Chicago America's Most Stressful City?

Aside from any of the other points of BS methodology, it's just plain ridiculous that any city in the country could come second to New York City in any sort of "stress index." Come on now.

I'd be stressed if I drove unnecessarily drove too.

STRESS?! WHAT FUCKING STRESS?! SF:KLJfpqoiwef;jklasdf;kljasfkvx;ksjdlf!!!!

Chicago is the MOST stress-inducing place I have ever lived too.

There's a lot of talk about how friendly Chicagoan people are compared with other metropolitan dwellers - which is mostly true - but don't expect any of them to be able to give directions anywhere. I'm serious about this. If you need directions, go out of your way to ask somebody with a detectable non-Chicago accent.

Another stressful thing about city natives is their surprisingly provincial take on the world. Don't make the mistake of taking offense at a Chicagoan for not showing a lot of interest in where you're from, even after you've done them the favor of listening to their umpteenth story about their youth at St. Barnabas in Beverly.

And like Ingrid said - sure the downtown architecture is unique, but on an average day there's no escaping the blocks and blocks of faded brown brick. On the rare occasion when I discover a new place in the city, I have to be ready for a let down because there's always a potential that it will be too dangerous, or too expensive to really enjoy, or on a bus-line that quits running at 11 pm, or in an area where I'm not the right color ... it's always something.

I've done seven years in this city, but I've never had to go about my daily business in a car. Is it the price of gas keeping me off the road? Hell no - I have an efficient Honda. It's the god damned parking!

If you're lucky enough to find parking on a street without an R-L sign, there's still a 30% chance the goons will ticket your car anyway. And for what violation? Who knows - the citations in cop scrawl on wilted, damp paper are unreadable. Cars are a nice perk in Chicago if you have a reliable parking spot, and you don't need to drive them anywhere but the grocery store.

It's too bad my 99% reliance on the CTA isn't something I can boast of to my car-trapped California friends. Nope! Chicago's public transit system is designed and operated on a the premise of a long forgotten Soviet-era joke. Seriously - escalators that go up but not down? A non-working pay phone at every 4th station? Californians often ask me, "Wow you don't have to drive to work? That's great. How long does it take you to get there?" And I have to answer honestly, "Well it takes anywhere from twenty minutes to over an hour. You just never know."

I like my job that brought me here, but the day business of dealing with the city itself is a job in itself.

Ditto. Though I was raised here, I've lived other places as well. Since returning a few years ago, I am surprised at how often I find things to be so damned difficult here.

The worst part is that the stress makes me angry, which turns me mean, which comes out as irrational, self-righteous bullshit about who was REALLY next in line at the grocery store, which then raises the stress level of whomever I've just gotten snarky with. Thus, a cycle is born.

I do love this city--I love my job and that my family is nearby--I just don't think I'm tough enough to live here.

I've lived all over the country in 13 different cities in every corner of the US and I love Chicago. I think this study is crazy, especially when comparing to LA. I lived in LA for two years and eight years later (all spent in Chicago) I still feel a huge sense of relief and calm every time I get on the train, knowing I am not stuck in LA traffic. Of course, the stress does come up when the train mysteriously stops in the middle of nowhere or when it's so packed in the winter that you can't cram another body on so you have to wait out in the arctic winds for the next win. But even given that, it beats most other cities in quality of life.

Any big city is stressful, including this one. There is heightened competition in nearly everything...to be cool, successful, fit a billion things in...plus all the driving/parking/shopping issues everyone mentions. Plus, you are surrounded by honking cars, traffic, millions of people.

I sometimes think about moving to a beach town!

I think the thing most stressful to me is the way everyone is on edge all the time. I grew up in a smaller town and people were just less competitive, generally. Although Chicago is still eons ahead of L.A., from what I hear. Imagine being surrounded by a million aspiring movie stars (I'M going to be the center of attention! NO, I AM!!!). Please shoot me.

Chicago is also one of the most segregated cities in America, which makes it very difficult to make and cultivate lasting friendships with different races. Why? Because most of the people here rather just socialize with their own race. And I won't go into the subtle racist attitudes many Chicagoans exhibit...especially from the white population.

"I'm dismayed by the influx of people moving here who are just...(sorry, there's not a polite way to say this) ASSHOLES over the past ten years. I remember when Chicago used to actually be friendly."

What? Chicago has always been the most backstabbing, player hating, don't-become-successful-or-I'll-take-you-out place ever. I've lived here my whole life. Real Chicagoans are nice enough, but don't ever flaunt your wealth or they'll bring you down to size.

My goodness, the comments on here miss the point. You know this survey is idiotic because it lists SAN DIEGO as one of the most stressful in the country. That is a very clear clue that this is a stupid exercise.

And frankly, stressful is what you make of it. I don't find Chicago stressful. I think a lot of people are projecting issues they have in their own lives on to the city (I'm looking at you Matty, thatsright, A2, and Ingrid). Still, if Chicago is the most stressful place for you that you have ever lived, nobody can deny that.

Personally, I found Urbana/Champaign much more stressful. Nowhere to go. Nothing to do. Terrible food. Exams. Crappy apartments. Ugh. I would rather live in the Chi any day. I can handle traffic, parking, and not caring what people think of me.

In New York I noticed that people generally don't put people in categories there. It's one of the things I miss the most about that city.

I am a transplant from the East Coast, went to college in Chicago, then lived in New York City. New York is by far the more stressful place to live in my experience. What a tough to live place to live in. It was hard to meet decent people, have access to creative pursuits without paying an arm and a leg, pay a reasonable rent, feel safe, and live in a place where there were no alleys so garbage was right outside your door (I dare anyone to visit NYC in July and August and tell me the stench of a garbage dump didn't end up on their clothes and hair and in their apartments). It took me two years to feel comfortable and actually admit New York was ok. The next year I left and came back to my first love, Chicago.

I find Chicago more accessible and thus, less stressful (or in the alternative, stress is more manageable) on lots of levels: if I want to go to a show, I have a wide choice entertainment from free to expensive; rents for what I want in an apartment are definitely reasonable; people are easy to meet and are friendlier (might be the circles I run with - no trixie and chad bars for me, thanks); and the lake and the green space are much more accessible (it was tough to remember Manhattan was an island, what with the concrete canyons). Sure, there are stresses when you a large concentration of population (rats in the cage...), and I do miss the opportunity to hop on the Amtrak and get to DC or Boston or points in between to get out of NYC. But, Chicago, my adopted hometown, is where I am most comfortable being. Parking issues, snow days, can't find a decent bagel without going to Skokie, roll-your-eyes-at-the-latest-ban-an-alderman-proposes and all.

Chicago, will you marry me?

Totally agree with Jels. Grew up on the east coast, came here for college, moved to New York, and couldn't wait to get back to Chicago. Way less stressful here, cultural activities are way more accessible, and higher quality of life. That said, all of my friends in Chicago are East Coast transplants. Native Chicagoans are generally boring and provincial. It's also hilarious how many Chicago suburbanites escape to New York City and think so highly of their adopted hometown (and themselves). They have bad memories of waiting outside for a school bus in some anonymous midwestern suburb and then feel entitled to belittle a city they know little to nothing about (since most leave Chicago at 18 to attend college on the coasts and never look back). The truth is that midwesterners are just as boring in New York City as they are in Chicago. Midwesterners just aren't as fun as east coast kids IMO. Chicago is great though, as long as your hang with people from elsewhere.

I've found that coping with the everyday stressors of Chicago life makes me a calmer, kinder person overall. It teaches me to keep things in perspective and makes me more likely to empathize when someone else is having a bad day. If I let some of the everyday crap get to me, I'd be walking the streets in abject misery. In Chicago, kindness and patience are often the cheapest and most effective coping mechanisms.

Chicagoist, on the other hand, is easily one of the most stressful websites in the country. And I have not yet learned to cope with some of the comments properly ... at least not on a consistent basis.

In defense of Forbes (eieew), I have to put two more of my cents into this by saying: I'm going to have a handicapped-out-of-town guest in for the weekend.

The weekend isn't even here yet and I'm already stressed to the max trying to figure out which CTA station's elevators are actually operational and which downtown areas have ramps etc.

Northern NJ, which is basically NYC

Obviously you are not a bowler.

in a response to "jerseydude",its funny how many eastcoasters i have to put in check everytime i somehow manage to meet one of you. i have so called friends from queens and the bx and im telling you like i told them---dont come here to chicago and try to act like you are so much of the s@*t. you obviously coulndt make it in your hometown(ny) so you come here(chi)and try to act like your the toast of the town. and arent you from jersey? from what i hear, nyorkers dont give a da%m about you anyway. the problem with native nyorkers is that they all want to be more important than what they really are in the presence of other cities. no matter how unimportant they are as a person they think that that they have some sort of "east coast charisma" that makes them more special. and they are really just pretending as usual, most dont really have to much going on, thats why they are acting like well, you "jerseydude". i really dont care that much whos more stressful, i just wanted to respond to this guy whos acting like an east coast don but probably really isnt as vibrant as he says he is

I am not sure about the stress but Chicago is definitely the dumbest city I ever lived in. It's public transportation (trains) will take you anywhere you want, provided you want to go downtown. Both local news papers are of very suspicious journalistic quality and are so uninspiring that they have almost no circulation outside of Chicago. The only national magazine out of Chicago is Playboy. The only TV programming out of Chicago is Ophra. The only three major league sport clubs have won a total of four national titles since their inceptions. Chicago pays the highest sales tax in the country and in returns it gets terrible roads and the worst police and highest crime rates of all big cities in the US.
Most importantly Chicago is full of shallow, boring, unrefined uneducated, close minded, tasteless and totally complacent hicks that allow legendary Chicago corruption and for the same individual to run the city in the past few decades.
Yes, If Chicago is in fact the most stressful city in the US, it is only because the dumb folks here deserve it like nobody else.
Go Cubs!