Been lurking for a while... a few questions! Sheridan & Foster (Chicago: fit in, apartments)

[i blame history]

I know how aggravating it is to have new people come in and ask questions that can be easily answered by a quick search, so I've been lurking about this forum since Monday, and WOW there is a wealth of information and many helpful people here!

I am currently in the Dayton, Ohio area. Been here my whole life. My fiancee and I are graduating college in November, getting married on 11/22, and basically looking to relocate to Chicago before the first of December (after the hardcore job hunting that will happen between now and then!) and I am still all over the place in terms of where to go, so my apologies if this is long winded.

We visit the city several times a year because we just love it so much and we stay with my fiancee's aunt and uncle in the Arlington Heights area in order to eliminate lodging costs. We're not totally clueless when it comes to the city but we're definitely not encyclopedias of knowledge regarding different things.

So, in quick form: can I get some feedback regarding the area of Sheridan & Foster?

And in my usual longer form: I am causally looking for apartments since we won't move until almost December, but I like the information I can find about Wyndham at 5240 N. Sheridan. We have a 30 lb dog who loves to be walked, and this place is dog friendly. We will have a car but it is our ultimate goal to not have to drive much, which will be a huge change for us seeing as the public transit system anywhere but IN the city of Dayton is almost non existent in these parts (one reason why we LOVE Chicago). I am aware that there is bus access right next to this building, as well as the Berwyn stop on the Red Line being just a couple blocks away. I do not drive (too scared of driving, myself) so the access to transit that this area seems to have is a very huge plus. There is also a Dominick's directly across the street. It would be the first time that I could get myself to and from work and anywhere else I'd want to go.

Now, threads I have read on here have lead me to believe that while this area could be better, it isn't a terrible place. I mean, neither of us would walk alone at night, and you always have to be aware of things, regardless of where you are. Plus, our price range isn't able to put us in the absolute best areas. Not knowing what our salaries will be (just bachelors degrees in psychology), I am assuming that we would not want to pay too much more that $1000 for a 1 bedroom to start out with. We're coming from a 1050 sq ft, 2 bedroom townhouse in a Dayton suburb for $700... again, it will be a learning experience. There's also the fact that while we will likely work in the city, we don't know where, exactly--another reason why easy access to bus and L lines is needed, because we'll need the ability to get wherever we need to go.

As for what the area has to offer, that I don't know much about other than the grocery store and the access to transit. We will be 22 and 23, but we are not partiers... we love going to concerts (rock/punk... we love what Chicago has produced in terms of bands), but we don't drink. Bars and clubs really wouldn't be all that appealing to us... not a turn off, just not necessary; I know many people our age would probably insist on being in close proximity of them. When we are visiting, we spend most of our time walking around the area of Belmont & Clark and everything that's walkable there, if that tells you anything about us. We just enjoy that area but the rent seems to be a little on the higher end, and I am already scared of four digit rents (I know; feel free to point and laugh).

So, the boy is going to give this building a call tomorrow to enquire more about the specific apartments, but I am turning to you guys for some more generally useful information that I can only really get from a local. Am I correct in what I think I know about the safety and transportation in the area?

We are actually visiting a week from now (we go to concerts in the city as our excuse to just go ) and we'll definitely be making this area a destination to check it out firsthand, but again, you kind of need more than a day's experience to learn anything important.

[supernerdgirl]

I usually just pass through there fleetingly because I ride the 147 all the time (which will take you to downtown straight from Foster), so I don't know how it is "at night" so to speak. The Berwyn stop has some interesting characters. There's always some guy singing/rapping on the SE corner every time I ride home from work on the weekends, but he's just singing, he doesn't bother anyone. I hate Dominick's, so I would suggest Jewel which is at the Berwyn stop.

I really wrote this to answer your question about music. Most of your punk stuff you will find at Reggie's. The bigger bands still play at Metro, but the smaller ones are at Reggie's (which is a red line ride down to Chinatown then a block walk), or now at the Bottom Lounge (which I haven't been to but it's apparently at Lake and Ashland). Also at the Damen blue line is the Double Door and Subterranean, and out in Logan Square is a bar called Ronny's where they put on shows in a garage. Some people have shows in their apartments but you generally have to know the right people for that (which I don't), and those tend to attract the hipster crowd. Speaking of hipsters, there's also the Empty Bottle by Western/Division... but I felt way too old and not cool enough to be there. but maybe you guys will fit in. Also, here in Chicago all music venues come with bars. That's what people do here. We drink. (If there is such a thing as an "all ages" venue without booze being served .... well it's probably in the 'burbs to tell the truth.)

[Kevin J]

Sheridan and Foster is fairly dead in terms of amenities, but areas with good restaurants and shops aren't far away. When you tour the area, you'll see that Sheridan is lined with residential high rises with very little retail. But, you'll be a 5-minute walk from the lakefront, which is a nice benefit.

Half a mile south of Sheridan/Foster is a strip of Asian restaurants in what is referred to as New Chinatown (but most of the restaurants and businesses are actually Vietnamese, Laotian, or other southeast Asian).

A little over half a mile west of Sheridan/Foster at Clark Street is Andersonville, which is very much the retail and dining playground for the area. There's a wide variety of restaurants there, a lot of antiques/home furnishings stores, and plenty of other types of stores (clothes, shoes, toys, cards/gifts, etc.). One of the nicer things about Andersonville (for the time being anyway) is a relative absence of chain stores, so spending time there is not like walking into a mall in Anytown, USA.

Half a mile north on Bryn Mawr, there's a smaller strip of shops and restaurants. This area is generally pretty safe and has attracted some businesses and eateries worth visiting. But this is where you start to see more "characters" on the streets, i.e. people who probably aren't dangerous, but aren't exactly wholesome either (like the guy a few weeks ago who tried to sell me triple-x porn videos that he was carrying around in a plastic grocery bag).

Some of the immediate area around Sheridan/Foster looks a little grungy, but is pretty harmless. Walking back and forth to the Berwyn el station should be no big deal, no matter the hour (assuming of course that you're acting responsibly and not walking around in an iPod bubble, completely unaware of your surroundings.)

Chances are pretty good that at least one of you will end up working in the Loop, so this location would be excellent for that commute. If someone ends up having to commute to the 'burbs, it could be ugly, depending on where exactly. If you're fortunate enough to have job options to choose from, factor the commute time and expense into your decision for sure.