Looking to move to Lincoln Park from Gold Coast (Chicago: fit in, transplants) - Illinois (IL) - City-Data Forum

FAReastcoast · 08-10-2011, 06:51 AM

I recently moved to Chicago from NYC and have been living in the Gold Coast for a few months, and to be frank, I don't really like the neighborhood. I have found that I spend most of my weekends in Lincoln Park which I really like. I found a newer townhouse for rent on Lincoln/Armitage that I think will be a better fit.
My friends keep telling me I am crazy to move from my highrise in Gold Coast for this place. I guess my question is, how much of a difference is there between the two neighborhoods? Again, I love my apartment in GC, Im just not thrilled about the neighborhood.

I know this is very vague, but wanted to get a discussion going among Chicagoans who can hopefully help out.

Bakesalee · 08-10-2011, 07:09 AM

Would you mind explaining what you don't like about the neighborhood? I only ask because I'm coming soon, and found some nice looking deals for studios in the GC area. It's between that and LP, Lakeview, etc.

I imagine (don't really know) that GC feels less active at night, and that it doesn't have the convenience of coffee, bars, and grocery stores for when I need to break the cabin fever.

JBVirtuoso · 08-10-2011, 07:13 AM

Well, if you like Lincoln Park better, I fail to see why leaving a high rise in the Gold Coast is so bad. Your friends might have a point if you're planning on moving to a run-down roach box, but it doesn't sound like that's the case. You're the one living in your apartment; they are not.

I would recommend, however, that you explore Lincoln Park carefully before you decide to move there. Living there is going to be a different experience from your weekend visits. Try your commute a few times in a few different ways, go buy your groceries at the Lincoln Park store, figure out where the nearest ATM locations are, etc. A move like this has a high potential for buyer's remorse, so just make sure you do your homework.

Bakesalee · 08-10-2011, 07:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JBVirtuoso

Your friends might have a point if you're planning on moving to a run-down roach box

Is there anyway to tell if the place you're considering has roaches? They are my biggest fear.

FAReastcoast · 08-10-2011, 07:45 AM

thanks for all the feedback; my biggest gripe with my current neighborhood is that the area seems to skew on the "old" side, there doesn't seem to be the 24/7 type vibe I am looking for (I work very off hours as I run an office that deals with Asian Markets). THe food options seem to be lacking as well. I do LOVE having direct access to the lake, but I will not be that much further in LP.

In terms of commuting to work, I usually drive to river north (I have free underground parking) and the townhouse I am looking at has a garage space included. The downside is that my costs will go up a bit, as I was paying ~2300 for my apt in the Gold Coast, and the 3bd townhouse is $3200/mo.

From what I have seen I like LP better, but as stated before, I usually am only there on weekends.

Jandur · 08-10-2011, 10:47 AM

I live near Clark and Diversey and I really enjoy it. There are a lot of good restaurants inbetween Fullerton and Diversey on Clark. There are bars, some decent shopping etc etc.

The biggest difference between LP and GC is that GC is a little bit older and wealthier from a demographics standpoint. LP does have a decent amount of college students running around. Personally I feel that LP has a much better neighborhood vibe going on where as GC, especially the area you live can get very very quite. GC is also still a bit more commercial-y.

There isn't any drastic differences between the two areas, but they are different. To be very frank GC is sort of boring to me. I'd say look at apartments near wherever you find yourself hanging out. There are a lot of nice areas in LP and finding a nice place within your budget wont be an issue. If you want to be close to the lake try finding a place on the east side right along the park, you can walk to the beach in about 15minutes or so.

i_am_hydrogen · 08-10-2011, 11:20 AM

Most of the bars, restaurants, and retail in the Gold Coast are concentrated along Division and into State/Rush. Lincoln Park, by contrast, is larger and, as a result, has more nodes of activity spread throughout the neighborhood, e.g. Lincoln Avenue near DePaul, Clark/Diversey, Fullerton/Halsted/Lincoln, Armitage/Sheffield, etc. The dominant theme among the vast majority of bars is to be sports-oriented, though you can find some dives and upscale clubs. Also, much of Lincoln Park's housing stock is outstanding, so you wouldn't be taking much of a step down from the Gold Coast in that regard.

FAReastcoast · 08-10-2011, 11:34 AM

Thanks for all the feedback guys, your comments confirm my thoughts. Lincoln Park seems to be a better fit for me at this point in my life, and it is hard to pass up on all the space I will be getting. Cheers.

CoolSocks · 08-10-2011, 07:56 PM

Did you sign a lease for your gold coast apartment? Those can be tricky to break, especially if you signed for a year.

Tex?Il? · 11-07-2011, 11:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FAReastcoast

I recently moved to Chicago from NYC and have been living in the Gold Coast for a few months, and to be frank, I don't really like the neighborhood. I have found that I spend most of my weekends in Lincoln Park which I really like. I found a newer townhouse for rent on Lincoln/Armitage that I think will be a better fit.
My friends keep telling me I am crazy to move from my highrise in Gold Coast for this place. I guess my question is, how much of a difference is there between the two neighborhoods? Again, I love my apartment in GC, Im just not thrilled about the neighborhood.

I know this is very vague, but wanted to get a discussion going among Chicagoans who can hopefully help out.

In terms of demographics, the two neighborhoods are different, despite being close to each other and similar

I would think coming from NYC you probably find the Gold Coast much more similar to where you are from. Gold Coast has a much more Manhattanesque feel than Lincoln Park. Lincoln Park would be a little more like Hoboken, NJ I think in terms of housing stock.

The Gold Coast (as well as nearby Old Town which is a little like Greenwich Village: artsy bohemain feel historically but been highly gentrified for quite some time.) from what I can tell has much more diversity in age, as well as geographic origin of transplants.

Lincoln Park while probably very easy to fit in, is much more highly geared toward those who only a few years out of college, and more specifically from a variety of midwestern universities. So, they are more likely to have set social groups, although I think they are welcoming to everyone.