Where to live in city ASAP- work on far south side (Chicago: apartment complexes, for rent)
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I am new to Chicago and just got a job working very far South, at:
9550 S. Loomis Avenue
Chicago, IL 60643
My job has already begun and I am currently staying with relatives in the NW suburbs (which is very inconvenient). I need to find an apartment ASAP!
I do not want to live anywhere on the south side, like Beverly, Brainerd, or even Hyde Park. I am a female in my mid 20's and I do not feel that those neighborhoods would be all that fun, accessible with the rest of the city, or safe.
I would like to live in a neighborhood with a lot of young professionals, that is more safe than the South side neighborhoods but still as close to work as possible. I want it to be a very walkable area with gyms, cafes, etc close by. I was thinking UIC area (but I'm not crazy about Pilsen) or loop area (by the musuems- like art institute and Michigan Ave- Is that called "the loop?") That is my most ideal location.
My work hours are M-F 7:30-5:00. I do not want to be in horrendous traffic on the way to or from work so that is why I don't think a North side neighborhood like Lincoln Park would be the best choice.
Another significant thing to mention is that I will need a secured reserved parking spot 24/7. (I cannot leave my parking situation up to chance by not having a spot when I need it). I understand this will most likely cost extra money, which I am glad to pay if I have a spot I would come back to everyday. I would really love to have a covered parking spot- how common is that in the neighborhoods I am targeting? I also heard that in some parts of the city, you need to make sure to move your car when it snows, at whatever time of day/night it happens so the snow plow can come through. I also want to avoid that situation at all costs.
I do not mind living with roommates and would be happy to share a place with someone. My rent with utilities and parking included should not exceed $1000 but of course would like to pay as little as possible as I have student loans to pay off.
My questions are: (there are lots of them so you don't have to answer them all!)
1. What neighborhoods can you recommend based on the factors I outlined- (close enough to work but still being more central in the city in a nice neighborhood and parking) And- can you recommend any apartment complexes in particular?
2. How can I find a place ASAP? I am very new to the city, and am horrible with directions/geography. I am very nervous apartment hunting because I don't know how to navigate to find apartments or where to park my car when looking at places(or even how to parallel park!) I am thinking of getting a realtor but do not want to pay 1 months rent service to them in return. Is there any service like there is in Oak Park (oak park housing authority) which takes you around for free? (i know this is probably wishful thinking...)
3. Would you be able to give me a rough estimate of how long it would take to get to/from work from the areas I outlined? (UIC, loop area) My mapquest says 30 minutes, but I know in traffic it could be A LOT more which really concerns me particularly regarding my way home from work.
4. Do you think it would be safe to take public transport to/from work? I have been told that the address of my work place is in a questionable area. However, if it would save me considerable time- particularly on the way back from work, I would consider it.
4. About how long does finding an apartment in this city take? Or is it just completely dependent on the situation/luck? I am going to look and make appointments for the weekend, because I won't have time during the week. I am going to be looking at places all day Saturday and Sunday. Is it reasonable to think I can land an apartment in 1 week?
Thank you very much for reading my long and extensive post. I very much appreciate any help or direction you can give me : )
I do not want to live anywhere on the south side, like Beverly, Brainerd, or even Hyde Park. I am a female in my mid 20's and I do not feel that those neighborhoods would be all that fun, accessible with the rest of the city, or safe.
You're probably right in terms of fun and lack of connection to the rest of the city, but Beverly and Hyde Park are actually among the safest neighborhoods in the city. I'm not necessarily saying you should choose either of them to live in, but since safety is clearly important to you, you should be aware that the "fun" neighborhoods, besides being much further from your work, also have higher crime rates than Beverly and HP.
If I worked where you do and wanted a good balance of fun, accessibility, walkability, and relative safety, I would live in Hyde Park, Bridgeport, Pilsen/UIC, or South Loop. If you absolutely insist on living on the North Side, then I would live as far south on the North Side as possible, like River North or Ukrainian Village. You do not want to commute from the far North Side to the far South Side of the city. That would be brutal.
And, of course, the biggest thing you're leaving out that may further narrow your options is how much you want to spend in rent and for what type of place.
Also, are you sure you're working at 9550 S. Loomis? That appears to be a residence, and a small one at that.
Pilzen was right. Before making an assumption about crime in a specific area, make sure your looking at facts. I think Hyde Park and South Loop are great neighborhoods to consider because of proximity to your work area. Before touring an apartment, go to every block chicago and you will have information that will make you comfortable with location. Also create an ad on Craig's list under housing wanted with your wants and likes and dislikes. That can save allot of time and energy.
My questions are: (there are lots of them so you don't have to answer them all!)
1. What neighborhoods can you recommend based on the factors I outlined- (close enough to work but still being more central in the city in a nice neighborhood and parking) And- can you recommend any apartment complexes in particular?
2. How can I find a place ASAP? I am very new to the city, and am horrible with directions/geography. I am very nervous apartment hunting because I don't know how to navigate to find apartments or where to park my car when looking at places(or even how to parallel park!) I am thinking of getting a realtor but do not want to pay 1 months rent service to them in return. Is there any service like there is in Oak Park (oak park housing authority) which takes you around for free? (i know this is probably wishful thinking...)
3. Would you be able to give me a rough estimate of how long it would take to get to/from work from the areas I outlined? (UIC, loop area) My mapquest says 30 minutes, but I know in traffic it could be A LOT more which really concerns me particularly regarding my way home from work.
4. Do you think it would be safe to take public transport to/from work? I have been told that the address of my work place is in a questionable area. However, if it would save me considerable time- particularly on the way back from work, I would consider it.
4. About how long does finding an apartment in this city take? Or is it just completely dependent on the situation/luck? I am going to look and make appointments for the weekend, because I won't have time during the week. I am going to be looking at places all day Saturday and Sunday. Is it reasonable to think I can land an apartment in 1 week?
Thank you very much for reading my long and extensive post. I very much appreciate any help or direction you can give me : )
Hey There Bella,
First of all, welcome to Chicago! We hope you love the city as much as we do! In regards to your questions:
1. The suggestions below are all good ones. South Loop is the city's most popular neighborhood in terms of new residents, and depending on where you find a place there, you could walk to the Metra Commuter Rail Station to get to you job. If you're intending to drive, I would also suggest Little Italy/University Village and also the West Loop. They're just north of Pilsen, both are very safe, and both have TONS of nightlife and arguably the best restaurant scenes in the city outside of downtown. I moved to the West Loop 3 months ago and love it here.
3. In the morning if you hafta be there by 7:30 then you'll miss a lot of heavy traffic. In the afternoon, not so much. Would guess morning you could get there from the aforementioned neighborhoods in less than 30. On way home, could be as much as 45, but hard to say.
4. ABSOLUTELY. Crime on the CTA is pretty rare, on Metra even rarer. From the location you showed, it'd be about a half-mile work to a Metra station, but as long as you stick to the main streets, you'll be fine. You don't work in a GREAT neighborhood in terms of safety, but you don't work in one of the worst either. However, looking at the Metra schedule to/from your location, the way home doesn't quite match up with your schedule. Still, maybe worth taking a look: Rock Island District (RI) Line Map
5. Luck, but you don't need too much of it. If you enquire ahead of time, and the place is available, and you're willing to pay rent when you move in, I've got a feeling you can find a place with little drama in the time allotted.
Best of luck and please let us know where you decide on!
I need to say one thing others haven't said yet. Your budget is $1000/month. You can throw the South Loop, Loop, and most of Near North out anyway. Not only are the average rents before utilities over $1000/month even for a studio, but parking is even more. Parking at my place is $200/month for one spot. Even if you found the cheapest place in the Gold Coast (a few real old places near Division at like $750/month for a studio), your parking would push it over the limit.
If you are hell bent on not staying on the south side at all, you should look at Ukrainian Village or East Ukrainain Village areas...or somewhere around there. Good stuff going on there and it goes into Wicker Park. I am pretty sure you can find what you're looking for rent-wise with roommates especially around there, and Ukrainian Village will be cheaper than Wicker Park.
I need to say one thing others haven't said yet. Your budget is $1000/month. You can throw the South Loop, Loop, and most of Near North out anyway. Not only are the average rents before utilities over $1000/month even for a studio, but parking is even more. Parking at my place is $200/month for one spot. Even if you found the cheapest place in the Gold Coast (a few real old places near Division at like $750/month for a studio), your parking would push it over the limit.
If you are hell bent on not staying on the south side at all, you should look at Ukrainian Village or East Ukrainain Village areas...or somewhere around there. Good stuff going on there and it goes into Wicker Park. I am pretty sure you can find what you're looking for rent-wise with roommates especially around there, and Ukrainian Village will be cheaper than Wicker Park.
With your budget, the UIC/Taylor Street area is really your best option - the UIC area is not the same as Pilsen. Ukrainian Village is also an okay option. Your other alternative is to find roommates - although in the best areas there are still plenty of people with roommates paying $1,000/month each (or more) with parking. When I lived in the Gold Coast 10 years ago, I was paying about $1,000/month including utilities for my share, and I didn't even have parking and it wasn't a very fancy place. I'm sure $1,000/month seems like a lot to you, but for your list of wants it's really, really low. I'm not familiar with rent costs in Hyde Park, but Hyde Park is safe, and if you're driving to leave it anyway you don't have to worry about edgier neighborhoods outside of it. If you can find a place that meets your cost needs in HP, I'd recommend at least considering it.
I need to say one thing others haven't said yet. Your budget is $1000/month. You can throw the South Loop, Loop, and most of Near North out anyway.
Oops. I somehow didn't see that part before responding, and you're right. Pilsen/UIC and Bridgeport are very doable at that budget, with enough left over for secure parking, though you may have to walk a few blocks to it. (There aren't a lot of parking garages in those areas.) Hyde Park and Ukrainian Village are also doable at that budget. The other places mentioned are going to require roommates if you want a place for that price.
South Loop or Printers Row, near the Metra Electric line.
Can you really find something for $1000 in those neighborhoods with parking?
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