Best neighborhoods in Chicago

[jtown,man]

Originally Posted by Drover

Question is too broad to bother with. What are you looking for in a neighborhood, what are your interests, what is your budget, etc...

You're right. As far as what im looking for in a hood, any and everything. If It is more car-dependant(edison, beverly) that is fine, as this will still be light years ahead of the suburban **** hole area I currently live in. But I will say I do not want to live in the burbs. My preference would to live in a hood that is dense and has a decent amount of shopping. As I first stated though, I'm down for any type of hood.

My interest, urban planning My girlfriend is really into art and the such. Budget, 0-850 for 1 bedroom

[binarybelle]

Originally Posted by jtown,man

Very good points, to me feeling safe means not being scared to walk around at all times of the day...and at night. I do know petty crime can happen any and everywhere..so im not talking about a pristine crime free place...just the safest in the city

You have been a great help, trust me! My range is around 0-850 for a 1 bedroom.

Your price range prices you out of the "hot" neighborhoods. You could probably find a comfortable 1 bedroom in the Ravenswood area, however, which has a small array of interesting shops, bars and restaurants and is close to the Metra if not to the El. You will feel plenty safe there.

[Drover]

Originally Posted by jtown,man

You're right. As far as what im looking for in a hood, any and everything. If It is more car-dependant(edison, beverly) that is fine, as this will still be light years ahead of the suburban **** hole area I currently live in. But I will say I do not want to live in the burbs. My preference would to live in a hood that is dense and has a decent amount of shopping. As I first stated though, I'm down for any type of hood.

My interest, urban planning My girlfriend is really into art and the such. Budget, 0-850 for 1 bedroom

Well, Beverly and Edison Park are so indistinguishable from the suburbs they border that you can't tell when you cross from the city into the suburbs without looking for subtle hints like the color of the light posts, the font of the street signs, the length of the yellow lights, etc.

I think the best area for that fits your needs and budget, and is convenient to the university but with sufficient distance that you don't feel like you're in a "university" area, is Bridgeport. East of Halsted is better than west in terms of quality of the neighborhood, but even west of Halsted is mostly OK. My only caution is to avoid the area of diagonal streets immediately northwest of 31st and Halsted. I have no idea what the hell goes on up there, but there's always some sort of bad news from that corner of the neighborhood. I would also caution that south of Pershing it starts to become a little "urban-Deliverance" but you'd probably be OK if you keep a low profile.

[Chi-town Native]

The safety thing is really hard to generalize, it varies so much by demographic, location, and the combination of both.

For example, I'd say that generally speaking LP and LV are pretty safe. However - predators absolutely target these areas after the bars close, looking for drunk women walking by themselves. Not wild packs of them, not all the time, but if your area is known to be popular for twenty-something young single women, you need to know this upfront. Guys can get rolled under similar circumstances.

What is safe for young kids/teens varies by demographic more. I live in a heavily Latino neighborhood and have no problem walking around at all hours, neither has my wife nor any of our friends. However, we do not fit the profile of "young Hispanic male who may be in a different street gang because street gang member A doesn't recognize them." A friend of mine who is Mexican hates Latino neighborhoods for that reason - he's not in a gang, never has been, and he's looked at with far more suspicion than any white guy is going to be. The irony is that white people are usually pretty safe/left-alone in Latino neighborhoods, as you aren't considered a threat. I say it's ironic, as in the big picture it is gentrification that really a large problem for Latinos, as it's very disruptive to be raising a family in Chicago and to find yourself needing to move/switch schools every few years because your landlord sells the house or raises the rent due to property tax increases.

Ravenswood/North Center is a solid choice, as is Lincoln Square. If you're feeling a bit more adventurous, Logan Square.

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by binarybelle

Your price range prices you out of the "hot" neighborhoods. You could probably find a comfortable 1 bedroom in the Ravenswood area...

I know people that pay less than $850 for a 1br in Lake View,Andersonville,Edgewater,etc... What areas are more hot than those?

Logan Square? Pilsen? One can easily find a 1br for less than in those areas...

Ravenswood is not a "hot" neighborhood to you?

Forgive me I am a bit confused here.

[binarybelle]

Originally Posted by Avengerfire

I know people that pay less than $850 for a 1br in Lake View,Andersonville,Edgewater,etc... What areas are more hot than those?

Logan Square? Pilsen? One can easily find a 1br for less than in those areas...

Ravenswood is not a "hot" neighborhood to you?

Forgive me I am a bit confused here.

Just speaking from my own recent experience of searching for a 1-bedroom in Lincoln Park, Gold Coast and Lakeview. I could not find a habitable one 1-bedroom for under $1000.

And I do think that Ravenswood is a lovely neighborhood, or I wouldn't have recommended it. But it isn't "hot" in the the pervasive, default-recommendation type of way as Lakeview, Lincoln Park or Wicker Park is for inquiring young professionals.

[Carantini]

^^^ well not gold coast but certainly in those other two dumps you mentioned you can find a 1 br for under $1000.00. It may not have a doorman, span, and a view of the city, but I have known tons of people like that.