Why Dancers Are Relocating to Chicago — It's More Than Just the Pizza!

Photo credit: Petr Kratochvil/CC0 Public Domain.

With the unprecedented year that 2020 has brought us, many artists are considering relocating from bigger cities, like Los Angeles and New York City, to a place that offers more greenery, but the conveniences of a bustling metropolis. One smaller city that embraces the arts is becoming a mecca for performers — Chicago.

The Windy City provides plenty of performing opportunities in theatre and TV (Hello, every Dick Wolf show!), along with a robust food scene and plenty of outdoor activities. It's one city that creatives should not overlook.

So You Think You Can Dance Season 12 winner and All-Star Gaby Diaz took a chance on the city in 2017 and found herself dancing with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago after finishing their professional program. Chicago also brought the dance industry the incredible work of Ian Eastwood and the Joffrey Ballet even moved its headquarters there in 1995. The city also hosts a thriving musical theatre scene with many Broadway-bound shows doing their out-of-town run in Chicago like the upcoming James Alsop-choreographed, The Devil Wears Prada.

I experienced the thrill of living in the city from 2012-2013 when my then-boyfriend, now-husband starred as Ricky Ricardo in I Love Lucy Live On Stage. He performed at the Broadway Playhouse and we spent nine glorious months taking in all the city had to offer. While our accommodations were provided by the production team in a high-rise building on State Street, many other performers required more space for their families. It was a struggle for them to find temporary housing in a city they weren't familiar with.

Photo credit: Dance Dish.

One of the big challenges in moving to a new city is finding the best place to call home and it would have been helpful for the out-of-town cast to have a service like Zumper. The site would have eased a lot of their pre-move worries during their home search. Zumper filters properties by location, price range, bedroom count and pet accommodations — you know, London and Linus need a comfy place to rest their furry heads.

Zumper updates its inventory in real-time and the application can be submitted digitally, including the credit report. The best part is the convenience of choosing the right dwelling is all in one place — from a condo to a multi-story home. Whether you want to reside along the shores of Lake Michigan in Hyde Park or make sure you are in the foodie paradise of the West Loop, Zumper is going to make sure you find the best place for you to call home.

Chicago is a magical city in the heart of the Midwest and it's a great spot for artists to find an affordable place to thrive. Creatives love to call the Windy City their home and foodies love that the city offers the ultimate quest to discover the most delicious deep dish pizza the city has to offer. (I'm a Lou Malnati's fan myself — don't @ me... it's the best!)

Before you go, check out our interview with Gaby Diaz about her role in Stephen Spielberg's West Side Story.