student moving from nyc to chicago (Lincoln, Cairo: appointed, high crime, neighborhoods)

[egyptian]

Hi,

I will be starting graduate school at UChicago in the fall and I'm a bit nervous about moving there. I've never been to the Midwest and I'm not really sure what to expect from the city and culture. I lived in NYC the past four years (originally from NJ) and I hate to admit it, but I've become one of those people who compares everywhere I go to my beloved NYC. That said, I've traveled a good amount and am pretty adaptable (currently living in Cairo). But how will I find Chicago, from a New York perspective?

I also haven't decided whether to live on campus in Hyde Park, or more central/downtown. Which are the hip, student-friendly neighborhoods? Is there anything similar to NYC's East Village (I lived there and in Williamsburg)? One of my favorite things about Manhattan is that you can walk everywhere. Will I miss that in Chicago?

The other reason I find it hard to leave NY is the multiculturalism. I'm interested in the Middle East, and in NYC there are tons and tons of cultural and intellectual Middle Eastern events happening all the time (film festivals, lectures series, etc). Anyone have any idea how vibrant the ME community is in Chicago?

Many thanks.
y

[UnderTheLiveOaks]

Originally Posted by egyptian

Hi,

I will be starting graduate school at UChicago in the fall and I'm a bit nervous about moving there. I've never been to the Midwest and I'm not really sure what to expect from the city and culture. I lived in NYC the past four years (originally from NJ) and I hate to admit it, but I've become one of those people who compares everywhere I go to my beloved NYC. That said, I've traveled a good amount and am pretty adaptable (currently living in Cairo). But how will I find Chicago, from a New York perspective?

I also haven't decided whether to live on campus in Hyde Park, or more central/downtown. Which are the hip, student-friendly neighborhoods? Is there anything similar to NYC's East Village (I lived there and in Williamsburg)? One of my favorite things about Manhattan is that you can walk everywhere. Will I miss that in Chicago?

The other reason I find it hard to leave NY is the multiculturalism. I'm interested in the Middle East, and in NYC there are tons and tons of cultural and intellectual Middle Eastern events happening all the time (film festivals, lectures series, etc). Anyone have any idea how vibrant the ME community is in Chicago?

Many thanks.
y

I'm about to hit the sack, so this will be a short response. (I'm sure everyone else will be all over it tomorrow.)

There are multiple threads on this board discussing comparisons between NYC and Chicago. If you use the search function you'll be able to get some of those answers much faster than you could by waiting on responses to muster on this thread.

Two main points:

1) Chicago is certainly its own place. Though it's in the Midwest, I don't know that I'd be able to say that it's culturally similar to, say, Iowa. It's faster and less tolerant of nonsense. However, that leads me to point #2:

2) The best way to end up disappointed and simultaneously put off (or even **** off) Chicagoans is to constantly compare it to NYC. It's a different place. We know. You know. Some things are better. Some are worse. Some are just different. Coming to the city expecting it to be the city you just left is really counterproductive.

More, later. Search function. Night, world.

[egyptian]

Thanks, I have actually read the other threads but my questions are a bit more specific. I don't expect Chicago to be a replica of New York (certainly Cairo isn't), but naturally I'm curious as to how it differs. Basically I'm trying to a feel for the city now so I'll be a bit more prepared once I get there.

[NYrules]

Check out living right downtown if you don't want to much "shell" shock. Chicago def. moves at a slower pace than in NY and is very dead compared to NY where for instance if you go out in the Loop after about 6 PM it is a ghost town. In Manhattan if you go out after 6 PM you might have one less car on the road and one less intersection grid locked. Oh and maybe one less car or air horn honk.

One up and coming neighborhood in Chicago that stays alive 24/7 is Streeterville... Gold Coast and River North as well as areas further north like Lincoln Park and Lakeview also are very lively. Lakeview is very far north in your case, but is probably the closest thing to lets say the nicer areas of Brooklyn or Chelsea area? Streeterville is pretty much like Manhattan's east side (very upscale, loads of traffic, kinda trendy and touristy) Hyde Park as you mention would be more like Manhattans upper west side (The Seinfeld neighborhood) as it is very quiet and artsy. The area is surrounded by rather lower end/high crime communities which is the primary reason Hyde Park is often forgotten about, but none-the-less is a nice little community where many professors and students alike live.

[aragx6]

The problem I've found with Hyde Park is its lack of nightlife. It's very weird to me that a neighborhood with a university doesn't have more bar action going on. If that's not important to you Hyde Park should be fine.

[neonwattagelimit]

Originally Posted by egyptian

Hi,

I will be starting graduate school at UChicago in the fall and I'm a bit nervous about moving there. I've never been to the Midwest and I'm not really sure what to expect from the city and culture. I lived in NYC the past four years (originally from NJ) and I hate to admit it, but I've become one of those people who compares everywhere I go to my beloved NYC. That said, I've traveled a good amount and am pretty adaptable (currently living in Cairo). But how will I find Chicago, from a New York perspective?

I also haven't decided whether to live on campus in Hyde Park, or more central/downtown. Which are the hip, student-friendly neighborhoods? Is there anything similar to NYC's East Village (I lived there and in Williamsburg)? One of my favorite things about Manhattan is that you can walk everywhere. Will I miss that in Chicago?

The other reason I find it hard to leave NY is the multiculturalism. I'm interested in the Middle East, and in NYC there are tons and tons of cultural and intellectual Middle Eastern events happening all the time (film festivals, lectures series, etc). Anyone have any idea how vibrant the ME community is in Chicago?

Many thanks.
y

Williamsburg and Wicker Park are actually pretty similar. Though you'd have a pretty heavy commute going from there to Hyde Park, so I'm not sure I'd live there if I were you. I've never been to Hyde Park, but I've heard good things so you may just want to live around there.

As someone who moved here from NY a couple of months ago, I can tell you that the only place in the city at all similar to Manhattan is the Loop/Gold Coast/Streeterville area. The rest of the city is more like the outer boroughs, if anything. Still, its different, slower, strangers are friendlier, people usually don't jaywalk for some reason I still can't understand . It's not the multicultural mecca that NYC is, but its still plenty diverse. I think it'll be an adjustment, but not a huge culture shock.

You want a culture shock? Go to downstate Illinois...that place...geez...

[egyptian]

thanks, very helpful. about how long is the commute from these neighborhoods to Hyde Park? and is there a reliable metro line that goes there (and does it run all night)? i guess another option would be living close to the metro stop in hyde park so at least i'd have easy access to downtown?

[dragoro]

If ya can handle cairo (total cess pool I've been there) ya can handle chicago.

[UnderTheLiveOaks]

Oh! And middle eastern culture:

Hopefully someone else can expand on this more than I can, but I'd say your best bets for experiencing some middle eastern culture are probably in places like Albany Park and Edgewater on the north and northwest sides.

[egyptian]

Originally Posted by dragoro

If ya can handle cairo (total cess pool I've been there) ya can handle chicago.

truth. but i'm only in cairo for 6 months or so, whereas i'll be a doing a phd at u chicago so it's at least a five year commitment, but probably longer....