Single black girl Moving from San Diego to Chicago (Cicero: transplants, 2015)

[Larry Siegel]

Originally Posted by urza216

Homewood, Hazel Crest, Flossmoor, Richton Park and other south suburbs should be looked at too if you're looking at Oak Park and Forest Park..

naaah, she's 24 years old, not 54.

[CG312]

You should also check out Logan Square, it's still north but very accessible via public transportation. Logan Square is very integrated and actually has an artsy eclectic mix of people, lots of cafes and restaurants. Another area that might like is Pilsen, especially the East section of it, towards Halsted street, also similar to Logan Square and the rents should definitely be in your range. Pilsen is also only about 15 minutes to downtown and very accessible with a nice group of people now that it has gentrified. (Used to be all Latino and now turned more hipster but still has the artsy folks and lots going on there) It might also be easy to make friends in smaller neighborhoods such as this one since there is a rich sense of community and there is a lot of activism there. Also lots of young people in the area since the University of Illinois at Chicago is less than a mile away. Edgewater and Rogers Park are still good options and also very diverse with a ton of food options. I wouldn't really say Hyde Park since it's more expensive and if you're not a part of the university life and in the academia bubble then you're kind of on your own. Plus the neighborhood is literally in a bubble and as soon as you step out of it you see the poverty and the reality of the parts of Chicago that have seem to be forgotten. No resources, no schools and absolutely no development. So while you can walk around in Hyde Park comfortably the minute you step outside you'll find yourself in the "hood" which is what it sounds like your trying to avoid. (I do eventually recommend doing a scan of the entire city of chicago so that you can see not one the immense segregation but the stark inequality and class divide across the city. Usually Black and Brown hoods are the forgotten ones) Anyhow, the South Loop will also be expensive for a minimum wage earner. It is just minutes to downtown and has a nice fresh appeal to it since it's relatively new. However not much sense of community in that area the way some of the older more established neighborhoods have and also not a lot of diversity, mainly white. Overall Chicago is truly a great city,been a Chicagoan my whole life and we do have our set of problems but I still love this city plus the people are genuine here You will be fine but please do your best to join groups and get involved in activities that you may love (MeetUp.Com is a great app that brings together different people around a shared activity), that's a great way to meet friends. Good luck on your search and let me know if you have any questions.

[Clark&Addison]

Originally Posted by Larry Siegel

Basically the whole North Side and much of the Northwest Side of Chicago, plus Hyde Park on the South Side, are integrated.

!?!?!?

Not sure what your definition of integrated is, but the VAST majority of the city, including the North and West sides, is highly segregated. That doesn't necessarily mean that anyone will be hostile or unwelcoming, but there are very few blocks in Chicago that truly have diversity among neighbors. Even Hyde Park is alot less integrated/diverse than people make it seem, especially in terms of education/social circles.

That said, Rogers Park and Uptown are two notable exceptions and I think both would be good options for the OP, both are very diverse. Having a car might be tricky though, but I think you could find something. Check out DOMU.com for apartments.

[pvande55]

Originally Posted by Larry Siegel

naaah, she's 24 years old, not 54.

Lol. HFG(Homewood, Flossmoor, Glenwood) and the others, so boring.

[Larry Siegel]

Originally Posted by Clark&Addison

!?!?!?

Not sure what your definition of integrated is, but the VAST majority of the city, including the North and West sides, is highly segregated. That doesn't necessarily mean that anyone will be hostile or unwelcoming, but there are very few blocks in Chicago that truly have diversity among neighbors. Even Hyde Park is alot less integrated/diverse than people make it seem, especially in terms of education/social circles.

That said, Rogers Park and Uptown are two notable exceptions and I think both would be good options for the OP, both are very diverse. Having a car might be tricky though, but I think you could find something. Check out DOMU.com for apartments.

It's not 1970 any more.

My old block in Lakeview had whites of every nationality, African Americans, Afro-Caribbeans, Hispanics, Asians, and people whose ethnic affiliation I was unable to figure out.

[chicago0311]

Honestly I wouldnt move to chicago unless you have money. You probably could get by and have an okay time, but is that really an upgrade from your current situation? Its not all that cheap here unless you want to live in a crummy neighborhood and you will HATE the weather coming from SD.

[WilmaWildcat]

Hyde Park is interesting, as it is quite a mix of people and Bohemian in flavor. We lived on the U of Chicago campus while my husband was on staff there. He graduated with a M.Sc. in Computer Science, but we couldn't afford to buy a house there; most of what's to buy in our range then was condos.

Congested parking because of the university and the university hospital complex; it's one of those places where you buy a parking space with a condo attached. But it has some unique cultural and architectural features; museums better than probably any other neighborhood outside of the Loop museum campus. Nice lake front. Good train service to downtown. The U of C has it's own, private police force in addition to the Chicago police. My husband used to walk to his lab in the middle of the night sometimes. I wouldn't, but he could.

Eventually he got a job on what was called the I-88 tech corridor, and we bought in Kendall County. The village is super, and we still like it out here. As far as San Diego, my own family lived in SoCal; I graduated high school there. It's cold here, and winter is a solid three months cold; you have to like that or ignore it.

[4122]

The why Chicago is less expensive is because minimum wage is Lower, so you might not get more bang for your buck necessarily. The weather is the complete opposite of San Diego. It's very Cold much of the year, and there are four distinct seasons. It's something to be mindful of.

[Clark&Addison]

Originally Posted by Larry Siegel

It's not 1970 any more.

My old block in Lakeview had whites of every nationality, African Americans, Afro-Caribbeans, Hispanics, Asians, and people whose ethnic affiliation I was unable to figure out.

That's wonderful, and I certainly am a proponent of diversity, but don't mistake your experience to be the norm.

Of course there are streets like yours and great areas with vibrant diversity, but it is simply a fact that they represent a very small portion of the city as a whole. Just because they tend to be more interesting/talked about/popular does not some how make them larger or more representative of the city as a whole.

[personone]

Originally Posted by Clark&Addison

!?!?!?

Not sure what your definition of integrated is, but the VAST majority of the city, including the North and West sides, is highly segregated. That doesn't necessarily mean that anyone will be hostile or unwelcoming, but there are very few blocks in Chicago that truly have diversity among neighbors. Even Hyde Park is alot less integrated/diverse than people make it seem, especially in terms of education/social circles.

That said, Rogers Park and Uptown are two notable exceptions and I think both would be good options for the OP, both are very diverse. Having a car might be tricky though, but I think you could find something. Check out DOMU.com for apartments.

This has to be one of the biggest, overblown stereotypes about Chicago (second to the perceived rampant crime in the whole city myth). I live in Lincoln Park, just a little south of Diversey and it is such hyperbole when people say there is no diversity and there is complete segregation here (or the north side). Walk down Diversey Street on a nice day and tell me there is no diversity and complete segregation. My apartment building in supposedly super homogeneous, white Lincoln Park has African Americans (on my hallway alone a young family a few doors down and a young professional female 2 doors down), several Asians, and a good amount of middle eastern families, mixed in with young professionals of all races. Again, stroll down Clarke St. in Lincoln Park/Lakeview and tell me you see no diversity. Go to my gym in Lincoln Park/Lakeview any evening when it's crowded and tell me you don't see diversity.

Is Lincoln Park and much of the North Side majority white? Yes. It's also not as diverse as many of us would like. But this picture people always try to make it out to be this white country club where any black person or minority will stick out like a sore thumb, is completely false. I asked a black friend of mine who lives in LP about this issue, given how much I read about it on here and other hearsay, and he laughed it off and said people always try to overblow things. He's lived in the neighborhood for 3 years and said he loves living in the neighborhood.

My point being, OP, start by exploring neighborhoods in your price range that are safe and have nice amenities, and actually visit the neighborhoods YOURSELF to see whether they have the diversity you're looking for. If you listen to the myths on this site, you will be limiting yourself from some very nice neighborhoods that I think you'll enjoy. You can easily get a feel about the diversity of a neighborhood by walking around it, going to the local stores, shopping areas, restaurants, and as you tour buildings. Decide for yourself and don't let people here decide for you.