Suggestions on neighborhoods to live in close to Northwestern? (Chicago: renting, condos)

[southkakkatlantan]

Can I get a few good recommendations on places to live near the Northwestern campus (Chicago; not Evanston)? Budget is up to around $1400ish and commute time preferably 30 minutes or less (the shorter the better!). Suggestions on areas that would be best for someone without a car are welcome.

[aragx6]

Edit: I can't read. Ignore this post.

I agree with everyone else!

[sfcambridge]

When I was in your situation, I looked around Streeterville. I actually wanted something within walking distance since work was so busy and my work hours were so long.

I am the first to tell you that the Streeterville area is downtown... not a neighborhood feel. Lots of tourists/people going to work etc... Not a fun place to hang out, and expensive cost of living. But convenient. You can walk to some great grocery stores (Treasure Island, Trader Joe's, Dominics) and there is a Walgreens close by. I liked living right on the water. Plenty of pricey restaurants, and chain restaurants - not really what I preferred. I missed having more cute cafes, tasty places to eat that were not so pricey.

There are a lot of high rises with amenities (ex. gym) if that is your thing. I liked the area just North of Northwestern. It was mostly condo buildings, and a lot quieter (fewer ambulance sirens) since it was more residential and out of the main ambulance route. Yet you are a very short walking distance to work/everything. Safe, but you must always be savvy living in the city. You can find people renting out their condos because they can't sell in this down market. You can find a nice place in your price range - especially because you don't need to pay for parking. But it takes more investigating. I also walked around the area, and tried targeting specific buildings I liked.

Your other options are going north on the Red line (Lincoln Park etc..). A lot of people do that. Of course, it increases your transit time but you might find something to get your commute in the 30-45 minute range without much difficulty.

If you don't mind the bus, I would also consider going straight West, and consider something like River North or Ukranian Village.... more for your money, interesting area (less frat boy/Yuppie then the North side). You would take a bus to Northwestern down Chicago Ave. My friends who lived there really liked it. As do most people who live on the North side.

Walk around these neighborhoods, see which one is more your scene, and then do the commutes during your typical work hours. See what works for you.

[Jandur]

With your budget you can live just about anywhere, but as mentioned above Streeterville is probably the most convenient option. It seems like almost everyone that goes to NW lives there. Boring neighborhood to a degree, but nice highrises the amenities and close to good shopping and dining. $1400 should get you a pretty decent 1bed there. Studios/convertibles go for $1000-$1200.

[soulful]

Originally Posted by southkakkatlantan

Can I get a few good recommendations on places to live near the Northwestern campus (Chicago; not Evanston)? Budget is up to around $1400ish and commute time preferably 30 minutes or less (the shorter the better!). Suggestions on areas that would be best for someone without a car are welcome.

The Chicago campus is located just off North Michigan Avenue. This makes it very easy for you to take the 145, 146 or other express buses that go north to cool neighborhoods like East Lakeview. During non rush hour periods, the bus is literally 10 to 15 minutes as it takes Lake Shore Drive.

You could also live in Streeterville, River North, Gold Coast and walk to school.

Many options await you. All of the above are good walkable areas.

Enjoy Chicago.

[grapico]

I would pick a neighborhood you like, I can't imagine your commute being that long to downtown unless you are in way far out neighborhoods. I'd probably look at places off the red and brown lines. Personally I think Streeterville is a good choice, as you can walk and do your business, then go wherever else for fun. I like the convenience of living near work, or in your case school.
Personally I don't particularly like Lincoln Park or Lakeview b/c of the vibes and overall crowds there. Streeterville might be more generic, but it doesn't necessarily have a vibe I *dislike*
I pretty much cringe when somebody wants to go out there.
I prefer places like Wicker Park/Uke Village, Bucktown, Ravenswood, Andersonville, Logan Square, Hyde Park, Rogers Park. I like greater downtown as well.

[kafka_on_the_shore]

Are you going to grad school at Northwestern, or are employed by them? If so, living in Streeterville would be most to your advantage. The shuttles are constantly running from the Chicago campus to Evanston. You can take a look for yourself at the shuttle schedule and see if it allocates to your possible time-frame; this is, assuming you'll be having some sort of affiliation with them.

[southkakkatlantan]

Originally Posted by sfcambridge

If you don't mind the bus, I would also consider going straight West, and consider something like River North or Ukranian Village.... more for your money, interesting area (less frat boy/Yuppie then the North side). You would take a bus to Northwestern down Chicago Ave. My friends who lived there really liked it. As do most people who live on the North side.

Since you only mentioned the bus, are there no rail stops close to/in Ukrainian Village?

Do you know what commute time would be like via bus during rush hour from Ukrainian Village to Northwestern by chance?

[chirack]

Originally Posted by southkakkatlantan

Since you only mentioned the bus, are there no rail stops close to/in Ukrainian Village?

Do you know what commute time would be like via bus during rush hour from Ukrainian Village to Northwestern by chance?

Check out Deprecated Browser Error for the CTA's site. I would add about 10 mins to any trip time over about 20 mins just to be sure you are not late. In terms of rail there is a Metra line, but I don't think it will be of much use to you. No El lines in the immediate area, but there are some not too far away.

[Kevin J]

I went to Northwestern Law School, which is on the downtown campus. The entire time I lived in the Lakeview neighborhood at 2800 N. Sheridan. The commute time from this area is about 30 minutes and requires a 5-10 minute walk from Michigan Avenue east to the Northwestern campus. Note that Lakeview is a big neighborhood and the east part where I lived is served mostly by buses. If you chose a section further west, you could use the Red Line el to commute to Northwestern, which might save you a few minutes in your commute overall, but also would require a slightly longer walk to get to the campus from the train.

Rents in Lakeview are much lower than anything you'll find around the campus in Streeterville or in closer neighborhoods along the lake front (Gold Coast, Lincoln Park, South Loop). So your budget would work just fine in this area. Lakeview also has more variety as a neighborhood than Streeterville. It has high rises along the lake but everything else is either quiet tree-lined side streets or commercial strips filled with reasonably priced estaurants, cafes, night life, etc. All of your everyday needs would be available within a short walk and you'd have extensive public transportation options nearby.