Graduate school (Chicago, Lincoln: apartment, neighborhoods, university)

[swgurl10]

Hi, I just recently learned that I was accepted at university of Chicago's SSA program, which is one of the best, and I'm so excited, but i have a couple of questions. Is it better to live in graduate housing or to get my own place, and what neighborhoods would be best. I'm single, 23 years old, and what's city life like in Chicago. Any help would be appreciated, ,thanks so much!!!!

[Sbudsky]

Congrats! Small world-- I'm actually an SSA grad, myself :-) Where will you be moving from?

I'd recommend living in graduate student housing the first year and then finding an apartment your second year... I'm from Chicago and commuted from the opposite end of the city to U of C, which was sort of a pain and made it really hard to meet people. If you're new to the city, living in student housing and being close to campus will make it much easier to develop a social network. By the second year, you will have made some friends, gotten a feel for the city, and figured out what areas you like, so it'll be easy to transition from student housing to finding an apartment you really like.

I personally love Hyde Park, the neighborhood where the University is....It's cute, walkable, diverse, only a 10 minute drive from downtown. (See : Ms. Hyde Park) Some people feel like Hyde Park is a bit too far from the city's 20-something hot spots (i.e. Lakeview, Lincoln Park, Wicker Park), though.... so it's really a matter of personal preference. If you really want to be in the middle of all of the action, but not too far from campus, the South Loop area may also be a good option.

Anyway, congrats again on getting accepted to the program. Feel free to direct message me if you have any specific question about SSA or U of C :-)

[Avengerfire]

I would live in graduate housing if I were in your situation.