British couple moving to Chicago (Lincoln: apartments, leasing agent, loft)

[charlieh86]

Hi,
We're a couple in our mid to late 20s from London, UK and we are moving to Chicago later this year. I have never been to the city (have been to NYC a lot) and have no idea where to even start so was hoping some of you fine people might be able to help?

We will both be working around the downtown area.
Budget is approx $1,800+.

What we would like:
- one or two bedroom nice apartment (either new high rise or cool loft / brick conversions)
- good bars, restaurants, cafes, shops, etc nearby....i guess a bit arty / boutiquie
- not too far away from work. (my commute in London is 50mins and i want to cut that in half at least)
- a good vibe during both day and night without it being a college area for students
- quite like the idea of being close to the beach.

I have heard that Lakeview East (Aqua), Old Town and Lincoln Park are all nice but have no clue really.....

Any help would be much appreciated.
Charlie

[Jandur]

With that budget you can get either a very nice 1bed just about anywhere, or a standard 2 bed. Aqua is a nice and expensive building but honestly the neighborhood isn't what you are looking for.

Old Town, Lincoln Park, Lakeview, Wicker Park/Bucktown etc are probably the responses you will get. Gold Coast as well, though it's not very artsy at all. If you want to keep commute short Old Town and Gold Coast are closest to the loop. The rest could be a 30-40min commute just depending on where you end up living and working exactly.

Old Town somewhere near Wells would be your best bet. Not many college students, a bit artsy, plenty of restaurants/cafes and it's a short train or bus ride to the loop.

[charlieh86]

That's awesome...thanks very much. Will have a look at those areas now.

Is Old Town quite a popular place to live in Chicago?
What are the types of apartments i should be looking at in Wells, Old Town / Gold Coast??
Also, do you happen to know any good letting agents (i think you guys call them Realters in the US).

Thanks again

[chicagobear]

Originally Posted by charlieh86

That's awesome...thanks very much. Will have a look at those areas now.

Is Old Town quite a popular place to live in Chicago?
What are the types of apartments i should be looking at in Wells, Old Town / Gold Coast??
Also, do you happen to know any good letting agents (i think you guys call them Realters in the US).

Thanks again

I'd start with Craigslist. Lots of apartments on there.

[Jandur]

Originally Posted by charlieh86

That's awesome...thanks very much. Will have a look at those areas now.

Is Old Town quite a popular place to live in Chicago?
What are the types of apartments i should be looking at in Wells, Old Town / Gold Coast??
Also, do you happen to know any good letting agents (i think you guys call them Realters in the US).

Thanks again

For clarification Wells is a street that runs through Old Town and is sort of its main commerce corridor.

Old town is mostly flats and some high-rises, same with Gold Coast really. As suggested Craigslist has lots of apartments, but it is also fully of spam. There is a nice service called PadMapper that will also show listings from multiple sites on a map overview so you can see where the unit is in relation work. It also sorts out a lot of the spam.

Chicago a ton of rentals, finding a place shouldn't be much of an issue with your budget. I will say that apartments usually don't stay listed very long though.

[aragx6]

River North, Old Town, Gold Coast or Lincoln Park would give you the best commute and most walkable neighborhoods along with modern apartments.

I definitely second the padmapper.com suggestion, but you might also be able to find a realtor who will help you look for a rental -- this is more rare in Chicago than other places I've seen as many apartments aren't listed on the MLS.

[jdiddy]

Originally Posted by charlieh86

That's awesome...thanks very much. Will have a look at those areas now.

Is Old Town quite a popular place to live in Chicago?
What are the types of apartments i should be looking at in Wells, Old Town / Gold Coast??
Also, do you happen to know any good letting agents (i think you guys call them Realters in the US).

Thanks again

Look into a group like the Apartment People. They are free to the renter, in that there is no fee, but the cost may be embedded in a slightly higher rent. But in your situation, brand new to the city, its worth it.

Lakeshore East is nice, buts its a newer area so while the buildings and views are nice, the downside is the abundance of neighborhood amenities you would have in Lincoln Park or the Gold Coast don't exist there. Don't confuse that with East Lakeview, which is north of the neighborhood of Lincoln Park, and one of the most ped-friendly areas in the city.

I wouldn't rule out any of the neighborhoods that have been suggested so far. When you work with a leasing agent, include all of those neighorhoods and have them show you at least one unit in each of them, so you get a chance to see which neighborhood best meets your wants/needs.

[charlieh86]

Great help so far guys - thanks so much. Will def take a week out of work and hit the town to see lots of places. Cheers again

[jwaiter]

Originally Posted by Jandur

Old Town somewhere near Wells would be your best bet. Not many college students, a bit artsy, plenty of restaurants/cafes and it's a short train or bus ride to the loop.

I second Old Town, great place to live if you can afford it, and it seems you can!

[soulful]

You might want to check out Hawthorne House Apartments in the 3400 block of North Lake Shore Drive. Hawthorne House - Apartments in Chicago location in East Lakeview right across from the park/lake/running trails and if you walk a block west you will have N. Broadway with many blocks of shops and restaurants. Also a Whole Foods, Jewel, and Treasure Island within a few blocks of your building and several express buses at your front door that will take you to N Michigan Ave and downtown/Loop (or you can walk to the Red Line train if you prefer).

Lincoln Park is another good area. Lakeview is the neighborhood immediately north of LP (not to be confused with Lakeshore East where the Aqua is located).