How prevalent is it to be able to find APARTMENTS in Chicagoland for up to $800.00/month or less (but no higher)?

[UsAll]

Originally Posted by PerseusVeil

It's still possible to get a studio for less than $800 in Lakeview. You won't find that many of them, and they probably won't be all that big or updated, but they still exist. You can also still get studios and one-bedrooms for the same price range in Uptown, Edgewater, and Rogers Park. It's the same story as Lakeview, but there's more availabilities in that price range the further north you go, generally speaking.

OP, if you want to play around by neighborhood to see what's available, try Domu. It's simpler than searching Craigslist, but you probably won't find as many availabilities this time of year in comparison to the spring/summer months.
Domu Chicago | Chicagoland Apartments

Thank you for your tip, PerseusVeil. I'll take note of it.

I'll have to explore EACH of the neighborhoods of Chicago and the surrounding cities, towns, and other jurisdictions of Chicagoland to deem what areas are acceptable-enough to consider living in as to safety, types of shopping and services there, proximity to the subway system &/or the commuter rail system (+ buses) and the schedules of each, proximity to a good general hospital (ideally a Level I Trauma Center hospital but I may settle for a Level II), walkability, parking availability, etc. etc. etc.

Note that I'm not looking in the immediate term. I'm just trying to see if I can consider Chicagoland as a place to live (to eventually relocate to . . . from the East Coast). Primary reason is that the cost-of-living is overall lower in Chicagoland (at least for housing cost) and everyplace else I've lived thus far or would otherwise consider living in would also have high utility costs, taxes, auto insurance rates, et al just like Chicago likely has as well . . . so that would even it all out in comparing Chicago with, say, the New York City or Boston D.C. metro areas. But at least Chicagoland beats them all notably when in comes to the range of prices for housing. And YET it is not like one has to live in some small city (e.g., Topeka, KS) or a remote small town or rural area to get such low housing costs. Apparently, from what everyone has said, one can get these lower housing costs in a place like ***CHICAGO*** (a first-tier world city), with all the benefits that brings (including a very extensive mass transit system, at least parts of which run 24/7/365).

And I can consider not just Chicago proper but also some of the near-in suburbs as well (just like I would as well consider Long Island or Westchester County just outside of New York City proper).

[UC18]

Originally Posted by UsAll

I'm assuming that your quote of $700.00/month for a 2-bedroom apartmetn in Pilsen in a rather recent years?

I don't know when that poster's experience was, but I knew a guy who very recently paid $850 for a decent-sized relatively nice 2 BR in a centrally located part of Pilsen, so I wouldn't be surprised at all to see a smaller, more run-down, or less ideally located 2 BR go for $700 or even less.

[UsAll]

QUESTIONS (regarding the availablity and prevalence of any and all 24-hour public transit options in Chicagoland):

• How prevalent is 24-hour CTA SUBWAY service across the entire CTA system (whether 24 hours just on certain days or 24/7/365 all the time)?

According to my research, it appears that the only subway lines that are 24 hours are the Red and Blue lines. Is this correct?

• Do any of the Metra COMMUTER RAIL lines run 24-hours (whether 24 hours just on certain days or 24/7/365 all the time)? Or, for that matter, is the entire commuter rail system 24 hour or not? (e.g., note that, in the New York City metro area, both the Long Island Railroad and the Metro North commuter rail run 24/7/365 . . . so it is not unheard of to have 24/7 commuter rail service).

NOTE: The Metra commuter map was unavailable (website down) when I tried to look it up myself tonight.

• Do a host of the local BUSES serving Chicago proper and then at least some of the jurisdictions in Chicagoland outside Chicago proper operate 24 hours (whether 24 hours just on certain days or 24/7/365 all the time)? Or any of them at all?

Knowing all this info (about the availablity and prevalence of any and all 24-hour public transit options in Chicagoland-at-large) can enable me to eliminate certain locations from consideration (unless costs are too much of a factor, making me hold on to certain locations for their lower costs of living). I don't imagine that I would want to be using a car all the time to go everyplace & everywhere at all or any hours of the day and night if needed or desired (that isn't too practical, for parking everyplace & anywhere is not always viable or at reasonable cost).

[UsAll]

Originally Posted by UC18

I don't know when that poster's experience was, but I knew a guy who very recently paid $850 for a decent-sized relatively nice 2 BR in a centrally located part of Pilsen, so I wouldn't be surprised at all to see a smaller, more run-down, or less ideally located 2 BR go for $700 or even less.

Thank you for your input, UC18.

Amazing prices. So if I am even wiling to accept a reasonable-sized STUDIO in an acceptable-enough neighborhood or area, who knows what rental prices I could manage to find (maybe $500-something or $600-something . . . or even less?). Heck, with these price levels, I could likely ditch considering any studios and just take a one-bedroom!

[UC18]

Originally Posted by UsAll

Thank you for your input, UC18.

Amazing prices. So if I am even wiling to accept a reasonable-sized STUDIO in an acceptable-enough neighborhood or area, who knows what rental prices I could manage to find (maybe $500-something or $600-something . . . or even less?). Heck, with these price levels, I could likely ditch considering any studios and just take a one-bedroom!

You probably won't find as many studios in Pilsen as you will in some neighborhoods. It has a long history as an immigrant neighborhood, so what you see a lot of are old 2-3 BR apartments that used to be occupied by entire immigrant families that are now occupied by artist/hipster/yuppie/whatever singles, couples, or very small/young families. (Many are still occupied by immigrant families, too, but the gradual trend has been toward the other.)

You'll also see some commercial or warehouse-type spaces turned into artist's loft-type spaces.

That's not to say studio apartments don't exist in Pilsen. They do, and yes you should be able to find some for $500 or less. The price of real estate there just hasn't reached the point where it has made sense to create a ton of studios, like you would see downtown or in Lincoln Park or Lakeview, though it likely will at some point if trends continue.

[personone]

As others have said, you can definitely find apartments (studios/1 BRs) in your price range. Although when I was looking, I didn't see many that went below the $700-800 range. They generally won't be directly next to a CTA station, but the bus system here is extensive. The other thing to consider is where you are working. The apartments in your price range tend to be a little farther out from the center core of the city, and if you are relying on the CTA, you need to consider that some directions (i.e. going East to West in places) will make it hard to rely soley on CTA (you may need to also use the bus). If you're going to be commuting to a job, you just want to factor that in.

[nana053]

Originally Posted by UsAll

QUESTIONS (regarding the availablity and prevalence of any and all 24-hour public transit options in Chicagoland):

• How prevalent is 24-hour CTA SUBWAY service across the entire CTA system (whether 24 hours just on certain days or 24/7/365 all the time)?

According to my research, it appears that the only subway lines that are 24 hours are the Red and Blue lines. Is this correct?

• Do any of the Metra COMMUTER RAIL lines run 24-hours (whether 24 hours just on certain days or 24/7/365 all the time)? Or, for that matter, is the entire commuter rail system 24 hour or not? (e.g., note that, in the New York City metro area, both the Long Island Railroad and the Metro North commuter rail run 24/7/365 . . . so it is not unheard of to have 24/7 commuter rail service).

NOTE: The Metra commuter map was unavailable (website down) when I tried to look it up myself tonight.

• Do a host of the local BUSES serving Chicago proper and then at least some of the jurisdictions in Chicagoland outside Chicago proper operate 24 hours (whether 24 hours just on certain days or 24/7/365 all the time)? Or any of them at all?

Knowing all this info (about the availablity and prevalence of any and all 24-hour public transit options in Chicagoland-at-large) can enable me to eliminate certain locations from consideration (unless costs are too much of a factor, making me hold on to certain locations for their lower costs of living). I don't imagine that I would want to be using a car all the time to go everyplace & everywhere at all or any hours of the day and night if needed or desired (that isn't too practical, for parking everyplace & anywhere is not always viable or at reasonable cost).

Yes, the blue line and red line are the only 24 hour trains on the CTA. There is owl service on some buses. Here is the map of that:

http://www.transitchicago.com/assets...2014_11_24.pdf

Metra map and schedules here:
Schedule & Fare Finder

I don't think any of them run 24/7 though.

It is pretty doubtful that suburban buses run 24/7 any time, but I don't know. There are 199 different routes serving 220 communities.

Pace Bus - Fixed Route Bus System
Pace Bus - Bus Schedules and Maps

[UsAll]

Originally Posted by nana053

Yes, the blue line and red line are the only 24 hour trains on the CTA. There is owl service on some buses. Here is the map of that:

http://www.transitchicago.com/assets...2014_11_24.pdf

Metra map and schedules here:
Schedule & Fare Finder

I don't think any of them run 24/7 though.

It is pretty doubtful that suburban buses run 24/7 any time, but I don't know. There are 199 different routes serving 220 communities.

Pace Bus - Fixed Route Bus System
Pace Bus - Bus Schedules and Maps

Thank you for your extensive research, Nana053.