Help - Moving from Ireland to Chicago - Evanston Area (Skokie: apartments, rental homes)

[sully_irl]

Hi All,

Just come across this site and looks like a great place to chat with people about the different cities across the States.

I'm looking at moving from Ireland to Evanston City with work soon.

I'm looking for ideas for nice places to rent, an apartment. My budget is up to $1500 but may stretch for some where very nice. So any suggestions for a nice safe area, i've seen there is some high rise blocks overlooking the lakes, what is this area like? A 1 bed is fine but 2 would be great, but not a necissity.

I'm a 29yo single male. looking at the map, a few areas that would be possible would be Evanston itself, Skokie, Wilmette or Linconwood.

What are these area's like in terms of amenities and services lie shopping, health care etc...

Also any advice on renting in the city, the typical in's and out's of it.

And any city taxes I would be liable for.

Or any other help you would see fit!

Looking forward to chatting to you,

Thanks!

[sully_irl]

Forgot to ask any reputuable estate agents to contact to help me with my move, also are the majority of apartments rented unfurnished? is it possible to rent furniture also?

Thanks

[nana053]

Originally Posted by sully_irl

Hi All,

Just come across this site and looks like a great place to chat with people about the different cities across the States.

I'm looking at moving from Ireland to Evanston City with work soon.

I'm looking for ideas for nice places to rent, an apartment. My budget is up to $1500 but may stretch for some where very nice. So any suggestions for a nice safe area, i've seen there is some high rise blocks overlooking the lakes, what is this area like? A 1 bed is fine but 2 would be great, but not a necissity.

I'm a 29yo single male. looking at the map, a few areas that would be possible would be Evanston itself, Skokie, Wilmette or Linconwood.

What are these area's like in terms of amenities and services lie shopping, health care etc...

Also any advice on renting in the city, the typical in's and out's of it.

And any city taxes I would be liable for.

Or any other help you would see fit!

Looking forward to chatting to you,

Thanks!

Evanston should suit you fine, though the singles scene is probably less than in the city. Skokie and Wilmette are much more *suburban* than Evanston.

Evanston has 4 downtown areas - the main one has lots of restaurants with many ethnic choices. There is a large movie theater, but it's Cinemax, so it is a chain. The north area used to have a very nice small movie venue, but I think it is closed now. Wilmette has an *art* film theater which is not far from Evanston as well.

Shopping in Evanston includes lots of college type shopping in the main downtown and lots of small eclectic shops on Main Street, Dempster Street and Central Street.

There are many art festivals throughout the summer. There is a large library and 3 smaller storefront libraries.

There is access to the *el* and the *metra* for trips into downtown. There are city buses around town.

There are great beaches on the lakefront in the summer, though there is a fee for using them unlike Chicago. You can, of course, go to the Chicago Lakefront beaches on the northside and you can get there on the "el"

There are also lots of Northwestern events that are open to the public. There is a good farmers market for fresh produce during the summer months too.

Check out this site for rental information
Search Apartments for Rent, Condos and Rental Homes | MyNewPlace

It looks like there are several apartments in your price range, but they are studios and 1 bedroom, not 2 bedroom. I would stay toward the east side of town for lots of reasons. We lived on Hinman Avenue years ago in a 1 bedroom apt and it was really nice. Evanston is probably more family and child oriented than singles unless you are in college though.

I would probably not go to Wilmette or Skokie. Prices will be higher and it is not as convenient. Plus less of a singles scene and it's less convenient to the city itself.

You might also look at apartments on the Northeast side of Chicago. Rogers Park near Loyola University, Andersonville, etc. If you stay near the red line "el" on the north side, you may be able to find some nice apts and be able to get to work in Evanston without much hassle. Of course, that will depend on where you will be working.

Dorothy

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by sully_irl

...are the majority of apartments rented unfurnished? is it possible to rent furniture also?

Yes and Yes.

There are places like rent a center http://www6.rentacenter.com/Rent-A-Center-Home.html

[linicx]

You are moving into an area that is approaching 10M population. You'll find excellent medical care and graduate schools, Lake Michigan as far as the eue can see but no ocean, and very cold winters. You will find most of the amenities you find in any world city: performing arts, ballet, opera, symphony, comedy clun, museums, sculpture, skyscrapers, Chinatown, world class dining. lake tours, professional sports and tourist attractions. There are buses, trains, taxi, planes and cars you can rent by the day, week or or by the hour. The traffic I think is a cross between London and the Autobahn.

One of the things that I find most endearing about Chicago is the neighbrohoods. If you get homesick you should be able to find authentic Irish food, irish beer and maybe even Irish bacon. I have not been in an Irish neighborhood for a long time, so I don't know if you can find a sweater or not. I would bring it because you will need it. You should also be able to find a church to call home, too. It would not surprise me one bit if you found a priest from the auld country.

Welcome to Chicago. You are about to embark on a new and exciting chapter in your life. The folks on this forum will be a big help to you.

I should add you will probably have to pay a deposit for your utilites. If you have a cell phone that is not quad-band it probably will not work in Chicago. I suspect if it does you will pay for internation calls. If you like Macintosh you can find an Apple store and a fast Internet connection.
You will also find Sprint, Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile and other cell phone services. These things, the folks on the forum can tell you what works best and many other things to help you settle quickly.

linicx.

[sully_irl]

Hi Nana Avenger, linicx,

Firstly thank you all for your very helpful replies, so much info, very much appreciated.

Dorothy, ya i'm not hugely into the full on built up city life where everything is available in one block, I like to live in a bit less hustle bustle fast paced life. The way you describe Evanston, sound right up my street. Any paticularly nice areas in the east side? One thing I'm finding is the high accom prces, its tough when renting solo!!

Avanger, its very hard to price up a full fit out, seems like it could be expensive though. Might hae to look for an apt with basic furniture included vs an empty one, as i'll not be moving any of my own stuff from Ireland.

Linicx, sounds like a great place to be, in the small city I live in there is very little going on interms of what you have mentioned. Luckily I love the cold so!!!
Yes i'm really looking forward to this big huge step!! And thank you all so far!

As for utilities, similar to here, and for a phone, I plan to buy one when I arrive asap the roaming charges on my Irish cell would be extradorinate (sp) On the likes of a cell, I've an iPhone, so will be looking to get on a network over there, which one is the best and best value? Also for broadband for the apartment and cable, how do they work? they expensice or cheap?

As for anything else, I'm sure there'll be plenty of questions in the next few weeks!

The only thing i'm nervous of is i'm doing all this solo and over to no one I know only work collegues i've never met!!

Thanks again!

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by sully_irl

...Might hae to look for an apt with basic furniture included vs an empty one, as i'll not be moving any of my own stuff from Ireland.


As for utilities, similar to here, and for a phone, I plan to buy one when I arrive asap the roaming charges on my Irish cell would be extradorinate (sp) On the likes of a cell, I've an iPhone, so will be looking to get on a network over there, which one is the best and best value? Also for broadband for the apartment and cable, how do they work? they expensice or cheap?

You could get a bunch of used furniture for free on craigslist or freecycle. People give away all kinds of stuff on those sites.

I recommend U.S. Cellular if you drop the Iphone and go with something else. They have a great network in Chicago. They have a strong signal just about everywhere in the area. Not to mention they are a local company.

Otherwise, you can only use the Iphone on the AT&T network in the U.S. So you have to go with AT&T.

I recommend RCN for cable and internet.

[nana053]

Yes, I recommend craigslist and freecycle. Another option is resale shops or Salvation army stores, etc. There are quite a few in Chicago and a few in Evanston itself.

I liked the area east of Chicago Avenue on Hinman when we lived there. Most areas along the red line are fine except for those closer to the city around Howard Street, imo. Even there you can find some nice neighborhoods. I also like Central Street - my house was close to the apartments below.

808-16 Forest in Evanston, IL


This one is southeast close to the Lake and near where I used to live (about a block or two east of Hinman Ave. on Forest.

1520 Central Street in Evanston, IL

This one is very close to where I used to live (a little further south)

704-710 Hinman Apartments in Evanston, IL

It is likely that apartments toward Davis and Church will be more expensive

Welcome to Chicago. It's going to be quite a change for you, I expect.

[sully_irl]

Hi again,

Avanger, I dont think I'll have time or area konwledge to be able to go scouting on the net to get these items and also arrange delivery of each from all different locations, as I'm not sure how much time I have to "set myself up" over there, but thanks again for a good suggestion, if I can strech the time to say over a week then that definately is an option.

As for the cable and net, are all places pretty much prewired and you then order equipment or get someone out to "turn it on" for you? Just looked through RCN's site, not too bad 10mb broadband plus digi tv and tivo... not bad!

Dorothy, they seem very nice apartments, and nice price too!! Thats the beauty of knowing an area well, when I looked at apartments, they were all 1.2 - 1.5k pm studio - 1 bed!! How about when I get over I'll hire you for a day or too for your local knowledge!! haha joke! #

I think my problem is the area is so large!!! But with all the help you guys have given me here, is a huge huge help! thanks again for the replies!

[nana053]

Originally Posted by sully_irl

Hi again,


Dorothy, they seem very nice apartments, and nice price too!! Thats the beauty of knowing an area well, when I looked at apartments, they were all 1.2 - 1.5k pm studio - 1 bed!! How about when I get over I'll hire you for a day or too for your local knowledge!! haha joke! #

LOL That would be difficult as I am living in Houston, TX now. I miss Evanston and lived there for many years, but moved to be where my grandchildren are.