Chicago, Safe? (Evanston, Lincoln: apartments, safe neighborhoods, college)

[adavis]

Hello,
I am seriously considering moving to Chicago form Minneapolis.
I am a 20 year old woman who has no idea of safe neighborhoods
to begin my apartment search in. I will be living alone but will have an
active social life aside form work. I assume I will be working downtown
and I don't have a car, so some area that is close to public transportation
would be perfect. If you can offer any adive as to a good place to start
searching I'd greatly appreciate it.
-Ajay

[warmweather!]

The downtown is very safe. I just visited it, and there are cops all over. But I'm not sure about the rest of it, I only went downtown. The downtown is extremely nice-I love it!

[MagpiesMagpiesMagpies]

Originally Posted by adavis

Hello,
I am seriously considering moving to Chicago form Minneapolis.
I am a 20 year old woman who has no idea of safe neighborhoods
to begin my apartment search in. I will be living alone but will have an
active social life aside form work. I assume I will be working downtown
and I don't have a car, so some area that is close to public transportation
would be perfect. If you can offer any adive as to a good place to start
searching I'd greatly appreciate it.
-Ajay

The Near North and Loop are perfectly livable for a single woman, good links to amenities & transport. Try Lincoln Park, Gold Coast, Lakeview, Wrigleyville.

Google the Chicago Reader to find a place to live. It's where the locals look.

Magpies

[j33]

I'm a single woman who has lived in Chicago for over 10 years and have had very few problems (I also grew up in the burbs, and had friends and family friends in the city, and was the sort of kid who was riding the 'el' by herself as a young teenager, so I'm pretty used to and have only had a couple of unpleasant incidents). For the past few years I'ved lived south of Wicker Park (another great area) in the East Village/West-Town area of the city and love it. I would also recommend Lincoln Square or Andersonville if you want a good neighborhood that isn't as pricey.

[Southside Shrek]

is Chicago safe? now that's a question. it all depends on where you are at and who else is around you. true of any city or town.

[domergurl]

When I moved to Chicago as a young single gal, I moved to Evanston to start out and then ventured into the city a year later. That way, I could scope out neighborhoods on my own. I settled in Lakeview ... loved it and am glad that I did my stint in Evanston first.

[chitownguy]

Originally Posted by adavis

Hello,
I am seriously considering moving to Chicago form Minneapolis.
I am a 20 year old woman who has no idea of safe neighborhoods
to begin my apartment search in. I will be living alone but will have an
active social life aside form work. I assume I will be working downtown
and I don't have a car, so some area that is close to public transportation
would be perfect. If you can offer any adive as to a good place to start
searching I'd greatly appreciate it.
-Ajay

Just about anywhere in the greater Chicago area (aka Chicagoland - get used to that), has public transportation to and from downtown.

I'd stick to the northside. The southside can get a bit dicey.

[nua2d]

If you want to live in the city and in a safe neighborhood, try Edison Park. It is a bit costly.

[karabiner]

I agree with the others, generally speaking, North/Northwest is a better direction regarding neighborhoods. Areas towards the NW Chicago city limits are the best (thats where many of the cops,fireman, and city employees live),ie. Jefferson Park, Edison Park, west Rogers Park. There are many nice areas near downtown or south, but those nieghborhoods often change quickly after just a few blocks. When your looking at living in an area, I'd recommend going for a drive around the area at night, there are many areas that are nice at day, but not at night.

[greenlee2]

I am a female that has lived in the city for over 15 years. When I first got out of college I lived in the Lakeview neighborhood... two flats, brownstones and plenty of studio apartments. Grab a "Chicago Reader" (it's free). I've also lived in Lincoln Park, Wrigleyville and the Gold Coast. I would say to try Lakeview or Wrigleyville although Wicker Park is the 'cool', Greenwich Village-type neighborhood for the 20-somethings. Chicago is a safe, clean city. The South Loop gets a bit dicey after the financial district wraps up the work day. Just be aware like any city. Chicago is friendly and a very 'livable' city as far as big cities go. Join Lincoln Park Young Professionals or LP Sport & Social CLub..... beach vollyball, pub crawls, whitewater rafting in Wisconsin, etc. You'll love Chicago!!