Help me move to the US! Some basic qs re. cellphones, bank accts. etc.

[PartyGirlUK]

OK I'm likely moving to Chicago* in 36 hours now that Englishmen once again showed their inability to kick a football 12 yards.

I have a million things I need to sort out once I move, and once I think of them, I'm going to post them in this thread.

OK to start with. I'm going to want to get a mobile phone, or as I now call them, a cell. What is the best way to go about this? Can I just go to any phone shop on a high street and likely get quoted a competitive price? If not, which shop would you recommend? Which model should I get? I'm not looking for anything fancy, and I don't envisage making many international calls. Just want a phone so I can sms/talk to friends and be contactable if need be. I am not a yakker so it is really just for coordinating meet up times etc. Any recommendations (or should I just be fine to walk into a store and they will advise me)

I'm also going to need a bank account. Just looking for a high street bank to provide me with an easy source to access my $, get a credit and debit card etc.

I'm going to have to find somewhere to rent. Is it going to be really hard for me to find somewhere furnished? What about if I want to live in an apartment block where there are communal facilities (i.e. gym, swimming pool). I lived in places like that in Thailand and it would be great for my first while so I dont have to deal with furnishing my apartment, getting an account with a phone company etc.

I'm going to want to get hooked up with internet connection. I've heard about mobile internet cards that let you get internet wherever in the US you are (so you could get it while in a car). Would that suffice? Could I simply move the card between my desktop and my laptop as need be? Ideally I would prefer not to pay for a phone line as I will make all my calls through skype anyway. What are my options here? Before I get it set up, how tough will it be for me to find somewhere quiet like a starbucks or borders where I can play poker on my laptop.

More to come, but genuine thanks to all that help!

*edit

[Anacardo]

Just where is it you're planning to live?

[Kneel B4 Zod]

a lot of this depends on where you are moving. please tell.

[PartyGirlUK]

Chicago, sry.

[Evan]

Why do you keep saying "high street"?

[Kneel B4 Zod]

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Chicago, sry.

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cell phone: different providers use different standards here. if you want to use your cel phone in foreign GSM countries, go with Cingular. otherwise, Verizon. not sure which is better in Chicago. generally T Mobile and Sprint are fine in cities, but crap outside cities...avoid them.

once you decide which company to go with, you can order a phone online or go to a B&M store they should be easy to find.

these cel phone providers are the same people who provide "anywhere" internet access cards. these are good for your laptop, but not what you want for your primary home service.

I'm not sure who provides internet service in Chicago, but in general a cable internet/TV package is your best bet. once you get internet at home, just use Skype or whatever no need for a home phone.

no idea about banks.

[FlyWf]

It's generally cheaper to buy a cellphone from the company website as opposed to a random shop on the street. Also, if you're working for a big company, just pick whichever one you can get a discount on.

As for a bank, they're all the same, so find one near where you work and/or live and just walk in. Lean towards national or superregional banks over local ones. Again, if you work for a big company there will likely be a preferred bank that you can get like a checking account with free checks or something like that with.

[Anacardo]

Here's how you get move to Chicago:
he pulls a knife, you pull a gun.
He sends one of yours to hospital,
you send one of his to the morgue!
That's the Chicago way!
And that's how you move to Chicago.

[PartyGirlUK]

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Chicago, sry.

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these cel phone providers are the same people who provide "anywhere" internet access cards. these are good for your laptop, but not what you want for your primary home service.


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why not?

[Clarkmeister]

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Chicago, sry.

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Chicago is a massive area. Are you working there? Do you have a specific area where you want to live?