Help me find a neighborhood (lease, time, based)

[sueprnova]

good lord we rent a 3/3 full finished basement house for 1100. course we pay gas and electric....we're @ Harlem/Diversey. However if you don't want the bus/EL thing....this area won't work....I love Norwood Park....I would live there in a hot second

[bassdesire]

Yea, the bus/el thing is really no good for me. Another tricky variable is that I'll only have about two days in town to look, having never really been to Chicago before, which makes me somewhat hesitant about the areas with little Craigslist coverage (hard to get a sense of the market/whether something is overpriced). It's definitely not a dealbreaker, but I'd like to become as familiar as possible with what kinds of things are available.

[jlawrence01]

Originally Posted by bassdesire

I'd definitely do the burbs, as I have for the last two cities I've lived in (Boston and Philly). The same requirements apply, though, as I'd like to be close to transit that gets me to work without a transfer in under an hour.

Do realize that you can commute from many suburbs to the center city in less than an hour using METRA rail including Edison Park, Park Ridge, DesPlaines, Mt. Prospect ...

[west lawn kid]

West Eldson, or Archer Heights fits the picture pretty well, if you don't mind Poles and Mexicans.

[bassdesire]

I'm liking what I'm reading about Jefferson Park, and there seems to be a reasonable selection there within my constraints. Is there a particularly good company to work with in that area?

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by bassdesire

I'm liking what I'm reading about Jefferson Park, and there seems to be a reasonable selection there within my constraints. Is there a particularly good company to work with in that area?

The Chicago Police Department.

What field are you in?

[bassdesire]

Haha. I'm a lawyer (or soon will be), but when I said "company," I meant apartment finder-type company. As a I said, I have a very tight window (need to fly in one day out a day or two later) for looking, and I want to maximize my chances of finding something I like.

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by bassdesire

Haha. I'm a lawyer (or soon will be), but when I said "company," I meant apartment finder-type company. As a I said, I have a very tight window (need to fly in one day out a day or two later) for looking, and I want to maximize my chances of finding something I like.

That I cant tell you. I am not sure which ones do a lot of work in Jefferson Park. Usually the ones I know stick in the "hip" areas.

Someone else might know though.

[Lookout Kid]

If you're not finding what you want on Craig's List or the Chicago Reader, just drive around and look for "For Rent" signs. I've found all of my best apartments this way. The apartment finder agencies claim to be "free", but they certainly charge the owners--and that charge gets passed on to you through increased rent. I always found the rents to be higher on places that were listed with agencies--but I've been out of the rental market since 2005.

[Avengerfire]

I will DM you an insider tip.