LV/ LP/ Oldtown vs. UV/WickerPark/ Bucktown (Chicago, Lincoln: neighborhood, living)

[Jandur]

Originally Posted by rca215

In my opinion, WP/Bucktown, and especially Ukrainian Village, make it tougher to get to other parts of Chicago via CTA, which can get annoying and/or expensive. Not all parts, mind you, just lots of ones that I wanted to go to.

This part I do agree with. Blue line is nice for getting to the loop and there are some buses that run E/W but it's somewhat of an isolated area unless you're cabbing around.

[rca215]

Originally Posted by Jandur

This part I do agree with. Blue line is nice for getting to the loop and there are some buses that run E/W but it's somewhat of an isolated area unless you're cabbing around.

It's easier to go from Wicker Park to Denver than it is from Wicker Park to Andersonville.

[Plzeň]

Originally Posted by rca215

Yes, walking around helps (especially in actually finding an apartment).

Another thing to keep in mind is how important it is for you to be able to easily get to other parts of the city. In my opinion, WP/Bucktown, and especially Ukrainian Village, make it tougher to get to other parts of Chicago via CTA, which can get annoying and/or expensive. Not all parts, mind you, just lots of ones that I wanted to go to.

When it comes to much of UV, I agree, because it can be a mile to walk to the el. For places along the blue line, though (East UV, WP, Bucktown) it's not any harder to get to the rest of the city than it is from places along any other line.

[rca215]

Originally Posted by Plzeň

When it comes to much of UV, I agree, because it can be a mile to walk to the el. For places along the blue line, though (East UV, WP, Bucktown) it's not any harder to get to the rest of the city than it is from places along any other line.

It is certainly harder to get to places along the Red/Brown Lines on the North Side from Bucktown than it is from other places along the Red/Brown Lines on the North Side.

I don't know how that can possibly be disputed.

[Plzeň]

Originally Posted by rca215

It is certainly harder to get to places along the Red/Brown Lines on the North Side from Bucktown than it is from other places along the Red/Brown Lines on the North Side.

Sure, but wouldn't the converse of that be that it's harder to get to places along the Blue Line from Lakeview than it is from other places along the Blue Line? Unless you live close to the Loop, it's equally hard to get to get from one el line to another no matter where you are.

Maybe you're saying that you tend to go to more places along the Red Line than other lines, in which case of course it would be better for you to live along that line. That's not the case for everyone, though.

[rca215]

Originally Posted by Plzeň

Sure, but wouldn't the converse of that be that it's harder to get to places along the Blue Line from Lakeview than it is from other places along the Blue Line? Unless you live close to the Loop, it's equally hard to get to get from one el line to another no matter where you are.

Absolutely. But I see the North Side as more convenient overall because you've got two El lines rather than just one, which expands the number of more-easily-reachable neighborhoods.

Of course, as you take the Brown Line out further (e.g. Lincoln Square) you start to increase the level of convenience from the WP/Bucktown/Ukrainian Village due to Western/Damen/etc buses. But anytime around rush hour and you revert back to misery-inducing inconvenience.

[tribecavsbrowns]

Originally Posted by Plzeň

When it comes to much of UV, I agree, because it can be a mile to walk to the el. For places along the blue line, though (East UV, WP, Bucktown) it's not any harder to get to the rest of the city than it is from places along any other line.

I live off the Division Blue stop, and there is no more convenient place in Chicago for what I do with my life. That means less North Side, yes, but I've found West Side substitutes, so I'm no worse off.

It's sort of like the debate about living in Chicago versus New York, I don't doubt that there would be more "stuff" accessible if I lived at, say, Belmont and Sheffield, I just wouldn't use any more of it.

[aragx6]

Living right off North in WP is probaly the best of both worlds -- right along the blue line or just a 5-minute bus ride or bike to the red line stop at Clybourn.

[Plzeň]

Originally Posted by rca215

Absolutely. But I see the North Side as more convenient overall because you've got two El lines rather than just one, which expands the number of more-easily-reachable neighborhoods.

I suppose so, but they're still a low percentage of the neighborhoods in the city. It just depends on the places you like to go to, I guess. I tend to end up on the Blue more than the Red (though I live on neither), and I sometimes forget that the Brown even exists.

[tribecavsbrowns]

Originally Posted by aragx6

Living right off North in WP is probaly the best of both worlds -- right along the blue line or just a 5-minute bus ride or bike to the red line stop at Clybourn.

That's a good point. At North and Damen, you pay for it, though.