<p>I am having trouble picking out housing for next year. I have three things that I want:
-near SSA building
-very close to public transportation
-near the grocery store, coffeshops, etc....</p>
<p>I am having a hard time prioritizing what's the most important. Exactly how cold is it in the winters???? Is it completely unbearable to walk outside? Would a 15 minute walk to my building be torture? I'm coming from TX where my "heavy" coat probably won't be enough for a Chicago fall coat!</p>
<p>It's not so much the cold as the whipping wind. Make sure you have gloves, scarf, earmuffs and lots of chapstick.
15 minutes is a long walk, about a mile, but you can do it.</p>
<p>As someone who has lived in both warm climates (Santa Barbara, Dallas) and cold (Chicago, Minneapolis and Boston), I can tell you that dealing with a northern winter is as much about clothing as it is about attitude.</p>
<p>IF you have a good parka, with hood, a scarf and good mittens, with decent boots on your feet, you can go literally for hours in the cold. Think of the movie Grumpy Old Men, and you get the idea.</p>
<p>OTOH, if you insist on a t shirt and sandals, it will be tougher.</p>
<p>Good winter clothing need not be expensive, so I wouldn't worry about it.</p>
<p>I can't remember where the SSA building is, but back when I was there, no first year housing was near public transportation and a grocery store. Blackstone Hall and another apartment building were the ones that might fit your criteria (transportation and grocery at least), but first years probably cannot live there.</p>
<p>I'm a grad student -- so I'm looking at grad housing options or apts in Hyde Park. Thanks for your advice. SSA = 60th + Ellis</p>
<p>Oh, good. That should be easier.</p>
<p>Oh well, you should have said so....grad students are supposed to suffer...j/k
When I arrived in Michigan as a grad student from a tropical climate, I enjoyed every moment of every season. Also being penniless, I bought used winter coats,and enjoyed romping in the snow, making snowmen, etc. So really, attitude is everything:)</p>
<p>And honestly, why is cold necessarily a negative thing? I find it exhilarating, personally. And as newmassdad said, much of it is attitude.</p>
<p>i'm not saying it's a negative thing, but it's a think to take into consideration. i'm excited about the snow, etc......but everyone who i have talked to about chicago mentions the insanely cold winters.....and for someone who has never lived in a really cold place, i am just looking for tips :)</p>
<p>A lot of the talk of insanely cold winters is like the talk of the legendary difficulty of Chicago. If it's even a bit uncomfortable, you make it sound as bad as possible to get maximum sympathy. </p>
<p>Many who have experience would say that Chicago winters are probably easier than winters in upstate NY, for example.</p>
<p>swgrad,
I grew up in California, and while it took a little time for me to acclimate, it is possible. For the coldest days, flannel-lined jeans (or microfiber or silk longjohns) make a world of differences. Layers for all parts of your body - not just a heavy jacket - is key. A knit cap under the hood - an extra layer of wool socks - the less exposed flesh, the better. You may not be a fashion plate, but hey, this is UChicago. </p>
<p>Another tip - your metabolism will ramp up to deal with the cold. When that happens - you will feel comfortable outside in a tee shirt during spring thaw a when its a balmy 50 degrees!</p>
<p>thanks so much for the positive feedback!</p>
<p>While I was a grad student at Chicago our lab was about 8 blocks or so from campus. For the 3 years I took courses, and the 2 years I was a TA, I walked it several times a week. I survived, and I loved The University (still do), but it did get bitterly cold. I remember one day it was -29, -90 wind chill (a record). For days it is often below zero. And the wind, it is that wind (AKA the Hawk) that is so vicious. Though the name "windy city" came from a NY reporter commenting on all the bragging Chicago was doing about the 1892 Columbia Exposition, it has stuck because it is indeed a windy city. I had a down coat that reached to my ankles, wore long underwear, boots, a hat, a hood, arctic gloves, and a scarf, and I was still cold. Would I have traded my time there for a chance to study at any other university warm climate or not, never. There is simply no university as great as the University of Chicago. Once there, one understands why it is referred to as "The University."</p>
<p>I love the cold :) and here in MN I am fairly used to it (also captain of the downhill ski team).</p>
<p>Today went outside after school for ultimate frisbee and it started snowing. We never thought about calling it off or anything, not even the people who only had t-shirts.</p>