Wallethub

[abefroman329]

Crash keeps saying Chicago is great for millennials because "insert site"  said.  What are is the criteria being used by those sites?

kphoger agrees: low cost of living with decent public transportation.

...

Aside from, say, the top five most expensive cities to live in, where can a single person not find a studio apartment for less than $800 a month?  Or at least a two-bedroom apartment that he or she could split in half with a roommate?  Chicago, for example, which has excellent transit and whose monthly transit pass is just a hair over $100, has plenty of 2BR apartments for less than $900 a month.  Split that with a roommate, and your rent is less than $450.  Back in 2005 or so, I used to live in Wheaton (a nice suburb of Chicago) and split a nice 2BR apartment with two roommates, and rent for each of us was less than $300 a month.

...

That's actually not as bad as I thought it might be.  For comparison same I was paying between $525-$639 monthly for one bedroom apartments during the 2002-2006 and 2010-2013 eras in Phoenix.  I paid about $800 for a one bedroom in Orlando during 2014-2015 and $1,100 for a two bedroom from 2016-17 in Hanford, CA.  Our mortgage is about the same as what I was paying for the apartment in Hanford.

Yeah, I mentioned some of this in some now-deleted comments in the Illinois Notes thread (and, to the best of my knowledge, none of what I'm about to repeat was the reason those comments were deleted), but the cost of living in Chicago is dirt-cheap compared to DC or NYC.  In fact, when we drove to DC a year ago, we stayed at a 2-bedroom, 1-bath, third-floor walkup in Alexandria that would have cost more money to buy than our 3-bedroom, 2.5-bath townhouse on the Far North Side.

[Crash_It]

The 18 counties I haven't been to in Illinois are Mercer, Henderson, Warren, Hancock McDonough, Fulton, Adams, Mason, Menard, Cass, Morgan, Scott, Greene, Jersey, Calhoun, Pike, Brown and Schuyler. All the other 84 counties in the state I have been to.

Some of the most scenic counties in the state according to the topographical view on Google maps, from what I've seen in videos from another road geek. I've been to Jersey,Greene and McDonough and they are all very scenic. It's no wonder you say that IL is mostly flat and boring. Even elsewhere like Madison County etc can have very dynamic terrain. Same thing with the Peoria area and the West-northwest-Southwest suburbs of Chicago. The countries you mention are high on my must visit and film list. Bottom line, IL is not the drab and bland state that you are making it out to be.

[Scott5114]

Even elsewhere like Madison County etc can have very dynamic terrain.

Does it have synergy too? Be sure to note that in your first-quarter KPI report.

[hotdogPi]

I think "dynamic terrain"  means the land is alive and moving. And it might be out to get you.

[Scott5114]

I think "dynamic terrain"  means the land is alive and moving. And it might be out to get you.

Now that I think about it "dynamic terrain" does sound like an option in MapTool, probably on a menu right between "Fog of War" and "Vision Blocking Layer".

[Max Rockatansky]

The 18 counties I haven't been to in Illinois are Mercer, Henderson, Warren, Hancock McDonough, Fulton, Adams, Mason, Menard, Cass, Morgan, Scott, Greene, Jersey, Calhoun, Pike, Brown and Schuyler. All the other 84 counties in the state I have been to.

Some of the most scenic counties in the state according to the topographical view on Google maps

Seeing something on Google versus seeing it reality are very different things.  Funny, usually GSV is the argument most people make with Google.  I don't think that I've seen anyone cite the terrain feature?

[Scott5114]

Apparently hills cannot be ugly. Who knew?

[Max Rockatansky]

Apparently hills cannot be ugly. Who knew?

Can any dynamic terrain be considered ugly?

[Flint1979]

The 18 counties I haven't been to in Illinois are Mercer, Henderson, Warren, Hancock McDonough, Fulton, Adams, Mason, Menard, Cass, Morgan, Scott, Greene, Jersey, Calhoun, Pike, Brown and Schuyler. All the other 84 counties in the state I have been to.

Some of the most scenic counties in the state according to the topographical view on Google maps, from what I've seen in videos from another road geek. I've been to Jersey,Greene and McDonough and they are all very scenic. It's no wonder you say that IL is mostly flat and boring. Even elsewhere like Madison County etc can have very dynamic terrain. Same thing with the Peoria area and the West-northwest-Southwest suburbs of Chicago. The countries you mention are high on my must visit and film list. Bottom line, IL is not the drab and bland state that you are making it out to be.

Good for you there's something that I've seen that you haven't seen very much of obviously since you're such a biased homer for Illinois and that's other states there's only three states east of the Mississippi River that I haven't been to that's Maine, New Hampshire and Delaware. There are 49 other states in this country other than Illinois.

[Crash_It]

The 18 counties I haven't been to in Illinois are Mercer, Henderson, Warren, Hancock McDonough, Fulton, Adams, Mason, Menard, Cass, Morgan, Scott, Greene, Jersey, Calhoun, Pike, Brown and Schuyler. All the other 84 counties in the state I have been to.

Some of the most scenic counties in the state according to the topographical view on Google maps, from what I've seen in videos from another road geek. I've been to Jersey,Greene and McDonough and they are all very scenic. It's no wonder you say that IL is mostly flat and boring. Even elsewhere like Madison County etc can have very dynamic terrain. Same thing with the Peoria area and the West-northwest-Southwest suburbs of Chicago. The countries you mention are high on my must visit and film list. Bottom line, IL is not the drab and bland state that you are making it out to be.

There are 49 other states in this country other than Illinois.

I know that.

[Flint1979]

The 18 counties I haven't been to in Illinois are Mercer, Henderson, Warren, Hancock McDonough, Fulton, Adams, Mason, Menard, Cass, Morgan, Scott, Greene, Jersey, Calhoun, Pike, Brown and Schuyler. All the other 84 counties in the state I have been to.

Some of the most scenic counties in the state according to the topographical view on Google maps, from what I've seen in videos from another road geek. I've been to Jersey,Greene and McDonough and they are all very scenic. It's no wonder you say that IL is mostly flat and boring. Even elsewhere like Madison County etc can have very dynamic terrain. Same thing with the Peoria area and the West-northwest-Southwest suburbs of Chicago. The countries you mention are high on my must visit and film list. Bottom line, IL is not the drab and bland state that you are making it out to be.

There are 49 other states in this country other than Illinois.

I know that.

According to your statements here it doesn't look like you do.

[US 89]

Illinois isn’t the only flat state. In addition to Illinois, I’ve been to central Nebraska, eastern Colorado, western Kansas, north Texas, and eastern New Mexico and they were also flat.

There, that better?

[Flint1979]

He acts as if saying that Illinois is a flat state is a bad thing. Compared to the other 49 states Illinois is pretty flat.

[ET21]

 

[Scott5114]

West Virginia is about the least flat state and yet I don't think anyone is trying to claim it's the best state or anything. Heck, it's rare that people from there even say anything nice about it.

[Crash_It]

He acts as if saying that Illinois is a flat state is a bad thing. Compared to the other 49 states Illinois is pretty flat.

Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana and Delaware are all flatter.

[Max Rockatansky]

He acts as if saying that Illinois is a flat state is a bad thing. Compared to the other 49 states Illinois is pretty flat.

Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana and Delaware are all flatter.

Might want to check in with Tom from the Chicago Tribune.

[Flint1979]

He acts as if saying that Illinois is a flat state is a bad thing. Compared to the other 49 states Illinois is pretty flat.

Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana and Delaware are all flatter.

So 46th out of 50? That's not very good.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

He acts as if saying that Illinois is a flat state is a bad thing. Compared to the other 49 states Illinois is pretty flat.

Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana and Delaware are all flatter.

So 46th out of 50? That's not very good.

And at least all of those have the ocean/Gulf. Love the Great Lakes and struggle to see myself moving away from them, but they ain't the ocean.

[Flint1979]

Illinois has the lowest state highpoint in the Midwestern region of the United States and Charles Mound where the highest point in Illinois is located is about 1/4 of a mile from the Wisconsin state line so it's almost not even in Illinois. It ranks 45th in the country for state high points. It's 45th as well in difference between the highest and lowest point in the state. Btw, Michigan is hilly in areas, flat in others and I think it's one of the flatter states but Illinois is flatter than Michigan.

Michigan goes from 1,979 feet at Mount Arvon to 571 feet at Lake Erie.
Illinois goes from 1,235 feet at Charles Mound to 279 feet at Cairo in the southern most point in the state.

[Crash_It]

Illinois has the lowest state highpoint in the Midwestern region of the United States and Charles Mound where the highest point in Illinois is located is about 1/4 of a mile from the Wisconsin state line so it's almost not even in Illinois. It ranks 45th in the country for state high points. It's 45th as well in difference between the highest and lowest point in the state. Btw, Michigan is hilly in areas, flat in others and I think it's one of the flatter states but Illinois is flatter than Michigan.

Michigan goes from 1,979 feet at Mount Arvon to 571 feet at Lake Erie.
Illinois goes from 1,235 feet at Charles Mound to 279 feet at Cairo in the southern most point in the state.

49/56 in terms of relief, beating out Indiana which is 50/56 and again also beating out those other states I listed

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_and_territories_by_elevation?wprov=sfla1


Elevation of a high point says nothing about how flat a state is.

A state's high point could be an elevation of 1500 ft with most almost all of the state being at 1499 ft except for the high point.

[Max Rockatansky]

What is it like being the guy who "defends the honor of Illinois?"  I can't imagine that you are engaging a thankful task given how much pushback you get in the road community.  How did you know when it was your calling in life? 

[Scott5114]

I mean, I have a favorite state too, but I don't think I'd ever talk it up as much as Crash does Illinois.

[SectorZ]

I mean, I have a favorite state too, but I don't think I'd ever talk it up as much as Crash does Illinois.

What state? We all know it sure as hell isn't Oklahoma based on how you speak of it.

[Flint1979]

Illinois has the lowest state highpoint in the Midwestern region of the United States and Charles Mound where the highest point in Illinois is located is about 1/4 of a mile from the Wisconsin state line so it's almost not even in Illinois. It ranks 45th in the country for state high points. It's 45th as well in difference between the highest and lowest point in the state. Btw, Michigan is hilly in areas, flat in others and I think it's one of the flatter states but Illinois is flatter than Michigan.

Michigan goes from 1,979 feet at Mount Arvon to 571 feet at Lake Erie.
Illinois goes from 1,235 feet at Charles Mound to 279 feet at Cairo in the southern most point in the state.

49/56 in terms of relief, beating out Indiana which is 50/56 and again also beating out those other states I listed

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_and_territories_by_elevation?wprov=sfla1


Elevation of a high point says nothing about how flat a state is.

A state's high point could be an elevation of 1500 ft with most almost all of the state being at 1499 ft except for the high point.

Who in the hell cares?

Elevation of a high point does too tell you how flat a state is. If a state's high point is 1,500 feet with most almost all of the state being at 1,499 feet expect for the high point then that state would indeed be flat.

It's really mind boggling how biased toward Illinois you are. You are perhaps the only member of this forum like that. You don't see me being a Michigan homer and I actually talk about other states that I have been to. Not my fault or anyone else's that your travels are limited.