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Lincoln Park and Lakeview (especially the closer you get to the lake) are similar to Park Slope or Cobble Hill in Brooklyn. Maybe even Brooklyn Heights (might be a bit of a stretch).
How big of a space are you looking for? Anything over a 1 bedroom in those areas will likely be well over the $250K mark. Safe areas include (but are not limited to): Lincoln Park, Lakeview, Roscoe Village, and Wicker Park (all with that denser feel).... South Loop and Lincoln Square are good (But less dense) and I would look at Andersonville. It just really depends on what you want. For nightlife, I would recomment the first 4 I listed. That being said, even when we are on the Gold Coast, my brother from NYC is always amazed about how few people there are out compared to NYC.....
Unless you are going for a studio (maybe a 1 bed), the Gold Coast is probably out.
Regarding parking, many places do have deeded spots, but they can be an extra $25-30K depending on where you live.
Also, unless you are in a co-op (which there aren't a whole lot of), no you don't have to be approved by the board. There is though a condo association that you have to pay assessments to. Really make sure you check this out. Some are upwards of $1000/month in highrises (and don't include utilities or taxes) and some are as low as $100 per month.
Good luck!
Lincoln Park and Lakeview (especially the closer you get to the lake) are similar to Park Slope or Cobble Hill in Brooklyn. Maybe even Brooklyn Heights (might be a bit of a stretch).
parts of lincoln park/lakeview remind me more of murray hill or ues... even though those parts of brooklyn are yuppifying, the whole frat boy bar mentality is much more like some bars in murray hill/ues.
i lived in bklyn most of my life and where i recently moved to, north center/ravenswood, reminds me much of p slope in the quiet, pretty residential blocks with close proximity to restaurants, bars, etc. nice to bike around and i'm a few blocks from trader joe's which is a far stretch from the park slope food co-op but i can bike there and get lots of good deals on organic food so it's pretty similar.
and where i live, i don't pay for parking and can always park on my block! even in snow!
I always love to see someone look at Chicago and think how cheap it is! I had the opposite reaction when i first started thinking about moving here. It's amazing how different it can be!
Sometimes I watch that house hunters show on HGTV and you really do have to be a millionaire to live in New York!
I think you'll find life easier here. With a little extra money in your pocket everything seems to feel a little better (I'm not saying money buys happiness, but... it certainly doesn't hurt)
haha...i know- everyone i talk to here about how cheap it is is like where are you from? and i say nyc. and then he/she is like, "oh".
i was so excited to have a huge apartment. i hated the overpriced railroad apts in bklyn - never did all rooms have windows. and no doors... so it was like a big shoebox. here i have windows AND ceiling fans in every room. which to me is a huge deal. and a yard. and dishwasher. these things still excite me. i was out building a snowman with my neighbors last night and it was like wow, i have a yard... haha.. the only thing is i miss my cheap nyc pizza. i broke down and had pizza on my lunch hour the other day (i work in the wrigley building) and can barely finish a slice. then this heaviness sets in. it's just not the same thing at all. still,i came here knowing i'd miss that and i deal. i'll be living it up over the holidays visiting my family. and near where i work there are mostly overpriced and not the kind of food that i like. i miss make your own salad places and ny delis. so i bring my own a lot.. no biggie.
anyway, that said... it is so much cheaper here, or rather you get more for your money. nyc feels like a constant ripoff.
the only thing is i miss my cheap nyc pizza. i broke down and had pizza on my lunch hour the other day (i work in the wrigley building) and can barely finish a slice. then this heaviness sets in. it's just not the same thing at all.
just an FYI you're probably aware of, but Chicago does make good thin crust too. probably not the massive foldable slices you're used to, but never the less. Most Chicagoans like deep dish and its a source of pride, but to be honest most dont eat it all that often at all. Thin crust is much more common day to day.
Ok, my wife and I are considering the move from NYC to Chicago...mainly because the cost of living is SO much less than here in the city, and the schools in Chicago (for our advanced degrees). We are both mid-20's and have no kids(or plans of them)...that being said, we like going out to bars/lounges, so would like a neighborhood with decent nightlife.
I don't think I agree with the folks recommending Downtown/Gold Coast. Those areas are really expensive, especially when you factor in parking and such. I mean, if you're coming from Queens, you may feel MUCH more at home in neighborhoods away from downtown. The neighborhoods you mentioned below are homier and much more livable, in my opinion, than downtown. There's still TONS to do, especially if you like stepping out for a cocktail now and then.
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We are going to buy an apartment (condo or co-op), so we are trying to find neighborhoods to look at. Maybe a Chicago transplant from NY, or someone who has extensively traveled from Chicago to NY can help out in this regard...
I rent and my brother who lives in NYC rents, so though I have spent plenty of time in NYC and can make some comparisons, I'm not your guy when it comes to buying.
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I have heard great things about Lakeview, North Center, Lincoln Park (and Center), and Wicker Park. Someone also said to look at Bucktown, but another person told me that there are a lot of gangs in the area... I am also open to places like Logan Square, or anywhere else I don't know about. The most important thing is to be within walking distance of the Red or Blue line trains. Don't want to have to buy a second car, and don't like taking the bus... Somewhere densly populated would be nice too...not as much shock from leaving NY. NEEDS TO BE SAFE ENOUGH FOR A 25 Y/O WOMAN TO TAKE THE TRAIN HOME ALONE LATE AT NIGHT.
Of those neighborhoods you mentioned, Lincoln Park is the most expensive. It's really nice, but can be a bit... fratty/yuppie.
North Center is a great place. It's homey and unassuming, for the most part, and just south of Lincoln Square, which is lovely, and northeast of Wrigleyville, which is fun in moderation. Plus there are some great spots in North Center. The larger area generally known as North Center is divided into North Center, St. Ben's, and Roscoe Village. I enjoy all of these areas.
Wicker Park and Bucktown are neighboring communities, and their boundaries sort of overlap. They're fine. They used to be rough. They used to be hipper, too, but the area ain't the rough-and-tumble arts community it used to be. Which isn't a bad thing for most people. Humboldt Park to the South and West of Wicker Park/Bucktown is still rough.
Logan Square is fine. Dicey in spots and a little boring, in my humble opinion, but fine.
Lakeview really varies. Within "Lakeview" there are areas that range from Boystown (clubby gay neighborhood) to Wrigleyville (sporty area where the Cubs play) to the eastern part of Roscoe Village (which I mentioned in the North Center part). All in all, a well rounded neighborhood and a good place to start in Chicago.
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Also, what is this zoned parking I hear about??? What does that mean? I am driving to Chicago to look around from 13 Dec to 19 Dec...am I not allowed to park on the street?
Some areas are zoned, but many aren't. Where will you be staying when you visit?
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I read another blog...someone leaving St. Louis for Chicago, and see that some Chicagoans don't care for out of towners. Is that going to be a problem for a couple of NYers? Maybe the Cubbies fans will burn my car when they see the NY plates and Mets stickers on the back...hahaha!
Ok, appreciate any advice you can give.
Every neighborhood you asked about is chock-full of out-of-towners. Even if it weren't you'll be fine. That attitude may still exist in some neighborhoods, but those aren't generally the neighborhoods you'd seek out anyway.
Zoggie 83, My wife and I moved from Chicago to queens a couple years ago... and man if she let me I'd move back to Chicago in a flash. I miss it so much. *sigh*
We lived in Ukranian Village (which is a few blocks south of Wicker Park) where you can get a lot of bang for your buck. It's on the Blue Line. I used to ride my bike downtown to work and it was a SAFE ride and took me about 15 minutes to the loop.
I would shy away from Logan Square because it's kind of farther away from the city and there are still some gangs up there.
I'm not saying Wicker Park is perfect, but it's really fun and interesting.
Gold Coast/ Streeterville/ River North is more like midtown manhattan or the Upper East Side. South Loop is also a new option for high rise living. West Loop / Greektown can be like Soho (or even Long Island City). Wicker Park/Bucktown/Ukranian Village is like Williamsburg. Roscoe Village/North Center/Lincoln Square is like Park Slope. Also, check out chicagocrime.org: Chicago crime database. You will see that the North Side has virtually no violent crime at all. It's totally safe. The crime in Chicago is focused aroung the far west side and a few south side neighborhoods. Logan Square is like Queens. Hyde Park is like Morningside Heights. Edgewater/Andersonville is also like Park Slope or other parts of Brooklyn. Truthfully though Chicago neighborhoods are different than New York, so you'll have to experience the unique vibe of each before making a real choice.
Thanks everyone for all the advice. We are leaving Wednesday night for Chicago! We usually fly everywhere, but are taking the car this time. It's been a while since we've been on a road trip, so I'm excited!
I got in contact with a real estate agent, and she has been showing me a lot of areas in Lakeview. She is a married to a native New Yorker, and they also live in Lakeview...he apparantly likes it a lot.
Someone mentioned in a previous post that we should look at living near the Brown line. I read that only the Red and Blue lines are 24 hours. That being said, we are night owls, and are used to being able to take the train home at 4 am. We both work in healthcare, so we might be working nights as well. It would be a little inconvenient to live near a line that closes down at night.
OK, so the agent sent me A LOT of listings near 3950 N Lakeshore Dr (a lot of buildings in the area). I think the condos are VERY cheap for what you get, so can anyone tell me what that area of Lakeview is like??? It's two or three blocks from the "Sheridan" station on the Red line. Also maintainence is only around 600...but includes EVERYTHING. I had no idea...cable, elec, heat, water...you just have to pay for your landline. One place was 725 and took care of property tax too...is that the norm in Chicago?
I've also heard Roscoe Village is nice. Where is that location-wise? And are there trains there?
Thanks so much for helping! Chicagoans seem very friendly...
West Loop / Greektown can be like Soho (or even Long Island City).
Do you actually mean Long Island City, or maybe Astoria? A lot of people get them confused. I live in Astoria, and I could see why "Greektown" might be like Astoria. There are more Greeks here than anywhere in the world except Athens (actually true). I love Astoria, so if West Loop is like that, I want to check that out...
On the other hand, LIC can be pretty rough after dark, and I wouldn't want to live somewhere like that...
Hey Zoggie, here's the deal with Lakeview. The area you are looking is alright, and the nearest commercial strip is Broadway. Broadway doesn't really get a lot of great shops and restaurants on it until you get south of Cornelia or Stratford, but still has some useful stuff on it. But Lakeview gets more posh as you head further south, so that explains the lower prices up by Irving Park Road.
The other two major commercial strips in East Lakeview are Halstead and Clark. Halstead is the epicenter of midwestern gay life and Clark is full of sports bars and crazy nightlife (mostly centered around Wrigley Field).
There is a small burgeoning strip of restaurants and stores near the Sheridan "L" stop which is becoming quite nice. But if you lived near 3950 Lakeshore Drive, you'd probably be better off taking the express busses. There is more than one bus that goes express from Irving Park Road to downtown via Lakeshore Drive, and they are quite fast (144, 148, 136). Also, the 145, 146, and 135 buses go express at Belmont. Either way, "L" or bus, you'll have many transportation options in that area.
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