moving to Chicago for internship

[Windy City John]

I gave you the link to CTA above-- did you not see it?

[vester72]

Originally Posted by Qw3rty

Thanks for all the suggestions! I am working within city limits, the very southern end, 122nd. I'll be taking a closer look at the South Loop... I am also considering the Lincoln Park neighborhood as well, a few friends have given me that recommendation too. Though, I am concerned about the commute, what kind of rough time estimate would the commute from Lincoln to the south side in rush hour be? Much appreciated everyone.

For public transportation, check WCJ's link, but if you drive and you live in the South Loop - maybe 25-40 min, depending on traffic and weather. Not a bad commute at all - unless it snows, then every commute is a nightmare.

[SloopyJ]

The drive from Lincoln Park could be pretty bad - you'd have to plan for at least an hour, maybe 75 minutes. Assuming you were in the DePaul area, you'd need 15 minutes to get to the expressway, then you will be slow going on the expressway into downtown, and then you should do better southbound after Roosevelt Road.

As for South Loop, you'd want to stay in the area between Jackson and Roosevelt east of the river; farther south (I, like an earlier poster, live in the South Loop south of Roosevelt) is outside the collegiate area. The added benefit of a South Loop location is that you're walking distance to downtown and all the cultural amenities that you'll want to soak up in your time here.

[Manigault]

If you move to Lincoln Park you need to factor in the cost of renting a parking space or the time in finding a space. It would be best to practice arriving home each day at 5:45 when the "no parking 6am to 6pm" spaces open up.

Or, you could consider Hyde Park which does have on-street parking.

[SloopyJ]

Originally Posted by Manigault

If you move to Lincoln Park you need to factor in the cost of renting a parking space or the time in finding a space. It would be best to practice arriving home each day at 5:45 when the "no parking 6am to 6pm" spaces open up.

Or, you could consider Hyde Park which does have on-street parking.

Excellent points. A parking spot would be a MUST in the South Loop as well.

Hyde Park is one of my favorite neighborhoods, but I'm not sure I'd recommend it to a 20-year-old spending a few months in the city. The U. of C. social scene is pretty sedate and you're a little remote from all the attractions downtown that you'd want to take advantage of during your stay in the city. If the commute thing is hugely important, however, I'd definitely suggest Hyde Park over the south suburbs or, for that matter, any city neighborhood farther south.