Moving from Brooklyn, neighborhoods good for reverse-commuting?

[NoobSaibot]

Originally Posted by marothisu

What kind of work are you looking to get?

Anything that'll pay rent and bills really.. I was thinking of going for the CTA, but I'm unsure how long the process is to get hired. I'm currently a substitute for the NYC DOE at the moment, I'm not looking to get into the school system over there though as I only have this one to hold me over until I can find something better (and with medical insurance since I wasn't so lucky to find a convenient job here).

[compactspace]

Well then.

First and absolutely utterly foremost: don't go looking for NYC in Chicago. It's not there in any shape or form. For the most part, the density simply isn't there in enough quantity. If the NIMBYs are defeated and the renaissance picks up speed, it might begin to get there. Right now, if you keep looking for NYC, you're going to be bitterly disappointed.

But that doesn't mean Chicago is not a fabulous place. My friend who moved to Chi from Hell's Kitchen simply loves the place. I love my (very extended) times there too.

My advice is instead of looking for a neighbourhood like Green Point, think of your move as a blank slate. Move somewhere straddling lively (by Chicago standards), affordable and easy to commute to. Then you'll likely discover somewhere better and move on. Make the effort to assimilate and explore and you'll probably uncover the city's gritty charms and appreciate them without undue comparisons to Williamsburg or anywhere on Manhattan.

Second and nearly foremost: don't be afraid to go for the pre-war multi-family places. Chicagoans have a mind boggling love affair with cookie-cutter glass box buildings and soft-loft conversions. They'll pay top dollar for something as long as it feels 'updated' -- which usually means wide open kitchens, hard, often fake, wooden floors, white granite benches, shiny steel plumbing and eye-watering white everything. They'll often dismiss the wonderful pre-war two- and three-flats and courtyard buildings that make up a good deal of the housing stock. These have clapboard or masonry facades and are often a little run-down. But damned if they're not roomy and full of history and character. You can get good rental deals on these places. Pre-1990 loft spaces are good too.

Neighborhoods: I recommend Pilsen, Ukrainian Village and Wicker Park. The latter is expensive, so you'll need roommates. Pilsen is good bang for buck, IMO, and almost chain-free. But it can get a little quiet, especially in winter. Stick to the L lines for ease of intra-city commuting.

Other than that, good luck!