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I am living in Dallas and I am currently in the interview process for a position in downtown Chicago ("the loop") near the Chase Tower building. I'd like to have more information regarding possible neighborhoods to live in or to look at apartments online while I am still going through the interview process so I can be prepared.
About me: Late 20s, single professional female, I have a small dog I will take with me and a car.
The salary for the position will be between $65,000-$70,000/annually; so please make sure any suggestions are within my range. I'd be comfortable paying up to $1400/month.
I'd like a one-bedroom or studio apartment close to work, ideally I'd like to be able to walk there since I've never been able to do that before. But I'd also like to be in an overall walkable area that has conveniences nearby. Not a total dealbreaker.
Also, the job asked me how long will I need to move if they offer me the position and I told them 2-3 weeks. Is this reasonable? Keep in mind, I don't own a lot of furniture (and am willing to sell what I do own), so the only things I'd really have to move include clothes, necessities, my car and my dog. Is 2-3 weeks enough to find an apartment in Chicago? I know it is in Dallas.
1) 2-3 weeks, you may get lucky, but maybe not. Just take that time with a little bit of a grain of salt. The rental market has been hot for awhile, so it's not uncommon to find places go on the market and be taken in a day. Luckily your budget is decent, but not perfect.
2) Work location + car. First of all, any reason why you need to keep your car? I understand you're coming from Dallas where having a car is pretty vital, but realize that if you live in an area you want to in Chicago, you will rarely be using it. I also bring this up because parking in downtown Chicago for residents is not cheap. Expect to pay at least $175/month for parking and more on top of your rent (my place is not luxury and still $185-$210/month for parking).
There are many parts of Chicago that are walkable, and Chicago boasts arguably the second most extensive public transit system in America behind NYC, along with thousands of cabs. Being a resident of "downtown," I'm going to tell you that unless you plan on going to further reaching areas of the city, commute to the burbs (which you won't), or take frequent road trips (like once a week or so), that your car will not be of that much use. Just putting that out there.
I actually ditched my car when I moved here, and really - I haven't looked back. I have many friends who had cars when they moved here too only to ditch them a short time later after they realized it was collecting dust on the street and they could use that money to go out more, save more, go on more vacations, etc. I actually prefer life without it since the area and others are so walkable serviced by good public transit and cabs. When I DO need a car, I either use a service like ZipCar, or use a corporate discount to rent a car for cheap for a day or two (for short roadtrips).
2) The dog thing too - not every building in "downtown" accepts dogs. In fact many don't, but some do yes. Many buildings downtown have an under 40 pound dog rule, so I hope if you find a place in the area your dog is under 40 lbs, because it may make things easier in the "downtown" area. if it's over 40 pounds, then you may want to look for condo buildings with individuals renting out their units as the buildings may be more lax about it than rentals.
The other neighborhoods probably provide better luck for you and this.
3) Location + rent. First, you do not want to actually live in the Loop. The problem is that it's the central business district and actually 75% of it shuts down after 8pm. The only lively areas in it are basically near State St and Michigan Avenue, but trust me, you don't want to live there.
I would suggest looking in River North, Streeterville, or Gold Coast. These are all north of the Loop and have a lot more to do. River North has probably the most restaurants, night life, etc out of all, then Gold Coast, then Streeterville. Streeterville is probably the most "boring" out of all of them and it's closer to the lake, but also newer buildings which means higher rent. You may find a few places there.
I'd say out of those, you're most apt to find a 1 bedroom in Gold Coast. People on here will tell you the Gold Coast is for old people, and there's a small amount of truth to that, BUT as a resident of the Gold Coast, I'll tell you that's changing and there's many 25-35 year olds in the area now. My building's average age is probably in the late 20s to be honest with you and whenever I see people touring my building, they're usually in their mid to late 20s. For the record, I pay around $1400/month for my 1 bedroom and the commute from my place to Chase Tower in the morning is about 10 minutes total (3 stops plus a little walking). My place is not luxury but it's still not bad at all and very livable. Also has a small gym in it plus 24 hour door staff.
In River North and Streeterville, you may find some studios.
4) Other neighborhoods. While there's a romanticized idea out there of living in "downtown Chicago" you should know that really only say 5-7% of the entire population of the city lives downtown. There are many other neighborhoods that could be of interest to you, and also would be easier to get a dog, and keep your budget down. You could easily get a 1 bedroom for $1400 or under in other neighborhoods of town. For example, Lakeview East (part of Lakeview) which is near the Lake which is also next to the park Lincoln Park (good for the dog). You could easily get a 1 bedroom there for your range and it would be easier to find dog friendly places. Lakeview is on the Red (and Brown and Purple) line train, which is 24/7 and you could be at your job in probably 20 minutes from there on a normal day.
Other places a little NW like Wicker Park/Bucktown may be of interest to you too. Wicker Park and Bucktown are about 10-15 minutes from the Loop via blue line train which runs 24/7.
The thing that you may not know is that an area like Lakeview actually has more people living in it than River North, Gold Coast, Streeterville, and Old Town combined. Tons of stuff going on really as you'll learn. There's also street parking in these areas if you REALLY want to have your car (which is $25/year for zoned parking, and in some areas it's free). But again, I encourage you to realize that you're moving to a completely new type of city where you may not need your car and realize it's a waste of money to keep it.
Last edited by marothisu; 09-12-2013 at 12:06 AM..
I am living in Dallas and I am currently in the interview process for a position in downtown Chicago ("the loop") near the Chase Tower building. I'd like to have more information regarding possible neighborhoods to live in or to look at apartments online while I am still going through the interview process so I can be prepared.
About me: Late 20s, single professional female, I have a small dog I will take with me and a car.
I absolutely urge you to rethink the car thing. We moved here from Phoenix, so I get the idea you're used to needing it. But you won't. And I don't even live terribly close to the Loop... heck, I live off the pink line which isn't even 24 hours and I already want to sell it. Don't forget about the city sticker and the fact you have to obtain it in 30 days. Arizona also did not issue our plate refund because we moved to another state, you may want to look into Texas rules about this (we lost about $100). All in all, registering our vehicle here resulted in about $400 in fees or loss of refunds.
Traffic here is a nightmare. Gas is expensive. Heck, we haven't sold our car yet and sometimes I want to drive to work (out of habit) but I guarantee you I get there quicker by train. I go over 2 highways on the way into the loop and the traffic is regularly just sitting there or extremely slow.
As far as apartments go, there are some good apartment finder services that will help you find an apartment for free. I think that City-data has a policy against posting links directly in the forum, but feel free to PM me and I can refer you to someone who has never failed to get me an awesome apartment.
You should be able to find something for $1400 easily, even on short notice BUT, you may not be as close to the Loop as you like, you may have to go out to Logan Square (great up and coming, fun neighborhood and close to other fun/young single neighborhoods like Wicker park and bucktown). You can find a place on Gold Coast, Lakeview etc for that price but keep in mind, that apartments at that price point in those closer-in neighborhoods are usually older (20+ years) and MAY or MAY NOT have things like dishwashers or in-unit laundry, or may have older tacky flooring etc. Just be prepared for that. Otherwise, Chicago is an amazing place to live. Its different here, from the perspective that here, its not all about the apartment you live in, its about the NEIGHBORHOOD. The apartment is just a place to live at, sleep, watch TV etc. Of course, you can make your pad as interesting, comfortable or cozy as you want, and if you have the money for something REALLY nice ($2000+ up per month), that does exist but I learned to look past the apartment and focus on the neighborhood.
I'd like to add that there is much less shame in taking public transit here. If you live in a nice high rise area on the lake, the thought of a majority of the thousands of your upper-middle class neighbors driving downtown down narrow streets at the same time is pretty daunting. So, most Chicagoans commuting downtown suck it up and live a few miles out so they can save money, have more space, and hop on a train/bus/bike to get to work.
I'd like to add that there is much less shame in taking public transit here. If you live in a nice high rise area on the lake, the thought of a majority of the thousands of your upper-middle class neighbors driving downtown down narrow streets at the same time is pretty daunting. So, most Chicagoans commuting downtown suck it up and live a few miles out so they can save money, have more space, and hop on a train/bus/bike to get to work.
This is true, and a good point. I have even seen the mayor riding the train before and it wasn't a publicity stunt. I have friends who are VPs and CEOs of smaller companies (but still are pretty damn well off) who ride the train and bus like it's nothing. Not to say there aren't many people with private drivers, but you'll see all walks of life on public transit for sure.
Thank you everyone for the advice. I am having a hard time wrapping my mind around not taking my car, particularly because I recently finished paying it off. I've been to Chicago before though so I know a lot of people take the train.
I will add a differing opinion. I moved here 12 years ago and specifically sold my car before coming here. I lived in River North, Gold Coast and Lakeview and eventually missed the ability to see all of the sights and just get into my car and drive anytime I want. So, a few years later, I bought a car and would never think to ever go back.
My wife and I take advantage of Skokie Lagoons, the Lake Forrest 44 acre dog exercise area (our favorite place in the world, here: Prairie Wolf Dog Park, Lake Forest - Lake County Forest Preserve District (Illinois)), a lot of the biking in Lake County, Morton's arboretum, some of the suburban shopping (which for us is quicker, slightly cheaper taxes and free parking), and we take day trips often to Milwaukee and Wisconsin. We also have family in Barrington (a far suburb). We use the car a lot in the city too because as far as I'm aware dogs aren't allowed on the train or buses unless it is your seeing eye dog, and we love to travel with our dog and go places with him.
The downside is that gas is expensive and traffic is generally terrible, or more specifically Chicago has decided over the years that it is OK to have the second lowest freeway lane miles per capita in the country for almost 10 million people (coming from Dallas, you will be shocked at major highways like the Stevenson or Kennedy are not moving and are only three lanes in each direction). Parking is very expensive in the Loop but very affordable and even free on Sundays in the neighborhoods, and the neighborhoods are what makes Chicago great IMO and where all the restaurants and cool shops are.
Coming from Dallas I think you'll like it here it will be really different and exciting, but will probably in the end miss many things about Texas especially the lower taxes and better job market. Speaking of Texas, if you are looking for a good church in Chicago try Park Community Church (google it), it is a big church with a lot of young, single professionals and a lot of ways to get involved, help others, and maybe even meet the future Mr. AriannaB. Chicago has a lot to offer and keep your eyes on Yelp.com for all the great restaurants and just have fun with it.
Last edited by yoyoniner; 09-12-2013 at 07:20 PM..
I run against the grain of most here, but I really liked having a car when I lived in the city. I have a lot of family and friends in the city and burbs and found it convenient for bigger shopping trips, getting around on nights/weekends and getting out of town. I would NEVER use it for commuting to work within the city though... hellish... Definitely use public transportation.
BUT... it was very expensive to have a parking space when I lived downtown (Streeterville/Gold Coast area) and you would have to budget for that. For me, the convenience/time saved by having a car was worth the money to me (which is a lot when you consider parking/maintenance/yearly fees/insurance/gas). I am frugal in other ways. It all depends on what you can afford, and how busy your work life is. Also, since there are two of you and you have dogs.... one car might be nice.
If you lived on the North side, you could probably park on the street for much cheaper and it would be less of an issue. Of course, parking on the street has the downsides of getting dinged, snow issues in winter, and moving the car for street cleaning at times etc... This is city living... not Texas.
My point is basically sfcambridge's point. The OP paid off the car, but for her, it would be a lot better to live in an area like Lakeview while budgeting for that. Either she can park it on the street for at most $25/year or free, but you are still paying for insurance. If not, then that $1400/month with parking "downtown" is going to be really hard to accomplish even with a studio. It's possible, but an $1100-$1200 studio will be a vintage gold coast place that is just alright probably.
I think what gets lost here is the ability to pay for something like Zip Car too. If your insurance is not that much then maybe it's not bad, but you have to consider that in high rise living, a car is not free to park and in the "downtown" area there is not a ton of room to street park it in the least bit. The other areas it's much easier to just park it on the street.
So, my suggestion is that since you outright own it to take it with you here, but realize about the parking, and then really pay attention to your habits. Honestly, especially if you are new to the city and live in one of the north side neighborhoods, you probably will hardly use your car especially if you have no family/friends in areas like the burbs and your job is in the Loop.
Honestly though, if you want to keep the car and pretty much maintain your same budget, I'd live in an area like Lincoln Park, Lakeview, Wicker Park, etc. While not amazing, parking on the street here is pretty damn cheap (and if you're lucky in these neighborhoods - free). Getting to your work from these neighborhoods is normally pretty damn easy and not very long. Remember that there's actually more people living in Lakeview than Near North Side (River North, Gold Coast, etc) and you'd be surprised at how much is there - plus things are cheaper on average. River North, Gold Coast, etc is not incredibly cheap on average for stuff like food, nightlife, etc (though there are some cheap places for sure still).
Last edited by marothisu; 09-12-2013 at 11:53 PM..
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