Something's telling me Chicago... (Lincoln, Irving: best neighborhoods, transplants, apartments)

[ja1myn]

I'm looking to learn some stuff about Chicago as I am looking to move out of Atlanta within this year. I moved here 6 months ago from NY and I'm not ready to return there yet; I want to travel and live in a couple more places first. I have family in Indiana but rarely speak to them but I understand that they love Chicago. Maybe it would be a good place to spend the beginning years of my 20s.

I work as a senior digital marketing manager and know that Chicago, like any other major city, has plenty of jobs in this industry. I'm looking for information on safe areas to rent. My rent budget is at $2.5K a month for a 1 bed 1 bath or larger if available.

I would like to be in an area where people don't hate NYers like a lot of people down here do. An open minded area that is friendly to fitness minded and entrepreneurial people would be ideal. I do not like to drive and would prefer to not have to own a car. I am not much of a drinker or club person, so nightlife isn't exactly on my priority. I'm more interested in a safe area within the city to start fresh.

[Drover]

2.5K a month will get you a very nice place anywhere you want to live in the city, from a 1-bedroom in a top Gold Coast highrise to a 3 or 4-bedroom condo rental in the north side nightlife areas to an entire house with yard and garage in the quieter Staten Island-type outer neighborhoods.

Nobody will care that you're from New York unless you make it a point to remind everyone at every opportunity.

Chicago is a top-notch eating town with a huge variety of tasty food at any price point. So while there are plenty of health-conscious people here, there is also an abundance of fatties. The overall vibe of the city definitely does not shout "health-conscious" like you'll find in more outdoor-oriented cities out West. In those cities, the main attraction is all the things to do in the outdoor features around them; Chicago is more like NYC in that the city itself and the activities therein are the main attraction.

[marothisu]

$2500/month will afford you a 1 bedroom/1 bathroom in any neighborhood of this city. In fact, it will afford you a place at probably 99.5% of any apartment building in this city (I only know of a few that would cost you slightly more than $2500/month). In fact, you could get a 3 bedroom apartment in some areas of even an area like Lakeview for less than $2500/month. With your budget, you can easily get even a 2 bedroom apartment at some places "downtown" (i.e. Gold Coast. This is where I live and the 2 bedroom apartments in my building are $2050-$2200).

If you aren't into night life and all that, don't want to own a car...I'd suggest looking at an area like Lincoln Square, Ravenswood, or even Andersonville first. Irving Park even. All these places are on a train line (although Andersonville is a few blocks from it, but the neighborhood is worth it). Hyde Park on the South Side is good too (where the U of Chicago is) but the public transit down there is a little weird, and the neighborhoods to the south and also to the west are pretty damn shady. Some quiet areas of Bucktown or Wicker Park even. I think a lot of this depends on where you're working, what type of commute you want (if on the train/bus or walking/biking), etc.


Nobody here will care that you're from NYC. I have friends here from NYC and nobody seems to care. The only time people might "care" is if there's a Yankees game going on or something, but even so... I have been to Cubs games with my friend from NYC while she wore her Yankees gear and nobody cared. I have been to Yankees-Sox games and nobody gave any **** to the Yankees fans on the train. People here are pretty cool about it all. I bet you'd get more **** if you were a Giants or Jets fans because Bears fans are usually more fanatical, but even then it wouldn't be a problem. Outside of that, it's nothing like the south. People from the south don't like "Yankees" a lot, and up here nobody really cares.

As far as fitness and entrepreneurial goes.. There are many different types of people here. Some are drinkers, some are not. Some are fitness minded, some are not. I don't think anybody is going to care whether you're fitness minded or not. Just join a gym and what not. There's plenty of people outside especially in the summer running/biking/etc. Entrepreneurial..not going to have a problem with that either.


You can really pick wherever you want in this city. I would say to stay away from certain areas though. I would stay away from the area around DePaul University in Lincoln Park, Wrigleyville in Lakeview (but Lakeview East is fine), certain areas around River North like where all the clubs/bars are on Hubbard Street and around there. I think a lot will depend also on job and whatever.

[williepotatoes]

There's no substantive distaste for NYers in Chicago. They're so many transplants and immigrants here that it's hard to figure out who to despise and why. Most of us are too busy to get a good hate goin' anyway.

Chicagoans only hate each other, when they are in their cars.

[chet everett]

A quick dice.com search for "digital marketing manager" returns 422 hits. Ny has 44. Chicago has 20. Atlanta has 18.

[ja1myn]

Thank you for all the awesome advice so far. So I take it that I want to stay in the northern part of Chicago and not in the southern areas?

The Gold Coast area looks really nice. Anyone have any high rise apartment recommendations?

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by ja1myn

Thank you for all the awesome advice so far. So I take it that I want to stay in the northern part of Chicago and not in the southern areas?

The Gold Coast area looks really nice. Anyone have any high rise apartment recommendations?

It depends on what you're looking for. The west side in the areas of Humboldt Park and Austin are just as bad as the worst neighborhoods on the south side. There are a lot of bad areas on the south side and west sides, but there also a lot of good areas.


For example, Chinatown, Bridgeport, Hyde Park, and Kenwood (where Obama lives) are nice neighborhoods on the south side. Pilsen is as well (still some weirdness going on in some areas though) I'd say Chinatown, Bridgeport, and Pilsen have the most going on out of those. Hyde Park is so so and Kenwood is pretty "boring." Then you have other areas like Beverly, which is almost more suburban feeling, and some of the neighborhoods/suburbs around Midway airport which are nice and safe, but not exactly lively. On the west side, you have the areas of Wicker Park, Bucktown, part of Logan Square (technically Bucktown is part of Logan Square), Ukrainian Village/Noble Square.


Gold Coast is nice..depending on what you want. I live in Gold Coast and it's a nice little pace, but things are more expensive here on average than in other areas. Apartments will depend on what you want from your place..Also, stay a block away from Division Street (except a few buildings).

[jdiddy]

If you want to be carless in Chicago, River North or the Gold Coast would be 2 of the best neighborhoods to look.

[ja1myn]

Originally Posted by marothisu

It depends on what you're looking for. The west side in the areas of Humboldt Park and Austin are just as bad as the worst neighborhoods on the south side. There are a lot of bad areas on the south side and west sides, but there also a lot of good areas.


For example, Chinatown, Bridgeport, Hyde Park, and Kenwood (where Obama lives) are nice neighborhoods on the south side. Pilsen is as well (still some weirdness going on in some areas though) I'd say Chinatown, Bridgeport, and Pilsen have the most going on out of those. Hyde Park is so so and Kenwood is pretty "boring." Then you have other areas like Beverly, which is almost more suburban feeling, and some of the neighborhoods/suburbs around Midway airport which are nice and safe, but not exactly lively. On the west side, you have the areas of Wicker Park, Bucktown, part of Logan Square (technically Bucktown is part of Logan Square), Ukrainian Village/Noble Square.


Gold Coast is nice..depending on what you want. I live in Gold Coast and it's a nice little pace, but things are more expensive here on average than in other areas. Apartments will depend on what you want from your place..Also, stay a block away from Division Street (except a few buildings).

Very helpful information, thank you.

Originally Posted by jdiddy

If you want to be carless in Chicago, River North or the Gold Coast would be 2 of the best neighborhoods to look.

Is it common to not have a car in Chicago? Do most people prefer to drive instead of taking public transportation?

[ChiNaan]

Originally Posted by williepotatoes

There's no substantive distaste for NYers in Chicago.

This is true for the most part, and there's not the weird regional hate here like the OP may have experienced for "Yankees" in Georgia. That being said, if there is any place that some Chicagoans have a bit of a chip on their shoulder about, it's New York. I guess it's because of the whole "Second City" thing, though we have technically been the third city for a long time now. At any rate, I would tell any NYer moving here to be careful to avoid making comparisons between NYC and Chicago, particularly with any kind of tone about NY being better than Chi. As long as you don't go around doing that regularly, though, you should be fine.