Moving to Lincoln Park (Chicago, Erie: property taxes, to live in, costs)

[KateL]

New2LP you will be fine and like it there. I wouldn't worry about it too much. Sounds like you have a supportive family in case you get into a jam

[New2LP]

Originally Posted by KateL

New2LP you will be fine and like it there. I wouldn't worry about it too much. Sounds like you have a supportive family in case you get into a jam

Thanks, I sure hope so!


And thank you to everyone else for the tips/comments!

[jenni711]

I just moved to the city and since I don't know a soul in the city, I decided on roommates for the time being. I live in Lincoln Park with 2 girls, and my rent is dirt cheap, but I have a huge place. I'm 30 years old and a former home owner, so I'm a little over the roommate thing, but that's what I had to do for the time being. And yes, you can find a one bedroom for that price when you add in utilities. I went through apartment hunting for months and saw pretty much everything in every neighborhood. Who knows? Maybe we can hang out!

[lincolnparker]

$1400 for rent, groceries and the rest? yes and no.

The answer depends on your lifestyle.

There are cheap places in LP. believe it or not, 420 wrightwood has studio apts start from $475, and that's if you are willing to live in a 200 sf 100 yr old place with no kitchen and central air and peeling wall paint and smelly carpet and dark hallway and of course, the elevator ride will take you a whopping 10 minutes!

However, there are also places such as 2555 n Clark, whose apts start from $1600 with doorman, gym, bacolny and parking and what not.

[Chancelynn2002]

Wow - that's quite a bit of money!

Upon starting my new job in 2 weeks' time, my husband and I will have about $550/mo to live on after rent (if taxes don't take out more). That is plenty for us, but many people think we're crazy. But then again, many people need more material possessions and cash to waste than we do, so it depends on your goals in life.

Do you like the bar scene and don't mind a cover charge? Go to a lot of shows/theatre? Want to plunk down for taxi rides rather than the CTA? Are you a standard American consumer?

Living singly, I'd still say that $1,400 is a nice chunk of change, but then again it depends on your personal standard of living.

[aragx6]

How can you live on $550? I assume that must be after utilities too right? If not, it's completely impossible.

Does this include saving of any kind?

Food (at a minimum) will be $50/week. that's half. What about transportation? Even just the unlimited pass on CTA will cost a couple $175/month.

That leaves you $40 a week for incidentals. Sounds like a recipe for disaster to me.

[CarolinaBredChicagoan]

Originally Posted by aragx6

How can you live on $550? I assume that must be after utilities too right? If not, it's completely impossible.

Does this include saving of any kind?

Food (at a minimum) will be $50/week. that's half. What about transportation? Even just the unlimited pass on CTA will cost a couple $175/month.

That leaves you $40 a week for incidentals. Sounds like a recipe for disaster to me.

Yeah, if that 550 includes utilities, it's pretty tough. Then again, if you don't have cable/internet and heat's included, that really just leaves electric and phone. If you use cell phones only, you could probably spend 100 bucks on utilities.

The CTA is a killer, because it's one thing that is truly twice the price for two people. Groceries, for example, aren't twice the price for two people as they are for one. I could easily feed two with only a slight adjustment in my grocery budget, as it tends to be things like spices/condiments/etc that drive the price up.

Still, I'm one person with relatively minimal needs, and even excluding utilities/car, I probably spend 3-400 a month.

[Chancelynn2002]

LOL it is quite possible, let me assure you.

Though it may seem spartan, we happened to find a terrific sleeping room in Old Town for less than $500, including all utilities. That is my only bill, as we don't have cell phones or debt of any kind. And internet is free at the Starbucks on the corner, so I don't have an internet bill there. Aside from the monthly CTA pass and groceries every week, there is nothing we spend money on, aside from the occassional restaurant. We don't eat processed food anymore, and our food bill has gone down, b/c fresh fruits/veggies/meats/breads are plentiful and cheaper than their mutated counterparts.

I get my jollies on exploring the city, visiting LP zoo, working a job I love, and spending time with my husband. Life has never been better : )

[chet everett]

But you have to plant yourself at the SB for two consecutive hours... MORE THAN 12 MILLION AT&T, STARBUCKS CUSTOMERS TO GET FREE WI-FI ACCESS FOR A RICH IN-STORE EXPERIENCE | Starbucks Coffee Company

[Lookout Kid]

My small family of three spends $6000 a month to live in the city somewhat modestly (though our housing costs are high for what we get). The rest is savings and investments (and we save and invest A LOT). It's hard to believe because I lived on $1000 a month as a grad student not that long ago... It's amazing how it all adds up:

$1600 mortage
$335 association dues, cable, heat, water
$300 property taxes
$225 parking
$1400 child care
$500 food (including weekday lunches out and baby formula)
$322 car payment
$100 transit
$70 gas
$150 clothes (three people)
$150 discretionary spending for Mom and Dad
$400 entertainment

And the rest is various miscellaneous expenses, utilties, internet, and various insurance coverages (we have hefty life insurance policies because of our daughter).