Got a bit warmer by late afternoon yesterday, but cool and clear to start. Same forecast for today.
I’m in a suburb of Chicago, and I was quite surprised by the difference in pricing at the grocery store. Items I buy every week in Houston were 1/3 or 1/2 again as expensive. Bacon was $14 instead of $8. Rolls, sliced ham, soda, all more expensive here. Dinner out was more than I expected too. Gas is $2.49 (or more) vs $2.15/gal. Tolls on the highway were $1.10 for a short stretch (and used to be just 40c.)
This is far from a luxury area. Mom’s house will likely sell for $140K, and is 1800 sqft on a big corner lot. The opposite of gentrification is happening here. The streets here in the neighborhood haven’t seen any maintenance in at least 20 years and maybe 30. Houses are smaller than mom’s through most of the area. One car garages are not uncommon. Some blocks, a larger 2 car garage is actually bigger than the house.
All this to say, prices are WAY out of line for the sort of area it is, and yet they are inline with where my sibs live too. I’m pretty sure they are typical prices for most of Chicagoland, if not a bit lower than nicer areas.
Why would you live here or expect to STAY here? It is NOT getting better, it’s getting worse.
My sibs seem to be either suffering from Stockholm Syndrome or cognitive dissonance. Neither is healthy in the long term.
There are millions here looking at the same fate, and many are pulling the ejection lever. I wish my family would too.
nick