Best affordable walkable neighborhoods (Chicago, Oak Park: apartments, rental, brokers)

[decafdave]

Hello, I've never been to Chicago and I was wondering if there were any areas with plenty of amenities within walking distance (or at least a rail stop nearby). Have I come to the right place or is anything decent in Chicago over-priced like in Manattan? The apartment doesn't have to be large but it needs to be bigger than the studio/closets common in NY. Is taking on a roomate a necessity?

[Drover]

First of all, nothing in Chicago is overpriced like Manhattan. Studios right near the business/financial/legal district (our equivalent of Lower Manhattan I suppose) start at about a grand a month. Studios in perfectly safe and reasonably charming and/or entertaining neighborhoods in can be had for under $700/mo. A smaller two-bedroom in same areas can be had for as little as $850-900/mo.

Chicago is not "walkable" the same way Manhattan is. It's not as dense and it's more spread out. That said, there are several self-contained walkable neighborhoods that may have 80% of what you need within walking distance. Trying to pin down which neighborhood might work best for you would depend on a few factors, such as:

1) What's your rental budget (specify with or without heat included) and how many bedrooms do you need?
2) Do you own a car? If not, do you intend to?
3) What are the most important amenities you want within walking distance? 4) Do you value boutiques, dining and nightlife, or do you prefer a more quiet, family-oriented neighborhood where rents will be a little cheaper?

That should be a good start.

[Magdeleine]

Short answer: yes. I didn't own a car at all the first six years I lived here, and most of my friends STILL don't own cars. Lincoln Square, Ravenswood, Andersonville, Boystown, Wrigleyville, Edgewater, Lincoln Park-- all good places to try. Zipcar is getting more and more cars tucked around town these days in case you want to have a car available for the occasional trip to Ikea.

Check walkscore.com if you have a few addresses to check out. You'll be fine.

[supernerdgirl]

i never saw that walkscore site before. my address got an 88. yay! hahah.

[thepizzaguy]

That was an excellent website.

My address in SE Oak Park got a score of 68 while the rich part of town, 850 W. Chicago in Oak Park only scored 65. And I thought Chicago/Harlem area would have scored higher being so close to the mall(s).

[decafdave]

Hey thanks for the replies. To answer the question, I own a car currently but that may change if I move to a dense area. Although, If possible I would liketo keep my car in storage maybe so I could have it in emergency.

My rental budget is up to 1k/month but I'd be much more comfortable around 700. I only need one bedroom and I value having shops, restaurants, bars, grocery stores, etc nearby rather than a quiet family oriented place. This stage of my life I want the big city, when I have kids I'll be in the suburbs faster than you can say tract housing.

Also, one last specification, I don't want a neighborhood of townhomes or anything like that per say, they seem a little bit too spread out. I prefer an apartment building on a busy street not rows and rows of townhomes.

[Drover]

For 1K a month you should be able to find a one-bedroom place in a good "shops/bars/restaurants" neighborhood, PLUS off-street parking so you wouldn't have to put your car in storage. Magdeleine mentioned most of them, though I'd narrow Edgewater down to Andersonville (the rest of Edgewater is either single-family or highrises along the lake shore) and I'd add Bucktown/Wicker Park. I know for a fact that Andersonvillle and Lincoln Square have lots of shops, bars and restaurants and they both have a rather large grocery store. They also both happen to be rather compact neighborhoods.

[paytonc]

Originally Posted by decafdave

I would liketo keep my car in storage maybe so I could have it in emergency.

That's exactly the user profile for car-sharing. I-Go (igocars.com) and Zipcar (zipcar.com) provide instant access to cars throughout the city and have plans without monthly fees -- you only pay as you drive.

BTW, most of Chicago's multifamily housing stock is what we call "three flats" -- small three-story buildings of flats, which to most people resemble townhouses. You'll find more small (studio-1BR) apartments closer to the lake; apartments tend to get bigger inland.

[Avengerfire]

Lake View,North Center,Lincoln Square,(some parts) of Uptown and Edgewater. A roommate can save you a lot of money. Prices have gone up so much the last 15 years here. Man, I paid $425-all utl. included for a studio in Roscoe Village as late as 2000. Crazy.

[RiWrites]

Is it easy to get around Chicago without a car? I am planning on getting rid of my car before I move because I heard it is a major pain to register an out of state car in Illinois.

I have lived in Los Angeles and now I am in Florida and both places you have to have a car. The public transportation is horrible. This is why I am looking for cities where a car isn't necessary. NYC is way out of my league.

I would like to live in a neighborhood that has food shops, book stores etc nearby. I have read where people ride bicycles around the city. Except for winter time this is another way to go.

Any help from people who live in Chicago would be helpful. I will have a roommate so rent won't be that much of a problem. Just tell me the landlords and rental brokers don't do what they do in NYC. You have to earn 45 times the monthly rent to even be considered for an apartment. Thanks very much for any help.