Working at Univ. of Chicago, but where to live?

[sunnyandcloudydays]

Well you may as well scratch the northside off your list
as the university of chicago is on the southside

You may want to look in a suburb along a commuter line
What else are you looking for
what is more important to you
where you live
or the commute time
I also always always recommend visiting the area and get a feel for work and a home..
you will find traveling from one part of the city to another part is or can be hours
depending on the time of day.

the chicago area is rather large physically

[NearWestSider]

Originally Posted by chet everett

The option of living nearer to Pilsen is cheaper and "muy authentico" for those with Spanish fluency, but you'll not have too many folks that are readily identifiable as a "young professional" even thoughnthey might be...

This blows my mind.

Here I am, living less than a city block from Pilsen, and for some bizarre reason I thought I'd been living around a bunch of yuppies. Turns out, my neighbors are actually corn on the cob vendors! How heavy is that?

And I guess my Spanish is whole lot better than I'd realized, because I can carry on lengthy conversations with them, too!

I realize that City-data.com probably rivals Burger King for number of Whoppers served on a daily basis.

But this is a Whopper of a Whopper. Thus, it is noteworthy.

[ajolotl]

It "blows your mind" is a "Whopper of a Whopper" and "noteworthy" that someone characterizes Pilsen as largely a Mexican neighborhood.

Originally Posted by NearWestSider

This blows my mind.

Here I am, living less than a city block from Pilsen, and for some bizarre reason I thought I'd been living around a bunch of yuppies. Turns out, my neighbors are actually corn on the cob vendors! How heavy is that?

And I guess my Spanish is whole lot better than I'd realized, because I can carry on lengthy conversations with them, too!

I realize that City-data.com probably rivals Burger King for number of Whoppers served on a daily basis.

But this is a Whopper of a Whopper. Thus, it is noteworthy.

[SJaye]

Can you park at work? I know someone that works @ U of C and lives in Bridgeport. He drives to work every day, but lives pretty close to US Cellular Field/ the red line, which gives him a safe quite neighborhood to live in, and access to the red line to go up north for nightlife when he desires.

[jwdink]

Ugh, don't live in Hyde Park. It's very isolated, and very, very boring. South loop is a much better option, as the 192 or Metra are quick and painless commutes. Meanwhile, if you live in hyde park and decide to "commute" when you want to go out, you're looking at horrible horrible trips.

[citylove101]

HYde Park is a very good neighborhood though you do have to go to the North Side many times for social life because of the relative paucity of bars, restaurants, theaters, clubs, etc in the neighborhood.

But do also consider S Loop, form 18th to Congress, north to south, and the Chicago River to the Lakefront, east to west. Its been overbuilt and there are some good housing deals to be found there in hgih rises. ITs generally far less dense than Hyde Park--many "towers in a park" type stuff--but enough of a city that you don't feel out in the 'burbs or something. Its a quick easy drive to U of C. There is a bit more retail and entertainment than Hyde Park, though still not a lot and generally a low-crime neighborhood. ITs busier and denser the closer to the Loop you get, less so in the South end of the neighborhood.

But when I vist S Loop I always feel that the nabe is still somehwat characterless, a bit of "this could be anywhere" . My friedns there tell me that its because the area is stll a relatively new middle-class nabe as opposed to more established ones in the city. Its adolescent and still in formation. Not overwhelmingly trendy, or established, or Yuppie, or Hipster, but with elements of all of these. I think its sort of interesting in a way. Its like looking at a teenager trying to figure out what he wants to be when he grows up., which can be fascinating, but not to everyone's taste.

[krc28]

Thanks everyone. I will check on these neighborhoods during my next visit.