Best neighborhoods for 20-somethings on southwest side (Chicago, Evanston: sublets, violent crime) - Illinois (IL) - City-Data Forum

Wherenext2 · 02-20-2013, 09:51 AM

I'm in my late 20s living in Madison, WI, and want to move to a big city where there is more going on (and more people my age- Madison tends to be split between college students and families). The company I work for has a large regional center in Chicago (Bedford Park), so it would be easy for me to transfer down.

So what I'm wondering, is where could I live that would be as close as possible to work but also would have nightlife, sports, and other young singles? As far as budget, I don't make much, but I'm fine with having 3 or 4 roommates if necessary to bring down the cost, and I actually like old buildings if they're in decent shape. I do care about safety though... someplace where I'm not likely to get shot, raped, or mugged would be good. Any suggestions?

Thanks!

marothisu · 02-20-2013, 10:02 AM

Well, on the SW side, I wouldn't call it exactly what you're looking for. Pretty suburban. There are some good eateries and such in suburbs like Bridgeview, but nightlife and young people and what not? Nope. For that, you'll have to go into Chicago a bit.

What kind of budget per month would you be on?

If you want that, even a little bit then you'd probably have to go to an area like Bridgeport or Pilsen. They are not sports heavens (although Bridgeport has the White Sox stadium in it and you'll find people who are fans but it is nowhere near like it is in Lakeview near Wrigley Field) and not crazy, but they are areas which bring you close enough to Bedford Park to have some sort of things. It's possible to take public transit down there depending on where you are working. If not and you want a car, then these two neighborhoods put you close enough to the freeway that's near Bedford Park. The CTA train goes through the neighborhoods, so if you wanted to get to some of the more lively northside neighborhoods, you wouldn't be stretching too much nor have to drive for it technically.

If not, then you can always check out suburbs like La Grange, which I have heard actually has some interesting nightlife (well, more restaurants, but some bars) in some areas and it's not all old people.

Wherenext2 · 02-20-2013, 10:30 AM

I would be looking for something under $500 for (my part of) rent, and my company is on the west side of Bedford Park. When I say sports, I mean places to place sports (rec leagues) and good sports pubs to watch games on TV (too expensive to watch games at the actual field). Are those areas bike-able at all? How much does the metra/train cost? Would it be practical to take it to the more happening areas just for a night out?

marothisu · 02-20-2013, 11:10 AM

Under $500 would be hard in the REALLY popular areas especially if you want an easy commute. Bridgeport and Pilsen do have places though, with roommates that you can get for under $500/month. There are other areas too closer to the big nightlife places but your commute would suck more if you did that.

The metra prices vary on where you're coming from and where you're going as they're in "zones." For the CTA, which includes both bus and train, the unlimited monthly pass is $100 (increase actually just recently) per month. You can do a pay as you go thing and I think they've increased it to $3/ride. However, if you transfer (i.e. get off and get food let's say and get back on, or just transfer right away) within 2 hours of your first card read, then it's 25 cents.

A lot of Chicago is pretty bikable. Of course, the north side and part of the west sides are more bikable just because they're denser than the south side, but a place like Pilsen or Bridgeport is still not wholly un dense and still pretty bikable. Both of these are pretty close to Chinatown too.

IMO, if you're looking for the nightlife thing and work there, then yeah you could take the train to get there. It's a lot better than living right near work with nothing going on that you want and having to either drive to town or cut your hours down as a result.

My opinion anyway.

gomexico · 02-21-2013, 02:12 PM

Forest Park. Not exactly, "Southwest" ... but West, and within easy reach of Bedford Park (via Harlem Ave.). The bar scene on Madison St. is pretty intense. Housing in relatively inexpensive. Lots of singles there and in Oak Park which is adjacent.

Wherenext2 · 02-21-2013, 04:04 PM

Thanks for the tips. Are those areas pretty safe (as Chicago goes)?

Another thing I'm wondering about, here in Madison there are loads of cheap summer sublets starting around May... do these parts of Chicago have that too?

gomexico · 02-22-2013, 03:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wherenext2

Another thing I'm wondering about, here in Madison there are loads of cheap summer sublets starting around May... do these parts of Chicago have that too?

Not really. You'll find some of that in Evanston, the principal campus of Northwestern University. And also in Hyde Park, where the University of Chicago is. Other than those two places I don't think I've noticed Summer sublets of any significance.

marothisu · 02-22-2013, 03:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wherenext2

Thanks for the tips. Are those areas pretty safe (as Chicago goes)?

Another thing I'm wondering about, here in Madison there are loads of cheap summer sublets starting around May... do these parts of Chicago have that too?

You don't have to say "as Chicago goes" for safety. There are many areas of this city that are just as safe as many other parts of this country. A ton of the violent crime in Chicago is gang on gang or drug related. If you don't join a gang or do hard drugs, you'll be fine. That's not to say you couldn't randomly get mugged or something anytime, but your chances go way down of that ever happening.

All of these areas mentioned are safe. Some very few parts of Pilsen (and maybe Bridgeport) are eh weird but overall fine. All you need to know is to not hang around bad parts in Englewood/West Englewood, Greater Grand Crossing, Austin, most (not all) of Humboldt Park, West Garfield Park, North Lawndale, West Englewood, Chatham, Roseland, most of Southshore, etc.

trailblazer33 · 02-25-2013, 01:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by marothisu

You don't have to say "as Chicago goes" for safety. There are many areas of this city that are just as safe as many other parts of this country. A ton of the violent crime in Chicago is gang on gang or drug related. If you don't join a gang or do hard drugs, you'll be fine. That's not to say you couldn't randomly get mugged or something anytime, but your chances go way down of that ever happening.

All of these areas mentioned are safe. Some very few parts of Pilsen (and maybe Bridgeport) are eh weird but overall fine. All you need to know is to not hang around bad parts in Englewood/West Englewood, Greater Grand Crossing, Austin, most (not all) of Humboldt Park, West Garfield Park, North Lawndale, West Englewood, Chatham, Roseland, most of Southshore, etc.

Way to paint with a broad brush.

Wherenext2 · 04-16-2013, 01:14 PM

So, I've done some research on the neighborhoods you guys recommended and visited the area to look around, and I'm pretty much decided on moving to Oak Park/Forest Park in either a few weeks or 3 months.

A few questions I still have:

How bikeable is this area? Should I bring my bike with me when I move? Would it be safe to bike down Harlem from Oak Park to Bedford Park?

Is it true there's a "crime belt" going through the middle of Oak Park? Is Madison St walkable after dark (but before midnight)?

I'm on a tight budget, so I know I won't be able to afford going to the high end places downtown, but can anyone recommend some laid-back places to go watch a football or hockey game or go eat after work that would be affordable to people who aren't raking it in?

Thanks