Arabic Single Lady moving to Chicago, IL, Please advise...! (Lincoln: apartments, crime rate)

[Leo Hart]

First of all… I would like to thank everyone who took the time to read and comment on my post… very kind of you to do so…

Second… to give answers to the above questions marks:
- My Total monthly budget is $1000: Live, Rent, Food, Transportation, etc... I thought by paying almost more than 2/3 of that for a place to stay-in would buy me safety.
- My boarder range of contacts in USA have their own families and are located in different States... I am fully aware that they already have their burdens to carry, I can only feel honoured have knowing them and call them friends.
- Is there any reason I must live in Chicago? - Yes!
- Being a part of a Resettlement Program doesn’t provide the safety measures for a single lady, the resettlement organization has looked for the cheapest places in Chicago for me to reside, and I am sure all of us know what that means;, cheapest places means high crime rates... and in case I refuse to resettle where they offered, (which is the case, ‘cause I cannot risk living there no matter what) then, no more help from their side. At that point I knew it was my burden to carry, so I came to you here seeking advice, I will definitely look up all the places which you came to mention...

If you do have any further information to share or any other places to recommend, please feel free to leave me a comment... all you have to say to me is valuable.
Thanks again

[Leo Hart]

Originally Posted by Chicago76

Seriously? The average Iraqi income is roughly $1500. This woman seems to have a very good formal education, work experience, etc., but I think it's a little ridiculous to assume that she'd just going to be able to "increase her budget" moving halfway across the world in a very different culture, trying to find her niche, employment, etc. She likely made a tiny fraction of whatever her German counterparts did for the company she worked for.

99% of the immigrants who come here from non-economic powers can't exactly "increase their budget" outside of modest means, at least until they get their feet under them here.

Maybe it's presumptuous of me to assume she's not sitting on a large pile of cash, but it's probably more presumptuous to assume otherwise.

To our Iraqi friend: I'd look into Ravenswood or Andersonville. One nice thing about Andersonville is that there are a couple of Middle Eastern restaurants/cafes in case you're feeling a little homesick. Best of luck to you here, and WELCOME!

Thank you for being so understanding to the immigrants' suffering... and thank you for your kind words.

[Chi-town Native]

Originally Posted by Alacran

Albany park

Yep.

[Chi-town Native]

Originally Posted by Leo Hart

First of all… I would like to thank everyone who took the time to read and comment on my post… very kind of you to do so…

Second… to give answers to the above questions marks:
- My Total monthly budget is $1000: Live, Rent, Food, Transportation, etc... I thought by paying almost more than 2/3 of that for a place to stay-in would buy me safety.
- My boarder range of contacts in USA have their own families and are located in different States... I am fully aware that they already have their burdens to carry, I can only feel honoured have knowing them and call them friends.
- Is there any reason I must live in Chicago? - Yes!
- Being a part of a Resettlement Program doesn’t provide the safety measures for a single lady, the resettlement organization has looked for the cheapest places in Chicago for me to reside, and I am sure all of us know what that means;, cheapest places means high crime rates... and in case I refuse to resettle where they offered, (which is the case, ‘cause I cannot risk living there no matter what) then, no more help from their side. At that point I knew it was my burden to carry, so I came to you here seeking advice, I will definitely look up all the places which you came to mention...

If you do have any further information to share or any other places to recommend, please feel free to leave me a comment... all you have to say to me is valuable.
Thanks again

I for one am very glad Chicago is opening her arms to you. Please feel free to post any questions that you might have.

[aragx6]

Woah if $1000 is your total budget you are going to have a really tough time. You're going to have to find a place that includes all of your utilities on an already small budget. A monthly public transit pass is $86, and you really need a minimum of $150/month for food and other household necessities like cleaning supplies. You won't be able to afford to have cable or internet -- so you'll have to go somewhere with wifi if you want to email, etc. What about a phone? I feel like you at least need a home phone -- I have no idea what that costs, but probably up to $30.

That's going to be exceedingly tight.

[Leo Hart]

Originally Posted by aragx6

Woah if $1000 is your total budget you are going to have a really tough time. You're going to have to find a place that includes all of your utilities on an already small budget. A monthly public transit pass is $86, and you really need a minimum of $150/month for food and other household necessities like cleaning supplies. You won't be able to afford to have cable or internet -- so you'll have to go somewhere with wifi if you want to email, etc. What about a phone? I feel like you at least need a home phone -- I have no idea what that costs, but probably up to $30.

That's going to be exceedingly tight.

How much does an internet cost...?

[6591]

It seems like a roommate may be a good idea for you, even if just for a short while as you get acquainted with the city. Can you possibly seek a roommate through resettlement services? Good luck and welcome.

[aragx6]

Originally Posted by Leo Hart

How much does an internet cost...?

You could probably get DSL for a bit under $30. And actually if you did that then you could just use Skype to call people, which would be very cheap.

[Chicago76]

One area I completely overlooked that might be a good fit is Albany Park. Thie neighborhood is located on the NW side of the city and is considered to be a safe "gateway" community for immigrants, in addition to being the home of many established working to middle class citizens. Albany Park also is something of a hub for Iraqis in Chicago, most of whom are Assyrian w/ a Shiite minority as well. The gentlemen who run our local convenience store in my neighborhood happen to be Iraqis who live in Albany Park (one from Basra and one from Kirkuk). It's not overwhelminly Iraqi or Middle Eastern, but it is home to enough immigrants from that region to support maybe 4-8 restaurants/cafes/sweet shops in addition to grocers, which are centered on Kedzie/Lawrence. One culture/ethnicity does not dominate the area, however, with a majority Latin American base with a noticeable Korean, Eastern European, and Middle Eastern presence. The neighborhood has good access to the brown line at Kedzie and Kimball as well. The area's leadership seems to be focused on supporting its immigrant population, affordable housing, and education. The community center in particular might be a good resource if you choose to live in this area, and with some countrymen already in the area, you might get better advice on affordable housing and an initial job here to get you on your feet. This area is generally less expensive that places like Lincoln Square, Andersonville, and Ravenswood to the east.

6591's suggestion of a roommate sounds like a very good one given your financial situation. If I was in your position, I think I'd pick this area as it gives you a good chance to live in relatively safe area cheaply, while remaining close to the middle of the city, plus it gives you better odds of finding the support system you need to get settled with a job, housing share, understanding the city, etc.

A few links to give you a better idea:

Albany Park, Chicago - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Albany Park Neighborhood Council

APCC -

And some photos tagged Albany Park via Flickr:

albany park chicago - Flickr: Search (http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=albany+park+chicago&f=hp#page=0 - broken link)

If you don't mind me asking: where did the resettlement program offer to settle you? Do you think it would be possible to receive what it would have cost in the cheaper location to serve as a stipend for the home that you choose? It might not go extremely far, but if they were still able to give you $200/mo, that would go a long way. Living on $500-$600/month outside of rent is much more manageable than $300-$400 per month.

[Leo Hart]

Originally Posted by Chicago76

- If you don't mind me asking: where did the resettlement program offer to settle you?
- Do you think it would be possible to receive what it would have cost in the cheaper location to serve as a stipend for the home that you choose?

- The resettlement program offered to settle me in Rodgers Park and West Rodgers Park...!
- The thought's crossed my mind too, I will try my best to do that, unfortunately I cannot know for sure in the time-being, I have to be in Chicago myself in order to ask for such request, it cannot be done now, so till this moment I dunno if that's an existing option...!