wallet and the environment will thank you. The CTA (also known as the L) may be slow, a bit unreliable, and a tad unkempt, but it will get you where you need to go. You can always walk, ride your bike, or grab a Lyft, too. If you’re working downtown, familiarize yourself with the Pedway, an underground set of tunnels and bridges that links more than 40 blocks in the Central Business District. It’ll keep you warm on that walk to work!
5. Prepare for Winter
Your first Chicago winter doesn’t have to be a miserable learning experience. Invest in quality winter gear, like boots, parkas, and gloves because the right gear makes all the difference. Aside from clothing, always keep HotHands warmers close by for stuffing in your gloves and shoes.
Your body will also take some adjusting, so pick up a quality moisturizer for your cracking face and hands, and stock up on your vitamins. If you’d rather do things the old fashioned way, book a warm-weather getaway in the dead of winter and soak up all that delicious Vitamin D. Late January or early February are the perfect times to escape and find some sun, and flights are relatively cheap compared to summer prices.
6. So Many Activities
Speaking of summertime, the summer months in Chicago are a magical time. They’re full of days spent drinking on patios and at secret speakeasies, visiting the beach, and going to music festivals like Lolapalooza, and block parties. Seeing the awakening of the city in spring is a warm welcome after a long winter indoors, and getting a grasp of all the events is crucial to experiencing summer in the city.
Other seasons have their iconic events in the city, too. From the famous St. Paddy’s Day parade in the Loop where the city dyes the river green to special pop-up holiday markets in the winter, each neighborhood packs its calendar year-round with exciting events.
7. Get Ready to Drink
Make no mistake, Chicago is a drinking town. In 2014, GQ even named it the Greatest Drinking City in America. So, prepare to put your drinking pants on and hit up some bars on the weekends. Wrigleyville on a game day (or any weekend, really) is a lively place to be. Boystown is perfect for a night out at an LGBTQ+ bar or club, and spots in Logan Square serve up handcrafted cocktails that are helping to put the neighborhood on the map. On a nice day, you can hit up the rooftop bars across the city. Need some food to go with that beer? Check out these BYOB spots that locals love.
8. Be a Tourist in Your Own Town
Moving to a cool new locale means you’ll be getting lots of out of town visitors. Learn the best ways to show off your Chicago. That means avoiding the hordes of tourists at Navy Pier and opting for a Chicago architecture river cruise instead. These offer a great view of the city’s architecture while still avoiding the crowds. The Willis Tower will likely top most tourists’ wish lists for the amazing views—instead, show off your savvy localness by taking them to the Signature Lounge on the 96th floor of the John Hancock Building for bites, drinks, and a view, and forgo the standing in a long line and paying for the Sears observation deck.
There you have it, a few things to know before you can call yourself a true Chicagoan. Get started on your apartment search and find your new place before you even get here. You’ll have plenty of things to do once you arrive; apartment hunting doesn’t have to be one of them.
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