living in the city (Chicago, Lincoln: best city, to rent, crime)

[golden0721]

I have been thinking about taking a job in the city. Can you live in the city and not own a car and just walk and take your subway system? Kind of like New York City.

If so, what are some safe, nice areas for me to look into? I am single with a dog.

Thanks.

[domergurl]

I lived in an enclave called Boystown (as a single gal, it was a great neighborhood), which is part of Lakeview. I sold my car and didn't miss it one bit. Same thing when I moved to River North ... no car .. loved it. I got everywhere via public transit or taxi.

[j33]

Yes, you can live in the city, in quite a few parts, easily without a car. I've lived here without a car for several years. Where is your job, Chicago is very spread out, you'll probably want to live as close to it as possible. If your job is downtown, move near an 'el' line. I live around the Wicker Park area, different 'el' line than domergurl lived, but also a nice area for someone in your situation (depending on where your job is).

[jasmine3407]

I lived in the Gold Coast for 5 years, and was near EVERYTHING. It's all about placing yourself near the trains and buses, like someone mentioned. If you live in the downtown/River North/South Loop area, having a car will actually be more of a hassle because of parking and congestion. Lincoln Park and Lakeview (Boystown) are also easily accesible to trains and buses. If you want to live really north, like Roger's Park, or far west, like Logan Square, trains and buses are still accesible, however having a car would be nice from that far from downtown. Before moving to Chicago, I sold my car and said "goodbye" to my parking woes for a few years. Chicago is a wonderful city to not have a car in. The public transporation takes you everywhere, and it's such a beautiful city to walk and explore. Buses and trains run pretty much all night, and taxis are pretty cheap, compared to other cities.

Alas, I accepted a job in San Francisco, so now I'm back to my traffic and parking woes because SF isn't as "non-car friendly" as Chicago. I think this is one of the things I miss the most about living out there. Take the plunge, leave the car. Most of my friends out there who had cars never drove them.

Since you have a dog, you might want to choose someplace close the lake! Chicago is very dog-friendly. Good luck!

[j33]

Additionally, Chicago has two car sharing schemes, Zip Car and Igo. I've been a member of IGO for two years and it has worked out well for me when I want a car, because unlike new york, you can't get everything delivered for a reasonable cost the way you can there (if you live in Manhattan that is).

[Drover]

If you have a car, there are parts of the city where parking is relatively easy, so getting rid of it is not a must. I am not kidding when I say I could use a school bus as my daily driver and still have no problems whatsoever parking it in my neighborhood when I get home at night. Then there are some neighborhoods where people don't drive for weeks because they're afraid to give up their parking spot fearing they'll never find another one. General rule of thumb is, the closer you are to the lake and/or downtown, the tougher parking is.

That said, if you plan to move to Chicago and don't currently have a car, don't bother getting one. The public transportation system is extremely comprehensive, and enough of it operates 24/7 that you can plan out a route to get home if you end up staying out way late at night.

[AngelikaV]

I LOVE Chicago! As far as I'm concerned, it's the best city in the western hemisphere, especially if you're young. It's beautiful, vibrant, energetic, clean, generally safe, easy to navigate, has great restaurants, great entertainment and anything anyone could want culturally, and is just plain fun! I lived there for years without a car. Public transportation in Chicago is every bit as good as NYC. The only thing I found to be a pain in the @#* without a car was a trip to the supermarket. After a while I found it was easier to shop European-style: get meat from the butcher shop, veggies from the green grocer, bread from the bakery, cheese from the deli, ice cream from Walgreens (they're everywhere) or an ice cream shop, household needs from Ace Hardware. It wasn't too bad. An added bonus of shopping incrementally was that I was able to avoid eating a lot of frozen, canned and junk food, too.

At night I recommend taking taxis until you're familiar with which routes are safe and which are not. After awhile you'll learn which buses and els are okay after 9:00 PM. When you do need a car, it's easy to rent one. You can rent a luxury car once or twice a month and still have it end up being cheaper than owning a KIA in the city.

If your job will be downtown, I'd recommend living close to Lincoln Park if you can afford it. Lincoln Park is a great place to walk your dog. My husband and I lived 2 blocks from the lake and took his German Shepherd to the park twice a day, morning and evening, where we let her run off leash to fetch sticks or play in the waves on the beach. You could also consider living in the South Loop near Grant Park. It, too, is a pretty good place to walk the dog. Chicago is a very dog-friendly town. Just remember to keep "poopy bags" in your pocket.

If you don't already have a detailed map of the city and a CTA map, I'd recommend getting them right away. Try to focus on areas within 3 miles of your job's location. It will make your commute so much less of a hassle and, if you pick the right place to live, you could have the added benefit of walking to work when the weather's nice. Once you've zeroed in on some areas, post more questions on this forum. Each Chicago neighborhood has a name. If you know it, use it in the title of your post. If you don't, mention the two major cross streets closest to where your considering.

Good luck on your move. You're going to love Chicago!

[CHITOWNREP9]

Chicago Is the greatest city in the western Hemisphere..I've lived in several neighborhoods over the past 22 years: Logan Square, Rogers Park, Belmont Cragin, Humboldt Park, Avondale, Irving Park, and Albany Park...They are all on the north/northwest side and I really enjoyed each one for different reasons..There is more crime than NYC and LA...you can avoid it though if you keep to yourself..People are much more genuine and real than NYC and LA as well..If you're looking for cheaper housing, north side, near the train try Albany Park...very diverse, lots of restaurants and stores, lawrence ave is koreatown...