What Kind of Prices to Expect

[andrew61]

Originally Posted by coldwine

I was looking through the Chicago reader and I just have to ask...

Who would pay $1,600 a month in rent to live in Evanston?

To be realistic, in the whole of Chicago there are only a handful of very specific places which command that pricing. That's more than a mortgage.

Well, depending on what part of Evanston you're in, you could be competing with college students for available rental housing, which drives prices up. You wouldn't think students would be able to afford that kind of rent, but often they can if their parents are footing the bill.

[meatpuff]

Originally Posted by Linx

Well it doesn't have to be WP/Bucktown, but from all the threads I've read so far, it just seemed like the ideal spot for a single 26 year old male. Maybe WP/Bucktown is overrated then? I don't really know much about Chicago yet.

I could afford more for rent if WP/Bucktown is worth the price. But I'm still not quite sure what I'd be paying and if it is worth the extra premium or not.

Let me spell out the issue that everyone is hinting at: WP/Bucktown is not a monolith. Taken together, it's kind of a big area. There are gorgeous streets, and kind of ugly streets. There are apartments just down the block from great parks, bars, shops, etc. And there are WP/Bucktown apartments not particularly near anything, and some near seedy low-income housing.

Because of the name recognition, there is a premium for any apartment in WP/Bucktown. If you can afford the best of WP/Bucktown, go for it, I think you'd like there a lot. But if you can't afford or don't care to pay that premium, you may be happier in a nice apartment on a great block of another neighborhood, than a mediocre apartment on a marginal block of WP/Bucktown. You might still find the place you're looking for in WP/Bucktown on your budget, but I wouldn't say no to looking at places in the nearby neighborhoods mentioned earlier.

[Linx]

Hmmm, sounds like I will have to get to know the different areas of these neighborhoods to be able to get the right thing in my target budget. I wish this were simpler...

Anyway, I guess I'll start with WP since that's my main interest. What parts of WP are good or bad besides the obvious of being close to a bus stop or the L or the primary intersection? Are there any unsafe areas? What about Bucktown?

[Linx]

You know one thing that would help me figure all this out is if the people on CraigsList were not so retarded. It seems like in every post they will only show an image of one room or maybe two and make you just use your imagination on the rest. It hardly ever says the square footage and they never have an address. How am I supposed to know if it's in a good location if there is no address!? Ugh, just annoying.

[Slanderous]

Originally Posted by Linx

You know one thing that would help me figure all this out is if the people on CraigsList were not so retarded. It seems like in every post they will only show an image of one room or maybe two and make you just use your imagination on the rest. It hardly ever says the square footage and they never have an address. How am I supposed to know if it's in a good location if there is no address!? Ugh, just annoying.

I would make sure that they at least have a cross street. It's easy for people to say their rental is in Lincoln Park when it's actually close to Cabrini Green.

I've been looking at apartments in Chicago also and the pictures on craigslist can be very frustrating. I especially like the shots with a wide-angle lens. If you find an apartment you're considering, I would just email and ask for more pictures and square footage.

Also, Chicago reader seems to be more reliable than craigslist. You won't find as many listings, but a lot of the listings I've seen on CR have better pictures and seem legit.

[cubssoxfan]

Is Lincoln Square an option for OP? Close to Brown line and it has a nice collection of bars and restaurants. Is Albany Park still hit or miss as far as being consistently nice street to street?

[Linx]

Lincoln Square seems a bit further from downtown than I'd like.

Craigslist has always had this back-alley-feel to it, I guess. One thing I learned today is that West Bucktown does not mean the west side of Bucktown. It does NOT even mean Bucktown! It means WAY WEST of Bucktown. Nice.

Next thing I know I'll find some "West Gold Coast" condos that are actually in Garfield Park - yeah I guess they're west of Gold Coast...

Is it always this deceptive in Chicago or are people just desperate because of the economy?

[meatpuff]

Originally Posted by Linx

Hmmm, sounds like I will have to get to know the different areas of these neighborhoods to be able to get the right thing in my target budget. I wish this were simpler...

Anyway, I guess I'll start with WP since that's my main interest. What parts of WP are good or bad besides the obvious of being close to a bus stop or the L or the primary intersection? Are there any unsafe areas? What about Bucktown?

You know, I'm starting to think as an out-of-towner, we were giving you the wrong advice before. I would recommend you look exclusively in WP/Bucktown first. Only if you can't find something you'd like there at your price should you look at surrounding neighborhoods.

The thing, this board is full of people very familiar with the area, block by block in some cases. People who are trying to get the most apartment/street appeal for their buck. For people who are very familiar with the area, you can get more for your money on certain blocks in nearby neighborhoods, depending on what you're looking for. But WP/Bucktown on the whole is still a nicer neighborhood. The worst block in WP/Bucktown is still way better than the worst block in Noble Square. If you don't know the area very well, and it's hard to just via the Internet, it is safer to just find a place in WP/Bucktown.

It is true what I said before that there are attractive and less attractive parts of WP/Bucktown. But I don't want to overstate it. There is actually WAY MORE variation within neighborhoods like Noble Square and Logan Square. Even the less attractive blocks within the official borders of WP/Bucktown are still pretty nice for that region of the city.

That said, the part with the most problems is the SW corner of WP. There is a problem high school there, it's near some problem areas, and there is not very much commercial development that would drive foot traffic, which would raise safety. There is also slightly more crime right along Western Ave. in WP, and it's also kind of a busy, pedestrian-unfriendly ugly corridor. There is some low-income housing in WP, but it's mostly scattered-site stuff that doesn't cause intense problems, just not something you'd want right next door. There is some amount more crime along Division St. because of some nearby low-income housing, but it's also a very attractive commercial strip, so it may be a wash depending on what you're looking for. I don't think Bucktown has any problem areas to speak of. On second thought, I'll stop there. I do think I gave a pretty complete summary, but just read here for more info: http://www.city-data.com/forum/chica...ve-wicker.html

Anyway, I would just move to WP/Bucktown if I were you, and get to know the area. Then after your lease is up in a year, if you want to save a buck or move to a neighborhood you like more or hunt around for a better deal on an apartment you can re-evaluate.