Single College Grad working downtown for a nonprofit - Where to live? (Chicago: transfer to, safe neighborhoods)

[ChristopherBearkat]

Hi there,

(waves)

I'm a college graduate (well, in may) whose relocating from Texas for a non-profit job. I don't have a car as I haven't needed one in the area I currently live.

My job is going to be in downtown close to the Sears Tower. I'd like to live close to downtown as possible. (Or at least, close to a public transit stop that's relatively safe to take in the late evening.)

I know there are a dozen threads on safe neighborhoods already, but searching 'Living in downtown Chicago' didn't really turn up anything useful.

Any advice would be GREATLY appreciated.


Thanks,
Christopher Bearkat

[Drover]

Tip #1: nobody lives downtown. Well, that's a bit of an exaggeration, but the main legal/fiancial/business district which the Sears Tower is part of just plain empties out by 7pm and tumbleweeds blow down the street. There isn't much residential in that immediate area.

Tip #2: any line that will give you access to the elevated "loop" train tracks through downtown will give you access to a stop about one block from the Sears Tower. The lines that run on the Loop train and will stop within one block are the Brown, Pink, Orange and Purple lines. The lines that will give you access via transfer at one of the connected stations is the Blue and Red lines that run underground through downtown and the Green Line which runs on the elevated loop but only on half of it, namely the half that does not stop near the Sears Tower.

Tip #3: the neighborhoods you're most likely to find people of your age and educational attainment are Lincoln Park, Lakeview/Wrigleyville, Bucktown, Wicker Park, Roscoe Village, Andersonville, and Lincoln Square. All of these are served by CTA train lines that will get you to within one block of the Sears Tower either directly (Lakeview, Lincoln Park Roscoe Village and Lincoln Square served by the Brown and/or Purple Lines) or by transfer (Andersonville served by the Red Line with easy transfer to the Brown Line -- you won't even have to leave the platform -- and Bucktown/Wicker Park served by the Blue Line, transfer to the Orange Line at Clark/Lake or just hoof it for about 10 minutes from the Jackson stop). There should be plenty of information on these neighborhoods using the search function. If you have additional questions, let us know.

[UnderTheLiveOaks]

Listen to Drover, Chris. He's the best we've got when it comes to this stuff.

[ChristopherBearkat]

Thanks a ton, this really helps alot!

(runs over to google earth to track things down)

[UnderTheLiveOaks]

I'll throw in one other thing, too. As you'll be working near the Sears Tower, you'll be close to Ogilvie and Union Stations downtown. If finances mean you can't get as close to downtown as you'd like, you may be able to find a place near a Metra stop. I ride the UP North from Ravenswood to Ogilvie all the time. It takes me 15 minutes to get downtown, when it would take 35-40 on the el.

[ChristopherBearkat]

I've been looking at the place on google earth and it turns out I'm right on the Purple Line (S. Dearborne) and really close to a stop.

So it seems like the commute won't be too big of a problem.

[UnderTheLiveOaks]

Originally Posted by ChristopherBearkat

I've been looking at the place on google earth and it turns out I'm right on the Purple Line (S. Dearborne) and really close to a stop.

So it seems like the commute won't be too big of a problem.

Yeah, the Purple and Brown lines share a track. The Purple line only runs at rush hours, though. It makes local stops from the loop to Belmont, but then runs express up to Evanston. The Brown line makes the same stops as the Purple line up to Belmont, and then heads northwest into West Lakeview, Roscoe Village, North Center, Ravenswood, Lincoln Square, and Albany Park.

[Drover]

To clarify, the Purple Line only runs south of the Evanston/Chicago border (the Howard stop) at rush hours. It still runs north of Howard more or less all hours of the day.

[jdiddy]

Originally Posted by ChristopherBearkat

I've been looking at the place on google earth and it turns out I'm right on the Purple Line (S. Dearborne) and really close to a stop.

So it seems like the commute won't be too big of a problem.

Where is this? Dearborn and Lake?

[Drover]

If it's South Dearborne, one imagines it's more toward Dearborne and Monroe/Jackson/Van Buren/etc.