Where to move in Chicago? (rent, live, safe)

[It'sAutomatic]

Living off of the Chicago bus, Lincoln Avenue bus, or the Brown Line will allow you to easily take transit to work. The areas along Chicago Avenue are not as busy/happening as the equivalent areas on the North Side and are cheaper, so they may be your best bet. Anywhere from 600 W Chicago all the way to Kimball will be decent enough. North of Chicago Avenue is generally nicer than south of it, but both sides are perfectly fine to live in. I'd stay at least one block away from Huron Street from Racine to Noble. It's not awful but there are a handful of particularly uninhibited ghetto sh**heads. I live here and I'm a big fan of this part of the city. Inexpensive and close to both downtown and to the hotter parts of the NW side.

[Richard Soroko]

The biggest problem you'll have is the dog; property management agents will be helpful; depending on the breed and size. Your love for your dog means nothing to anyone but you!
1300.00 won't get much more than a studio in most areas that are currently hot; think outlying
area for REASONABLE rentals otherwise bring a heavy wallet.

[sfcambridge]

Ukranian Village. Works for your price range (maybe even 2 bedroom) interesting area, convenient for work (bus).

You come from Boston - you must be used to public transportation and difficulty parking. Chicago is cheaper, but you are not going to find what you want in your price range in the Gold Coast.

[C. Maurio]

Originally Posted by Jlpalumbo

We really aren't picky on type of neighborhood. We don't go out really, we don't have kids...I guess it would be nice to have some food places near by but in all honesty we drive everywhere.

We would like a place that has easy street parking or driveway/garage. Ideally we would like a 2 bedroom, if possible.

For $1300? A 2 bedroom near Chicago Ave with easy parking or a driveway? LAFAO! Where do you think this is, Tulsa? You can find a 2 with off street uncovered parking for that maybe in Rogers Park on the far north side but nowhere near Chicago Ave. As for "easy street parking" forget it. It does not exist here. And even if you luck out and find an unmetered space 3 blocks away, you don't want to get up and move it to the other side of the street at 6AM or get towed for blocking the street sweeper.

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by C. Maurio

For $1300? A 2 bedroom near Chicago Ave with easy parking or a driveway? LAFAO! Where do you think this is, Tulsa? You can find a 2 with off street uncovered parking for that maybe in Rogers Park on the far north side but nowhere near Chicago Ave. As for "easy street parking" forget it. It does not exist here. And even if you luck out and find an unmetered space 3 blocks away, you don't want to get up and move it to the other side of the street at 6AM or get towed for blocking the street sweeper.

You can find it in Ukrainian Village probably, although the two bedroom won't be that great probably unless you spend a few hundred extra per month to get more luxury. It's not that far from 600 W Chicago. 5-10 minute bus ride really. Not going to find the driveway bit though.

[Valley Dreamer]

I always tell people to start off in Lincoln Park. There are a lot of neighborhoods worth living in but start off somewhere you definitely won't hate. There are always tons of subleases available in Chicago so you also shouldn't force yourself into a long-term commitment if you want explore neighborhoods a bit more.

[baboo]

Wow, tough crowd. People seem a little snippy today. So, you said that you wanted to be close the 600 W Chicago Ave. How close is a reasonable distance? You could try neighborhoods that are just a little farther out like Wicker Park or Lakeview (I've heard that Ravenswood has very reasonable rents), which have lower rents and the parking situation isn't as dire. If distance is a problem, have you tried looking for people renting out condos? Or you can go through a rental office, they might be in the best position to help you. You can always try going farther west as well.

[JBVirtuoso]

My recommendations are Ukrainian Village, or any of the neighborhoods along the blue line to the northwest of the Loop. I think $1300 for a 2BR should be doable in any of those areas. Off-street parking will cost more than that, but you should be able to park on the street in most of those places without too many problems.

Is it really that easy to park in the dense neighborhoods? I currently live in Hyde Park (near the lake, not the university), and even though I don't have a car, I do have to park here on the street from time to time. During the day it's very easy, but after 8 pm, forget it. There have been times when I've spent 20 minutes circling only to settle for a spot that's a half mile from my apartment. I find it hard to believe that it's possible to park conveniently in some of the north side neighborhoods.

[Jlpalumbo]

Thanks for all the help!

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by Jlpalumbo

Thanks for all the help. Question, is the location if this address a decent area?

3750 W Wrightwood, Chicago...

I personally wouldn't live there, but that's because it's out of the way of everything. It might also be a bad commute for you.... Not sure about the safety of that particular area. I want to say there's a decent number of families there but not sure.