ninalou

Which neighborhoods in Chicago are "similar" to Williamsburg, Brooklyn or the East Village in NYC? What are the approximate rents?

Where to rent in Chicago for under $1200/month?

THANKS!

swalter518

The closest that come to mind would be Wicker Park/Bucktown, perhaps check Ukrainian Village as well. Here's the Tribune's rental link.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/classi...rtmentsnavrail.

buzzer

swalter has the right idea. You could also try north of the Loop. The hotest neighborhood, and probably out of your price range, is Lincoln Park. North of that is Lakeview (semi-hot) and St. Ben's/Ravenswood (less hot).

I live in the Ravenswood/Lincoln Square neighborhood and love it. Tree-lined streets, (more or less) plentiful parking without the hassle of needed a permit. (Near Damen & Montrose.)

Hollis

No, no, no you don't want Lincoln Park. I've lived in Chicago and now I live in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. In Chicago, I lived in Wicker Park, and that's really the closest thing you're going to get to the East Village. Lincoln Park is more like the Upper East Side than the East Village. swalter518 has some good ideas--the Ukrainian Village is definitely an up-and-coming neighborhood (I have friends who live there). But it's a little removed from restaurants, clubs, bars...

But the best place to look for listing is going to be the Chicago Reader. Also, brokers fee's are different in Chicago than in New York, in Chicago the building owner pays the fees, not the new tenant.
To give you an idea of rents, three years ago, I paid $1050 for a two bedroom in Wicker Park.

Good Luck.

Vittrad

You're not going to find Williamsburg here (yes, I've been to Williamsburg), but you should consider Wicker Park, or south of Wicker Park on or around Milwaukee closer to Division Ave. (which is called east village as it is east of Ukranian Village I guess) I live right on the border of Ukrianian Village and this so called East Village and enjoy it quite a bit. You should be able to find loads for under $1200.

ninalou

Hi Hollis,

Thanks for replying to my post regarding where to live in Chicago.

I lived in Williamsburg for 2 years about 4 years ago on S. 2nd and Bedford. How do you like it there?

I lived in NYC for 10 years (mostly in the East Village) and have now been in New Orleans for 3 years. New Orleans isn't "big" enough of a city for me anymore, but NY is TOO hard now (so much worse than it used to be). Don't get me wrong...I LOVE NY!, if I had more money that would be the place for me, but for what I want..."quality of life", yadda, yadda, yadda...it can't work right now.

So, how does Chicago compare?

Thanks!

Tara

ninalou

Oh, also, we won't have a car! Are Wicker Park and Ukrainian Village "El"/public transport-convenient?

Thanks again.

Vittrad

In my opinion comparing chicago to new york is a dicey affair, I think they are two pretty different cities (not to mention New York is 3 times the size). However, I have friends who are from New York who do like it here but occasionally joke around about the "midwestern feel" of the place, however say they enjoy the change of pace and lower cost of living while still having many of the ammenities of New York (my downstairs neighbor moved here from Manhattan about 15 years ago).

I live around Ukranian Village without a car and do okay (but wish I lived a bit closer to the EL/Subway ... I had a car when I first moved over to this neighborhood from Albany Park couple of years ago). Just find a place that is clost to the EL and you'll be just fine. There are plenty of public transportation options if you live near the EL. Also if you live close to Milwaukee Ave., the #56 bus goes straight to the LOOP if that is where you are working.

Hollis

Vittrad made the exact point that I was about to make--you really can't compare New York and Chicago. Chicago (IMHO) definitely has a midwestern feel. I think that San Francisco actually has more similiarities to New York than Chicago does. (but that is a completely different discussion, and I haven't lived in San Francisco, so others can probably speak better to this)

Vittrad also spoke well to your questions about public transportation. While you can live in Chicago without a car, it's not as easy to do as in New York. The "El" line is limited, so you'll also have to take the bus. We had a car in Chicago, which we sold when we moved to New York. (By the way, Wicker Park is closer to train stations than the Ukrainian Village)

Also, I wanted to mention the winters, which are extremely harsh especially coming from New Orleans. Whew, that wind is something else. So, don't forget you'll be waiting outside for the buses that I mentioned above.

You asked how I like Williamsburg? I love it! We live near the Lorimer stop, which is perfect. We're close enough to walk to all the stuff at Bedford, but a little removed from the "whole scene". There is just so much going on. The energy is amazing.

For me, there is no comparision to New York, and I would never move back to Chicago. It just doesn't have the same energy as New York. But it's definitely a less expensive place to live. (By the way, you could find a place in Williamsburg or elsewhere in Brooklyn for $1200--maybe not right on Bedford or in Brooklyn Heights, but in can be done) Good luck with whatever you decide.

Vittrad

Hollis -- I've never been to New York in the winter (but have lived in Chicago my whole life) are the winters there really that much better?

I agree with you about the difference in dealing with New York public transportation and Chicago public transportation, in Chicago it all (at least the subway) eminates from downtown which makes getting across town sometimes a bit of an 'interesting' affair (to be diplomatic).

Hollis

Hi, Vittrad. It's funny you asked because I questioned someone about this same thing before I moved to New York. In my opinion, it is colder in Chicago. We'd have to go to a weather site to answer this definitively, but New York doesn't get those intense bouts of wind that Chicago gets. I just remember having to bundle up so much that only my eyes showed (this would be when I was walking around in the Loop), and I've rarely ever had to do that here. I'm not an expert, but in my opinion, it's definitely colder in Chicago, and the winter seems to start earlier and last longer...but the summers might be worse here (even more humid and hot!)

jtankers

Another thought- although I don't know New York well enough to make a comparison between neighborhoods, I would suggest that you look into Andersonville, Lincoln Square, and Hyde Park as well as Wicker Park/Bucktown. All three of those neighborhoods are full of young professionals and good restaurants/bars/shops. Andersonville and Lincoln Square in particular are more "up and coming" than the yuppie/frat boy mecca that is Lincoln Park & Lakeview, so they both feel more dynamic and off the beaten track. Plus, rent is a lot cheaper- definitely within your price range. Hyde Park is on the south side and benefits from its proximity to the University of Chicago- it's worth looking into, if nothing else.

flamingomonkey

First, the weather here can be very severe. Sub zero windchills are common in the winter and summers can be at least as hot and humid as New Orleans. Public transit is adequete and you can probably get by without a car, but it will make your life much easier if you have one, though there is the difficulty in parking.

I would strongly reccomend looking farther north around Ravenswood/Lincoln Village/Andersonville. It's cheaper and is only starting to be discovered. And I would argue that transit is better than the near northwest side.

As for Hyde Park, it is a wonderful neighborhood, but transit is lousy and parking is impossible. On the other hand, much of your daily needs will be within walking distance. It's a small neighborhood, with a tightly packed commercial center. Another drawback is that it is surrounded by some very rough neighborhoods, especially to the west.