Bad luck (Chicago, Mark: crime, credit, hotel)

[chrawnick]

Ok, so I've been trying to move to Chicago for a whileeeeee now. I almost found some roommates BUT because I don't have a full time job at the moment, the landlord wouldn't approve me DESPITE my credit & background check clearing. -___-

So, now I may have another option.

There's a hotel located at 111 West Division Street in the Gold Coast area. It offers a furnished room with a private bathroom and ALL utilities for $130 a week.

Now here's the catch,

No kitchen. No wifi/internet.



But I could honestly make it work.

I could move out whenever I want to and it would only be a TEMPORARY thing. Just to give me time to find a full-time job and save money!

Now, does anybody know about this hotel? How about the area? I've read some straaange things about this place but the comments are so damn old and the hotel is being remodeled and under NEW management currently anyway.

Also, I've been around and seen crazy stuff so I can deal with "sketchiness" and I'm always, always aware of my surroundings even in the stampede a.k.a downtown Chicago.

[andrew61]

Originally Posted by chrawnick

So, now I may have another option.

There's a hotel located at 111 West Division Street in the Gold Coast area. It offers a furnished room with a private bathroom and ALL utilities for $130 a week.

Now here's the catch,

No kitchen. No wifi/internet.


But I could honestly make it work.

Eat out. Utilize the free wifi at local restaurants/coffee shops/wherever.

[chicagobear]

This is a very good, prime area. You can walk everywhere or take the bus or Red Line el.

[jsk1983]

Originally Posted by andrew61

Eat out. Utilize the free wifi at local restaurants/coffee shops/wherever.

$640 a month and eating out for every meal? Not all that cheap. I'd look into getting a cosigner and getting a studio in a cheaper neighborhood.

[jonnynonos]

That's the old Mark Twain Hotel. It's really a dump. The thing is, Cabrini Green, the notorious housing project, used to stretch north right to Division, and there were two giant horrific high rises right down the street. (Ever see Candy Man?)

Today Cabrini is far smaller and ends at Oak Street, about five blocks south of there. And there is very little crime in Cabrini today by comparison.

That area around Division is certainly not a 'very good area,' there are still a lot of transients and trouble makers around there.

I don't know if the hotel would be 'dangerous' or not but I would expect it is chock full of drug addicts, alcoholics, prostitutes and the like.

Someone once told me the notorious serial killer Richard Speck once stayed/lived there, although I've been unable to confirm that.

[prelude91]

Originally Posted by chicagobear

This is a very good, prime area. You can walk everywhere or take the bus or Red Line el.

Not really.

[chicagobear]

Originally Posted by prelude91

Not really.

It is a short walk to the Oak Street boutiques and Michigan Avenue, the Oak Street Beach, and the high rises of the Gold Coast and River North. What area would you consider more prime in Chicago?

[chrawnick]

Originally Posted by jsk1983

$640 a month and eating out for every meal? Not all that cheap. I'd look into getting a cosigner and getting a studio in a cheaper neighborhood.

See, I was thinking of this too! About $520 a month + food/hygiene/transit fare for basically an efficiency? Eh...

However, I may not even need to stay a month. All I really need to do is find a second job or full-time and then find a roommate(s).

Once I have that second job, I could probably even get my own place.

I can't get cosigner unfortunately.

[chrawnick]

Originally Posted by jonnynonos

That's the old Mark Twain Hotel. It's really a dump. The thing is, Cabrini Green, the notorious housing project, used to stretch north right to Division, and there were two giant horrific high rises right down the street. (Ever see Candy Man?)

Today Cabrini is far smaller and ends at Oak Street, about five blocks south of there. And there is very little crime in Cabrini today by comparison.

That area around Division is certainly not a 'very good area,' there are still a lot of transients and trouble makers around there.

I don't know if the hotel would be 'dangerous' or not but I would expect it is chock full of drug addicts, alcoholics, prostitutes and the like.

Someone once told me the notorious serial killer Richard Speck once stayed/lived there, although I've been unable to confirm that.

Hmm..

Well, they're remodeling it so it may not be as ugly and shady as it was before.

I'll see Monday...

[CSD610]

Microwave and local cafe for wifi. Toaster oven if they allow that, slow cooker works well also.