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Old 06-09-2011, 06:09 AM
 
12 posts, read 31,680 times
Reputation: 11

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Hello Friends!

I'm relocating to Chicago (from India) alongwith my wife. I got a job offer and my office location is in Loop nearby Millenium park.

Can someone guid me what would be the best location where I should look out for a decent rented house(1 BR)... not far from my office and should have public transport availablity? I dont have any preference for the indian localities.

I may live there for 4-5 years, What would be the best option between renting a furnished appt or to buy new/second hand furniture? Also what would be the differnce in rent of a furnished appt and unfurnished appt.


Also I would appreciate any guidance about estimated living expense (House, PublicTransport, food etc)! I would be earning 5500$ PM.

Thanks in advance for any help!
Regards
L.
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Old 06-09-2011, 07:15 AM
 
1,210 posts, read 3,053,664 times
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A lot depends on what you want out of a neighborhood and how much you are willing/able to spend on rent. That being said there are neighborhoods near by the loop. If you want to be close to work look at River East, River North or the South Loop. These places are mostly highrise living.

If you are going to be here 4-5 years it's probably cheaper to buy some furniture.
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Old 06-09-2011, 08:16 AM
 
28,455 posts, read 85,088,241 times
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If you are going to be in the area for 4-5 years I agree that you would do much better renting unfurnished.

Houses with only one bedroom are extremely rare. A 2 bedroom home is much more likely, though honestly renting a free standing house inside a safe part of Chicago might not be realistic on your salary.

If you rent a place near a Metra station in a suburb like Downers Grove, Westmont, or Elmhurst you will have better space, access to many ethnic Indian resturants / grocers, and a commute time as good / better than living in the far off parts of Chicago that you might need to explore with your budget limitations.
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Old 06-09-2011, 09:58 AM
 
71 posts, read 105,245 times
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Funny, I also moved from India (Hyderabad) to Chicago. Although I was a firangi (expat) living abroad and I suspect you may be an Indian national. I assume when you ask about a "one bedroom house" you would be fine with a multi-unit apartment building or high rise condo and not a standalone home. Where you live all depends on what sort of commute time you want to have from your home to your office. Location will also factor in to the total cost you can expect to pay. For my first few months in Chicago, I lived in Presidential Towers (corporate housing) and bumped into many, many Indians who were living there on a temporary basis.
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Old 06-09-2011, 11:48 PM
 
12 posts, read 31,680 times
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Thanks everyone. If I say I have a budget of 1000-1200$ for appt...can I get a appt nearby Loop? or if not then what other areas I should look?
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Old 06-09-2011, 11:52 PM
 
3,695 posts, read 4,973,985 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lucky0123 View Post
Thanks everyone. If I say I have a budget of 1000-1200$ for appt...can I get a appt nearby Loop? or if not then what other areas I should look?
For that you can get one in the loop. It depends on how much space you want. The loop is the easiest place to get to in Chicago served by almost all El lines and several commuter rail. The real question on that budget is what else do you need?
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Old 06-10-2011, 12:11 PM
 
14,801 posts, read 17,603,995 times
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No you should live in Plainfield. It will much more to your liking...
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Old 06-10-2011, 04:13 PM
 
28,455 posts, read 85,088,241 times
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Default Not well served by transit and rather long drive...

Quote:
Originally Posted by Vlajos View Post
No you should live in Plainfield. It will much more to your liking...
It would probably be better to stick to an area with excellent commuter train service.
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Old 06-11-2011, 01:58 AM
 
12 posts, read 31,680 times
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Thanks, I did some search on this forum and found that most people has recommended North and not much favourable of South side Chicago...!!!

I would be very happy to live near Lake... and it seems Lincon Park, Lakeview, Wrigleyvile, old town most recommended areas in this forum!

Any opinion about these areas and estimated rent for a 1BH appt in a decent building?

Also how should I search for appt once I decide the locality, any recommended website or any other mean?

Any suggestion for buying Furnitures?
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Old 06-11-2011, 06:06 AM
 
28,455 posts, read 85,088,241 times
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The rents for 1br vary considerably based on kindnof building and what is included. On the affordable end of things you might see smaller older buildings with no utilities for as little as $600 or so in those areas. Newer buildings with more amenities can fetch about 50% more than that. If the unit includes parking and attended lobby you could be looking at $1000 or more...

It is often smarter to shop with a target price -- get a listing from The Reader of all the places at say $750 and then choose the one with the nest value for you -- that mig mean paying a little more to be closer to transportation, or going a little bit quieter but for a building with central air...
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