New College Grad moving from Atlanta to Chicago (Lincoln, Palmer: for rent, appliances)

[Dunkerguy89]

Originally Posted by marothisu

It also depends on where and when he grew up. No doubt there are very dangerous parts of the south side. However, there are many safe parts - if he still thinks the Southwest side is then you know his opinions of the south side are out of date.

True. I will ask him and see what he says.

Originally Posted by marothisu

If you live at a high rise along the lake it might cost this much. You could get away with doing permit parking on the street for under $50/year. You just have to kind of stay up to date - like when there's snow removal and they tell you that you have to move your car, you better do it unless you want a ticket. Some areas are really full of cars, so if you take it out for a spin in some areas, you may have trouble finding a spot again.

You'll also have to get a wheel tax and all that, but it's under $100/year for most people. Then of course you have to pay for insurance so that's another let's say $50/month?


I guess it depends on how often you want to take your car out really. There's tons of walkable areas of Chicago - one of the most walkable cities in the US (by pure numbers, second biggest in the US behind NYC) - so you could get away without one. Many people do - and if you do need one for a little bit and decided to get rid of it, then there's always stuff like ZipCar or renting a car for a day or two.

I'm pretty responsible about remembering to move my car when they have a street cleaning of some sort so that should not necessarily be a problem for me.

Like I said to the guy above, I do not mind walking a little further because I could not find parking, I just need to know if it would be a complete waste of money to bring it with me. I kinda already configured my car insurance and everything into my budget, so having to pay it isn't too big of a deal. I think I'm more worried about having to pay over $100 more towards my rent just to have my car with me.

[marothisu]

^ Yeah, I understand. How much do you pay in insurance? No matter what, you aren't going to be driving to work. If you live in an area that's walkable, then anytime you want to eat, drink, etc then you could do that on foot or via public transit like tons of people do. Groceries would be the only thing you could worry about. However, you could either scope out where the markets are and live pretty close to one or you could use a service like Peapod which actually allows you shop online for groceries and have it delivered to your door.

Also, is your car one in which you could get a good deal of $$ for?

[personone]

Since you are moving to Chicago for the first time and are working downtown, I would probably advise you staying somewhere near downtown to learn the lay of the city. It's definitely true that not all of the South or West side is bad/dangerous, and you can find some really nice pockets in those areas. The dividing lines between safe and unsafe areas can be can be a little trickier to figure out in the south side/ west side, so your best bet would be to live somewhere downtown close to work where you don't have to worry about safety. After you know the city better, you can branch out and find an area that may suit you better personally.

As far as the car; I would not bring it. Your job is right downtown, so you will have plenty of transportation options. The car will end up being more of a hassle than it's worth, and you'll end up saving a lot of money without it. You're budget is definitely too low for a 1 bedroom in or around downtown, but without the car, you could definitely up your budget a little and have some more options. Good luck.

[Dunkerguy89]

Originally Posted by marothisu

^ Yeah, I understand. How much do you pay in insurance? No matter what, you aren't going to be driving to work. If you live in an area that's walkable, then anytime you want to eat, drink, etc then you could do that on foot or via public transit like tons of people do. Groceries would be the only thing you could worry about. However, you could either scope out where the markets are and live pretty close to one or you could use a service like Peapod which actually allows you shop online for groceries and have it delivered to your door.

Also, is your car one in which you could get a good deal of $$ for?

I pay about $400 right now for insurance. I really just want the satisfaction of knowing I have a car readily available for me if I do need it, as I am fully aware I'll probably be taking public transportation to and from work! I do see where you're coming from with groceries.

Actually, I'm trying to sell my car (it was my first car so it's a bit older) and buy a newer one. I can probably make about $2000 off of it and my parents said they'd go half with me to buy a 07-09ish. So I'm really debating if I should just sell my current car now and not worry about buying another one or sell it and buy a newer car just to have the comfort of having one up there with me.

[UnderTheLiveOaks]

Originally Posted by Dunkerguy89

I pay about $400 right now for insurance. I really just want the satisfaction of knowing I have a car readily available for me if I do need it, as I am fully aware I'll probably be taking public transportation to and from work! I do see where you're coming from with groceries.

Actually, I'm trying to sell my car (it was my first car so it's a bit older) and buy a newer one. I can probably make about $2000 off of it and my parents said they'd go half with me to buy a 07-09ish. So I'm really debating if I should just sell my current car now and not worry about buying another one or sell it and buy a newer car just to have the comfort of having one up there with me.

Sell it. Wait. Buy a new one later if you need one. Perfect opportunity to give car-free living a try, and all the more reason to look for a spot near trains/buses for work and walkable restaurants, shops, etc.

[Dunkerguy89]

Originally Posted by personone

Since you are moving to Chicago for the first time and are working downtown, I would probably advise you staying somewhere near downtown to learn the lay of the city. It's definitely true that not all of the South or West side is bad/dangerous, and you can find some really nice pockets in those areas. The dividing lines between safe and unsafe areas can be can be a little trickier to figure out in the south side/ west side, so your best bet would be to live somewhere downtown close to work where you don't have to worry about safety. After you know the city better, you can branch out and find an area that may suit you better personally.

So living downtown is relatively safe you're saying? Cause if that is the case, I'd rather live downtown than live all out on the north/west/south side of Chicago.

Originally Posted by personone

As far as the car; I would not bring it. Your job is right downtown, so you will have plenty of transportation options. The car will end up being more of a hassle than it's worth, and you'll end up saving a lot of money without it. You're budget is definitely too low for a 1 bedroom in or around downtown, but without the car, you could definitely up your budget a little and have some more options. Good luck.

So how much does a 1bed apartment cost downtown? Last I checked $800-1100 you could find a very nice place to live within that.

[Dunkerguy89]

Originally Posted by CarolinaBredChicagoan

Sell it. Wait. Buy a new one later if you need one. Perfect opportunity to give car-free living a try, and all the more reason to look for a spot near trains/buses for work and walkable restaurants, shops, etc.

^^This is true, I will also keep it in mind.

[PerseusVeil]

Originally Posted by Dunkerguy89

So how much does a 1bed apartment cost downtown? Last I checked $800-1100 you could find a very nice place to live within that.

As far as one bedrooms are concerned, downtown is outside of your price range. The median price for a one bedroom in a lot of the downtown neighborhoods is hovering between $1900-2000. You could find a studio in some places though, although it would be on the low end, most likely not updated, etc.

This should help:
https://www.zumper.com/blog/2015/03/...february-2015/

[oldhousegirl]

Hi Dunkerguy. Just wondering, where if anywhere does your dad recommend you live? I live in the Atlanta area but am originally from Chicago and have a son who is close to your age. I'm thinking of where I would suggest someone my son's age to live - a safe nabe with lots of things to do to really experience Chicago. What instantly comes to mind is Hyde Park. But it does depend and you mentioned your dad is not a SSide fan. Have you been to Chicago recently and gotten a sense of things, the lifestyle, the people? And, is the job definite and also another thought; vicariously or directly do you know where other new grads at your new job from out of state live? There may be a preferred area or building which depending on what you value may work for you.

Much success to you !!!!

[personone]

Originally Posted by Dunkerguy89

So living downtown is relatively safe you're saying? Cause if that is the case, I'd rather live downtown than live all out on the north/west/south side of Chicago.



So how much does a 1bed apartment cost downtown? Last I checked $800-1100 you could find a very nice place to live within that.

Yes downtown is extremely safe. Mostly young, working class adults and a wealthy older population. Downtown is usually used to describe the Loop, South Loop, and sometimes includes West Loop and River North. These are some of the safest areas in Chicago or many other cities for that matter.

Many of the apartments in downtown (as described above) are new/ "modern" and have several amenities (modern appliances, gym, nice views, washer/dryer in building, dry cleaners on site). Because of this, they are pricier. You can do a simple search on any of the common websites (apartments.com, zwillow, etc). The lower end for 1 bed rooms is going to be between $1600-1700. Studios usually start around $1500.

There are a few "older" apartments with fewer amenities spread around where you may be able to find a 1 BR for close to $1200-1300, but you are going to have to work harder to find these. The best areas to find this price range is "near south side" or around "Chinatown". These areas are really an extension of the South Loop, but technically are right outside. These neighborhoods are still safe, but are a little more isolated (not as much foot traffic) and may not appear quite as safe as downtown. Just use basic street smarts and you'll be fine. Hyde Park was another really good suggestion, especially if you have a car.

You definitely won't be able to find any 1 BRs for the prices you listed anywhere near downtown (a simple Google/ apartment website search will show you that the prices are much higher than that). You're going to have to go into neighborhoods much farther out from downtown to find those prices, unless you're willing to have roommates. If that is your budget, you may want to consider bringing your car, as you'll likely be farther out from downtown.