ChicagoBound

Job transfer taking me to Chicago. Looking for advice on decent neighborhoods to start an apartment search. Am going to work just slightly south of the Loop and don't want to live in the suburbs, but doubt I can afford anything as tony as the Gold Coast.

Hoping to pay no more than $1,100-$1,700 per month for a 1 bedroom (not including utilities) or maybe a junior 1 bedroom (no studios - my furniture is just too big so I'm hoping I can get a place that is at least 600 square feet for that price).

What is important to me is living in an area that has good public transportation connections close by - the El, Metra or a bus that runs frequently.

I'd also like to live in a part of the city that has some decent places to shop that I can easily walk to (ex. Trader Joe's or Whole Foods type supermarkets, chain drugstores like Walgreen's or CVS, bookstores or a branch of the city library) and maybe a couple of gyms or yoga/pilates studios in the vicinity.

Not particularly interested in living in an area overrun with college students so it'd be nice to find a neighborhood where the average ages run between 25 and 50 and the household incomes are in the middle class to (just under) upper middle class range.

I have a map with the Chicago neighborhood names on it, so if you could identify areas you think would fit the bill by their name, that'd be really helpful. Thanks!

exiledprincess

CB, I love, love, love living in East Lakeview. This area is also known as "Boystown", although the gay/lesbian/straight mix is fairly even.

I'll even give you the name of an apartment building right on Lake Shore Drive to check out - Hawthorne House. You can view their floorplans online, if you wish. The 1-bedrooms appear to be in your budget range, but I'd verify if they are up-to-date.

There is a Treasure Island grocery store just at the end of the long block west, a Jewel food store 2 more blocks away and a Whole Foods just a little further. Lots of boutique shops and restaurants in the neighborhood.

Express busses run down Lake Shore Drive all day and night - and you could take the 'L

exiledprincess

Sorry! For some reason, my incomplete reply posted without my request to do so!

To finish...You could take the 'L' if you wish, but it's a bit of a walk - about 1 mile inland on Addison, right beside Wrigley Field.

This area has a branch of the Chicago Public Library (on Belmont), gyms (on N. Halsted & on N. Broadway), Walgreens (Belmont/N. Broadway).

Hope this sounds like the place in which you'd have interest. Then I can say "Howdy, neighbor!"

P.S. If you aren't interested in Hawthorne House, there are many options in this neighborhood, within your price range.

ChicagoBound

Thanks for the tip, Exiled Princess. I will definitely look for some apartments there. About how long does it take an express bus to get from your neighborhood to just south of the Loop? How late do those buses run?

Any other neighborhoods you can recommend in addition to yours - maybe ones that have closer access to the El? Someone I know mentioned St. Ben's and River North. What are those areas like?

Skiergirl

I lived in Chicago for 8 years and was just there last weekend. It really helps if you have a car-not to drive to work but for shopping, etc. That said, a lot of people are taking the L now with gas being so high. So while Boystown is ok (no offense Exiledprincess, I lived there for a year) you have to rely on the buses which I didn't like at all. The L is much quicker.

I lived in Lincoln Park on Southport and Wrightwood for 5 years. I loved it! However, if I had needed the L I would have lived closer to Sheffield/Racine where it's a closer walk. The area around DePaul is really nice-there are a lot of college students but not overrun as there are many, many spectacular houses and 3 flats that they wouldn't be able to afford. You are near the Fullerton and Armitage El stops, plenty of shops, gyms, etc. The Southport area west of Wrigley is also amazing. There is a Jewel up there too. You can take the Brown Line from Southport to the Loop. River North is also great but I haven't spent a lot of time there in recent years, but it has been really done over since I lived in Chicago. It's closer to downtown, restaurants, markets,etc. You could maybe find a 1BR in a highrise in the Gold Coast, but it's not near the L per se.

Chicago rocks! I live in NYC now, but I absolutely love going back whenever I can.

ChicagoBound

Thanks Skiergirl.

I'm doing the opposite move - NYC to Chicago. Because I've never owned a car while living in the Northeast, I was hoping I can get away with the same in Chicago to skip paying for parking, insurance, gasoline and car payments.

I don't know much about Chicago as I have only been there twice very briefly for work. It looked like the El, Metra and bus systems are pretty extensive.

I was kinda figuring I could easily find a selection of Chicago neighborhoods that at least have a local grocery store and a drugstore for daily or weekly shopping, and just rent a car on the rare occasion I needed to get to a strip mall or the big warehouse stores in the 'burbs. Are there not a lot of neighborhoods that fit the bill? Is Chicago like L.A. with a heavy reliance on cars?

CAPH52

I live in the Chicago suburbs. But if I were ever to move to the city, I'd sure try to get by without a car. In fact, our daughter and her fiance are planning to live in the city eventually. And I've advised her to leave her car here. IMHO, a car in the city is just too much hassle. Not to mention how much more expensive insurance is.

And, yes, I do think public transportation in Chicago is quite sufficient to allow you to get by without a car.

tcreath

My Brother in Law lives in Chicago, in Lincoln Park, and loves it. He does have a car, but it just sits in the garage that he is paying for and he regrets keeping it (he moved to Chicago from St. Louis). I think you could get by fairly easily without a car in Chicago.

Tracy

Lmaev

Try this website.

http://www.draperandkramer.com/city_selector.php

This is what I used moving from NYC to Chicago.

Also, I don't really think you need a car. Unless you have a parking/garage spot its more of a hassle like NYC.

Racy

What type of place are you looking for? High rise with high amenities? Vintage charm? I'm guessing you want a more established neighborhood if you name-checked the Gold Coast, but what types of neighborhood hangouts are you looking for? Chicago is truely a city of neighborhoods, and many of them have their own specific feel (and remainder of ethnic flair).

If you wanted to walk to work, you could look at Printers Row or the South Loop--mostly high- and mid-rise buildings close to downtown and the lake.

If your looking for highrise living, these is no shortage of downtown space for rent--even new construction that can't be sold in the current climate. You may not get the Gold Coast, but could probably get River North or Streeterville in that price range.

St. Bens/Ravenswood is more residential, with 3-story walk-ups and less congestion, but a longer El trip downtown.

You definately don't need a car--look into one of the car share services like IGo. The only time most people need a car is to get OUT of Chicago.

Good luck!

Skiergirl

I had a car because I drove to the burbs every day for work. I also owned a loft that came with parking, and in my Lincoln Park neighborhood at the time was soooo easy to park. It was one of the main reasons I lived there-I wanted people to come visit! That said, I am celebrating my 8th year in NYC this wknd so I haven't lived in Chicago in a while (but was just there). I'm sure there has to be a Fresh Direct type service like we have here in case you need a lot of food to stock up or something. Parking is also not half as expensive as it is in NYC. Once I rented (and this was a long time ago, mind you) a great 1 BR condo on Halsted and Webster for $700 that included a parking spot. But that was years ago.

Anyway, I hear the South Loop is pretty cool and Printers' Row was just picking up a lot of steam when I moved. Definitely try to stay more central like in Old Town/River North so you'll be close to work and heaps of shops, restaurants, markets, etc. Also, like here in NYC they may also deliver at the supermarket so you could walk there and just pay for delivery instead of carrying it home.

Oh, and they have cabs too! If you want to get out of the city there are lots of great malls for shopping, but last week I took Metra from Ravenswood to Glencoe (I was visiting friends up in the N. Suburbs) and you can walk to town from there. So if you need a little break from the city there are lots of side trips like this. Enjoy Ravinia! Enjoy the lake! Summer there is so much better than here..not a lot of people take off because the weather is much less humid and there are lots of great festivals and concerts.

Skiergirl

I also found Chicago to be a lot smaller than NYC, maybe not in size but just that a lot of people are either North Siders or South Siders. Basically you will be in the Loop and wanting to live on the North Side, so you'll probably be in the vicinity from the Loop to east to the lake, to north at Wrigley/Irving Park, and west to Southport. Not a huge area but heaps of wonderful things to do.

Can you tell how much I love Chicago! Don't ask why I don't just move back...would love to but business and family are here. It's easy to visit back and forth.

laurie_ann

We've lived in Chicago a while now and the first 10 years didn't have a car at all. With the new car share companies I wouldn't think you need one now. Lincoln Park and Lakeview are popular but other neighborhoods are also great. Consider looking at www.chicagoreader.com, the alternative newspaper with lots of apartment listings. You could get a sense of price and space and location that way.

ChicagoBound

Thanks to everyone for all the great responses so far.

I've lived in small vintage walk-ups, loft spaces in mid-size buildings and in large modern high-rises and am flexible with any type of building. What is most important to me is walking proximity to public transit and the kinds of services you need regularly (grocery, drug store, convenience store, laundry/dry cleaner, gym). Ideally, I'd like to find something that is no more than 5 or 6 blocks from a subway station, a bus stop nearby would also be nice and if I could walk no more than 10 blocks to get to the services mentioned, that'd be terrific.

I don't necessarily expect to live in an established old money kind of neighborhood, especially at my price range. On the East Coast I've lived in plenty of working-class areas that were not particularly the place to live at first, but over the years would slowly start to gentrify and turn into the hot neighborhood everyone suddenly wanted to be in.

As a woman, a relatively safe neighborhood that you could walk around in at night is also important. Having lived in big cities all my life, I'm aware that no city is 100% safe and I do have street smarts, but I also often work very late.

Glad to hear I really don't need to buy a car - I just didn't want to deal with the hassle or cost and would rather rent one or use a service like iGo or ZipCar only when I absolutely need one (which should be rarely if I'm living and working in the city).

exiledprincess

CB, before we go any further, you say that you are commuting to just south of the Loop? Meaning that your workplace is south of Roosevelt Road? That's the southernmost boundary of the Loop.

But if you are meaning just south of the 'L' tracks contained in the Loop (south of Van Buren), that's a different story altogether.

Skiergirl, with all due respect, it's comparing apples to oranges on riding the bus when you live that far away from the lakefront and Lake Shore Drive.

You see there are express busses which travel along the outer (Lake Shore) drive - all day and night - whereas the Lincoln Parkers are relegated to mostly local busses, which are mighty, mighty slow going at times. Granted, express busses aren't as fast as the L once you get to Michigan Avenue because of the traffic. However, if you are working just south of the Loop, you could always take the #135 SB, which has a stop at Wacker/Michigan (most of the traffic snarl is north of that) and then transfer to whatever you need to get to your ultimate destination.

I usually take a #145 or #146 SB from Belmont (now) to Delaware (in front of 900 N. Michigan - first stop on Michigan Avenue). Because I have adjusted my start at work to avoid the worst of the rush hour, I leave about 9:05 a.m. and get there about 9:20-9:25 a.m. That includes the wait time for the bus. The worst bottleneck is usually where the inner drive meets the outer drive ramp at Oak Street/Michigan.

Once in a while, when I'm not paying attention, I pick up a #135 SB, instead of a #145. It takes about the same amount of time from Belmont to Michigan/Wacker, even though it's a longer distance, because of that bottleneck mentioned above.

However, to play the devil's advocate: Let's say there is a HUGE traffic problem on LSD and/or you want to take the L downtown. You can always pick up a NB bus on Sheridan (the inner LSD at that point) that lets you off right by the Addison Red Line station.

Keep in mind that there are changes in the air with the 'L' system. CTA is experimenting with removing a whole lot of seats on certain lines. That's so more riders can enjoy the close proximity of their neighbors. Which means if you happen to be one of the unfortunates on those lines, you probably will be standing for the entire commute in/out.

There's no guarantees that you won't be standing on a bus, either, but if you were as far north as Hawthorne Place, it's more likely you'll get a seat than if you board at Belmont.

By the way, a LOT of Lincoln Parkers walk north to the Belmont bus stop because they don't want to take those dreaded locals downtown.

CB, are you coming to the city soon? Suggest that you stay at the Best Western Hawthorne Terrace for a weekend. Sits at Hawthorne Place/N. Broadway - 1 long block west from Hawthorne House. You can get a great feel for the neighborhood. You are pretty close to Lincoln Park, in case you want to scope that out as well - or other neighborhoods.

Frankly, you'll get better bang for your buck away from Lincoln Park, though. The apartments available are usually smaller than those in Lakeview and more expensive.

To be honest, Lakeview used to be much more inexpensive until all those Lincoln Parkers and Gold Coasters started moving in. A lot of the Lakeviewers have moved north as the rents rose.

P.S. Don't get a car. IMHO, useless and unnecessarily expensive. Besides, I foresee many major cities going the same route as London in the near future. Chicago is spending bucks to make this city much more bike friendly.

By the way, if you are a biker, you can always take the Lakefront Path in decent weather all the way to the South Loop. You are sitting right across the street from it when you are in East Lakeview.

exiledprincess

When I re-read my last response, I hope that no one thinks I'm against those who live in Lincoln Park or the Gold Coast.

Just used those appellations to describe from whence they came.

andrews98682

I lived on Belmont between Sheridan and Broadway for two years and loved it. I had a one bedroom with parking for about $1,000 a month. Great neighborhood, plenty to do. If you're a baseball fan, you can walk to Wrigley. And, as others mentioned, you have easy access to the El and buses.

Having said all that, you might want to look into the West Loop/Greektown, Little Italy, Printer's Row/South Loop and some areas on the South Side like Hyde Park and Bridgeport.

marilynl

Maybe it's my north side bias, but I would not advise ANY newcomer to Chicago to start out in Hyde Park or Bridgeport (especially Hyde Park). Transportation to downtown from Hyde Park would consist of express buses and/or Metra, and not convenient to commuting to "slightly south of the Loop." I also think Hyde Park lacks good grocery stores, has nothing much in the way of restaurants, and isn't particularly safe after dark for walking around.

I think you can confidently expect to find a 1- or even a 2-bedroom in your price range. There are tons of places that would meet your requirements that might not be located in a "named" neighborhood, but I could suggest Lincoln Square as a possibility. This area is served by the Brown line and has a sort of European feel. There's a regular restaurant row on Lincoln between Montrose and Lawrence, a branch of the library, a movie theater, and interesting stores as well as exercise possibilities and the Old Tpwn School of Music. Expensive to buy here, but affordable rentals still exist.

andrews98682

I went from renting on Belmont to owning near Lincoln Square, and I agree, it's a great neighborhood. ChicagoBound would have to add an extra 20, 25 minutes to the commute each way compared to Lakeview and Lincoln Park on the L. There is a Metra stop at Foster and Racine, though.

japw82

You may want to access Craigslist as well. Many of the real estate/management companies post vacancies on this site by area.