New Job in ChinaTown: Which neighborhood to live and is car worth it? (Lincoln: transplants)

[minos16]

I just got hired for a position right across the river from Ping Tom Park; adjacent to the metra rail yards on West 18th street. My budget is $650-$1050 and I'm looking for a studio in a decent neighborhood. EDIT: company parking provided.

There is an exit from the Dan Ryan right next to the company so it gives me quite a bit of flexibility if I decide to go the car route(old POS just died) for a commute. I like walking, biking, or even motorcycling to work preferably but it ain't a deal breaker.

I never ran across any Chinatown apartments listed on-line; I'd really like to live there if it's fun for a young guy since I was an expat in a few Asian countries. I still do wholesale business with China so unless the area is a tourist trap with no fun for locals I'd be down for it.

Background:

- late 20s guy: I like nightlife but I don't need it badly next door
- I dislike long commuters(30-40+ minutes)
- Decent art community nearby would be great; I worked professionally as an artist before and still do it part time(photo, video).
- I'm fairly new in I.T. so an area where the tech people hang out/live would be great
- Prefer a place with younger people rather than families
-Crime sucks but I don't need perfect safety: just no gun battles outside my windows.

Questions:

Is it worth to get a car now? The company offers free parking onsite too.

How is crime in Bridgeport and Amour Square? I see some decent rents in those areas.

What about south loop area for crime?

I'm making decent money; is it worth splurging more on those fancier loop high rise apartment? They're usually $1400+ for a studio...any shot at getting one closer to $1000 or a near loop high rise?

[chirack]

How much it is worth it to get a car depends on two factors where you work and where you live. In terms of where you work is there a place to park the car? In terms of where you live some areas(most areas are easy to have a car in) but the hot northside neigborhoods and downtown can be hard due to limited parking and high costs for parking spaces.

[minos16]

Originally Posted by chirack

How much it is worth it to get a car depends on two factors where you work and where you live. In terms of where you work is there a place to park the car? In terms of where you live some areas(most areas are easy to have a car in) but the hot northside neigborhoods and downtown can be hard due to limited parking and high costs for parking spaces.

Place to park car in fenced lot at work.

[chirack]

Originally Posted by minos16

Place to park car in fenced lot at work.

The all you need to worry about is if parking isn't too hard to get/expensive where you live.

[hjt123]

pilsen seems like a good fit. it's just west of chinatown. you could drive and be there in 5 minutes or take the cermak bus.

it's a gentrifying mexican neighborhood. loads of good food, art, and the nightlife is decent and improving. it's a totally different lifestyle than living in a river north or even south loop high rise/condo though.

[chet everett]

I am not generally a fan of Pilsen but the OP should check it out becuase ease of commute makes it hard to resist.

I would probably also look for stuff near Bridgeport and south of UIC so that you could take advantage of easy commute via surface streets.

I doubt the OP is going to want to rely on public transit in the more industrial areas near the river, when it snows or even rains those areas are a sloppy mess unlike the well shoveled / clean sidewalks of the Loop.

[Chicago87]

Originally Posted by minos16

I just got hired for a position right across the river from Ping Tom Park; adjacent to the metra rail yards on West 18th street. My budget is $650-$1050 and I'm looking for a studio in a decent neighborhood. EDIT: company parking provided.

There is an exit from the Dan Ryan right next to the company so it gives me quite a bit of flexibility if I decide to go the car route(old POS just died) for a commute. I like walking, biking, or even motorcycling to work preferably but it ain't a deal breaker.

I never ran across any Chinatown apartments listed on-line; I'd really like to live there if it's fun for a young guy since I was an expat in a few Asian countries. I still do wholesale business with China so unless the area is a tourist trap with no fun for locals I'd be down for it.

Background:

- late 20s guy: I like nightlife but I don't need it badly next door
- I dislike long commuters(30-40+ minutes)
- Decent art community nearby would be great; I worked professionally as an artist before and still do it part time(photo, video).
- I'm fairly new in I.T. so an area where the tech people hang out/live would be great
- Prefer a place with younger people rather than families
-Crime sucks but I don't need perfect safety: just no gun battles outside my windows.

Questions:

Is it worth to get a car now? The company offers free parking onsite too.

How is crime in Bridgeport and Amour Square? I see some decent rents in those areas.

What about south loop area for crime?

I'm making decent money; is it worth splurging more on those fancier loop high rise apartment? They're usually $1400+ for a studio...any shot at getting one closer to $1000 or a near loop high rise?

I am very familiar with that area. Bridgeport is very safe. Pilsen can get very shady once you start heading too far west. Pilsen is also very artist friend as they have a lot of art galleries there. I think you will like Pilsen very much.

You are in your late twenties and you are just getting started in IT? What exactly will you be doing, and what were you doing before?

What kind of wholesale business do you do with China?

[jonnynonos]

I don't drive much but I think you could live in any of the more popular transplant neighborhoods and beat your commute threshold. Hell you could beat it on a bicycle from many locations.

Chinatown is very much an immigrant community, so if you desire to live among Chinese immigrants, that's your spot.

The overwhelming number of transplants don't relocate to Chinatown or even Bridgeport.

That's a relatively tight budget for one of the more popular neighborhoods but wherever you decide to live, look around, and you will find stuff.

What I'm saying is it pretty much depends on your personality type. Bridgeport/Armour Square is still overwhelmingly an old residential neighborhood. Chinatown is Chinese immigrants. That's totally different than, say, the South Loop, which is mostly white transplants.

I don't know the statistics but I would guess the overwhelming number of new moves to the city these days wind up in Lakeview, downtown, Wicker Park, Logan Square, Lincoln Park, Ukrainian Village and to a slightly lesser extent Andersonville, Ravenswood and Edgewater. Then maybe Pilsen.

So it's really just what kind of experience you are looking for.

[sketch125]

I would look in Armour Square, especially around 26th st. to 33rd. You will find decent rent, low crime IMO, close proximity to the Dan Ryan and the redline.

If you want to experience the nightlife, you can head downtown or father north via the redline and cab it back.