Ask HN: What is the technology sector in Chicago like? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: What is the technology sector in Chicago like?

I'm contemplating moving out of the Bay Area to Chicago. I work in a big enterprise company that's very pro-remote work. So, a transfer is not an issue. Would you recommend it? Have you moved from one of the big tech cities to Chicago?

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Chicago is an awesome city. Right now is the best time (Chicago summers are amazing) however it really depends on your priorities.

Strong opinions here:

If you are ready to settle down, buy a house, raise a family in or near a city... Chicago is a safe/comfortable bet.

If you are looking for tech, don't move.

Can you provide more details on WHAT you are looking for in Chicago?

DISCLAIMER: I moved to Chicago about 2 years ago and now i'm back in the bay area.

>If you are looking for tech, don't move.

To expand on this: HN's monthly "Who is hiring?" threads tend to feature the same Chicago-based companies, over and over, with very little change. There's no contest compared to the Bay Area as far as variety is concerned.

It's a great city though, and summers are indeed amazing—in part because the other seasons tend to suck.

Thanks. I never thought of grokking the "Who is hiring" thread. This is really helpful. Thanks.

I feel like the "Who is hiring" is a poor indicator of tech in a city as it is small sample of developers that use HN.

Sure, but it's a good indicator of startup-ish tech in a city.

Thank you. I'm contemplating going to business school (part-time) there. I might do what you did - stay there for business school and come back after. How did you find it - moving back to the bay area?

Long-time resident of Chicago here. What do you suggest as a good plan to move out to another city to seek a greater diversity? How to filter out companies in other cities that cannot pay relocation?

The problem I see with Chicago is that there are no unicorns/tech co's that make many people outside of the area say "I really want to move to Chicago to work there!" Doesn't have the same pull as the west coast hubs.

I live in the Chicago suburbs and work in the city and I'm a big fan of the suburbs (not a big city fan) and would recommend them. The weather sucks (cold winters, humid summers) but there is a lot of stuff to do.

As for tech, I'm a .NET developer and haven't had any issues getting work in the city. Chicago is also a great place to live if you want C++ work because of the financial markets as you have prop trading firms, HFT firms, clearing firms and exchanges all using C++. That same sector also uses .NET as well.

The tech scene in the Midwest is expanding rapidly right now. It's exciting to see what businesses are growing up here. I joined G2 Crowd in Chicago almost a year ago and it couldn't be a better company to work for and Chicago could be a better place to work.

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