Potential Relocation to Chicago (Oak Park, Forest Park: apartment complexes, rental, condos)

[brahette]

I've been doing research but am having a hard time sifting through all the information, so figured I'd just start my own thread.

I have a potential job opportunity in Chicago. Looking at maps and such, the job would be in The Loop area of the city. I am a late 20's professional and currently reside in Upstate NY where I own a home in a walkable suburb. I'm trying to get an idea of areas to live, cost of living, etc. I have never stepped foot in Chicago before, so I am totally clueless.

Things I'm looking for and/or would like to keep in mind -
- Commute no more than 30min (whether by car, train, bus, etc)
- Prefer an area that is walkable but not necessarily urban. I like having things to do, stores, etc nearby. A few local pubs would be great, but I don't need a "party area" by any means. I am very good at occupying myself with whatever fun stuff I can find.
- I have dogs. A place that is dog friendly is a must. At a minimum, grassy areas and/or parks within walking distance would be needed. Ideally, I would love a yard, but know that is likely hard to come by.
- I hate apartment complexes. Prefer flats, condos, single family homes, etc
- Rent is not important at this time, although the cheaper the better. Seeing as I own my home, renting again will be new for me.

Based on the info above, are there any areas of the city or suburbs that I should be focusing on? I am coming out there within the next few weeks and will have a day to see the city, check out areas, etc. Thanks so much for any help!! Looking forward to seeing Chicago!

[Vlajos]

Check out Lincoln Square or Andersonville.

[marothisu]

I second Lincoln Square or Andersonville (and with that, North Center). It's near the top of that 30 minute commute time, but it fits the need. Also an area like Noble Square, East Village, and Ukrainian Village would be good. Also something like Pilsen or Bridgeport perhaps?

[brahette]

Thank you both! I will sit down tomorrow and read up on these areas. From a quick check on Craigslist however, Lincoln Square and Andersonville definitely seem to be right up my alley.

I should mention as well that I'd be looking for at least a 2 bedroom place. Plan would be to likely rent for a few years before I'd be able to buy a house.

[marothisu]

Sounds like it. I should also mention that Ravenswood should be grouped with these too. Same general area as Lincoln Square, North Center, and Andersonville. Also check out the other areas mentioned. This video shows more of Wicker Park and Bucktown (which may be up your alley too in some areas, though more expensive than a Lincoln Square), but also some general "West Town" (which would include the areas of Noble Square, East Village, etc):
Chicago Bucktown, Wicker Park, West Town - A Neighborhood in Photos - YouTube

From semi personal experience, rent in Lincoln Square/Ravenswood for a 2 bedroom on average is probably $1500-$1600/month. You can find less, but they'll definitely be older buildings.

I also want to mention that a lot of Chicago is low rise (5 or lesser stories) with a lot of trees. Since trees block out sound, a lot of the residential places are pretty quiet. There are definitely main streets with ton of commercial/retail/bar/restaurant traffic in Chicago, but there's a lot of streets which are purely residential between that, which if it's not near a major nightlife area (i.e. Wrigleyville), can be pretty quiet even if it's 200 feet from a major commercial strip.

[oakparkdude]

Since you asked for suburbs as well, I'll throw in Oak Park/Forest Park as a recommendation. Its 20 minutes by el to the Loop. A little bit more greenery than some of the city neighborhoods, but still with a walkable core with restaurants, boutiques, and grocery stores.

[eevee]

Originally Posted by brahette

I've been doing research but am having a hard time sifting through all the information, so figured I'd just start my own thread.

I have a potential job opportunity in Chicago. Looking at maps and such, the job would be in The Loop area of the city. I am a late 20's professional and currently reside in Upstate NY where I own a home in a walkable suburb. I'm trying to get an idea of areas to live, cost of living, etc. I have never stepped foot in Chicago before, so I am totally clueless.

Things I'm looking for and/or would like to keep in mind -
- Commute no more than 30min (whether by car, train, bus, etc)
- Prefer an area that is walkable but not necessarily urban. I like having things to do, stores, etc nearby. A few local pubs would be great, but I don't need a "party area" by any means. I am very good at occupying myself with whatever fun stuff I can find.
- I have dogs. A place that is dog friendly is a must. At a minimum, grassy areas and/or parks within walking distance would be needed. Ideally, I would love a yard, but know that is likely hard to come by.
- I hate apartment complexes. Prefer flats, condos, single family homes, etc
- Rent is not important at this time, although the cheaper the better. Seeing as I own my home, renting again will be new for me.

Based on the info above, are there any areas of the city or suburbs that I should be focusing on? I am coming out there within the next few weeks and will have a day to see the city, check out areas, etc. Thanks so much for any help!! Looking forward to seeing Chicago!

-What is the max amount of rent you want to spend for a 2 bedroom? I know you said rent isn't important, but it kind of is helpful to know to narrow down the choices and cross off choices that wouldn't work.
-How many dogs do you have and size/breed are they? It's going to be tough to find a place that will allow more than one unless they are teeny tiny. It's very hard to find a rental if you just have one dog over 50lbs. It's freakishly hard if if you have a breed most often banned by building managers and insurers like a pit bull or German Shepherd Dog.
-How tolerant are you are sketchy areas? Will the sight of homeless people on the corner send you running?

Off of the top of my head, I would recommend Uptown. I used to live there and we found a very pet friendly rental that allowed our pit bull puppy (I had neighbors on the block that had two boxers, two Great Danes, and 4 small spaniels). There is a dog beach that's open to dogs all day nearby along w/ a dog park. It's a bit north of Lakeview and the bars around there and also a bit south of Andersonville, which has a few hot spots of its own (granted, it's an area popular w/ lesbians, but all are welcomed). Depending on where you work, it may take a bit more than 30 minutes by train. Uptown is still very up-and-coming and has some issues w/ gang violence, but plenty of yuppies and families have moved in and there's a decent amount of retail (e.g., Target, a Core Yoga studio, a fancy little bakery, etc). We had a massive two bedroom for under $1,200.

A bit further north is Edgewater, which is also another option. A bit further north and can very likely forget about getting to work in 30 minutes, but it's fairly inexpensive and has great access to the beach for the pups.

[brahette]

Additional info -

Originally Posted by eevee

-What is the max amount of rent you want to spend for a 2 bedroom? I know you said rent isn't important, but it kind of is helpful to know to narrow down the choices and cross off choices that wouldn't work.

I guess I would say around $2500. Salary hasn't been discussed yet but it would take a decent bump for me to make the move which is why I'm not worried about rent at this time.

Originally Posted by eevee

-How many dogs do you have and size/breed are they? It's going to be tough to find a place that will allow more than one unless they are teeny tiny. It's very hard to find a rental if you just have one dog over 50lbs. It's freakishly hard if if you have a breed most often banned by building managers and insurers like a pit bull or German Shepherd Dog.

I have 3 dogs and they're all under 15lbs. I know it will be hard to find a place that allows 3, which is one of the reasons I hate apartment complexes... usually single landlords are more flexible. I have no issues paying a pet deposit and/or pet rent for them.

Originally Posted by eevee

-How tolerant are you are sketchy areas? Will the sight of homeless people on the corner send you running?

No issues whatsoever. I have lived in a few larger cities before where there was lots of homeless people so it doesn't faze me one bit. As long as it's generally safe and I don't have to worry about walking around alone (I should mention I'm a single female)

[marothisu]

No reason to spend up to $2500/month. You could even get a 2 bedroom downtown in some areas for $2500/month if you wanted to. The areas that sound up your alley would be between $1300 and $1600/$1700/month for a 2 bedroom (and even lower if you wanted to live in an area like Pilsen). You could probably get a 3 bedroom place in these areas if you really wanted to for that price, and some of the cheaper areas that haven't been mentioned here - maybe even a 4 bedroom.

[Vlajos]

Other than the 3 dogs, you will not have much a problem on your budget.